...I'm convinced that the church of God refers to the "kingdom church" for lack of a better word.
STP, I thought I would respond to your above point, here on this thread "For Sincere Inquisitors Only"
given its rule against hecklers, and accusers of Mid-Acts brethren, even by our own, etc., as related in the OP of this thread, given the intent of this thread.
Hopefully, Jerry will keep his word, and ignore my posts, as I have no interest in dealing with him on any of these issues whether yea, or nay, where he is concerned.
Anyway, what do you make of Paul's use of that phrase in these passages?
The following be a list of his direct reference; it does not include many of his indirect references to same.
Acts 20:
17. And from Miletus he sent to
Ephesus, and called the elders of
the church.
27. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
28. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
1 Corinthians 1:
1.
Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2.
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:
1 Corinthians 3:
6.
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
10.
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth
1 Corinthians 4:
15. For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for
in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
16.
Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
17.
For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord,
who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every
where in every church.
2 Timothy 2:
14.
Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
15. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
1 Corinthians 11:
22. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye
the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
2 Corinthians 1:
1.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
2. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:
1. Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus,
unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2. Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
4. So that we ourselves glory in you in the
churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
1 Timothy 3:
4. One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5. (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of
the church of God?)
1 Timothy 3:
15. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Though I did not touch on other uses of the phrase not penned by Paul; it appears to me that the phrase [an I know we differ on this] is similar to the phrases "the gospel of God" and "the gospel of Christ" and their variations - like them, the phrase "the church of God" can refer to either group.
What determines which group it is referring to being each's distinct characteristics.
For example, in the following, there is a reference to both groups...
Body - 2 Thessalonians 1:
4. So that we ourselves glory in you in the
churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
Kingdom - 1 Thessalonians 2:
14. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
There is even a principle in those two passages as to what they were followers of the Judean churches of God in - in their
like sufferings before their
own country men.