Lets keep it simple....
Is there a universal Church? Yes.
And at the very moment that anybody(anywhere), believes on Jesus Christ as their Savior, thereby receiving the Holy Spirit, they immediately become a member of it!
This is a real Church(a “called out assembly”), that is “called out from the world”:
And the LORD, is the only one who has the member ship list!
------------------------
We find it in ........... Colossians 1:24
"Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:"
--------------------------------------------------
When Jesus said.... “upon this rock I will build my church”(Matthew 16:18), this was the Church, this Jesus was talking about. The only Church with a 100% saved membership!
First, it is the connotational usage that determines the meaning of a term not its eytmology. Can you find anything at anytime in the history of the Greek term ekklesial prior to and including the New Testament era where ekklesia was ever used to mean "called out ones"? From its earliest conception in Greek literature and its consistent usage for 500 years right up to the new testament it has never had but one connotational meaning and that is a physical unity of people gathered in one place to conduct some sort of busness, thus a congregation or assembly.
Second, if you recognize the common meaning and common abstract generic and/or institutional use of that common meaning there is no text where it does not make sense.
Third, every single metaphor used to describe the ekklesia in the New Testament is a visible localized metaphor.
Fourth, you are simply confusing the kingdom of God with the church of God. Do you know the difference between the two? For example, Christ preached "the gospel of the kingdom" but you never read of preaching "the gospel of the church." For example, Christ said "the kingdom of God is at hand" but you never read that concerning the church. The kingdom is an Old Testament that David and others talked about but the New Testament church has its foundation consisting of New Testament apostles and prophets.
Fifth, where in Acts 2 do you find any mention of anyone building or constituting a church? You have such an ekklesia already assembled in Acts 2:1, the very same one assembled in Acts 1:15-26 which is stated to be the very same one that had been assembling since the baptism in John according to Acts 1:21-22! You have this assembly in Acts 2:1 being "added unto" in Acts 2:41-42 and identified as the "church" in Acts 2:46! But where can one find it was built or constituted on the day of Pentecost????? NOWHERE but in the imagination of some people.
Sixth, if you have being "created in Christ" or placement into the mystical body of Christ by regeneration (Eph. 2:1,5,10) or by the baptism in the Spirit on the day of Pentecost then you have all people prior to Pentecost spiritually OUTSIDE of Christ! Is there any kind of salvation for anyone at any time OUTSIDE of Christ??
Seventh, Adam died "in the day" he ate but did not die physically until he was 930 years old. Hence, the death "in the day" had to be spiritual death. Spiritual death is SPIRITUAL SEPARATION FROM GOD who is life, light and holiness, leaving man without spiritual dead, dark and unrighteous. The only possible solution to spiritual separation is spiritual union with God through Christ. By defining the universal invisible church in salvation terms (spiritual union with Christ) you are perverting the most basic level of salvation and denying any kind of salvation to pre-Pentecost people.
Eighth, The Holy Spirit "came upon" New Testament saints as much as Old Testament saints (Acts 8:14) as that is for equipping and empowering people. Regeneration was the work of the Spirit prior to Pentecost (Jn. 3:3-11; Ezek. 44:5). The Spirit of Christ indwelt both Old Testament prophets (1 Pet. 1:11 and non-prophets or common believers like Joshua and Caleb.
Ninth, the baptism in the Spirit has been and is the INSTITUTIONAL immersion in the shekinah glory (Ex. 40:34-35; Acts 2:1-3) rather than an individual baptism. It was the prophetic promise to a PLURAL "you" of WATER BAPTIZED believers constituted by Christ into an assembly (Mt. 3:11; Acts 1:4-5) restricted to a specific geographic location ("at Jerusalem") at a specific time ("not many days hence").
Tenth, It was repeated only one more time at the house of Corneilius (Acts 11;15-16) in order to publicly confirm that Gentiles were to be water baptized into the assembly on an equal basis with Jews (Acts 11:1-17). Although, thousands of INDIVIDUALS had been saved between Pentecost unto Acts 10, the NEAREST REFERENCE POINT Peter could point to when the baptism in the Spirit had occurred was "AT THE BEGINNING" proving it was a one time historical occurrence, and the house of Cornelius was an acception for the sake of Gentiles.
There is no universal invisible church or body of Church except in confused minds.
