Section 3 of Preface:  A Reminder of Jesus' Teachings:

At the time that the Book of Revelation was written, most or all of the New Testament letters had been written and copies of these letters were being circulated amongst the congregations of the Lord's church that had been dispersed throughout the land.

Before we begin the detailed study of Revelation, it is important that we look at some of the teachings of Christ on topics that will be discussed in the Book of Revelation.  Having these teachings of Christ in mind as we read the Revelation will be important to a deeper understanding of the Revelation.

Jesus' Love for His Church:

As Jesus' followers faced increasing persecution, even to the point of death, perhaps their first reflection was on the great love that Christ had for this group of believers called the "church*."

Before we look at Christ's love for the church, let's first look at an overview of what the Bible says about Jesus' church:

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions." Colossians 1:24 (NAS)

"He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything." Colossians 1:18 (NAS)

*Note: The word "church" comes from the Greek word #1577 ekklesia (which is pronounced ek-klay-see'-ah). According to Strong's Dictionary of Greek words, ekklesia is defined as "a calling out, i.e., (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation."

Question:

According to Colossians 1:18 and Colossians 1:24, Jesus' church (this group of believers) is also called what?