the word church is not biblical

But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly. Was it considered a church meeting when Jesus would preach to the crowds? Of course it was! Compare Anglo-Saxon circe, a church, with circol, a circle." Almost always, words and phrases we use that are not found in scripture are not scriptural ideas. The Bible never says that your church pastor will give an account for you of how well you did or did not keep the church covenant. 3. "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. The following are five usages of the word “church”: How people commonly use the word “church”. The third edict specified that, in select places, they were to use the word "church," and not "congregation," in place of ekklesia. 426. Agape is a special version of love that speaks about God’s love toward humanity. On defining the word, Although we can see Wycliffe's rationale for using the word "church" or "circle" as common English in his day, it was not suitable then or now, since it does not meet the meaning or intent of the original word—a reference to people. (http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/james_vi/james_vi.html), 3. There are two main approaches to producing an English version of the Bible from the original languages, which, in the case of the New Testament, was Greek. If you are not hearing the Word of God and if they are not reading out of the Bible, then find another church. Could it be that we are naive? The rest of the one hundred fourteen times that ekklesia is used in the NT, it has been replaced with "church" or "churches"—replaced, because the word "church" is neither a translation nor a transliteration of the original word. His fourteenth edict stated that they could use the Tyndale, Matthew, Coverdale, the Great Bible (also called the Whitchurch, Cranmer, and Cromwell Bible), and the Geneva versions of the Bible wherever they were closer to their accessible manuscripts. If our beliefs are in error, our practice and what we live are in error as well. There is no "chair of Peter". The will of God for the church in the 1 st century is still the will of God for the Church today. What would be the response of the people who met inside it? The Bible is the all-inspired Word of God and should never be altered. Transliteration is the practice of replacing the Greek letters of a word with English letters to form a new word with a distinctive meaning. The word church in the Bible is the Greek word ekklesia. Many times the idea behind such phrases was originally founded in scripture. Throughout England, pagan religious gatherings were always held at a circle. It has a sign out front with the name of the church. Because "church" or "circle" describes a place, the real meaning of ekklesia is lost. (emphasis mine), If "church" is derived from the word "circle," how then did the original Greek word ekklesia become "church" or "circle?". If you prefer a hard copy, click on the book image above to order. In Acts 19:25-41, we have an example of the real meaning of ekklesia; the people of Ephesus gathered to deal with Paul's alleged preaching against their god, Artemis of the Ephesians. We’ve made the word “church” into an impersonal, shallow, intellectual, 2 hour a week activity. We are a living and breathing temple of living stones who encompass the true and living God. In Acts 7:38 and Hebrews 2:12, ekklesia is translated as congregation—also a good interpretation. Was Jesus thinking of Samson? Now remember, we all agree that this building is not the church. Do they better understand its true meaning and significance? They have a nice building they meet in. is used in the NT, it has been replaced with "church" or "churches"—replaced, because the word "church" is neither a translation nor a transliteration of the original word. 2. but he tore the gates from its hinges and carrying them to the top of a nearby hill. It has a raised platform or stage at the front. But what is the church? True Christians follow God's word, not the word of man. More importantly, what would be the emotional response of these people? 1:13-14). In their plan to capture and then take Samson's life the Philistines locked him in the city of Gaza4 but he tore the gates from its hinges and carrying them to the top of a nearby hill. Somebody made it up. Visit our related site for subjects on the deeper Christian life, Christian marriage, and Christian parenting issues. (Matt 16:18 NASB). Lidellan's Scott's Greek English Lexicon also tells us that the origin of our word "church" is uncertain. But they have not changed for the better. In 1993, I baptized a man in a bird bath because it was all that was available. What is the essence of the church meeting? This is a greater concern. Scripture never uses the words “go to church.” And it doesn’t use that phrase for a good reason. The building is not holy. More on this later. I would too. Look at it this way. Lidellan's Scott's Greek English Lexicon also tells us that the origin of our word "church" is uncertain. All publishing rights reserved. It’s what we’ve believed for a long time now…even though it is unbiblical. Would the expression "Ignorance of the law is no excuse" apply to spiritual concerns too? It even has the idea of a modern town hall meeting for deliberation. Times have changed now”, some might say. You cannot go to something you are. In our day and time we know very little of intimacy. In spite of the world's opposition, she called on the church to stand for the truth while warning them not to follow Christian leaders who are "more concerned about social issues and not Biblical issues, or preaching opinions and not God's Word," "Discern those who speak [the] truth. If you meet in a park, meet in a home, meet in a fancy Catholic building in Rome, meet in a tree house, it’s all the same. Was Jesus thinking of Samson? The word is generally said to be derived from the Greek kyriakos, meaning the lord's house. It makes God’s Word the authority, not the preacher’s word. Local church membership requirements are never stated in Scripture. When we say “we are going to church”, we are practicing the exact error that is really in our hearts. The most common approach is, Transliteration is the practice of replacing the Greek letters of a word with English letters to form a new word with a distinctive meaning. Spirit and to learn how to experience the depths of God's love in your daily walk DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY HERE, Or click on the book cover above to order a hard copy. When Jesus dipped a morsel of bread and gave it to Judas in John 13:26, this is the word baptizo. Please redeem past use of this term from every evil and occult influence. Why did the translators use it? When Jesus spoke, there were babies crying, people in filthy clothes, and people walking around toward the back of the crowd. Let’s start a NEW church! He led them, taught them, healed them, and then sent them out to do the same. I can read a book all day long aboutwho my wife is, but until I share her heart, and until I spend plenty of relationship time with her, I will not know her. If you are a parent, you are always a parent and you do at least some sort of parenting activity daily! Would it now still be a real church? Conclusion. Many good symbols such as the five-pointed star and the six-pointed Star of David become the occult pentagram, pentacles, and the hexagram when encircled, and each is used with prominence in Freemasonry and Witchcraft. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. We all agree with the concept that the church is the people and not the building – but only in concept. God is still in the business of not only building His True Church, but also delivering His True Church from a Babylonian captivity of religious bureaucrats and controlling spirits. So, half of our members receive no other biblical instruction than they receive during the worship service. Let’s also remove the speech making box called the pulpit. It exalts God, not … Or, the dilemmas we are trying to solve are based on assumptions that are in error themselves. It is frowned upon anyone to eat or drink a beverage in this meeting room. “We’re going to church!”. We know very little of how to be joined in heart and be truly knit together as a people of God, yet deep down, we all long for it. Could you meet with one other person, just one, on a Tuesday night in a park? What he is saying is, the Church assembly should not turn into a fashion show. Sometimes even the smallest error in our language (which reflects our thinking and our heart) can manifest itself with huge and consistent patterns of unbiblical practices in our lives. The members of the body are all Christians. “Well, Acts chapter 8 and the thief on the cross were during Bible times. Why did the New Testament Christians meet in homes? Jesus pointed out to her that people—not places—are important. This has a richer, more personal meaning than does the use and understanding of the word "church" today. It has a nice wooden box for an orator to give speeches from. Regarding the word "church", Ebenezer Cobham Brewers Dictionary of Phrase and Fable of 1898 reads: "The etymology of this word is generally assumed to be from the Greek, Kuriou oikos (house of God); but this is most improbable, as the word existed in all the Celtic dialects long before the introduction of Greek. The Trinity was INVENTED by the Catholic Church and is therefore not biblical. They would stop to hear what Jesus was saying and had their cow or chicken there with them as they listened to the message. They have services twice a week, Sundays and Wednesdays. Inside, the building has long benches for the audience to sit on. The Holy Spirit will help you. It even has the idea of a modern town hall meeting for deliberation. Then you never stop being a woman. Maybe it is a fancy building or a simple building where believers gather. Without Prejudice. C’mon, do we REALLY believe that? Aside from that, the Gospel is not places, buildings, or circles; rather, it is about unique, individual, and precious people. Let’s do some experiments. This approach was used in select places with the word "baptize." Jesus pointed out to her that people—not places—are important. It is not talking about some sacred tradition that is passed down through the church as the Roman Catholic Church claims. The word also has with it the meanings of a family, a people, an assembly, or a council. There are two main approaches to producing an English version of the Bible from the original languages, which, in the case of the New Testament, was Greek. Here’s the point. Erroneously, we have our life at work. (John 4:21-24). You don’t stop being a parent because of where you are or what activity you are doing. Would you still feel like you have to dress up, sit on a pew, and listen to a sermon in order to feel like you’ve been in church? When something is our identity, we are that thing all of the time. His version of the Bible became, and still is, the favoured version of Freemasons. Sure, things have changed. Let’s say a tornado picked it up and moved it to Kansas. Our interest is in the English word for "church," which replaces the Greek word, is correctly translated "assembly" since it means "citizens called to be a governing assembly." And the gates of hell shall not prevayle ageynst it. But what if this building were obliterated? The Druids with their Stonehenge, the Celts, and Saxons also met at stone circles, to worship their gods. It connotes inclusion or influence, as does that of being surrounded. When Jesus walked the earth, He met outside and taught people in the middle of tremendous disarray. It is probably associated with the Scottish kirk, the Latin circus/circulous, the Greek klukos, because the congregations were gathered in circles.". God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. The word "church" has no foundation in scripture, being a transferred word and not an interpretation or transliteration. The church of Christ is not a democracy. (A) a chapel or meeting house; (B) a gathering for … The King's influence is also seen where the names of the apostle and brother for Jesus were translated as "James" rather than Jacob (Iakobos). We have traded the intimacy of true church life for the falseness of an institution. The rest of the one hundred fourteen times that. Let’s look at the absurdity of our practice of “going to church” and how it negatively affects our lives. Learning more information only teaches you about something. Our actions sometime betray our right Biblical concepts. The other versions fell to the Kings disfavour because their footnotes failed to honour the King. And you are to live the reality that you are the church 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. Although we can see Wycliffe's rationale for using the word "church" or "circle" as common English in his day, it was not suitable then or now, since it does not meet the meaning or intent of the original word—a reference to people. The church meetings throughout the New Testament include meetings outside, meetings around a fire, meetings in homes, and meetings in buildings. It is translated from the Greek term ekklesia which is formed from two Greek words meaning "an assembly" and "to call out" or "the called out ones." After saying this he dismissed the assembly. The word also has with it the meanings of a family, a people, an assembly, or a council. No doubt the word means "a circle." We have made something we are, into a weekly event. Many of the first English Christian buildings for worship were located on these circle sites or were built using stones from these circles. What the word “church” means. We have our life with our church. The first edict was that they use the Bishop's Bible (which used "congregation") with as few changes as possible. How offensive it is to call us a dead pile of brick and mortar. John Wycliffe, of Yorkshire, England, translated the first Bible into English in 1382, not from the original languages, but from the Latin. Topics below from the book “Mysteries of the Kingdom”, Men’s Hierarchies and The Cell Church Movement. That concept is not in the Bible. "From the Head to the Heart" is an intense and extremely detailed study on experiencing intimacy with Christ. On defining the word klukos, from which church allegedly came, it says: "Of or for a lord or master (speaking of a secular lord). You would read the Bible together, pray together, share hearts, worship God, and touch the Lord together. 1. What is the point of meeting together anyway? The oldest existing record of the Lodge, called The Mutual Agreement" of 24 December, 1658, records that James was "entered Freemasonry as a Fellowcraft of the Lodge of Scoon" on 15 April, 1601."2. We have our life with our friends. Electronic version licensed from InfoSoft International, Inc. All rights reserved. Other English translations that followed were: dictionaries, such as the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the word "church" is derived from a Greek word meaning house of the Lord: This in itself is a poor derivative since it refers to a place (a house) rather than to people, as Jesus intended. The thief on the cross next to Jesus was never baptized at all, yet he entered into paradise. Ekklesia means “the called out ones.” If you further study the word, you will observe some interesting meanings. How would this affect our meeting? In Smith's Bible Dictionary from 1884, page 452, we read: "the derivation of the word 'church' is uncertain. The kingdom of God cometh not with observation--it is not in some multi-trillion dollar "church". If you have kids then you are a parent. A biblical church is one whom Christ is the Head, and follows the word of God. There is special, extra reverent conduct expected from you as you are in this large meeting room. If you were to take away, change, mess up, or alter people’s sacred building, they won’t really feel comfortable. When this happens, He feeds us. The church is a people. Unfortunately in many of our modern Churches today – that is just the case. No one was dressed up in a formal way. Appointed in every church are qualified men to guide the church according to the gospel and doctrine of Christ (Acts 14:23). Also, once your eyes are opened, you will stop associating “being fed” with that of listing to a message once a week. Be honest now… would you still feel like you have to cover your God base by going to the official church meeting on Sunday morning? But over time, we add to their meaning. And, you were going to do this inside your house with your spouse and children. If you go to school, go to work, or you are at home, you are always a parent. Other English translations that followed were: In fact, Masons credit him as being the originator of the worldwide system of lodges within present-day Freemasonry. What about all the other things you maybe unaware of that you believe and practice…. Many times the arguments and discussions we are having are not Biblical themselves. This is not true of today’s use of the word “church” and “Christian.” “Church” has evolved to describe a place or event and “Christian” now refers to a set of ideas or affiliation with an institution, not a … OLD ENGLISH BIBLES RENDITIONS OF MATTHEW 16:18. A perfect Biblical example of this is the multiple Greek words translated to the single English word “Love”. “But it’s just words,” you might say. I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. (Geneva Bible, c1560). It is ironic that when you ask people what church they attend, they usually identify a building. Does ignorance of the law of gravity excuse us of its influence? What do we know about this King? (Wycliffe, c1382). The word church has lost its meaning of family; the word has lost the meaning of us being a people. When you are at work, you are working to provide for their needs, when you are home with them, you are actively engaged with them and interacting with them. Christian Fiction, For updates and information on the sequel visit The Sados Sequel, To order a hard copy of Love Letterclick here. Huge ships are turned by very small rudders. People use the word “church” to mean too many things, compared to its Biblical meaning. Corporately, we are the very Bride of Christ. The building has a steeple on the top. I also ask that you help me, in time, to replace this word with more accurate words such as "congregation" or "assembly" and using it to refer to people in my regular speech. Eventually, through the manipulation of organized religion "church" came to replace "ecclesia" by popular acceptance. The Samaritan woman at the well changed the course of her discussion with Jesus to places of worship. Guidelines for Leaders of Corporate Praise, There are two main approaches to producing an English version of the Bible from the original languages, which, in the case of the New Testament, was Greek. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. And here’s the point: As a parent you should always be actively parenting. There are simpler definitions, but in my opinion, they either are not comprehensive enough or they miss the mark in other ways. Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, The Hiram Key, Arrow Books, London, England, pg. The prescribed way in which the church worshipped God during the 1 st Over time our words and phrases get packaged, re-packaged, and then packaged again. The essence and point of the church meeting is more easily accomplished as we keep it simple and don’t include all the extras and unnecessary practices. Then you never stop being one. Is it fear, as he suggests, or is it a bondage to the confines of the circle? Paul was in a church meeting one time, and while he was teaching, a young man was sitting in a window sill. Would you consider that church? This approach was used in select places with the word "baptize." So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. (Welsh, cyrch, French, cirque; Scotch, kirk; Greek, kirk-os, etc.) There are advantages to it but, … By ineffective style and function, I refer to the process wherein people, participating for even thirty or forty years, are ill-equipped to share the joy and privileges of the gospel message with their neighbors, or to exhibit the qualities of Jesus' life. Assumed to be original of the Teutonic kirk, kirche, or church, but how this Greek name came to be adopted by the northern nations rather than the Roman name or Greek name ekklesia has not been satisfactorily explained.". sources on etymology doubt this Greek connection. Phrases like “give your heart to Jesus, make a commitment to Christ, once saved always saved, lose your salvation, our church body, or the body of Christ here” – none of these phrases are found in the Bible. Recently, I had occasion to pray with an individual whom Jesus was calling out of a high position within the occult. In Jesus' day, walls encircled cities and access was by way of the gates. This article is not putting down churches as far as a place to gather and hear the word of God, because it does not matter where one hears God's Truth, as long as they hear it! Wycliffe's word chirche, or as we spell it today, "church", has some interesting twists to its meaning. Let’s test it out. Let’s remove all the pews. She wanted to be clear that her prayers referred to the Body of Christ and not to occult churches/covens/circles. I would like to introduce to you another phrase not found in the Bible. "One of the most important symbols in Freemasonry is a circle with a dot in the center—part of their motif-the shape that is drawn by the compass.”3. In each of these cases, ekklesia is correctly translated "assembly" since it means "citizens called to be a governing assembly." The story gets interesting when King James I of England decided to authorize his own translation of the Bible in 1611. The word "church" is mentioned more than 100 times in the New Testament. If a church does not follow the Bible, then it is not a church that belongs to God, because in refusing to obey the scriptures they separate themselves from God. Imagine if during the next Sunday morning service somebody decided they couldn’t hear as well from the back so they climbed up and sat in the nearest window sill? It is a theocracy (a system of government in which elders rule in the name and authority of God). You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it … Since the word "church" has no foundation in truth, we would be wise to move away from its use in our Bibles, writings, and speech, replacing it with terms such as "those people I call", "governing assembly", "congregation", or similarly suitable translations, more directly referring to God's people rather than to a place. Throughout Europe and England, the circle was a significant occult symbol and remains so today. Because "church" or "circle" describes a place, the real meaning of, "One of the most important symbols in Freemasonry is a, with a dot in the center—part of their motif-the shape that is drawn by the compass.”, In Jesus' day, walls encircled cities and access was by way of the gates. It’s Time to “Go To Family”. Over long periods of time we create man made doctrines, and then we assume they are Biblical. This meeting room is viewed as though God Himself were living in it. If God has saved you and you belong to Jesus Christ, then your new identity as a person is now with the church. Let’s take a look at your average group of people who meet in a traditional church setting.

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