Misunderstanding the directions

Part 14 The Words we use sometimes of time are confusing

Gentle Readers,

We have been looking at some words and expressions that out Apostle, Paul has used we come to one now that has been corrupted that to even try to explain what it means will force some to have their eyes ripped out for the heresy, that I now will share. (However heresy is only heresy if it’s not true, and there is a truth that is truer than truth- Get that?)

Eph 1:22 (21) And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the (b) head over all [things] to the church, Our word is Church which is the Greek ekklesia which simply means " a gathering". The meeting place of the brothers was almost always in Paul’s time the house of a Brother or Sister or both- as in 1Co 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Rom 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

But! Hang on Gentle reader, Ekklesia is comprised of ek ‘out’ and kaleo "to call" and truly means a "called out asembly" in Classical Greek from the 5^th century BC onward and was used for the assembling of "citizens" of the city (polis) for legislation and other public business. We find the word used in the Septuagint for the gathering of Israel for some definite purpose, the usual word is Sunagoge Heb. (Synagogue) When Christ used the word that you read as church He was transforming the word to mean His assembly (of believers) making it distinct from Judaism. He was not starting a new work, or a new Religion, or a new church! He was as God calling back people to himself. In Jesus time He was calling the Jewish people out of their prescribed rituals and formalities - back into the relationship that God had wanted when He walked in the cool of the day with Adam and Eve.

It was Paul that saw beyond the Jewish scope of Christ Ministry (of course Paul had to be blinded first to see that God wanted all of mankind to come to Him). It is extremely significant that Paul states that there is only ONE body Eph. 4:4 which is the "real" universal church". Some teach that unless you belong to this denomination or that one, you just haven’t arrived yet! Other teach that their local assembly, along with other local assemblies who agree with them are "The Church" and that no one else is part of the church no matter what they believe. Biblically however, no earthly denomination or group can be called "The Church." Christ called His family {a gathering together} not "churches"! Many groups that hold a Sunday meeting are (I am sad to say) not taught in Scripture and many more in fact are inherently weak in either theology and method (choosing rather methods from this man or that person rather than the Word and the Words that God has given. God called Paul to begin bringing others Jew and Gentile alike into the Family of God which makes up the "Body of Christ"

for those who want a wee bit more here is some food for thought.

Love,

Denis

 

Mat 16:18 (5) And I say also unto thee, That thou art (l) Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the (m) gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

(5) That is true faith, which confesses Christ, the virtue of which is invincible.

(l) Christ spoke in the Syrian tongue, and therefore did not use this discourse to distinguish between Petros, which signifies Peter, and Petra, which signifies a rock, but in both places used the word Cephas: but his meaning is what is written in Greek, in which the different word endings distinguish between Peter, who is a piece of the building, and Christ the Petra, that is, the rock and foundation: or else he named him Peter because of the confession of his faith, which is the Church's as well as his, as the old fathers witness, for so says Theophylact. That confession which you have made, shall be the foundation of the believers.