Summery: - One of the most misunderstood biblical terms. Right understanding of Church as revealed in the Bible helps us to examine our position with the Church of Christ. Remember, Church is the eternal programme of God and a wrong understanding of it is a great loss for us. Introduction: - There are many Biblical words misunderstood by the general public. Because of the frequent use in different connotations even the Bible believing Christians are confused and fail to appreciate the right meaning. One such word is ‘Church’. What actually Church is? Building? Most people think that Church is a building. Looking at a structure they would say, “This is our church”! While referring to their location, some one would say, “We live near by that church.” Organization? Several Christians consider church as an organization. They think if few like minded people come together in the name of Christ as a society they have formed a church. Christendom? There are some others who consider Christendom as the Church. For them Christianity is church. They know nothing more. Often we see media refer to church and we note that actually they mean the Roman Catholics. In order to understand the exact Biblical meaning of the word ‘church’ we need to consider at least three things. 1. Meaning of the original word in Greek. 2. What actually Christ meant when He used this word? 3. What the Bible says about Church? Only after considering these three things in detail we can come to a proper conclusion about the Biblical concept of Church. 1. Meaning of the original word in Greek. The first mention of ‘church’ is found in Matthew 16: 18b. “On this rock I will build My church.” The word used for ‘church’ in Greek is ‘ekklesia’. ‘ek’ =out of; ‘kaleo’=to call. That means ‘out calling’. In everyday usage it meant ‘an assembly of people’. Especially a gathering of citizens called out from their home to a public place for a special purpose. For example, the king may send a herald to share a message to everyone in a town; he will blow his horn through the streets announcing a gathering to begin soon. This gathering, congregation is called in Greek as ‘ekklesia’. In the book of Acts we see this word is used for a gathering of people. Cf. Acts 19:32, 39, 41. Luke narrates the riots in Ephesus. “Some therefore cried one thing, and some another, for the assembly was confused.” V. 32; “If you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly.” V. 39; “And when he had these things, he dismissed the assembly.” In all these three versus quoted above, Church of Christ is not in view. Luke writes about a group of people, gathered for a special purpose. NKJV uses the word ‘assembly’ for ‘ekklesia’ in these references. But in the other references we don’t know how the translators chose to use ‘church’. According Greek scholars, ‘church’ is neither a translation nor a transliteration of ‘ekklesia’. ‘Church’ actually derives from ‘kuriakos’ meaning ‘of or belonging to the Lord’. ‘Assembly’ or ‘Congregation’ describes ‘ekklesia’ better. Thus from the meaning of the original word ‘ekklesia’ we understand that Church is a group of people called out for a special purpose. Cf. Acts 15:14. 2. What actually Christ meant when He used this word? When the Lord Jesus Christ said, “I will build my church”, what did He mean actually? Was it to construct some building? No, it was not. He had no intention to erect an edifice or even a social organization. How do we know what He exactly intended? First two references In Matthew 16:18 we have the first reference to Church. The second is found in Matthew 18: 17:- “And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses to hear the church…” Here in chapter 18 it is very clear, the Lord spoke of a group of people. In verse 20 He makes it clear that “Where two or three are gathered together in my name. I am there in the midst of them.” That means church is an assembly of people gathered to the name of Christ and around Him. He is the chief and the preeminent person of that gathering. Cf. Colossians 1:18c. In fact they have been brought together by the mighty work of the Holy Sprit. The fulfillment In Acts of the Apostles chapter 2 we see the fulfillment of what Christ said in Matthew 16:18. Just before His ascension to heaven the Lord Jesus commanded His disciples to remain in Jerusalem till they shall be baptized by the Holy Sprit. Acts 1:5. In Acts 2 we see on the day of Pentecost as they were all together in one place, The Holy Spirit came upon all of them along with some spectacular, miraculous manifestations. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. In the end of that chapter we read, “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” V. 47b. cf. 5:11. So, from the above mentioned portions we understand that Church was formed on the day of Pentecost with the baptism of Holy Spirit. Paul affirms it in 1 Corinthians 12:13. Baptism of the Holy Sprit was to unite different class of people into one body. It is the Lord who adds people to the church as they got saved by trusting Him as their saviour and Lord. Cf. Acts 2:47b; Romans 10:9. Therefore, from the promise Christ made about the Church in Matthew and its fulfillment in Acts, we are able to understand
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 11:28:19 +0000
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