gibson@b11.ingr.com (Stanley) (07/30/90)
From some recent study I have done it seems to me that most of us have a clouded view of what is the church. May I present some of my thoughts for your consideration? As I begin let me say that I believe the Bible as we have it today is the inspired Word of God and as such will last forever. I believe we should look to it as the standard. We think of the word church as a religious word. This is not the way the word is used in the scriptures. As many of you know the word church is translated from the greek "ekklesia", meaning called out. Ekklesia of Christ then is those who have been called out (by the Gospel) of wordly things to spiritual things, those who have been set apart or sanctified from things of a worldly nature. We might think that since Christ's church was not established before He came into the world, the word was not used in the Old Testament. In fact, it was and its use will help us understand the concept God intends for us. Since the O.T. was written in Hebrew the Greek word ekklesia does not occur in the Hebrew writings. However in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of O.T. made about 250 BC which Jesus and the apostles quoted from does use the word ekklesia about 40~50 times. Both in a religious and non-religious use. In Dt 9.10 english versions say: ...and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. The term assembly is from the word ekklesia in the Septuagint, the same word translated church in the N.T. In Dt 4.10 9.10 18.16 23.1,2,3,8 and others, the word is translated assembly. These passages show that God spoke of the assembly of Jews , that is the Jewish nation, assembled or not. It refers to the people or nation of Israel. In the N.T. several passages use the term ekklesia where it has nothing to do with Jesus. In Acts 19.32 Luke describes Paul's encounter with the Ephesian silversmiths: Some therefor cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was in confusion .. Here the word ekklesia (assembly) describes a mob trying to kill Paul! It was a riot composed of silversmiths, a group of people who had been called out of Ephusus because of a distinct relationship, they were silversmiths. In the same chapter, in verse 39 the town clerk broke up the riot by saying: If you seek anything about other matters, it shall be settle in the regular assembly. In this passage the term ekklesia (assembly) refers to the town council, again a church that has nothing to do with Christ! This "church" was another group of people called out of the town by their relationship to the council. Again in Acts 19:41 in reference to the mob of silversmiths: And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly. All three of these passages use the word ekklesia (church) to describe the same thing; a group of people, not a building or an instution. In Acts 7.38 Stephen is speaking of Moses: This is he that was in the church in the wilderness... Of course Moses did not deal with the N.T. church of Christ but with a group of people, the congregation of Israel, the ekklesia described in the O.T. where this same word is used. Thus several passages exist in the Old and New Testaments where this word ekklesia is used not of the Church (people) belonging to Christ but of many various groups, Jews, silversmiths and town council members. Church as it is used in the Scriptures is not an especially religious word, and yet with our religious backgrounds, most can hardly separate the idea of religion from church. Today many think of the church as an institution - and indeed many if not all denominations are institutions, built by men to please themselves rather than please God.