Wed, Apr 20th - 9:23PM
PROPER SPIRITUAL ROOTS
This concept of home cells is not limited to simply Bible study or prayer groups. This is not to belittle either of these two groups. Both are important ministries, but we ought not to limit ministry in home fellowship to only a couple of areas for this limits God's efforts to expand and mature each person who participates in such groups.
For example, Bible teaching must be a major part of any local church congregation. The Bible is our owner's manual for spiritual living. But a person can be a thorough Bible student with their head crammed full with knowledge of texts, doctrines , dispensational truth, "types" and much, much more, and yet still be on the edge of having their spouse divorce them.
Bible study alone doesn't ensure character development. Bible study to the exclusion of friendship, charity, fellowship and worship of God leads to less character development. Pursuing this path easily leads to an unforgiving spirit that is in danger of missing out on God's forgiveness and all spiritual growth coming to a halt. We must always be aware of how deceptively wicked our own hearts can be, how our own heart may deceive us into believing false things about ourselves. Proper character development requires the objective discernment of other saints.
Of course, character development can not be sought out in a vacuum. The character God wants us to have is based upon Biblical principles. So proper balance must be struck between study of God's Word and life application of its principles.
The life God intends us to have is composed of many facets. It is these facets which determine the broad range of activity and ministry within home cell groups. There are scriptures which we must look at closely in order to understand more fully God's pattern of a restored church today.
The hymn writer puts it, "Just as I am, without one plea." I am to come to Christ just as I am, without plea-bargaining, without waiting until I am better. But once I am received by Christ He does not intend to leave me as I was but to progressively transform me into His likeness.
Thus the beginning phase of any discipling is "change." The disciples did not spend three years with Christ and remain the same as they were before meeting up with Him. Jesus Christ's purpose was to bring about change in them. He desired to change their ambitions, faith, habits, attitudes, priorities, and perceptions about life. This is something which has been lost by the modern day church. Even evangelism appears to have lost this element. Stress is placed upon regular attendance, doctrinal soundness, and Lord's service without ever considering whether or not a person is changing for the better spiritually. People are appointed to positions of leadership within a congregation long before it has been determined whether or not they have matured spiritually to the point where they can effectively lead others.
Change does not equate salvation. Salvation however must produce change in a person. The apostle Paul prayed that the Ephesians be transformed by the "renewing of their mind," and he asserted to the Corinthians "we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory."
Absolutely nothing in the New Testament supports the concept that a simple intellectual stance, "head" belief, is enough to save a person. Saving faith must involve a profound transformation of the spirit deep within a person: "believe in your heart" as can be read in Romans 10:9. Verse ten follows with: "for with the heart man believes resulting in righteousness."
True repentance and saving faith involve the obedience of our entire being to the living Lord: the "obedience of faith"(Romans 16:26). This results in real, actual change which is continual in a person's life and promotes development of godly character.
This change is not to be temporary either. It is to be permanent, life long change. Jesus clearly warned all that discipleship would not be easy or shallow: "...whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." Clearly, it does not mean to hold an intellectual stance, or perform certain rituals, or holding certain beliefs. It means accepting personal change, to be transformed over time into the image of Christ Himself. Repentance isn't being sorry for a while and then reverting back to one's old lifestyle.
So how is consistent and constant change brought about in a person's life?
Paul clearly connects change and maturity with what he calls "building up." This is personal interaction or koinonia. Galatians 6 speaks of "If any of you is caught up in some sort of sin, the others who are of the Spirit ought to gently seek to restore you; being very careful of that particular temptation yourselves. Bear one another's burdens and thus bring fulfillment to Christ's own law."
The Body of Christ has not been given to us to be some kind of club or fraternity for enjoyment and inspiration. Our interactions with each other are meant for the building up of one another, for edification, and thus the overall edification of the entire Body. The "building up" is real and visible. The various members know it; each one changes, develops, matures. The world at large can also see it.
That is all for tonight my friends. Next time I shall continue writing about how this relates to the Body of Christ. Until next time, walk in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, and be sure that God will answer your prayers exactly the way they have been requested.
~Eric
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Fri, Apr 15th - 7:19AM
PROPER SPIRITUAL ROOTS
We can find evidence of this concept of small group discipleship in our historical record. One such example is that of the Moravians. Their origin can be roughly traced back to the New Testament. In Acts there is an accounting of a dream of Paul's in which a man from Macedonia(part of Yugoslavia) begs Paul to come and help them. Not only did Paul go, but later one of his disciples, Titus, went to Dalmatia.
It seems that Titus' work of planting churches there was quite successful. In this area south and north of the Danube River a genuine and deeply spiritual heritage was maintained during the centuries when "institutionalism" all but obliterated true Christianity in Europe. It produced reformers such as Jerome of Prague and John Huss. Seeking more freedom of worship, many settled in Bohemia, calling themselves unitas fratrum or "the unity of the brethren." By "unity" they meant "community." Here is an excerpt from a Synod in 1464: "in the Congregations we will preserve peace with all, cultivate brotherly harmony, and do all in our power to further the common well-being, and to maintain firmly the bond of brotherhood in and with and through God." They agreed to observe Christian obedience and to accept instruction, warning, exhortation and reproof from one another in a spirit of brotherly good will. Luther recognized these Bohemian Brethren as effective reformers and wrote about them in 1532: "There hath not arisen since the times of the Apostles any men whose churches come nearer to the Apostolical." Direct successors of these Bohemian Brethren were the Moravians who were to do more to evangelize the world than any other single group in the 18th and 19th centuries. Initially they were a ragtag group of refugees fleeing to Eastern Germany, to Silesia, so that they could have greater freedom of worship. Count von Zinzendorf gave them a tract of land on which to live as a community. It was called Herrnhut, meaning The Watch Care, or The Watch, of the Lord. Herrnhut still exists today in East Germany. The Count molded them together into a small but spiritually powerful community. When real reconciliation came among this group they experienced a veritable Pentecost in 1727. So powerful was the resulting unity and zeal that by 1737 one single household among them had provided 56 recruits for the foreign mission field. For this mission work the leaders organized a world-wide prayer chain so that there was someone praying every hour of every day around the world. This global prayer meeting continued unabated for 100 years. Nothing like it has happened before or since. The Moravian community never numbered more than 700 at Herrnhut, but through their constant attention to relationships between one another using small groups they had influence which stretched far beyond their immediate homes. They created "bands" consisting of eight to twelve people; they were effective expressions of the individual and corporate responsibility to preserve the fellowship of the larger congregation. From out of these bands arose evangelism. These cells were commonplace in Herrnhet and in the settlements around the world of the Moravians. They led to a deeper spiritual life and unity of mind and spirit. Undoubtedly they were deeply influenced by the pietist movement in northern and western Europe. The Brethren's roots came from among Catholics in Eastern Europe, the Pietists emerged among Protestants as a challenge to the cold dogmatic sleep of the Lutheran Reformation at that time. Their core was what they called the "collegia pietatis" or small gatherings of ten or so which met for worship in private homes. August Francke, the leading Pietist, influenced Count Zinzendorf. Zinzendorf also had a profound effect upon John Wesley who was a leader of the 18th century revival in Britain. Wesley owed his conversion to the Moravians but also his evangelistic zeal. Wesley visited the Moravians in Herrnhut in 1738. He wrote about how he wished that this Christianity could cover the entire world as the oceans cover the land. He depended upon his class meetings or nurture cells as the kingpin of the entire revival movement. In the 19th century the "Holiness" movement in North America depended for its growth and continuation on a small group structure. Other American churches had no such structures. Most likely it was due to the little experience of the renewal in the Holy Spirit at that particular time. The rapid growth of churches in South America is attributable to the adoping of the cell structure - many thousands of small groups meeting in private homes across such countries as Brazil and Bolivia. This sort of structure existed briefly in the aftermath of the early Billy Graham Crusades. After the huge gatherings there would be many, many small study groups that sprung up to follow up on conversions and rededications. But they tended to fade away after a year or two. The lesson concerning the working of the Holy Spirit had not yet been learned. Then Howard Snyder wrote a book called "The Problem of Wineskins." In it he stated that somewhere around ten or twelve people gathering regularly in private homes is the best way to share God's purposes for His people. He asserted that the small group was the basic unit of the church's life during the first two centuries. Since that time (1970's) it has become increasingly apparant that home cells are now more widespread and increasingly recognized as a basic prerequisite for growth in the local church. These cells are the contact points of the church with the community around it. Home cells are not an option, they are essential ingredients of the greater corporate life of the church. It leads to stability and growth. There is a church in Seoul, Korea which numbers near, or above, 100,000 members. In order for leadership to shepherd a flock of this size they broke down the entire city into districts which were then broken down into sections headed by a leader. Each section contained 25-100 house fellowships. As can be quickly seen, there are a lot of home cell groups in this huge congregation. These cells each have a leader with an assistant. Each cell contains around twelve member households. When any cell group grows to more than 15 members it divides itself into two groups. Cellular reproduction. In even considering this concept I will point out that I am not concerned with any sort of theory or doctrine. I am talking about the divine plan of ekklesia life and relationships and not about dogma. This scriptural plan runs flat against modern day tradition, habit, and tenet of accepted church structure. They have very little to do with what the New Testament describes as the Body of Christ. Colossians 2:23 records Paul's warning against delighting in religiousness. The chapters that then follow in Colossians describe a practical way of life, not a religious format. It could be called God's covenant life. That is all for today beloved. I hope that you embrace this call for personal revival. I hope that this blog will provide you with a blessing, for it blesses me simply in writing these things for you. Go in grace and peace. ~Eric
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Sun, Apr 10th - 12:36PM
PROPER SPIRITUAL ROOTS
CHURCH IN THE HOME
In the second chapter of the Book of Acts is the description of what is the beginning of New Testament church life and the associated structure. A multitude heard Peter's very first sermon and they responded. Three thousand people accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior on the Day of Pentecost. Three thousand were baptized by the Spirit and then by water as a public display of their new identity in Christ Jesus.
Immediately they began practicing meeting daily in the Temple at Jerusalem, and of breaking bread from house to house. This phrase can also be translated as "in the various private homes." We see this in Acts 5:42. Quite soon after this the orthodox Jews prevented them from utilizing the Temple. Synagogues were then used briefly but by Acts 19 it is seen that many of these were also closed to Christians. But there remain references in Acts and the other Epistles after it to churches in homes.
In Acts 12 when Herod began arresting some of the apostles, and seized and jailed Peter, we read that "prayer was being made fervently by the church." They most certainly were not meeting on any church premises. They would have been rounded up by Herod. It was in the home of Mary the mother of Mark that many gathered together to pray.
Later on the occasion of the Miletus beach gathering of elders Paul pointed out to them that he had taught for three years publicly and "in the various private homes." Then in the last chapter of his letter to the Romans Paul wrote, "Greet Prisca and Aquila...also greet the church that is in their house..." Paul also mentions the church in Nympha's house; and in his writing to Philemon he mentions the church in his house.
Looking in the Gospels, we find that though Jesus taught and preached in synagogues, in the Temple and in the open air, He favored private homes for much of His ministry. There was Zachaeus and Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Jesus' healing also was often within homes.
In Matthew 10 Jesus commissioned the disciples to go out and preach, heal, raise the dead, and cast out demons in every city and village. But they were to enter "the house." In Luke 10 He also is recorded as saying to them to "enter houses."
The point to take from here is that Jesus ministered in ordinary, everyday places and did not build special places for believers to gather together for worship and prayer. He did not hint at the necessity of erecting headquarters or special centers either; man has done that.
Perhaps public meeting halls were used when the "several churches" of a large community sought to gather together to share a worship experience, such as Easter or Advent. But they did not regularly meet in such fashion.
Take away point from this: only two localized groupings of the church universal are mentioned in the Bible. These are the city church and the home church. Justin Martyr (100-165 A.D.) said that they met where each one chooses and can since God is not circumscribed by place.
More important than the nature of the meeting place is the concept of the group as a unit in which disciples can be nurtured. How big will these home church cells be? Is there a limiting factor to consider?
Is there significance in that Jesus called out twelve of His followers to become disciples, and eventually to become apostles? God is consistent if nothing else. Nothing is done simply by chance. Going back into the Old Testament we find that the original family of "chosen people" consisted of twelve children of Jacob. Abraham's first son, Ishmael, was promised twelve sons as well.
So we can find evidence of a definite trend towards breakdown into small groupings for effective care and instruction of individuals. Moses, for example, governed his "ekklesia" in the wilderness in a specific manner. We are told in Exodus 38:26 that there were numbered 603,550 men above the age of twenty years. Adding in appropriate associated numbers of women and children that brings the total number of Hebrews to around three million. That is a very large number of people to govern while traveling across a wilderness region. How did he manage it?
God spoke to Moses through Jethro. In Exodus 18 we can read about this delegation of authority to manage the rule, counsel, and care of God's community. We find out that ten was their basic grouping unit. It means that for just the 600,000+ men there were very many leaders of ten men. This comes to around 60,000 small groups, each led by a God-fearing, God-trusting man. If we were to add up all of the leaders who were mentioned in Deuteronomy 1:15 we arrive at 78,600 leaders of all kinds.
Moving over to the New Testament we discover Jesus spent a majority of His time with twelve men (Mark 3:14). This was not an arbitrary number since in Luke 6 we learn that He spent an entire night praying before making His decision. Then He chose twelve men.
During three years of public ministry Jesus spoke to thousands upon thousands of people yet He also dealt with individuals, such as Nicodemus and the woman at Jacob's well. The clear indication is that the fundamental, continuing work of discipleship and maturing of men happened with these twelve men only. Certain things were spoken of to the greater public and then greater discussion and explanation was given to these twelve men.
The Sermon on the Mount was primarily given to these disciples with the crowds listening on from a distance. In John 17 Jesus engages in the so-called high priestly prayer. He spoke of having authority over all mankind but His emphasis was on the few, the men whom God had given to Him from out of the entire world. To the twelve was His name manifested; they received His words; He guarded them, sent them, and for their sakes He sanctified Himself.
Jesus did not exclude all other disciples, but He laid down a divine standard operational procedure. Even God limited the number of those He felt He needed to effectively nurture to only twelve. The core of the entire church Jesus came here to establish with His own blood was limited to just twelve men.
So I believe today we must focus upon calling out very small groups of saints to be nurtured and matured spiritually in order that they may become effective leaders of larger groups of believers. It would appear that each pastor of a congregation ought to be calling out individuals to become his disciples, to develop personal relationships with them, and to train them in order to give them authority over others.
That is all for now my friends. Grace and peace be with you today!
~Eric
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Fri, Apr 8th - 1:13PM
PROPER SPIRITUAL ROOTS, Part 3
The church is never a building. Christ Jesus did not say that it was a building, and no record exists within the Bible, or in the first two centuries of Christian history that a building was called a church. We do not even read that believers ever met then in places expressly built for worship services, meetings, or outreach. I would assume that most of us know this, yet so many seem to remain content with this concept of calling the building the church. It is not the church, the people are. Much more important: the building aspect would not matter if each "church" building contained a true ekklesia, and ekklesia principles were applied. Too often today we tend to equate "going to church" with attending what is little more than a preaching center. We meet once or twice each week to take small part in a structured service of some kind and listen to a preacher. There is no interaction, no relationship. Others of us go weekly to services where they take part together in a ritual of singing, responding, reading or reciting, kneeling and standing. But the question always remains the same: Is there real community among them, a real practical belonging to one another in the Holy Spirit? It very well may exist, but the restoration of anything like real koinonia in a group of God's called-out, chosen ones, is virually unknown to millions of "church" attendees today. Let's look then, closer at the Biblical usage of "ekklesia." Studying all the 112 instances of "ekklesia," translated as church in the New Testament, indicates that they may be divided into three categories: * The Church of Jesus Christ universal. * The Church identified with a city or town. * The Church in a home. THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH Here is what Jesus spoke about when He said to Peter, "Upon this rock I will build My church." Clearly He was not localizing it here. Jesus spoke of all of the called-out, the saved ones of the entire earth. Paul intended a similar universal meaning when he wrote to the Ephesians, "God gave Him as head over all things to the church which is His body." This shows no indication of being a localized region but rather inclusive of the earth. THE CITY CHURCH Almost a hundred instances have ekklesia refers to a city or town church. Seven of these are city churches referred to in the Book of Revelation. In Acts 11 it speaks of the church in Jerusalem. In chapter 20 mention is made of the church in Miletus and in Ephesus. But we never read about the church of Asia, or of Greece, that is, of any sort of national church. Some of these cities were rather large by their standards back then. All of the members of the city church wouldn't have been able to gather in any one building and so multiple meeting points would have been necessary. It is also seen that the leaders of the various subdivisions of the city church met and reached unity of thought through the Holy Spirit. Paul spoke of them as being all of the same unit. All of the divierse subdivisions of the church body shared unity of faith, unity of belief, unity of structure. But where did the members meet? That, beloved, is for next time. May Christ be with you today. ~Eric
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Fri, Apr 8th - 12:32PM
PROPER SPIRITUAL ROOTS, Part 1
My apologies to you all, this post is copied from my other blog and is out of order with the next posting in the study. So, I hope it does not cause anyone difficulty in following the train of thought. In studying about having the proper spiritual roots one must consider several things: what one believes, whom one trusts, where one worships, and where one learns to live a godly life. For sure there are several more things to take into account, but these are a starting point.
So, where ought we to meet to worship God? The synagogue, the cathedral, or the stadium? Or perhaps there is someplace else to consider. More important though than the nature of the meeting place is the concept of the group as a unit in which disciples can be nurtured. Why disciples?
Jesus did not tell us: "Go into all the world and make converts." He said, "Go and make disciples."
Jesus did not create disciples while meeting with thousands and thousands of people in a large crowd. No, the setting for the development of disciples as seen in the New Testament is within small groups. Making a disciple is a costly, personal process, made possible only within small gatherings where the right kind of attention can be given consistently. Jesus always took a small group aside to a quiet place to teach them one on one. There can be a much larger corporate gathering, but within that large group there must be many smaller "cells" in which discipleship is happening on a personal level.
It would appear to be a clear premise in the mind of our Creator that if any organism is to be healthy/sound, it must be comprised of basic units or cells which are themselves healthy/sound. Logic dictates this conclusion.
So in order to better understand this concept of small groups of believers being divinely meant let's look at biological life. All living matter is composed of cells. Living cells are the fabric of all life. In considering living cells we ought to be able to discover some truths about how as Christians we ought to be living and interrelating with each other. So let's take a look at some of the features of cell structure.
Each biological cell moves, grows, reacts, protects, and reproduces as a miniature of the larger body. Each cell moves in a constant state of vitality and activity. And this is true with the church cells. Each one is a miniature church contributing to the overall life of the much larger congregation.
Looking at cells leads us to discovering that there can be a great diversity in shape, structure, and function. Diversity and flexibility is a key in the maintenance of interest and healthy growth of the overall church.
NUCLEUS
The heart of every cell is a control or authority center. Biological cells have a nucleus which ensures "order and survival." Besides being in control, the nucleus also contains the blueprint for continuation of the organism for the future. Right leadership and spiritual authority in home cells is necessary. Christ Jesus must be the ultimate authority and leader of each and every cell group, just as He is the head of the church body in general.
COMMUNITY
Cells out in nature rely on a "highly integrated community life" within themselves and with other cells. Within each tiny cell are many parts, each one going about its business but needing materials and nourishment. Within the cell there are networks carrying materials from one part of the cell to another. Within a cell there is complete interdependence. Home cell groups must also reach complete interdependence of the multiple parts.
OUTREACH
One part found in most, if not all, cells is called the Golgi Complex. This structure consists of a few flat discs which prepare the nutrients produced in each cell in a way that they can be utilized outside of the cell; to bless others as we might say. No home cell group exists just for itself or its own church. A home fellowship has a ministry to those around, its neighborhood.
REPRODUCTION
Each cell also has the capacity to grow, and reproduce itself. This process is to simply divide itself in two. The nucleus receives a message to divide itself. Normal cell activity ceases temporarily and then the nucleus begins to divide into two equal pieces of material. The cell parts divide equally and the cell wall slowly pinches in to separate the two cells into distinct sister cells. Each then are fully capable of working at full production again. They are able to grow and mature and reproduce again at a later date.
So in the church of Christ we see that God's arithmetic is multiplication by division. The twelve apostles did not all remain in the same congregation. They spread out and began to grow new cells. Instead of just one congregation there were now twelve! Later on, some of these cells reproduced again, and again. God's leadership "divides" and multiplies. This happens only through training and discipling of others.
PROTECTION
Every cell has some form of protecting itself. Lysosomes have both a protective and healing function; they rehabilitate ailing tissues and combat enemy attacks. Viruses are one of the most dangerous attackers of cells for they directly attack structure and the nucleus. They commandeer the leadership of the cell and change the blueprint. Healthy cells are able to produce antibodies that fight off these attackers. One of the major functions of cell groups is warfare against, and protection from, the attacks of Satan. It is here on the front lines of spiritual warfare that people in small groups engage in fervent and effectual prayer.
INDIVIDUALITY
All cells have the common denominator of structure, but within each is an individuality which can get out of control and go on a rampage and break laws. Cancer. Independence must be kept in careful check otherwise it can lead to destruction and death of cells of believers.
So it was not by accident that Christ Jesus pictured the church of believers as a body, as an organism. Within this organism there is order, breadth of function, and infinite variety, and community, koinonia.
That is all for today beloved, but next time I shall write about this koinonia. It is a very important term to understand for it is central to trusting in Christ and others. May grace and peace flood your souls this day!
~Eric
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Thu, Apr 7th - 6:27PM
PROPER SPIRITUAL ROOTS, Part 2
This blog will facilitate topical study and prevent these studies from becoming buried within my other blog which is really geared towards going through the Bible line by line. I will be attempting to copy a few of my posts from there to here in the next day or two or three. While we are pondering cells, or small groups of people, and the subdivisions of the local church, we ought to first check into what the "church" is in the Scriptures. Logical right? Doing this we discover several important terms which describe aspects of God's ideal for His family of people called the church. They are essential to understanding small group importance. KOINONIA This first term is the name of this blog. It is a beautiful word meaning fellowship, sharing, mutual communication, communion, participation. It derives from the Greek koinonos which is translated as partner, companion, partaker, sharer. Peter uses this term when he wrote "...that you might become partakers of the divine nature." "Fellowship" is not the popular idea of a cheerful, back-slapping, social event where copious amounts of food are eaten. True Biblical fellowship is something very personal, even intimate: full, open, warm sharing of one's life and spirit with others. It is what I aim to accomplish with you readers through this blog, sharing. Koinonia sits at the core of the real nature of the church. But the real church as seen in the New Testament is something unrecognizable to the vast majority of Christians around the world today. Restoration is necessary. To figure out why restoration is necessary one must look at Pentecost. This was the first page, so to speak, of a new chapter in God's dealings with saints of Christ. Here are some of the early signs and results: * We see new dimensions of praise and worship. * Our tongues begin to speak in new languages, interpretation, prophecies, words of knowledge and other Spirit gifts. * There is more excitement and joy being expressed. * Jesus Christ becomes more real. We become aware of new revelation through God's Word; the "scales" are lifted off of our spritual eyes and we see with a renewed vitality. This leads to increased awareness of reality and expression of power in our lives. But if we settle for these manifestations as the main outcome of the work of the Holy Spirit, we end up missing 95% of New Testament teaching. Renewal of this sort is the beginning and not the end. This becomes preparation for God's purposes for us as individuals and as congregations. We will continue to miss out on the greater purpose if we simply choose to ride on a charismatic wave, trying to maintain the "high" or glow without ever learning, and entering into, God's wider plan. Renewal is the basis for restoration. Peter preached to the throngs of people who gathered after the "Beautiful Gate" healing miracle. He spoke of "the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His Holy prophets from ancient times...and...all the prophets...announced these days." Another reference to restoration can be found in Acts 15 where James gives his judgment on a key issue, the acceptance and treatment of Gentiles in the church of believers. James ends up quoting Amos and says, "I will rebuild the tabernacle of David...and I will restore it, in order that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord." There are three main words for "restore": shub (Hebrew): to cause to turn back. shalam (Hebrew): to complete or make whole. anorthoo (Greek): to make straight or set right. Our dictionary defintion is: to bring back as near as possible to original form. So we can clearly see that God wants to bring us, His people, back to His pattern and principles to complete or mature us in His likeness. John the Baptist preached restoration by exhorting all to make straight your ways for the Lamb of God comes! They were being alerted to turn back to God, to set their lives right, to correct the direction of their beliefs. So is it enough to be renewed in praise, reality and joy, and then institutionalize and perpetuate yet another veneer of man-made structures and patterns? No, it is not. We are called by God to "turn back" to the Biblical precepts and goals and structure which lead us to real growth and effectiveness. But what is the Biblical meaning of "church?" EKKLESIA - Church The Greek New Testament has only one word translated church. The original meaning is clear and simple, despite the confusing meanings given to it over the centuries. Although not obvious, the word translated church is related to our word call. I ask patience as I build words here. Reducing "call" to a phonetic form we have kal. This is the Greek root for call. The verb is kal-eo, "to call." Add ek, like the Latin ex, for "out", and we end up with ek-kaleo, to "call out." Give it a Greek ending for a collective noun and we end up with ekkalesia, or "called out ones." In normal speech the first "a" is silent, or left out, and we have ekklesia, a group of called out or chosen people. Ekklesia occurs 115 times in the New Testament and is translated assembly three times, and church 112 times. Thus we are able to deduce that ekklesia refers to people and not buildings; it's a collective term meaning a group of people. That is all for today. Next time I will write about how ekklesia is not a building and then move on to some other aspects of the ekklesia. Come on back now, you hear? ~Eric
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Thu, Apr 7th - 4:55PM
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Name: E J Rajaniemi
