Redefining church

Redefining thoughts on "Church".

I do not know Greek or Hebrew, yet I have a trusty Strong’s concordance and a basic understanding on how words are constructed. With these tools, God has shown me much.

I have been having some radical thoughts about this whole "Church" idea. As I do more study I find that somehow maybe the idea of “church” was lost in the translation. Literally.

The first time the word appears is in Matthew16: 18:

18. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

The first thing about this is that Jesus would never had used the word church…. Synagogue, maybe, religion…. That is what some seem to think. Institution? That is what it has been interpreted as.

But……

In the literal translation they use the word “community” instead of “Church”. Now, that sounds more like Jesus to me.


18. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my community, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Now if one goes deeper here into the Greek we see something even more interesting.

Strong's Ref. # 1577
Romanized ekklesia
Pronounced ek-klay-see'-ah
from a compound of GSN1537 and a derivative of GSN2564; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both):
KJV--assembly, church.

Notice it says it comes from two words… this is a compound word…. So what are the two words? Roughly in English they are, in a few more words

Strong's Number: 1537
Transliterated: ek
Phonetic: ek
Text: a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote): --after, among, X are, at, betwixt(-yond), by (the means of), exceedingly, (+ abundantly above), for(- th), from (among, forth, up), + grudgingly, + heartily, X heavenly, X hereby, + very highly, in, ...ly, (because, by reason) of, off (from), on, out among (from, of), over, since, X thenceforth, through, X unto, X vehemently, with(-out). Often used in composition, with the same general import; often of completion.

Strong's Number: 2564
Transliterated: kaleo
Phonetic: kal-eh'-o
Text: akin to the base of 2753; to "call" (properly, aloud, but used in a variety of applications, dir. or otherwise): --bid, call (forth), (whose, whose sur-)name (was [called]).


Breaking this down a bit one might say “called out from”. I like to say, “called out ones.”
Or “those called to completion”….

Put together it gives a connotation of a group or community of people called out to completion. Now, I like that better than “church”.

We are called out ones who gather together as a community. What a blessing that is. With this I see the “church” not as an institution of cold bricks and mortar that needs to
Have air conditioning in the summer, (except in them fire and brimstone churches) and heaters in the winter. It suddenly has a rush of blood to it face, color and vibrance courses through it veins and blood pumps in its heart. It suddenly begins to realize it is alive and in amazement, finds out it is loved. Then to be told that she is a beloved Bride
Betrothed to a Bridegroom, who loves her so much that He is making her perfect in every way, for His Names sake, but also because of His great Love for her.

That is church. It is not that the people make up the church or as some say the people are the Church. No. The church is the body of Christ, this body He loves as His own. We are loved as a husband loves his wife… for that is what we are… His Bride!

One of the called out ones who gather in Billings MT,

Blessings,
iggy