What is the Church?

[MoreCoffee]

CHURCH is the name given the "convocation" or "assembly" of the People God has called together from "the ends of the earth." In Christian usage, the word "Church" has three inseparable meanings:

• the People that God gathers in the whole world;
• the particular or local church (diocese);
• and the liturgical (above all Eucharistic) assembly.

The Church draws her life from the Word and the Body of Christ, and so herself becomes Christ's Body (752). In the Creed, the sole Church of Christ is professed to be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic (811).

The word "Church" (Latin ecclesia, from the Greek ek-ka-lein, to "call out of") means a convocation or an assembly. It designates the assemblies of the people, usually for a religious purpose. Ekklesia is used frequently in the Greek Old Testament for the assembly of the Chosen People before God, above all for their assembly on Mount Sinai where Israel received the Law and was established by God as his holy people. By calling itself "Church," the first community of Christian believers recognized itself as heir to that assembly. In the Church, God is "calling together" his people from all the ends of the earth. the equivalent Greek term Kyriake, from which the English word Church and the German Kirche are derived, means "what belongs to the Lord."

In Christian usage, the word "church" designates the liturgical assembly, but also the local community or the whole universal community of believers. These three meanings are inseparable. "The Church" is the People that God gathers in the whole world. She exists in local communities and is made real as a liturgical, above all a Eucharistic, assembly. She draws her life from the word and the Body of Christ and so herself becomes Christ's Body.

 

[1689Dave]

CHURCH is the name given the "convocation" or "assembly" of the People God has called together from "the ends of the earth." In Christian usage, the word "Church" has three inseparable meanings:

• the People that God gathers in the whole world;
• the particular or local church (diocese);
• and the liturgical (above all Eucharistic) assembly.

The Church draws her life from the Word and the Body of Christ, and so herself becomes Christ's Body (752). In the Creed, the sole Church of Christ is professed to be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic (811).

The word "Church" (Latin ecclesia, from the Greek ek-ka-lein, to "call out of") means a convocation or an assembly. It designates the assemblies of the people, usually for a religious purpose. Ekklesia is used frequently in the Greek Old Testament for the assembly of the Chosen People before God, above all for their assembly on Mount Sinai where Israel received the Law and was established by God as his holy people. By calling itself "Church," the first community of Christian believers recognized itself as heir to that assembly. In the Church, God is "calling together" his people from all the ends of the earth. the equivalent Greek term Kyriake, from which the English word Church and the German Kirche are derived, means "what belongs to the Lord."

In Christian usage, the word "church" designates the liturgical assembly, but also the local community or the whole universal community of believers. These three meanings are inseparable. "The Church" is the People that God gathers in the whole world. She exists in local communities and is made real as a liturgical, above all a Eucharistic, assembly. She draws her life from the word and the Body of Christ and so herself becomes Christ's Body.

But the church exists where two or more meet in Jesus' name. They met in houses that were independent of each other. From within those meetings, God raised Pastors (aka Bishops) elders, and teachers to prepare the saints for the ministry. Each believer was a priest and a minister. The church was for teaching, the street for preaching. With the rise of the monarchical bishops near the second century, a false system of church government began. In time it morphed into the two Catholic Churches. And the visible institutional church denominations not found in scripture. The murderous rampages of the Western Catholic Church began around 606 and the Reformational Churches began the murder of Christians soon after Luther undertook his efforts at reform.

It's best to follow the scripture model for church and meet even at a restaurant or a home if necessary.

 

[MoreCoffee]

It's best to follow the scripture model for church and meet even at a restaurant or a home if necessary.

The post that I wrote never mentions church buildings.

 

[1689Dave]

The post that I wrote never mentions church buildings.

Why do you have so many?

 

[MoreCoffee]

Why do you have so many?

I personally have none.

 

[1689Dave]

I personally have none.

right.......... You just support those who have zillions.

 

[MoreCoffee]

right.......... You just support those who have zillions.

I attend mass in one, it's quite nice.
Saint Paul hired a lecture hall in Ephesus.

 

[1689Dave]

I attend mass in one, it's quite nice.
Saint Paul hired a lecture hall in Ephesus.

But where do you find the Mass in scripture?

 

[Albion]

But where do you find the Mass in scripture?

You never have heard of the Last Suppper, then? Or Jesus' instructions about it to his Apostles. And then prayer. A novel idea not ever mentioned in Scripture, you're thinking, huh?????

 

[Albion]

Why do you have so many?

Are you thinking that having the people stand outside in the rain makes a lot more sense?

 

[Albion]

But the church exists where two or more meet in Jesus' name.

The Bible doesn't say that.

Anywhere.

But making up things is routine on your posts I realize.

 

[1689Dave]

Are you thinking that having the people stand outside in the rain makes a lot more sense, right?

No, people should not be there if they believe scripture on the make-up of the church. Look at all the Christians these unscriptural "churches" murdered. Shouldn't that tell you something about them?

 

[1689Dave]

The Bible doesn't say that.

Anywhere.

But making up things is routine on your posts I realize.

It does.

“For where two or three are gathered [churched] together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20 (KJV 1900)

 

[1689Dave]

You never have heard of the Last Suppper, then? Or Jesus' instructions about it to his Apostles. And then prayer. A novel idea not ever mentioned in Scripture, you're thinking, huh?????

Cranmer proved it identified the Pope as Antichrist

 

[Josiah]

What Is the Church?


It is undeniable that Christians tend to use terms variously.
Two different meanings are found in the Bible; in the Bible itself the word has two quite different meanings:


CHURCH.

"The one, holy, catholic community of saints" as most Christians proclaim each Sunday. This is PEOPLE, the PEOPLE of God. The "Body of Christ." ALL those to whom God has given the divine gifts of faith, spiritual life, justification (narrow) and the Holy Spirit. It is the entire corpus of such (both on earth and now in heaven). It is "invisible" in the sense that it is not a human/geopolical/legal/economic entity but is "visible" in the sense that faith among the faithful is observable. It is ONE (because we are one body, one family, brothers and sisters in Christ), united in our faith in CHRIST as THE (one, only, exclusive) Savior. It is HOLY because all in it are forgiven via that faith in that Savior. It is CATHOLIC (adj: universal) because it embraces ALL believers everywhere and in every time, it is a communion because we are united into one spiritual entity.

Ephesians 2:19-22
Ephesians 4:4
1 Peter 2:9
Romans 12:4
Ephesians 1:1
Luke 17:21



CONGREGATION/PARISH

A congregation is a gathering of Christian people in a given place and time. They gather together by their Lord's direction to worship, study, serve/minister, grow, support, love and hold each other accountable. They MAY put institutional aspects into place (name, constitution/by laws, articles of corporation, budgets, officers, property, etc.) so that that association has institutional aspects or simply may be Christians who gather in some living room. While the word "church" is often used for this too, it is NOT to be confused with THE Church - the one, holy, catholic, communion of saints: these associations are at most a tiny and current subset of THE Church. There are tens of millions of congregations in the world, very few last more than a century so they tend to have a beginning and an end. It is NOT divinely mandated that all Christians associate into some congregation/parish, but many do and many believe this is a good thing but there are hundreds of millions of "non-congregational" Christians.

Galatians 1:2
1 Thessalonians 1:1
Revelation 1:4
1 Corinthians 1:2



DENOMINATION


At times, a group of congregations MAY choose to associate together - forming an institution of them, an association of congregations.

These congregations associate together into denominations for similar reasons that Christians associate into congregations: for the purposes of mutual edification, ministry, support and accountability. Some of these are extremely "loose" (the "United Church of Christ" in the USA would be an example), the most radical forms are very strong they even may actually legally own and operate the member congregations (the Catholic Church or the Episcopal Church USA are examples of extreme denominations). Examples would be "The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod" "The Greek Orthodox Church" "The United Reformed Church in America". There are thousands of denominations in the world currently, the largest being the Catholic Church.

Congregations can be denominational (as most are) or non-denominational. Denominational ones are associated with other congregations - with a common formal statement of faith and often with some governance above and outside itself, whereas non-denominational ones are independent and autonomous, having no formal relationship to any other and no accountability beyond itself (or perhaps "directly to God"). There is no divine mandate that a congregation be denominational (and millions aren't) but most are and most believe this is a benefit.

There are no Scriptures that mention denominations. Many hold that none clearly existed until the Roman Empire formed "The Roman Church" in the early 4th Century, created by itself for itself in the image of itself.


"Faith Community" is a term sometimes used for a group of related denominations, congregations (or even individual Christians) who share a common statement of faith (although not an institution) - thus "the Lutheran Faith Community" for any and all denominations, parishes or individuals who embrace the Lutheran Confessions, or "The Anglican Communion" for examples. Occasionally, "denomination" is used in this sense, too.


OTHER USES:

Again, only the top two meanings are found in the Bible itself. That does not make others invalid or forbidden, it just makes them extra-biblical.

Building.

The word can be used for a building or buildings typically used primarily for religious purposes. "Bob is busy painting the church."

Worship.

"She sang a solo during church."

There are others.


Again, I don't deny that these words CAN be used in very sloppy and confusing ways, but it is clear there are different aspects being addressed - even if some title is used.



- Josiah




.

 

[MoreCoffee]

But where do you find the Mass in scripture?

If you are sincere in your question then I commend the mass text to you along with scripture sources because the mass is drawn from scripture and contains scripture texts in abundance for each step of it.

Bible references for the Catholic Mass

Bible references for the Mass

www.catholicbridge.com

 

[1689Dave]

If you are sincere in your question then I commend the mass text to you along with scripture sources because the mass is drawn from scripture and contains scripture texts in abundance for each step of it.

Bible references for the Catholic Mass

Bible references for the Mass

www.catholicbridge.com

Where do you find a Pope or your history of murdering thousands if not millions as a Christian practice in scripture?

 

[MoreCoffee]

Where do you find a Pope or your history of murdering thousands if not millions as a Christian practice in scripture?

You read the mass with scripture?

 

[1689Dave]

You read the mass with scripture?

Start with the Spanish Inquisition. Do you support this?

 

[Lamb]

Start with the Spanish Inquisition. Do you support this?

That's a tangent and not really on the path of this conversation.