Meaning of “the Church.”
“ 17) And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18) I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19) I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”” Matthew 16:17-19
The Greek word for “church” is “Ekklesia.” It literally means “those called out.” The Christan community was designated for the first time as “ekklesia” in Acts 2:41 & 47. This distinguished it from the Jewish religious assembly known as the “synagogue.”
In the English language, we have the two terms a “Christian Church” versus a “Jewish Synagogue.” The church defines those who are born-again through faith in Christ. The Synagogue refers to a gathering of Jewish people seeking to be justified by keeping the Law of Moses.
It must be clarified that both terms technically refers to the assembly of the people and not the buildings. We have distorted the meanings by assigning them to the buildings and not specifically to the people.
This mindset of the church being the people and not the building is difficult to embrace, but it is crucial. The gospel does not save buildings, it saves people. Jesus is coming back for the people and not the buildings.
The first 300 years of Christianity, the believers met in homes and not buildings. The persecuted church does not meet in buildings, but they come together as an assembly. They are the church! If you are a born again believer, you are part of “the church.”
I consciously started working on this change of mindset years ago while driving with my family. When we would pass a church building, I would say; “There is a Christian building, I wonder what the church body looks like?”
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
“ 17) And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18) I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19) I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”” Matthew 16:17-19
The Greek word for “church” is “Ekklesia.” It literally means “those called out.” The Christan community was designated for the first time as “ekklesia” in Acts 2:41 & 47. This distinguished it from the Jewish religious assembly known as the “synagogue.”
In the English language, we have the two terms a “Christian Church” versus a “Jewish Synagogue.” The church defines those who are born-again through faith in Christ. The Synagogue refers to a gathering of Jewish people seeking to be justified by keeping the Law of Moses.
It must be clarified that both terms technically refers to the assembly of the people and not the buildings. We have distorted the meanings by assigning them to the buildings and not specifically to the people.
This mindset of the church being the people and not the building is difficult to embrace, but it is crucial. The gospel does not save buildings, it saves people. Jesus is coming back for the people and not the buildings.
The first 300 years of Christianity, the believers met in homes and not buildings. The persecuted church does not meet in buildings, but they come together as an assembly. They are the church! If you are a born again believer, you are part of “the church.”
I consciously started working on this change of mindset years ago while driving with my family. When we would pass a church building, I would say; “There is a Christian building, I wonder what the church body looks like?”
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
