Shalom, mishpachah.
Okay, let's move on. Another definition will be a "sacred" word to some. "Sacred" words are those words that one can use respectfully, but NEVER let someone hear you attack those words! Such words fall into the same classification as a revered pastor, a "reverend." The Scriptures admonish, "Touch not the Lord's Anointed!" Well, in the case of these words, these are irrationally and superstitiously said to be SPECIAL words that no one should touch!
But, I'll dare to touch them. Let's look at the word, "church," for instance: There are two ways to go with this word. First, the etymology of the English word "church" is, according to Random House Webster's College Dictionary, "before 900; Middle English chir(i)che, Old English cir(i)ce, borrowed from Greek kuri(a)kon (dooma) the Lord's (house); akin to Dutch kerk, German Kirche, Old Norse kirkja. See KIRK."
The second way to go is the Greek word usually translated as "church" in the King James (Authorized) Version of the Bible, "ekkleesia." This Greek word is a compound word coming from the small prepositional word "ek," meaning "out of," and "kaleoo" meaning "I call." The word itself is a participle, not a noun; however, used AS a noun, it more resembles our gerund. Thus, it is a "called-out (group)" of people. Looking at how the word was used in the New Testament, it was used not only for individual groups of people in various cities and towns, such as Korinth and Ephesus, but was also used for the congregation of Isra'el at the foot of Mount Sinai in Acts 7:38 and the "town council meeting" at Ephesus in Acts 19:32, 39, and 41. Theologians will also point out that the word was used for the congregation of ALL believers in heaven in Hebrews 12:23, but there are qualifications to this concept. Remember that "heaven" means "the sky." Therefore, the "general assembly (Greek paneegurei, meaning 'to a mass-meeting') and called-out (group) of the firstborn (ones) in the sky" is a reference to the actual collecting of the believers as described in 1 Thes. 4:13-17.
The mere fact that the word is usually used in the plural for multiple groups of people is proof enough that there is no such thing as a "universal body" of believers called the "Church" (note the capitalization). They were always "churches!" Indeed, the word "catholic" means "universal." Therefore, for a protestant to claim there is a "universal body" is a MAJOR backpedaling! They are saying they are once again part of the "Catholic Church" or "Universal Church," usually and particularly the "ROMAN Catholic Church" (as opposed to the Eastern Orthodox or the Greek Orthodox Churches)!
Furthermore, if the "church" is said to be a body of members that work together and can share each other's pain and burdens (Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31), then it doesn't even make sense for the "church" to be a "universal body." How does a "finger" in Albuquerque scratch a "nose" in Timbuktu?! They must be able to interact and instantly react to one another, as in a local body of believers can. It's hard for a "congregation" to be "gathered together" if they're still all over the world!
Therefore, I conclude that the "church" is a LOCAL body of believers. As the Complete Jewish Bible puts it, it is a Messianic Congregation, a congregation of members who believe in the Messiah Yeshua` - that Yeshua` is the Messiah of God.
So, it makes much better sense to see the "church" NOT as an organization or a corporation, but as a COLLECTIVE NOUN (GERUND)! It's the same kind of word as our words "flock (of sheep), school (of fish), pack (of wolves or dogs), pride (of lions), gaggle (of geese), or even murder (of crows)!"
The only passages of Scripture that SEEM to be saying something otherwise are Ephesians 4:4 and Colossians 3:15, but one should notice and remember that each of these verses is talking to ONE group of people in each town, Ephesus and Colosse, and each passage is referring to those who can "forebear one another in love," and can "teach and admonish one another in songs, hymns, and spiritual songs." These are intimate encounters that require close fellowship as in a LOCAL assembly.
Now, that being said, what does that do to our understanding of Ephesians 5?
Ephesians 5:17-33
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
KJV
Well, at the least, Paul is talking about each LOCAL body of believers, but I believe that there are a couple of other interpretations possible:
First, it is possible that the "ekkleesia" in these verses is a two-person "called-out (group)." Here's why: When Paul said that "Christ also loved the church (ekkleesia) and gave himself for it," did the Messiah love and give Himself for some organization or corporation? OR, did He love and give Himself for PEOPLE, for INDIVIDUALS? He loved and gave Himself for INDIVIDUALS! Also, in talking of the "body," Paul includes verses 28, 29 and 31 above. And, we might call a "two person called-out (group)," a "UNION." Thus, Paul may have been referring to the importance of the marriage union and why the husband and the wife should remain monogamous.
Second, another possibility that may be applicable to this passage as well as others is that the "ekkleesia" is first and foremost the SAME congregation as in Acts 7:38!
Remember that Paul said in Romans 11,
Romans 11:1-32
1 “In that case, I say, isn’t it that God has repudiated (disowned) his people?” Heaven forbid! For I myself am a son of Isra’el, from the seed of Avraham (2 Chron. 20:7; Ps. 105:6), of the tribe of Binyamin. 2 God has not repudiated his people (1 Sam. 12:22; Ps. 94:14), whom he chose in advance. Or don’t you know what the Tanakh says about Eliyahu? He pleads with God against Isra’el, 3 “Adonai, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars, and I’m the only one left, and now they want to kill me too!” (1 Kings 19:10, 14) 4 But what is God’s answer to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not knelt down to Ba‘al.” (1 Kings 19:18) 5 It’s the same way in the present age: there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 (Now if it is by grace, it is accordingly not based on legalistic works; if it were otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.) 7 What follows is that Isra’el has not attained the goal for which she is striving. The ones chosen have obtained it, but the rest have been made stonelike, 8 just as the Tanakh says,
“God has given them a spirit of dullness —
eyes that do not see
and ears that do not hear,
right down to the present day.” (Deut. 29:3; Isa. 29:10)
9 And David says,
“Let their dining table become for them
a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a punishment.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see,
with their backs bent continually.” (Ps. 69:23-24)
11 “In that case, I say, isn’t it that they have stumbled with the result that they have permanently fallen away?” Heaven forbid! Quite the contrary, it is by means of their stumbling that the deliverance has come to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy. (Deut. 32:21) 12 Moreover, if their stumbling is bringing riches to the world — that is, if Isra’el’s being placed temporarily in a condition less favored than that of the Gentiles is bringing riches to the latter — how much greater riches will Isra’el in its fullness bring them!
13 However, to those of you who are Gentiles I say this: since I myself am an emissary sent to the Gentiles, I make known the importance of my work 14 in the hope that somehow I may provoke some of my own people to jealousy and save some of them! 15 For if their casting Yeshua aside means reconciliation for the world, what will their accepting him mean? It will be life from the dead!
16 Now if the hallah (a piece of the Jewish egg bread) offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole loaf. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you — a wild olive — were grafted in among them and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree, 18 then don’t boast as if you were better than the branches! However, if you do boast, remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you. 19 So you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True, but so what? They were broken off because of their lack of trust. However, you keep your place only because of your trust. So don’t be arrogant; on the contrary, be terrified! 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly won’t spare you! 22 So take a good look at God’s kindness and his severity: on the one hand, severity toward those who fell off; but, on the other hand, God’s kindness toward you — provided you maintain yourself in that kindness! Otherwise, you too will be cut off! 23 Moreover, the others, if they do not persist in their lack of trust, will be grafted in; because God is able to graft them back in. 24 For if you were cut out of what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree!
25 For, brothers, I want you to understand this truth which God formerly concealed but has now revealed, so that you won’t imagine you know more than you actually do. It is that stoniness, to a degree, has come upon Isra’el, until the Gentile world enters in its fullness; 26 and that it is in this way that all Isra’el will be saved. As the Tanakh (a Hebrew acronym for the OT, the Torah or Instruction, the Navi'iym or Prophets, and the Ketuviym or Writings) says,
“Out of Tziyon (Zion) will come the Redeemer;
he will turn away ungodliness from Ya‘akov (Jacob)
27 and this will be my covenant with them, . . .
when I take away their sins.” (Isa. 59:20-21; 27:9)
28 With respect to the Good News they are hated for your sake. But with respect to being chosen they are loved for the Patriarchs’ sake, 29 for God’s free gifts and his calling are irrevocable. 30 Just as you yourselves were disobedient to God before but have received mercy now because of Isra’el’s disobedience; 31 so also Isra’el has been disobedient now, so that by your showing them the same mercy that God has shown you, they too may now receive God’s mercy. 32 For God has shut up all mankind together in disobedience, in order that he might show mercy to all.
CJB
(Here, I've chosen to use the Complete Jewish Bible, simply because it is more readable and easier to understand what is being said here.)
The point I'm making is this: The "church" is not the combination of believing Jews and Gentiles, although many would like to believe that. Rather, the root of the Olive Tree, the true Isra'el, found in the Person of the King, Yeshua` haMashiach, contains both believing Jews and believing Gentiles who have both been grafted in. The Gentiles were grafted in for the first time, but the Jews were grafted in AGAIN into THEIR OWN Olive Tree, the Isra'el of King David! The Isra'el as it was MEANT to be!
And, while it is true that within the Messiah there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, the same cannot be said for those outside the Messiah! There is still a difference between the Jews and the Gentiles outside the Messiah. They have different histories, and they have different prospects for the future, because it was the Isra'elites who were given the prophecies, and the promises, and the Torah, and the Messiah Himself!
Rom 9:1-5
9:1 I am speaking the truth — as one who belongs to the Messiah, I do not lie; and also bearing witness is my conscience, governed by the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit): 2 my grief is so great, the pain in my heart so constant, 3 that I could wish myself actually under God’s curse and separated from the Messiah, if it would help my brothers, my own flesh and blood, 4 the people of Isra’el! They were made God’s children, the Sh’khinah (Presence) has been with them, the covenants are theirs, likewise the giving of the Torah (Instruction), the Temple service and the promises; 5 the Patriarchs are theirs; and from them, as far as his physical descent is concerned, came the Messiah, who is over all. Praised be Adonai (the Lord) for ever! Amen (Truth).
CJB
Eph. 2:1-22
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ (a Messiah), being aliens from the commonwealth (citizenship) of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain (two) one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
KJV
So, I believe that the True Isra'el, the Kingdom over which David reigned, IS the "ekkleesia," the "church!" It's not that "the Church is the True Isra'el," as some claim, but quite the opposite! It's not that "the Church is the Kingdom of God," but again, the opposite: God's Kingdom should be recognized as the "called-out (group)" of believers who will be among His loyal subjects when the Messiah returns.
Oh, yes, and to show that there are not just two groups of people (believers and non-believers), we also have this passage in which Paul lists all three in the town of Korinth:
1 Cor. 10:32-33
32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
KJV
In the Messiah's love,
Retrobyter
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