Yes! God said, “CHURCH.”
Let’s be clear up front. I can assure you through Scripture (the written word of God we call THE BIBLE) that our Creator said, “Church.”
So that we are on the same page (so to speak) I will get to a written definition of Church shortly. But first — and perhaps more importantly — I have a question to ask YOU.
WHO is Asking?
- Why is THIS important?
- Does the person asking you about “Church“ really want to know what God said?
- OR
- Is this question of theirs a veiled dismissal of God
- AND built on a premise opposed to the Authority of God’s Word?
Who believes that God created the CHURCH?
FIRST: Most likely NO ONE has asked you about your “church.”
If you made a list including one hundred [100] from your neighborhood, work and extended family,
- HOW MANY would even ASK YOU ANYTHING about CHURCH or GOD or Jesus Christ?
Perhaps, one?
(Not even Christians of our church typically engage each other in conversation about 'church' beyond the walls of the church building or in our mortal time beyond a single worship service duplicated twice on Sunday.)
SECONDLY: IF you ever hear a person ask you about your ‘church‘ and Scripture ,
ASK YOURSELF, “WHO IS ASKING?”
You probably know several variations of the original QUESTION directly from your Bible.
וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם מִכֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה אַף כִּֽי־אָמַר אֱלֹהִים לֹא תֹֽאכְלוּ מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּֽן׃
Bereishit (Genesis) 3:1 :: Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC)
Of course most of us cannot read the original so we must rely on a translation of Scripture (me included)-- but (keep in mind) -- NO man or woman can claim truth while they reconstruct Scripture into words they want the Bible to say. WORDS have both meaning and intent. Therefore a preacher or teacher of the BIBLE MUST stick to preaching or teaching from a reliable English translation AND NOT SUBSTITUTE your own 'better,' less-offensive words. The BIG QUESTION of THE DECEIVER goes something like the reconstruction by Satan sketched out (and linked) below.
Does the preacher of the Word who shepherds your church have the integrity to ALWAYS use the written word of God from the Bible as written?
Roger@TalkofJESUS.com [Your response or question by email is welcome.]
Questioning and Reconstructing God’s Word
An example from Genesis 3:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.
And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said,
Genesis 3:1b NASB95
‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”
Again, WATCH OUT! Whenever you hear anyone ask, 'has God said...'
“Church“
Call it what you like, but different people mean different things when they say, ‘church.’
This is so even for members or attenders of the very same church. So let’s settle on some standard definitions of our references to ‘the church.’
ἐκκλησία – ek-klay-see’-ah [feminine noun]
Strong’s G1577 – ekklēsia [click for complete definition of ‘church’]
- a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place
No mention of the ‘church building’ here, although this ‘public place’ could be a building, tent, other home or anywhere two or three ‘citizens’ are gathered together.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; G1577 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Gospel of Matthew 16:18 KJV – first use of the word ‘church‘ G1537 ekklēsia in the New Testament
Christians and unbelievers alike think of CHURCH as an exclusive reference to a building or place where JESUS worshipers gather together as a ‘religious’ routine typically on Sunday only.
However, a deeper look into how ‘church’ is used in the Bible — Old Testament AND New — will reveal a more significant connection of this ‘gathering of citizens’ to the LORD God.
Gather me the people together – קָהַל
The summons or call to worship is from the LORD Himself!
The first reference to the ‘church’ or gathering in the Greek Septuagint comes from the LORD through Moses. Each assembly of the hebrew people, the citizens called out of Egypt and frequently out of their tents in the wilderness, was called by the LORD GOD.
The LORD calls out the CHURCH, a chosen company of worshipers of the LORD our God.
View a link to these references from the Septuagint in the common Greek of the first century Roman Empire when Israel no longer existed and JESUS taught in Galilee, Samaria and Judea.
“Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may have them hear My words so that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’
Deuteronomy 4:10
“The LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on them were all the words which the LORD had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly..
“This is in accordance with everything that you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Do not let me hear the voice of the LORD my God again, and do not let me see this great fire anymore, or I will die!’
Deuteronomy 9:10; 18:16
It’s pretty serious business:
However, the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will wipe him out of My book. But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless on the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
Exodus 32:33-34 NASB20
— a chosen citizenry created in the image of the LORD against whom they turn (again and again)
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד׃
“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 6:4 :: WLC; 6:5 NASB20
Then God said, “Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people I will perform miracles which have not been produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live will see the working of the LORD, for it is a fearful thing that I am going to perform with you.
Exodus 34:10 NASB20
— the LAW of the LORD our God (broken again and again)
“Be careful that you do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst.
Exodus 34:12 NASB20
— covenant, solemn promise after solemn promise (broken again and again)
“For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they eat and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant.
Deuteronomy 31:20 NASB20
AND even in the New Testament
— an often apostate church continually asking, “DID GOD REALLY SAY?“
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Paul’s letter to the Church at Galatia 1:6-7 NASB20
Did Scripture really say..?
Second Letter of Paul to Timothy
3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
YES, God — JESUS — really did say, CHURCH.
Scripture — spoken by the LORD, written in the Law and the Prophets, preached by the Lord Jesus Christ, taught by the Apostles — Scripture affirms Christ’s Church already built by HIM and in no need of tearing down out of a lack of faith.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man [messenger] of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV
Why do you ask?
"Did God really say, Church?" is our first post for a NEW TalkofJESUS.com SERIES, addressing philosophies and questions underlying intentional deconstruction of the 21st Century Church.
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