Difference between revisions of "Church"

From WikiChristian
Jump to navigation Jump to search
 
(removed video - has been taken down. removed categories Videos & Pages with YouTube content)
(Tag: 2017 source edit)
 
(96 intermediate revisions by 22 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
Church - Derived probably from the Greek kuriakon (i.e., "the Lord's house"), which was used by ancient authors for the place of worship. In the New Testament it is the translation of the Greek word ecclesia, which is synonymous with the Hebrew kahal of the Old Testament, both words meaning simply an assembly, the character of which can only be known from the connection in which the word is found. There is no clear instance of its being used for a place of meeting or of worship, although in post-apostolic times it early received this meaning. Nor is this word ever used to denote the inhabitants of a country united in the same profession, as when we say the "Church of England," the "Church of Scotland," etc. We find the word ecclesia used in the following senses in the New Testament: (1.) It is translated "assembly" in the ordinary classical sense (Acts 19:32, 39, 41). (2.) It denotes the whole body of the redeemed, all those whom the Father has given to Christ, the invisible catholic church (Eph. 5:23, 25, 27, 29; Heb. 12:23). (3.) A few Christians associated together in observing the ordinances of the gospel are an ecclesia (Rom. 16:5; Col. 4:15). (4.) All the Christians in a particular city, whether they assembled together in one place or in several places for religious worship, were an ecclesia. Thus all the disciples in Antioch, forming several congregations, were one church (Acts 13:1); so also we read of the "church of God at Corinth" (1 Cor. 1:2), "the church at Jerusalem" (Acts 8:1), "the church of Ephesus" (Rev. 2:1), etc. (5.) The whole body of professing Christians throughout the world (1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13; Matt. 16:18) are the church of Christ. The church visible "consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion, together with their children." It is called "visible" because its members are known and its assemblies are public. Here there is a mixture of "wheat and chaff," of saints and sinners. "God has commanded his people to organize themselves into distinct visible ecclesiastical communities, with constitutions, laws, and officers, badges, ordinances, and discipline, for the great purpose of giving visibility to his kingdom, of making known the gospel of that kingdom, and of gathering in all its elect subjects. Each one of these distinct organized communities which is faithful to the great King is an integral part of the visible church, and all together constitute the catholic or universal visible church." A credible profession of the true religion constitutes a person a member of this church. This is "the kingdom of heaven," whose character and progress are set forth in the parables recorded in Matt. 13. The children of all who thus profess the true religion are members of the visible church along with their parents. Children are included in every covenant God ever made with man. They go along with their parents (Gen. 9:9-17; 12:1-3; 17:7; Ex. 20:5; Deut. 29:10-13). Peter, on the day of Pentecost, at the beginning of the New Testament dispensation, announces the same great principle. "The promise [just as to Abraham and his seed the promises were made] is unto you, and to your children" (Acts 2:38, 39). The children of believing parents are "holy", i.e., are "saints", a title which designates the members of the Christian church (1 Cor. 7:14). (See BAPTISM.) The church invisible "consists of the whole number of the elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under Christ, the head thereof." This is a pure society, the church in which Christ dwells. It is the body of Christ. it is called "invisible" because the greater part of those who constitute it are already in heaven or are yet unborn, and also because its members still on earth cannot certainly be distinguished. The qualifications of membership in it are internal and are hidden. It is unseen except by Him who "searches the heart." "The Lord knoweth them that are his" (2 Tim. 2:19). The church to which the attributes, prerogatives, and promises appertaining to Christ's kingdom belong, is a spiritual body consisting of all true believers, i.e., the church invisible. (1.) Its unity. God has ever had only one church on earth. We sometimes speak of the Old Testament Church and of the New Testament church, but they are one and the same. The Old Testament church was not to be changed but enlarged (Isa. 49:13-23; 60:1-14). When the Jews are at length restored, they will not enter a new church, but will be grafted again into "their own olive tree" (Rom. 11:18-24; comp. Eph. 2:11-22). The apostles did not set up a new organization. Under their ministry disciples were "added" to the "church" already existing (Acts 2:47). (2.) Its universality. It is the "catholic" church; not confined to any particular country or outward organization, but comprehending all believers throughout the whole world. (3.) Its perpetuity. It will continue through all ages to the end of the world. It can never be destroyed. It is an "everlasting kindgdom."
+
{{quote | text=The church is not a building. Nor is it an organisation or human institution. The church is simply the people whose sins have been forgiven through their faith Jesus Christ... (An extract from the book [[Once a Catholic]] by [[Tony Coffey]])}}
 +
{{Infobox_Contents |
 +
  topic_name = Church / Ecclesiology
 +
[[Image:Christians at lourdes.jpg|thumb|center|Christians at [[Lourdes]].]] |
 +
  subtopics = [[Nature of the church]]
 +
* [[Mission of the church]]
 +
* [[Church Terms Index]]
 +
* Contemporary Ecclesiology Issues and Terminology - [[Megachurch]], [[Home church]], [[Emerging church]], [[Incarnational church]]
 +
* [[Church building]]
 +
* [[Church history]]
 +
* [[Denominations]]
 +
* [[World-wide church directory]]
 +
* [[Church service]] |
 +
  opinion_pieces = [[Church (discussion)]]
 +
* {{ebd}}
 +
* [[What is the Church? (G.G.)]]
 +
* [[The Theology of the Church (AmericanCatholic)]]
 +
* [[The Church (justforcatholics.org)]] |
 +
}}
  
 +
The word '''church''' is used in many different ways. The '''church''' is the Christian community of believers, that is, it is the people. Sometimes the word '''church''' is also used to refer to a [[church building]] (the building used in [[Christian]] [[worship]]) or a [[church service]] (the weekly meeting of a group of Christians in a church building) or to a church [[denomination]].
  
−
See also
+
'''Ecclesiology''' means the study of the doctrine of the church.
−
* [[Church history and denominations]] and [[And introduction to the Church]]
+
 
 +
===Etymology===
 +
 
 +
The Greek word ekklesia ([[Εκκλησια]]) is translated as "church" in English.
 +
 
 +
This word ekklesia was used in ancient [[Koine Greek|Greek]] to mean "gathering" or "assembly" in a political sense. In the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, the [[LXX]], the word ekklesia occurs over 200 times (usually as a translation from the Hebrew word qahal), most commonly to refer to the assembly of the covenant people of God. In the [[New Testament]] the word ekklesia occurs in the [[gospels]] only twice ([[Matthew 16:16]] and [[Matthew 18:20]]), but it occurs many times elsewhere in the [[New Testament]].
 +
 
 +
From the Greek root ekklesia, the English word Ecclesiology is derived, which is the study of the doctrine of the church.
 +
 
 +
The English word "church" itself is actually derived from the Old English word "cirice" (which is related to the [[Greek]] word "κυριακή" which means "of the Lord")
 +
 
 +
===Uses of the word "church" in common English===
 +
 
 +
TIn English, the word "church" means different things to different people in different contexts. It can be used in reference to a gathering of people for a religious meeting. It is also sometimes used to refer to a building or group of buildings, and occasionally it refers to an entire [[denomination]]. It can also be used in an institutional sense to refer to all churches, such as "... the church today...."
 +
 
 +
===[[Nature of the Church]]===
 +
 
 +
There are a variety of understandings about what the church actually is.
 +
 
 +
The context in which the word [[ekklesia]] (church) is used in the Bible suggests that it was not originally intended to mean a building or an organization, but instead was intended to primarily mean a congregation or meeting of God's people. Thus the church, although consisting of the community of believers, is not simply the community of believers, but also includes activity.
 +
 
 +
Furthermore, although consisting of people, the church is not simply an instution created by people. In [[Matthew 16:18]] Jesus spoke about building '''his''' church and later, in [[Matthew 18:20]] he spoke about being present among the church
 +
: ''{{Bible verse|matthew|16|18|lang=WEB}}'' (Matthew 16:18)
 +
: ''{{Bible verse|matthew|18|20|lang=WEB}}'' (Matthew 18:20)
 +
 
 +
The Bible uses the term church in both a local and universal nature. Mostly the word refers to local churches, for example, the church in Rome or Antioch. Quite often it is spoken about the plural. On a few occasions the New Testament uses the word in a general or universal sense.
 +
 
 +
Throughout church history, starting with [[Augustine]], the church has sometimes been spoken about in terms of the "invisible church" as opposed to the "visible church". The invisible church basically means the community or collection of true believers in Jesus regardless of denominational affiliation. The term visible church is used to refer to the physical countable members or leaders that make up a church or group of churches. Many Protestant churches tend to emphasize the invisible church, and view this as something quite distinct from the visible church. The Roman Catholic Church, on the other hand, teaches that the invisible church and visible church are very closely connected, although there is recognition that some elements of the invisible church can be present outside the visible Roman Catholic church.<ref>[[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]]: [http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070629_responsa-quaestiones_en.html Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine of the Church], 2007, second and third question.</ref>
 +
 
 +
===[[Mission of the church]]===
 +
 
 +
The church's mission can be summarized as to bring glory to God through humanity mirroring God’s own holy character of love<ref>[[Stanley J. Grenz]], ''[[Theology for the Community of God]]'' (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 2000), 489.</ref>. This involves:
 +
# Honourable worship to God
 +
# Building up of each other within the church
 +
# Reaching out into the world through service and evangelism
 +
 
 +
===[[Church building]]===
 +
 
 +
Christians worhsip in church buildings. Although the [[Church]] (the people that belong to [[Jesus]]) can meet anywhere, they have since early times built buildings specifically for worshipping [[God]] in. There are many well known church buildings around the world such as [[St. Peter's Basilica]] in [[Rome]]. A common architecture for churches is a building in the shape of a cross, often with a dome or other large vaulted space in the interior to represent or draw attention to the heavens.
 +
 
 +
====Photos of church buildings====
 +
 
 +
<center><gallery>
 +
Image:DCP 4427.jpg|The main church in [[Echmiadzin]], the physical centre of the [[Armenian Orthodox Church]]
 +
Image:Wittenburg church door gg.jpg|The door of the famous church in [[Wittenburg]] where [[Martin Luther]] is thought to have nailed his [[95 Theses]] to the door
 +
Image:Olney church.jpg|The church in [[Olney]] where [[John Newton]], author of the hymn [[Amazing Grace (song)|Amazing Grace]] worked
 +
Image:Stanfordmemorialchurch.jpg|Stanford Memorial Church in [[California]]
 +
Image:Trinity baptist colonel light gardens.jpg|A small local church, [[Trinity Baptist Church (Colonel Light Gardens, South Australia)|Trinity Baptist Church]] in [[Adelaide]], [[Australia]], once known as the "City of Churches"
 +
Image:Église Collégiale Sainte Marthe (Tarascon).jpg|The Église Collégiale Sainte Marthe in [[Tarascon]], [[France]]
 +
</gallery></center>
 +
 
 +
===[[Church history]]===
 +
 
 +
Since the church was formed after the resurrection of Jesus, major events and conflict, often over matters of [[doctrine]] have resulted in significant rifts. Initially the early Christians spread the good news of Jesus throughout the Roman empire and small congregations of Christians sprang up in many towns. Rome soon became the geographical centre of the church. However, there was a rift between the Church in Greece and the one in Rome that slowly developed over centuries culminating in a schism in 1054 AD. Later, in sixteenth century, Christians in northern Europe split from the Roman church, an event known as the [[Reformation]]. Today there seems to be a bewildering array of [[denominations]]. Some of the larger ones include [[Roman Catholicism]], the Greek and Russian [[Eastern Orthodox|Orthodox]] churches and the wide variety of [[Protestant]] churches.
 +
 
 +
==Quotes==
 +
 
 +
[[Once a Catholic]] by [[Tony Coffey]]
 +
: The church is not a building. Nor is it an organisation or human institution. The church is simply the people whose sins have been forgiven through their faith Jesus Christ.
 +
 
 +
Lenny Bruce
 +
: Every day people are straying away from the church and going back to God.
 +
 
 +
Charles de Lint
 +
: Why did men worship in churches, locking themselves away in the dark, when the world lay beyond its doors in all its real glory?
 +
 
 +
Robert Short
 +
: The church is the great lost and found department.
 +
 
 +
Ralph Waldo Emerson
 +
: I like the silence of a church, before the service begins better than any preaching.
 +
 
 +
George Mueller
 +
: An unvisited church will sooner or later become an unhealthy church.
 +
 
 +
Ignatius of Antioch
 +
: Where the bishop, there the church (''Ubi episcopus, ibi ecclesia.'')
 +
 
 +
Eugene de Mazenod
 +
: To love Jesus Christ means to love the church
 +
 
 +
== References ==
 +
 
 +
<references />
 +
 
 +
==Links==
 +
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church Wikipedia - Church]
 +
* [http://sharingknowledge.org/wb/pages/bible-teachings/fundamental-doctrines.php Sharing knowledge - Church]
 +
 
 +
{{returnto}} [[Christianity]]
 +
[[Category:Theology]]

Latest revision as of 12:01, 26 May 2021

The church is not a building. Nor is it an organisation or human institution. The church is simply the people whose sins have been forgiven through their faith Jesus Christ... (An extract from the book Once a Catholic by Tony Coffey)
Church / Ecclesiology
Christians at Lourdes.
RELATED TOPICS
SERMONS, ESSAYS AND OPINIONS
CONTENTS

The word church is used in many different ways. The church is the Christian community of believers, that is, it is the people. Sometimes the word church is also used to refer to a church building (the building used in Christian worship) or a church service (the weekly meeting of a group of Christians in a church building) or to a church denomination.

Ecclesiology means the study of the doctrine of the church.

Etymology

The Greek word ekklesia (Εκκλησια) is translated as "church" in English.

This word ekklesia was used in ancient Greek to mean "gathering" or "assembly" in a political sense. In the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, the LXX, the word ekklesia occurs over 200 times (usually as a translation from the Hebrew word qahal), most commonly to refer to the assembly of the covenant people of God. In the New Testament the word ekklesia occurs in the gospels only twice (Matthew 16:16 and Matthew 18:20), but it occurs many times elsewhere in the New Testament.

From the Greek root ekklesia, the English word Ecclesiology is derived, which is the study of the doctrine of the church.

The English word "church" itself is actually derived from the Old English word "cirice" (which is related to the Greek word "κυριακή" which means "of the Lord")

Uses of the word "church" in common English

TIn English, the word "church" means different things to different people in different contexts. It can be used in reference to a gathering of people for a religious meeting. It is also sometimes used to refer to a building or group of buildings, and occasionally it refers to an entire denomination. It can also be used in an institutional sense to refer to all churches, such as "... the church today...."

Nature of the Church

There are a variety of understandings about what the church actually is.

The context in which the word ekklesia (church) is used in the Bible suggests that it was not originally intended to mean a building or an organization, but instead was intended to primarily mean a congregation or meeting of God's people. Thus the church, although consisting of the community of believers, is not simply the community of believers, but also includes activity.

Furthermore, although consisting of people, the church is not simply an instution created by people. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus spoke about building his church and later, in Matthew 18:20 he spoke about being present among the church

I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20)

The Bible uses the term church in both a local and universal nature. Mostly the word refers to local churches, for example, the church in Rome or Antioch. Quite often it is spoken about the plural. On a few occasions the New Testament uses the word in a general or universal sense.

Throughout church history, starting with Augustine, the church has sometimes been spoken about in terms of the "invisible church" as opposed to the "visible church". The invisible church basically means the community or collection of true believers in Jesus regardless of denominational affiliation. The term visible church is used to refer to the physical countable members or leaders that make up a church or group of churches. Many Protestant churches tend to emphasize the invisible church, and view this as something quite distinct from the visible church. The Roman Catholic Church, on the other hand, teaches that the invisible church and visible church are very closely connected, although there is recognition that some elements of the invisible church can be present outside the visible Roman Catholic church.[1]

Mission of the church

The church's mission can be summarized as to bring glory to God through humanity mirroring God’s own holy character of love[2]. This involves:

  1. Honourable worship to God
  2. Building up of each other within the church
  3. Reaching out into the world through service and evangelism

Church building

Christians worhsip in church buildings. Although the Church (the people that belong to Jesus) can meet anywhere, they have since early times built buildings specifically for worshipping God in. There are many well known church buildings around the world such as St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. A common architecture for churches is a building in the shape of a cross, often with a dome or other large vaulted space in the interior to represent or draw attention to the heavens.

Photos of church buildings

Church history

Since the church was formed after the resurrection of Jesus, major events and conflict, often over matters of doctrine have resulted in significant rifts. Initially the early Christians spread the good news of Jesus throughout the Roman empire and small congregations of Christians sprang up in many towns. Rome soon became the geographical centre of the church. However, there was a rift between the Church in Greece and the one in Rome that slowly developed over centuries culminating in a schism in 1054 AD. Later, in sixteenth century, Christians in northern Europe split from the Roman church, an event known as the Reformation. Today there seems to be a bewildering array of denominations. Some of the larger ones include Roman Catholicism, the Greek and Russian Orthodox churches and the wide variety of Protestant churches.

Quotes

Once a Catholic by Tony Coffey

The church is not a building. Nor is it an organisation or human institution. The church is simply the people whose sins have been forgiven through their faith Jesus Christ.

Lenny Bruce

Every day people are straying away from the church and going back to God.

Charles de Lint

Why did men worship in churches, locking themselves away in the dark, when the world lay beyond its doors in all its real glory?

Robert Short

The church is the great lost and found department.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I like the silence of a church, before the service begins better than any preaching.

George Mueller

An unvisited church will sooner or later become an unhealthy church.

Ignatius of Antioch

Where the bishop, there the church (Ubi episcopus, ibi ecclesia.)

Eugene de Mazenod

To love Jesus Christ means to love the church

References

  1. ↑ Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine of the Church, 2007, second and third question.
  2. ↑ Stanley J. Grenz, Theology for the Community of God (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 2000), 489.

Links


Return to Christianity

Retrieved from "http://www.wikichristian.org/wiki/en/index.php?title=Church&oldid=1115213"