Church

Because those who were Baptized of Christ at Pentecost were "put out" of the synagogues of the Pharisees^[1] the system of welfare provided by the Corban of the Pharisees and the government temple of King Herod was no longer available to those who faith was in Christ. Pentecost became a time to organize congregations for the charitable practices of Pure Religion in a network of servant ministers called the Church appointed by Jesus as He commanded. These free assemblies with the "called out" who unlike the princes and rulers of the gentiles followed The Way and did not *exercise authority one over the other* nor *entangle the people in the covetous elements of the world*. The Early Church was bound by love through charity and hope. Those who conform to Christ and seek The Way of righteousness and the will of the Father in heaven are His Holy Church.

Church

Jesus spoke about building His Church in Matthew^[2] and the services it would provide in attending to the weightier matters.^[3] The problem today is that the people do not understand what the function of the early Church was among the early Christian communities. It may be helpful to set aside our preconceived notion of the term "church" and look at the original Greek word ekklesia.

The word 'church' in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word 'ekklesia' which comes from two words 'ek' meaning 'out' and 'kaleo' meaning to 'call.' An ekklesia or 'calling out' was not just an assembly. The Greek words agora and paneguris as well as heorte, koinon, thiasos, sunagoge and sunago can all mean an assembly.

The word ekklesia was a political term, not merely a religious term. They term religion had decidedly different meaning than what is commonly accepted today. Jesus was the King and the Bible used the term ekklesia for a good reason that is often lost to the more modern views of church denominisations.

In classical Greek "ekklesia" meant "an assembly of citizens summoned by the crier, the legislative assembly."^[4]

The Pharisees and the Sadducees as well as the Zealots included political ideologies and functioned as political parties vying for control or influence in the government of Judea which was considered to be the government or Kingdom of God at hand. The question of who was the rightful king of that government established by God through Moses and what should the policies of that government be.

Centuries of confusion and corruption had altered views, practices, and even interpretation of the Torah until the different groups were so diverse and antagonistic that intrigue, if not civil war, was a constant threat to any one who spoke the truth.

Defined?

Nimrod to Now Series: Part 10: The Church] ~8 min

"CHURCH: In its most general sense, the religious society founded and established by Jesus Christ, to receive, preserve, and propagate his doctrines and ordinances...A body or community of Christians, united under one form of government by the profession of one faith, and the observance of the same rituals and ceremonies."^[5]

Elements of the Churches

The elements of the Church are neither like nor are they a part of the elements of the world. While the Church has been legally defined consistently for more than a century, the Church has also been defined by some people back in 1883:

“The Church is a society; for she is named in Sacred Scripture a kingdom, a city that is set on a mountain, etc. These symbols clearly imply that she is a society. Theologians also prove that she is external, visible, and indefectable.”
Secondly, the Church is, “a perfect and independent society” because a “society is independent when it is not subject to the authority of any other society.”
Thirdly, it is “distinct but not separate from civil society.”

The Church is believed by some to be a corporate society established by Jesus who was the Christ or Messiah and Highest son of David who was a civil ruler but the Church was also a collegium^[7]or society and therefore a part of a civil society of its own. Because of this origin and separation^[8] of the Church it cannot be “Ecclesia est in statu”^[9] and therefore it is “rightly named a Sovereign State.”^[10]

But it may not be counted as a "Sovereign State" in the same sense as many of the States of the order of the world because while it may have a form of hierarchy it has not been delegated the power by its founder to exercise authority one over the other as the governments of the world do. Because the ministers ordained of Christ cannot exercise authority one over the other the Church established by Jesus the Christ is a unique form of government. It was not established to bring men under authority nor place authority over men and any group that does that would be the antithesis of Christ's Church. Christ came to make men free and to return them to their families.^[11]

The sovereignty of the Church resides not in any single man but in Christ and Christ abides in the hearts of His brethren as Joint heirs. The ministers of the Church must learn to fit together like the ancient Altars of Stones and with the people gathering in free assemblies in ranks of Tens together they form Altars of Clay and Stone. Together these are the Living Altars of Men who may provide a daily ministration of faith, hope, and charity through love and sacrifice.

If you need help:

Or want to help others:

Footnotes

↑ John 9:22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
John 12:42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
↑ Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church <1577>; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
↑ Matthew 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell [it] unto the church <1577>: but if he neglect to hear the church <1577>, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
↑ Liddell and Scott define ekklesia as "an assembly of citizens summoned by the crier, the legislative assembly." [R. Scott, and H.G. Liddell, A Greek-English Lexicon, p. 206.] Thayer's lexicon says, "an assembly of the people convened at the public place of council for the purpose of deliberating" [J. H. Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 196]. Trench gives the meaning as "the lawful assembly in a free Greek city of all those possessed of the rights of citizenship, for the transaction of public affairs" [R.C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament, 7th ed., pp. 1-2]. Seyffert's dictionary states, "The assembly of the people, which in Greek cities had the power of final decision in public affairs" [Oskar Seyffert, A Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, pp. 202-203].From "fully after the LORD" by [Steve Flinchum http://www.bryanstation.com/flinchum-fully.htm]
↑ Black's Law Dictionary 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th eds.
↑ Luke 22:29 "And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;"
↑ A collegium (plural collegia), or college, was any association in ancient Rome with a legal personality. Such associations could be civil or religious. The word collegium literally means "society", from collega ('colleague').
↑ Genesis 49:11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:
↑ “Ecclesia est in statu” means the "Church is placed under the power of the state". This is proved by Soglia 13 in these words : "Ex defmitione Pufiendorfii, Status est conjunctio plurium hominum, quae imperio per homines administrate, sibi proprio, et aliunde non dependente, continetur. Atqui ex institutione Christi, Ecclesia est conjunctio hominum, quae per homines, hoc est, per Petrum et Apostolos, eorumque successores administratur cum imperio sibi proprio, nee aliunde dependente ; ergo Ecclesia est Status." Elements of Ecclesiastical Law: Compiled with Reference to the Latest The Formation of the Nation-State, Religious Pluralism, and the Public Sphere in Brazil
↑ "The Church is not merely a corporation (collegium) or part .of civil society. Hence, the maxim is false, "Ecclesia est in statu," or, the Church is placed under the power of the state. The Church is rightly named a Sovereign State. This is proved by Soglia 13 in these words : "Ex defmitione Pufiendorfii, Status est conjunctio plurium hominum, quae imperio per homines administrate, sibi proprio, et aliunde non dependente, continetur. Atqui ex institutione Christi, Ecclesia est conjunctio hominum, quae per homines, hoc est, per Petrum et Apostolos, eorumque successores administratur cum imperio sibi proprio, nee aliunde dependente ; ergo Ecclesia est Status.""REV. S. B. SMITH, D.D., ELEMENTS ECCLESIASTICAL LAW, 5th Edition (1883), §185
↑ Leviticus 25:10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout [all] the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
Leviticus 25:41 And [then] shall he depart from thee, [both] he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

[1] John 9:22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
John 12:42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

[2] Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church <1577>; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

[3] Matthew 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell [it] unto the church <1577>: but if he neglect to hear the church <1577>, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

[4] Liddell and Scott define ekklesia as "an assembly of citizens summoned by the crier, the legislative assembly." [R. Scott, and H.G. Liddell, A Greek-English Lexicon, p. 206.] Thayer's lexicon says, "an assembly of the people convened at the public place of council for the purpose of deliberating" [J. H. Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 196]. Trench gives the meaning as "the lawful assembly in a free Greek city of all those possessed of the rights of citizenship, for the transaction of public affairs" [R.C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament, 7th ed., pp. 1-2]. Seyffert's dictionary states, "The assembly of the people, which in Greek cities had the power of final decision in public affairs" [Oskar Seyffert, A Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, pp. 202-203].From "fully after the LORD" by [Steve Flinchum http://www.bryanstation.com/flinchum-fully.htm]

[5] Black's Law Dictionary 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th eds.

[6] Luke 22:29 "And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;"

[7] A collegium (plural collegia), or college, was any association in ancient Rome with a legal personality. Such associations could be civil or religious. The word collegium literally means "society", from collega ('colleague').

[8] Genesis 49:11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

[9] “Ecclesia est in statu” means the "Church is placed under the power of the state". This is proved by Soglia 13 in these words : "Ex defmitione Pufiendorfii, Status est conjunctio plurium hominum, quae imperio per homines administrate, sibi proprio, et aliunde non dependente, continetur. Atqui ex institutione Christi, Ecclesia est conjunctio hominum, quae per homines, hoc est, per Petrum et Apostolos, eorumque successores administratur cum imperio sibi proprio, nee aliunde dependente ; ergo Ecclesia est Status." Elements of Ecclesiastical Law: Compiled with Reference to the Latest The Formation of the Nation-State, Religious Pluralism, and the Public Sphere in Brazil

[10] "The Church is not merely a corporation (collegium) or part .of civil society. Hence, the maxim is false, "Ecclesia est in statu," or, the Church is placed under the power of the state. The Church is rightly named a Sovereign State. This is proved by Soglia 13 in these words : "Ex defmitione Pufiendorfii, Status est conjunctio plurium hominum, quae imperio per homines administrate, sibi proprio, et aliunde non dependente, continetur. Atqui ex institutione Christi, Ecclesia est conjunctio hominum, quae per homines, hoc est, per Petrum et Apostolos, eorumque successores administratur cum imperio sibi proprio, nee aliunde dependente ; ergo Ecclesia est Status.""REV. S. B. SMITH, D.D., ELEMENTS ECCLESIASTICAL LAW, 5th Edition (1883), §185

[11] Leviticus 25:10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout [all] the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
Leviticus 25:41 And [then] shall he depart from thee, [both] he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

Church

Contents

Church

Defined?

Elements of the Churches

Footnotes

Navigation menu

Church

Church

Defined?

Elements of the Churches

Footnotes

Navigation menu

Search