Church

Because those who were Baptized of Christ at Pentecost were "put out" of the synagogues of the Pharisees^[1] the system of welfare they provided through the Corban of the Pharisees and the government temple of King Herod was no longer available. 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 King Jesus in patterns of tens as He commanded. These free assemblies with the "called out" who unlike the princes and rulers of the gentiles followed The Way as an appointed Kingdom of God at hand. Those bondservant of Christ were not rulers *who exercise authority one over the other* nor were the people bound by social compact or contracts which *entangle the people in the element of the world* but the Early Church was bound by love through charity and hope.

Church

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. Jesus was the King and the Bible used the term ekklesia for a good reason.

In classical Greek "ekklesia" meant "an assembly of citizens summoned by the crier, the legislative assembly."^[2]

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."^[3]

Elements of the Churches

The elements of the Church are not 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^[5]or society and therefore a part of a civil society of its own. Because of this origin and separation of the Church it cannot be “Ecclesia est in statu”^[6] and therefore it is “rightly named a Sovereign State.”^[7]

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.

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.

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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:
↑ 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').
↑ “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

[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] 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]

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

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

[5] 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').

[6] “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

[7] "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

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Church

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Church

Defined?

Elements of the Churches

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Defined?

Elements of the Churches

Footnotes

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