Is there a word church in the bible

CHURCH

church:

$ I. PRE-CHRISTIAN HISTORY OF THE TERM$

$ II. ITS ADOPTION BY JESUS$

$ III. ITS USE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT$

1. In the Gospels

2. In Acts

3. In the Pauline Epistles

$ IV. THE NOTES OF THE CHURCH$

1. Faith

2. Fellowship

3. Unity

4. Consecration

5. Power

$ V. ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH$

1. The General and Prophetic Ministry

2. The Local and Practical Ministry

LITERATURE

The word «church,» which is derived from kuriakos, «of or belonging to the Lord,» represents in the English Versions of the Bible of the New Testament the Greek word ekklesia; Latin, ecclesia. It is with the signification of this word ekklesia as it meets us in the New Testament, and with the nature of the society which the word is there used to describe, that the present article is concerned.

$ I. Pre-Christian History of the Term.$

Although ekklesia soon became a distinctively Christian word, it has its own pre-Christian history; and to those, whether Jews or Greeks, who first heard it applied to the Christian society it would come with suggestions of familiar things. Throughout the Greek world and right down to New Testament times (compare Acts 19:39), ekklesia was the designation of the regular assembly of the whole body of citizens in a free city-state, «called out» (Greek ek, «out,» and kalein, «to call») by the herald for the discussion and decision of public business. The Septuagint translators, again, had used the word to render the Hebrew qahal, which in the Old Testament denotes the «congregation» or community of Israel, especially in its religious aspect as the people of God. In this Old Testament sense we find ekklesia employed by Stephen in the Book of Acts, where he describes Moses as «he that was in the church (the Revised Version, margin «congregation») in the wilderness» (Acts 7:38). The word thus came into Christian history with associations alike for the Greek and the Jew. To the Greek it would suggest a self-governing democratic society; to the Jew a theocratic society whose members were the subjects of the Heavenly King. The pre-Christian history of the word had a direct bearing upon its Christian meaning, for the ekklesia of the New Testament is a «theocratic democracy» (Lindsay, Church and Ministry in the Early Centuries, 4), a society of those who are free, but are always conscious that their freedom springs from obedience to their King.

$ II. Its Adoption by Jesus.$

According to Matthew 16:18 the name ekklesia was first applied to the Christian society by Jesus Himself, the occasion being that of His benediction of Peter at Caesarea Philippi. The authenticity of the utterance has been called in question by certain critics, but on grounds that have no textual support and are made up of quite arbitrary presuppositions as to the composition of the First Gospel. It is true that Jesus had hitherto described the society He came to found as the «kingdom of God» or the «kingdom of heaven,» a designation which had its roots in Old Testament teaching and which the Messianic expectations of Israel had already made familiar. But now when it was clear that He was to be rejected by the Jewish people (compare Matthew 16:21), and that His society must move on independent lines of its own, it was natural that He should employ a new name for this new body which He was about to create, and thus should say to Peter, on the ground of the apostle’s believing confession, «Upon this rock I will build my church.» The adoption of this name, however, did not imply any abandonment of the ideas suggested by the conception of the kingdom. In this very passage (Matthew 16:19) «the kingdom of heaven» is employed in a manner which, if it does not make the two expressions church and kingdom perfectly synonymous, at least compels us to regard them as closely correlative and as capable of translation into each other’s terms. And the comparative disuse by the apostolic writers of the name «kingdom,» together with their emphasis on the church, so far from showing that Christ’s disciples had failed to understand His doctrine of the kingdom, and had substituted for it the more formal notion of the church, only shows that they had followed their Master’s guidance in substituting for a name and a conception that were peculiarly Jewish, another name whose associations would enable them to commend their message more readily to the world at large.

$ III. Its Use in the New Testament.$

1. In the Gospels:

Apart from the passage just referred to, the word ekklesia occurs in the Gospels on one other occasion only (Matthew 18:17). Here, moreover, it may be questioned whether Our Lord is referring to the Christian church, or to Jewish congregations commonly known as synagogues (see the Revised Version, margin) The latter view is more in keeping with the situation, but the promise immediately given to the disciples of a power to bind and loose (Matthew 18:18) and the assurance «Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them» (Matthew 18:20) are evidently meant for the people of Christ. If, as is probable, the ekklesia of Matthew 18:17 is the Christian ekklesia of which Christ had already spoken to Peter, the words show that He conceived of the church as a society possessing powers of self-government, in which questions of discipline were to be decided by the collective judgment of the members.

2. In Acts:

In Ac the ekklesia has come to be the regular designation for the society of Christian believers, but is employed in two distinct senses. First in a local sense, to denote the body of Christians in a particular place or district, as in Jerusalem (Acts 5:11; 8:1), in Antioch (Acts 13:1; 15:22), in Caesarea (Acts 18:22)—a usage which reappears in the Apocalypse in the letters to the Seven Churches. Then in a wider and what may be called a universal sense, to denote the sum total of existing local churches (Acts 9:31 the Revised Version (British and American)), which are thus regarded as forming one body.

3. In the Pauline Epistles:

In the Pauline Epistles both of these usages are frequent. Thus the apostle writes of «the church of the Thessalonians» (1 Thessalonians 1:1), «the church of God which is at Corinth» (1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1). Indeed he localizes and particularizes the word yet further by applying it to a single Christian household or to little groups of believers who were accustomed to assemble in private houses for worship and fellowship (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1:2)—an employment of the word which recalls the saying of Jesus in Matthew 18:20. The universal use, again, may be illustrated by the contrast he draws between Jews and Greeks on the one hand and the church of God on the other (1 Corinthians 10:32), and by the declaration that God has set in the church apostles, prophets, and teachers (1 Corinthians 12:28).

But Paul in his later epistles has another use of ekklesia peculiar to himself, which may be described as the ideal use. The church, now, is the body of which Christ is the head (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18,24). It is the medium through which God’s manifold wisdom and eternal purpose are to be made known not only to all men, but to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:9-11). It is the bride of whom He is the heavenly Bridegroom, the bride for whom in His love He gave Himself up, that He might cleanse and sanctify her and might present her to Himself a glorious church, a church without blemish, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing (Ephesians 5:25). This church clearly is not the actual church as we know it on earth, with its divisions, its blemishes, its shortcomings in faith and love and obedience. It is the holy and catholic church that is to be when the Bridegroom has completed the process of lustration, having fully «cleansed it by the washing of water with the word.» It is the ideal which the actual church must keep before it and strive after, the ideal up to which it shall finally be guided by that Divine in-working power which is able to conform the body to the head, to make the bride worthy of the Bridegroom, so that God may receive in the church the glory that is His (Ephesians 3:21).

$ IV. The Notes of the Church.$

1. Faith:

Although a systematic doctrine of the church is neither to be found nor to be looked for in the New Testament, certain characteristic notes or features of the Christian society are brought before us from which we can form some conception as to its nature. The fundamental note is faith. It was to Peter confessing his faith in Christ that the promise came, «Upon this rock I will build my church» (Matthew 16:18). Until Jesus found a man full of faith He could not begin to build His church; and unless Peter had been the prototype of others whose faith was like his own, the walls of the church would never have risen into the air. Primarily the church is a society not of thinkers or workers or even of worshippers, but of believers. Hence, we find that «believers» or «they that believed» is constantly used as a synonym for the members of the Christian society (e.g. Acts 2:44; 4:32; 5:14; 1 Timothy 4:12). Hence, too, the rite of baptism, which from the first was the condition of entrance into the apostolic church and the seal of membership in it, was recognized as preeminently the sacrament of faith and of confession (Acts 2:41; 8:12,36; Romans 6:4; 1 Corinthians 12:13). This church-founding and church-building faith, of which baptism was the seal, was much more than an act of intellectual assent. It was a personal laying hold of the personal Saviour, the bond of a vital union between Christ and the believer which resulted in nothing less than a new creation (Romans 6:4; 8:1,2; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

2. Fellowship:

If faith in Christ is the fundamental note of the Christian society, the next is fellowship among the members. This follows from the very nature of faith as just described; for if each believer is vitally joined to Christ, all believers must stand in a living relation to one another. In Paul’s favorite figure, Christians are members one of another because they are members in particular of the body of Christ (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:27). That the Christian society was recognized from the first as a fellowship appears from the name «the brethren,» which is so commonly applied to those who belong to it. In Ac the name is of very frequent occurrence (Acts 9:30, etc.), and it is employed by Paul in the epistles of every period of his career (1 Thessalonians 4:10, etc.). Similar testimony lies in the fact that «the koinonia» (English Versions «fellowship») takes its place in the earliest meetings of the church side by side with the apostles’ teaching and the breaking of bread and prayers (Acts 2:42). See COMMUNION. The koinonia at first carried with it a community of goods (Acts 2:44; 4:32), but afterward found expression in the fellowship of ministration (2 Corinthians 8:4) and in such acts of Christian charity as are inspired by Christian faith (Hebrews 13:16). In the Lord’s Supper, the other sacrament of the primitive church, the fellowship of Christians received its most striking and most sacred expression. For if baptism was especially the sacrament of faith, the Supper was distinctively the sacrament of love and fellowship—a communion or common participation in Christ’s death and its fruits which carried with it a communion of hearts and spirits between the participants themselves.

3. Unity:

Although local congregations sprang up wherever the gospel was preached, and each of these enjoyed an independent life of its own, the unity of the church was clearly recognized from the first. The intercourse between Jerusalem and Antioch (Acts 11:22; 15:2), the conference held in the former city (Acts 15:6), the right hand of fellowship given by the elder apostles to Paul and Barnabas (Galatians 2:9), the untiring efforts made by Paul himself to forge strong links of love and mutual service between Gentileand Jewish Christians (2 Corinthians 8)—all these things serve to show how fully it was realized that though there were many churches, there was but one church. This truth comes to its complete expression in the epistles of Paul’s imprisonment, with their vision of the church as a body of which Christ is the head, a body animated by one spirit, and having one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all (Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 1:18; 3:11). And this unity, it is to be noticed, is conceived of as a visible unity. Jesus Himself evidently conceived it so when He prayed for His disciples that they all might be one, so that the world might believe (John 17:21). And the unity of which Paul writes and for which he strove is a unity that finds visible expression. Not, it is true, in any uniformity of outward polity, but through the manifestation of a common faith in acts of mutual love (Ephesians 4:3,13; 2 Corinthians 9).

4. Consecration:

Another dominant note of the New Testament church lay in the consecration of its members. «Saints» is one of the most frequently recurring designations for them that we find. As thus employed, the word has in the first place an objective meaning; the sainthood of the Christian society consisted in its separation from the world by God’s electing grace; in this respect it has succeeded to the prerogatives of Israel under the old covenant. The members of the church, as Peter said, are «an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession» (1 Peter 2:9). But side by side with this sense of an outward and priestly consecration, the flame «saints» carried within it the thought of an ethical holiness—a holiness consisting, not merely in a status determined by relation to Christ, but in an actual and practical saintliness, a consecration to God that finds expression in character and conduct. No doubt the members of the church are called saints even when the living evidences of sainthood are sadly lacking. Writing to the Corinthian church in which he found so much to blame, Paul addresses its members by this title (1 Corinthians 1:2; compare 1 Corinthians 6:11). But he does so for other than formal reasons—not only because consecration to God is their outward calling and status as believers; but also because he is assured that a work of real sanctification is going on, and must continue to go on, in their bodies and their spirits which are His. For those who are in Christ are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), and those to whom has come the separating and consecrating call (2 Corinthians 6:17) must cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1). Paul looks upon the members of the church, just as he looks upon the church itself, with a prophetic eye; he sees them not as they are, but as they are to be. And in his view it is «by the washing of water with the word,» in other words by the progressive sanctification of its members, that the church itself is to be sanctified and cleansed, until Christ can present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing (Ephesians 5:26,27).

5. Power:

Yet another note of the church was spiritual power. When the name ekklesia was given by Jesus to the society He came to found, His promise to Peter included the bestowal of the gift of power (Matthew 16:18,19). The apostle was to receive the «power of the keys,» i.e. he was to exercise the privilege of opening the doors of the kingdom of heaven to the Jew (Acts 2:41) and to the Gentile (Acts 10:34-38; 15:7). He was further to have the power of binding and loosing, i.e. of forbidding and permitting; in other words he was to possess the functions of a legislator within the spiritual sphere of the church. The legislative powers then bestowed upon Peter personally as the reward of his believing confession were afterward conferred upon the disciples generally (Matthew 18:18; compare Matthew 18:1 and also Matthew 18:19,20), and at the conference in Jerusalem were exercised by the church as a whole (Acts 15:4,22). The power to open the gates of the kingdom of heaven was expanded into the great missionary commission, «Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations» (Matthew 28:19)—a commission that was understood by the apostolic church to be addressed not to the eleven apostles only, but to all Christ’s followers without distinction (Acts 8:4, etc.). To the Christian society there thus belonged the double power of legislating for its own members and of opening the kingdom of heaven to all believers. But these double functions of teaching and government were clearly recognized as delegated gifts. The church taught the nations because Christ had bid her go and do it. She laid down laws for her own members because He had conferred upon her authority to bind and to loose. But in every exercise of her authority she relied upon Him from whom she derived it. She believed that Christ was with her alway, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:20), and that the power with which she was endued was power from on high (Luke 24:49).

$ V. Organization of the Church.$

It seems evident from the New Testament that Jesus gave His disciples no formal prescriptions for the organization of the church. In the first days after Pentecost they had no thought of separating themselves from the religious life of Israel, and would not realize the need of any distinct organization of their own. The temple-worship was still adhered to (Acts 2:46; 3:1), though it was supplemented by apostolic teaching, by prayer and fellowship, and by the breaking of bread (Acts 2:42,46). Organization was a thing of gradual growth suggested by emerging needs, and the differentiation of function among those who were drawn into the service of the church was due to the difference in the gifts bestowed by God upon the church members (1 Corinthians 12:28). At first the Twelve themselves, as the immediate companions of Jesus throughout His ministry and the prime witnesses of the Christian facts and especially of the resurrection (compare Acts 1:21,22), were the natural leaders and teachers of the community. Apart from this, the earliest evidence of anything like organization is found in the distinction drawn by the Twelve themselves between the ministry of the word and the ministry of tables (Acts 6:2,4)—a distinction which was fully recognized by Paul (Romans 12:6,8; 1 Corinthians 1:17; 9:14; 12:28), though he enlarged the latter type of ministry so as to include much more than the care of the poor. The two kinds of ministry, as they meet us at the first, may broadly be distinguished as the general and prophetic on the one hand, the local and practical on the other.

1. The General and Prophetic Ministry:

From Acts 6:1 we see that the Twelve recognized that they were Divinely called as apostles to proclaim the gospel; and Paul repeatedly makes the same claim for himself (1 Corinthians 1:17; 9:16; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 4:1; Colossians 1:23). But apostle ship was by no means confined to the Twelve (Acts 14:14; Romans 16:7; compare Didache 11 4); and an itinerant ministry of the word was exercised in differing ways by prophets, evangelists, and teachers, as well as by apostles (1 Corinthians 12:28,29; Ephesians 4:11). The fact that Paul himself is variously described as an apostle, a prophet, a teacher (Acts 13:1; 14:14; 1 Timothy 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:11) appears to show that the prophetic ministry was not a ministry of stated office, but one of special gifts and functions. The apostle carried the good tidings of salvation to the ignorant and unbelieving (Galatians 2:7,8), the prophet (in the more specific sense of the word) was a messenger to the church (1 Corinthians 14:4,22); and while the teacher explained and applied truth that was already possessed (Hebrews 5:12), the prophet was recognized by those who had spiritual discernment (1 Corinthians 2:15; 14:29; 1 John 4:1) as the Divinely employed medium of fresh revelations (1 Corinthians 14:25,30,31; Ephesians 3:5; compare Didache 4 1).

2. The Local and Practical Ministry:

The earliest examples of this are the Seven of Jerusalem who were entrusted with the care of the «daily ministration» (Acts 6:1). With the growth of the church, however, other needs arose, and the local ministry is seen developing in two distinct directions. First there is the presbyter or elder, otherwise known as the bishop or overseer, whose duties, while still local, are chiefly of a spiritual kind (Acts 20:17,28,35; 1 Timothy 3:2,5; James 5:14; 1 Peter 5:2). See BISHOP. Next there are the deacon and the deaconess (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8-13), whose work appears to have lain largely in house to house visitation and a practical ministry to the poor and needy (1 Timothy 5:8-11). The necessities of government, of discipline, and of regular and stated instruction had thus brought it to pass that within New Testament times some of the functions of the general ministry of apostles and prophets were discharged by a local ministry. The general ministry, however, was still recognized to be the higher of the two. Paul addresses the presbyter- bishops of Ephesus in a tone of lofty spiritual authority (Acts 20:17ff). And according to the Didache, a true prophet when he visits a church is to take precedence over the resident bishops and deacons (Didache 10 7; 13 3).

See CHURCH GOVERNMENT.

LITERATURE.

Hort, The Christian Ecclesia; Lindsay, The Church and the Ministry in the Early Cents., lects I-V; Hatch, Bampton Lectures; Gwatkin, Early Church History to AD 313; Kostlin, article «Kirche» in See Hauck-Herzog, Realencyklopadie fur protestantische Theologie und Kirche; Armitage Robinson, article «Church» in Encyclopedia Biblica; Fairbairn Christ in Modern Theology, 513-34; Dargan, Ecclesiology; Denney, Studies in Theology, Ch viii.

J. C. Lambert

If you were to ask people what they think of when they hear the word church you would get many differing responses. Some responses may be accurate and some may not be accurate. However, most people are surprised to learn what is the Bible definition of church and what is the Biblical view of the church.

What is the common definition of church?

Church is commonly defined as a building used for public worship (1). However, many people refer to a church as an organization. Examples are the Catholic Church, the Church of England, and the Southern Baptist Church amongst many others.

What is the Bible definition of church?

The word church in the Bible comes from the Greek word ecclesia, which means a called out company or assembly. Wherever it is used in the Bible it refers to people. It can be a mob (Acts 19:30-41), the children of Israel (Acts 7:38), and the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 5:25, 32).

We see the word church used three different ways: First, as the body of Christ, the church is often defined as a local assembly or group of believers (1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:1-2). Second, it is defined as the body of individual living believers (1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13). Finally, it is defined as the universal group of all people who have trusted Christ through the ages (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 5:23-27).

What the church is not

• The church is not Jews or Gentiles

We see three distinct groups of people in the Bible: Jews, Gentiles, and the church (1 Corinthians 10:31-33; Galatians 3:26-29). Jews are all born as descendants of Abraham through Isaac (Romans 9:6-7). Gentiles are all other people born who are not Jews.

When a Jew or a Gentile trusts Christ as their Savior, they are born again into God’s family, become a child of God, and are part of the church. They are no longer a Jew or a Gentile (Galatians 3:26-29). The wall of separation between Jew and Gentile is torn down and they become one body (Ephesians 2:14-16).

• The church is not a kingdom

Some people try to make the church the kingdom of Heaven that has already come. They ignore the following: The church inherits the kingdom (Matthew 25:34; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Corinthians 15:47-50). The church is here on earth, but the kingdom of Heaven is not here (Isaiah 9:7; Matthew 5:19-20; Matthew 8:11)

• The church is not a physical building or business organization

Too often people describe a church building or organization as the church. This is because they emphasize the facility or organizational hierarchy as what constitutes a church. Most churches are organized in such a way that the public face of a church is seen as a business. However, since many people have a difficult time putting a label on a church, the term local church is often used to denote the local assembly of believers along with their meeting place and operations.

What is the Biblical view of church?

• The church is the building or temple of God

Although the church is not a physical building, believers are referred to as the building or temple of God. Like a physical building, believers also have a Cornerstone; Jesus Christ. The foundation is the prophets and apostles. (Matthew 16:16; 1 Corinthians 3:9-17; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:6; Ephesians 2:19-22).

• The church is the bride of Christ

The Bible makes reference to the church being the bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-32). This also alluded to in John 14:1-3 when Jesus talked about making a place at His Father’s house for us. This is a direct reference to when a man proposes to a woman and they are engaged. The man goes back to his father’s house to build on an addition. When the addition is done and everything is ready, he comes to call for his bride, which symbolizes the resurrection (Matthew 25:1; Revelation 19:7-9).

• The church has a Spiritual purpose

The local church or assembly of believers has different roles that God gave to specific believers for the purpose of perfecting or training the believers, doing the work of the ministry, and strengthening of the church body (Ephesians 4:11-14). The roles given in the Bible are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Deacons are also mentioned in Acts 6:1-7 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13 as servants to wait upon people with physical needs.

The church body also serves as a local group to resolve conflicts (Matthew 18:15-20) and serve as a court (1 Corinthians 6:1-8). In addition, baptisms and the Lord’s Supper or communion are observed by the church body (Acts 2:37-40; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34). Depending on the size of the church body, other ministries are performed by the members of the church as God has gifted each person (Romans 12:3-13; Ephesians 4:1-8).

Conclusion

When Jesus had dinner at Matthew’s house He was asked how He could spend time eating with sinners (Matthew 9:9-13). When Jesus heard this He answered with words that were very telling. He said, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

With these words, Jesus described the church. Imperfect people who know they needed a Savior, working together to build relationships, help those in need, and to glorify God by striving to be like Christ and share His love with others.

Article By Dr. Michael Williams

Dr. Michael L. Williams is a pastor, author, Christian educator and Biblical counselor who has served in ministry since March of 2000. Dr. Mike holds under-graduate through post graduate degrees in Christian Education and formerly worked as a nurse. Dr. Mike is the Senior Pastor of Selah Mountain Ministries, which he founded in March of 2010 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA (selahmountain.org). In addition to counseling, he teaches how to overcome life issues Biblically on topics such as anger management, marriage, addictions, and other subjects typically referred to as mental illnesses. Dr. Mike is also a writer at What Christians Want To Know. Dr. Mike lives with his wife Pamela Rose and adult daughter Hollie Rose. He and Pamela have other adult children and several grandchildren as well. Learn more about Dr. Mike at his personal ministry web site Wisdom4Today

Resources – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, King James Version. Resource – Williams, Michael L. (2014). Ecclesiology: The Doctrine of the Church. Bible Doctrines: An introductory study of the doctrines of the Bible (Chapters 12 & 13). http: //www. wisdom4today. org. (1) Google. (2014). “Church”. Retrieved from Google, https :// www. google. com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what+is+a+church

The word “Church” today is commonly used for the place Christians meet. Generally a person would say things like “We are going to Church” or “The Church is empty”.

Before going into Biblical Definitions, we must know some basic information and history about the Bible.

1. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew also known as the Tanakh.
2. There was a Greek translation done of the Hebrew Scriptures in the 2nd Century BCE, (Before Yeshua‘s Birth) called the Septuagint.
3. Most of the remaining New Testament manuscripts are in Greek.

Even though we use an English translation of the Bible, we know that sometimes meaning can be lost in translation. Because of this, going to the root languages of the Manuscripts can lend much more insight into the real meaning of the word “Church”. What we now need to research is, which word in the Greek was translated to the word “Church”

The Word “Church” is a translation for a Greek word called “ekklēsia”, which means “Called out”, “Assembly” or “Congregation”. (Strong’s Hebrew/Greek Dictionary – G1577)

While throughout the bible, “ekklēsia” has been translated as “Church”, there are a few places it is translated as “assembly” as well – Acts 19:31,39,41

An interesting point to note is, that in very much the same way, the word “Synagogue” is a translation for a Greek word called “sunagōgē”, which means “Assembly”/”Congregation” as well. (Strong’s Greek Dictionary – G4864)

“sunagōgē” is translated as “assembly” in James 2:2
“sunagoge” is translated as “congregation” in Acts 13:43

Both words, “Church” and “Synagogue” meant bodies of people. Not a building or a place.

Now that we know that “Church” doesn’t mean an institution, a place or a building, let’s tackle one of the other common misconceptions, which is that Yeshua(Hebrew name of Jesus) came to build a “Church”, and that there was no “Church” before Yeshua.

Language, I believe, has become one of the biggest barriers of our time. Since we have a big barrier which is a New Testament(NT) in Greek, and an Old Testament(OT) in Hebrew, comparing the two languages are next to impossible, as they are worlds apart. Because of this, we will turn to the Septuagint, which is a Greek translation of the OT. Comparing the NT Greek and the OT in Greek using the Septuagint, we can land on some solid answers.

Armed with this knowledge, let’s check whether we can find the Greek word “ekklēsia” in the OT. And true to the fact, there are more than 70 locations where “ekklēsia” is used, in place of “Assembly” or “Congregation”. These places are listed below.

Deu_4:10, Deu_9:10, Deu_18:16, Deu_23:1, Deu_23:2, Deu_23:3, Deu_23:8, Deu_31:30, Jos_8:35,
Jdg_20:2, Jdg_21:5, Jdg_21:8, 1Sa_17:47, 1Sa_19:20, 1Ki_8:14, 1Ki_8:22, 1Ki_8:55, 1Ki_8:65, 1Ch_13:, 1Ch_13:4, 1Ch_28:2, 1Ch_28:8, 1Ch_29:1, 1Ch_29:10, 1Ch_29:20, 2Ch_1:3, 2Ch_1:5, 2Ch_6:3, 2Ch_6:12, 2Ch_6:13, 2Ch_7:8, 2Ch_10:3, 2Ch_20:5, 2Ch_20:14, 2Ch_23:3, 2Ch_28:14,
2Ch_29:23, 2Ch_29:28, 2Ch_29:31, 2Ch_29:32, 2Ch_30:2, 2Ch_30:4, 2Ch_30:13, 2Ch_30:17, 2Ch_30:23, 2Ch_30:24, 2Ch_30:25, Ezr_2:64, Ezr_10:1, Ezr_10:8, Ezr_10:12, Ezr_10:14, Neh_5:7
Neh_5:13, Neh_7:66, Neh_8:2, Neh_8:17, Neh_13:1, Job_30:28, Psa_22:22, Psa_22:25, Psa_26:5, Psa_26:12, Psa_35:18, Psa_40:9, Psa_68:26, Psa_89:5, Psa_107:32, Psa_149:1, Pro_5:14, Lam_1:10,
Joe_2:16, Mic_2:5

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A Sample is shown below in Bold:
Greek Septuagint – Deu_31:30  και ελαλησεν μωυσης εις τα ωτα πασης εκκλησιας (G1577) ισραηλ τα ρηματα της  ωδης ταυτης εως εις τελος

English KJV – Deu 31:30  And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.
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This leads to quite an amazing conclusion. In about 70 instances in the OT where the English says “Assembly” or “Congregation”, the Septuagint translates those words to “ekklēsia”.

Let me put the comparison of the words in a simpler way to digest:
ekklēsia (Greek NT) = church (English NT)
ekklēsia (Septuagint Greek OT) = assembly / congregation (English OT)
which means: church (English NT) = assembly / congregation (English OT)

So effectively, if the words are the same, (ekklēsia = church = assembly = congregation)
we would be able to read more than 70 other scriptures in the OT alongside Deut 31:30 as,
“And Moses spake in the ears of all the church of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended”.

To everyone who believes that the “Church” came after Yeshua, I ask you to look at the evidence. Do not get stuck with a particular language or a word. Look at the meaning of the word, rather than the word itself.

Now, I know that some people would still say that I am putting too much effort and forcing my ideas through. To all those people, my answer would be to compare and check the evidence. Don’t believe me. But if there is sufficient evidence, don’t shrug it off. Be open to learning something new, even if it goes against some of your beliefs.

In closing, I would like to say that, as people living in a technologically advanced age, why can’t we put all the resources we have to good use and audit our translations, check for the real meanings and compare historical documents. I hope, I have made a good enough case to prove,
A) That “Church” means the people and not any institution, building or place
B) That the “Church” existed even when Moses led Israel, as the people/congregation was the “Church”.

When Yeshua said “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my CHURCH; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Yeshua did not mean He was creating a new institution, a new system, a new building or a new place. What He meant was that, He is going to build His people, His assembly and His Congregation – the “Called Out” ones.

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How the Word Church is Used in Scripture and Common Speech

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The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia gives this view of the usage of the word church in the Bible and everyday language: «Theologically, there is only one Church, for Christians are now fellow citizens of the saints and of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.»

The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary explains the ways church is used in English: «The word church is employed to express various ideas, some of which are scriptural, others not. It may be used to signify: (1) The entire body of those who are saved by their relation to Christ. (2) A particular Christian denomination. (3) The aggregate of all the ecclesiastical communions, professing faith in Christ. (4) A single organized Christian group. (5) A building designated for Christian worship.»

In contrast, the Holman Bible Dictionary summarizes the biblical usage of the word: «Church is the term used in [translations of] the New Testament most frequently to describe a group of persons professing trust in Jesus Christ, meeting together to worship Him, and seeking to enlist others to become His followers.» This resource correctly defines church, as used in the Bible, as a group of people.

The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible describes in some detail the usage of church in the New Testament (NT):

«For that reality which is designated in English most commonly by the word ‘church,’ there are in the NT many diverse terms, each with its own etymological and theological history. Each term conveys in varying contexts a large cluster of shifting connotations and associations.

«In contemporary English usage, ‘church’ as a word dominates the ecclesiological vocabulary. It comes through German and Latin from the Greek kyriakon, which means ‘that which belongs to the Lord.’ In NT Greek, ekklesia (almost always translated in English by ‘church’) is by no means so dominating or central a term.

«Of the 112 appearances of ecclesia [Latin spelling] in the NT, 90 per cent are found in Paul’s letters, the book of Acts, and Revelation. From ten books (Mark, Luke, John, II Timothy, Titus, I-II Peter, I-II John, and Jude) this word is absent.

«Ecclesia was used primarily to designate a particular communal reality, not to describe its qualitative aspects. Where the distinctive qualities and dimensions of community life were intended, other terms proved more flexible and evocative.

«In comparison with these other terms, ecclesia was relatively neutral and colorless, conveying by itself little theological meaning. It was open to use, without basic shift in meaning, by unbelievers as well as by believers. Even among those writers who made wide use of ecclesia, other terms were more expressive of the reality at hand.»

In this article, I attempt a comprehensive look into how the word «church» is used in the New Testament (NT).

This is an important study in modern times because society has redefined the English word «church» and this makes it challenging to separate what is from what should be.

«Church» Defined

In the NT, the Holy Spirit used a single Greek word that we translate «church:» ἐκκλησίᾳ (ekklesia)—along with five variations. 

Strong’s Concordance defines this word as «an assembly, congregation, church; the Church, the whole body of Christian believers.»

In total, this word is found 114 times in the NT.

Ekklesia is comprised of two Greek words: ek, which means «out from and to», and kaléō, which means «to call.» In other words, the word literally means «the called out» or, when applied specifically to Jesus’ church, «the called out of the world and to Jesus.»

Similarly, regarding the word ekklesia, Vine notes:

[Ekklesia] has two applications to companies of Christians, (a) to the whole company of the redeemed throughout the present era…(b) in the singular number (e.g., Matt. 18:17, RV marg., «congregation»), to a company consisting of professed believers…»
(Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary, W.E. Vine, p.42)

«Church» in the Gospels

The word «church» appears three times in the gospels, all of them in Matthew.

The first use occurs with Peter’s «great confession» that Jesus is indeed the Christ (the Messiah) of GOD.

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
(Matt. 16:13-20 NIV)

Here, Jesus establishes that He has one church—a point that Paul later echoed in Eph. 4:4-6 («there is one body»).

The other two gospel occurrances of «church» are found in Matthew 18. In this context, Jesus is teaching on how to handle situations where our brother sins against us.

15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
(Matt. 18:15-20 NIV)

This text can be somewhat tricky, in my opinion, to properly discern.

If we back up to Matt. 18:1, we see that this conversation originates because the disciples asked Jesus who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

«Church» in the Historical Account

With Jesus having died, risen from the grave, and ascended to heaven, the kingdom of heaven was ready! In Acts 1, the 120 disciples were together in Jerusalem. In Acts 2, on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descends just as Jesus had promised, upon the disciples. That same day, 3,000 souls were baptized into Jesus and He added each of them to His church (Acts 2:38-47).

In these early days, it seems that all (or nearly all) the Christians were located in Jerusalem (Acts 6:7). After the martyrdom of Stephen, Saul of Tarsus began severely persecuting the church (Acts 8:1, 3), which caused the Christians to scatter throughout Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles who remained in Jerusalem.

The Christians went everywhere preaching Jesus.

In Samaria, Philip the evangelist performed miracles and many Samaritans believed and were baptized (Acts 8:4-13).

At that point, there were Christians in Jerusalem and Samaria, as well as those who had scattered to the surrounding region. Next we see that an Ethiopian official became a Christian (Acts 8:26-39). Then Philip preached in Azotus and each city until he arrived in Caesarea (Acts 8:40).

Saul heard of Christians in Damascus (Syria) and went on a crusade to erradicate them, but Jesus intervened.

Upon repenting and fasting three days, Jesus sent a local Christian named Ananias with a message for Saul. Saul obeyed, submitting to baptism, and immediately joined the Christians in Damascus (Acts 9:1-22).

So, it had become clear at this point that Jesus’ church had spread far beyond the city of Jerusalem.

In Acts 9:31, we find the first plural use of the word «church.»

31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
(Acts 9:31 NKJV)

Interestingly, the NKJV translates the word «churches,» whereas the NIV, NASB, and AMP (and perhaps other translations) translate the word «church.» The YLT version uses the word «assemblies.»

It’s important to note that this is still the word ekklesia that the Spirit used. In context, it seems more likely to me that this is a reference to the Christians throughout these regions of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, rather than specific individual assemblies in the areas.

Here’s the difference:

It’s either:

«The entire body of Christ—all the saved—in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified.»

Or:

«The individual congregations of Christians in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified.»

In this case, regardless of our understanding, we get the message. However, in other passages, how we interpret the use of the word «church» can impact our understanding of what the Scripture is saying.

I don’t mean to over-complicate things, but this distinction really matters.

We shouldn’t assume all Christians in a town or city (always) assembled together. 

We shouldn’t assume all Christians in a town or city (always) assembled together.


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Culture has a tendency to significantly impact our individual perception of «church.»

While today the norm in many societies is for Christians to meet together in a church-owned building, this was not so in the first century.

Except for the very early days where the church in Jerusalem sometimes met in the temple courts, the majority of the assemblies we read about in the NT are in people’s homes.

Meeting in homes, in most situations, necessitates smaller group sizes.

Thus, a Scripture reference to «the church in Samaria,» for example, does not necessarily mean «the one congregation of Christians in Samaria that always met together.» More on this later.

In Acts 11:19-22, we learn that some Christians scattered at Stephen’s martyrdom had traveled to Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, and «a great number» became Christians.

In verses 25-26, we find that Saul and Barnabas assembled «with the church» in Antioch for one year.

Does this mean that all Christians in Antioch met together, or simply that Saul and Barnabas met with the various congregations in the city of Antioch?

Acts 13:1-3 seems to indicate that the Antioch Christians all met together, at least on this occasion. Unfortunately, we just don’t know. What we shouldn’t do, however, is assume with certainty.

As Paul and Barnabas traveled back through the cities of Lystra, Iconium and Antioch of Pisidia, strengthening the new Christians, they «appointed elders in every church» (Acts 14:21-23).

Here, the word «church» seems to be a reference to specific assemblies of Christians. Yet, Paul later told Titus (Titus 1:5) to appoint elders in every city, so it is possible Acts 14:23 could be referring to appointing elders among the Christians in each area, or it could be an indication that there was one assembly of Christians who always met together in these locations.

Upon returning to Antioch of Syria, Paul and Barnabas called the church together (Acts 14:26-27; clearly a reference to all Christians in the city, regardless of whether they all regularly met as one group or multiple).

Sometime after their return to Antioch, Christians from Judea came to Antioch, teaching that Christians must be circumcised and obey the Law of Moses in order to be saved. Paul and Barnabas argued against this false doctrine, and they eventually agreed to go ask the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.

In Acts 15:3-4, we find that «the church» sent Paul and Barnabas on their way, and, upon arriving in Jerusalem, they were greeted by «the church,» along with the apostles and elders.

In my understanding, both of these uses are referring to the assembled Christians in Antioch (verse 3) and Jerusalem (verse 4). The Jerusalem church (i.e., all the saints in Jerusalem) would almost certainly have been too numerous to have all assembled as a single congregation for regular collective worship. I conclude that the word «church» in Acts 15:22 is likely referring to the assembled group of Christians who had come to witness and participate in the discussion over this specific matter.

Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.
(Acts 15:22)

A long time after returning to Antioch, Paul chose Silas to accompany him in revisiting the Christians «in every city» (Acts 15:36) and they went through Syria and Cilicia and strengthened «the churches.»

Like Acts 9:31, the plural form of «church» is translated, but in this case there is more agreement among translations, with NKJV, NASB, NIV and AMP all using the word «churches.» YLT translates the word «assemblies.»

Regardless, the point seems clearly to be that Paul and Silas traveled around to encourage the Christians at each place, taking the letter from the Jerusalem elders and the apostles, as they went, and strengthened «the churches» (Acts 16:5).

Later, after trips to numerous places, including the region of Galatia and Macedonia, Paul returned to Antioch, strengthening the church at Caesarea along the way (Acts 18:22).

And the last two uses of the word «church» in the book of Acts are found in Acts 20. In Acts 20:17, Paul called for the «elders of the church» in Ephesus.

Upon meeting these men, Paul reminded them to shepherd the «church of God» over which the Holy Spirit had made them overseers (Acts 20:28).

(In the following sections, I cover the uses of «church» in the NT letters as they are ordered in our Bibles instead of as they were written chronologically.)

«Church» in the NT Letters

Romans

Interestingly, the letter to the Romans is addressed:

7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people…
(Rom. 1:7 NIV)

The letter is not sent to a single congregation, but to the saints in the city. In fact, Paul doesn’t use the word «church» until the closing comments of Romans.

In the final chapter, the word «church» occurs five times. This chapter gives us significant insight into the church at Rome, as well as an indication as to how the church might have been organized in other locations.

1 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house.

In verse 1, what is clear is that Phoebe is a Christian who served the saints in Cenchrea (a town near Corinth) and, apparently, had recently arrived (or would be soon arriving) there in Rome—the location of the Christians to whom Paul was writing. Additionally, it is obvious that Paul knew Phoebe, her reputation and her plans, indicating he was in the area at the time. (Paul apparently wrote Romans from the city of Corinth, during his three-month stay in Greece prior to his trip to Jerusalem [see Acts 19:29-20:4; Rom. 15:22-29].)

Is Paul saying that Pheobe is a servant of the Lord’s body who happens to live in Cencrea? Or, is he saying that Phoebe is a servant of the (one) assembly in the town of Cenchrea? It seems more likely to me that Paul is saying, «…Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the portion of Jesus’ church that lives in Cenchrea…», as opposed to «…a servant of the [one] assembly in Cenchrea…». However, both could easily be true.

In verses 3-4, Paul instructed the Christians in Rome to greet the church that is in Aquila and Priscilla’s house. The word church here seems to be referring to a specific congregation—those who assembled at Aquila and Priscilla’s house.

Continuing on, Paul wrote:

Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who labored much for us. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

8 Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. 10 Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.

16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you. …

23 Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother.
(Rom. 16:1-16, 23)

In verse 14 and 15, Paul seems to be pointing to two additional congregations (assemblies; churches), probably meeting in two of the mentioned saints’ homes. This is strong evidence that the «church in Rome,» as we might verbalize it, was comprised of multiple congregations. (Interestingly, the phrase «church in/of/at Rome» is not contained in Scripture.)

In verse 16, the phrase «The churches of Christ greet you» seems to indicate that the location where Paul was when he was writing (Corinth) was also comprised of multiple assemblies. Yet, in verse 23, Paul says Gaius was «the host of the whole church,» so it could be that there was one congregation in the city of Corinth and others in the surrounding area, such as in Cencrea. Again, we simply don’t know.

1 Corinthians

Paul began the letter of 1 Corinthians by addressing the church in Corinth.

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
(1 Cor. 1:1-2)

The next reference to «church» is found in chapter 4:

17 For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.
(1 Cor. 4:17)

This verse is a reference to the various congregations with whom Paul had worked. A similar instruction is found in chapters 7:

17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.
(1 Cor. 7:17)

Backing up to chapter 6 momentarily, we read:

4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren?
(1 Cor. 6:4-5)

Since, in context, Paul is referring to local judges there in Corinth, I view this as a reference to the local congregation(s) there in Corinth. At the same time, the general application is to all Christians and churches, thus it could be equally applied to the entire body of Christians. Because of this, I have listed the verses in both sections of the Appendix.

Having already noted the 1 Cor. 7:17 reference above, the next use of «church» is found in chapter 10:

31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,
(1 Cor. 10:31-32)

I believe this use of «church» is speaking to the entire body of Christ, regardless of location. A specific assembly or congregation is not mentioned in context, and the impact of a Christian’s sinful living is far beyond just a local congregation. It certainly applies in both a local and universal sense.

In chapter 11, we find three uses of «church.» The first is dealing with the covering of women, the last two are concerning the Lord’s Supper.

15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.
(1 Cor. 11:15-16)

I believe this to be a clear reference to the various individual congregations around the world at the time. Here are the other two uses in chapter 11:

18 For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. 21 For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.
(1 Cor. 11:18-22)

Both of these uses of «church» are dealing with a problem that seems to have been unique to the Corinthian Christians.

Paul’s statement «when you come together as a church» is further evidence that there was one congregation in Corinth at this time. 

The second occurrence of «church,» in verse 22, could be applied both globally and locally, but I tend to view it more locally, since it is the currently-assembled brethren that would be immediately and directly impacted by the existing divisions and improper observance of the Lord’s Supper at this time.

Beginning in chapter 12, Paul discussed spiritual gifts.

Here are the uses of «church» in this context:

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
(1 Cor. 12:27-28)

4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification. …

12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. …

18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. …

23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? …

27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. … 33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

34 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. 35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.
(1 Cor. 14:4-5, 12, 18-19, 27-28, 33-35)

1 Cor. 12:27-28 discusses the roles within the body of Christ, which applies across all congregations. Each reference to «church» in chapter 14, by contrast, is dealing with the edification of those assembled and is thus focused on the local congregation.

In 1 Cor. 15:9, Paul refers to the entire body of Christ:

For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
(1 Cor. 15:9)

The final three uses of «church» in 1 Corinthians are found in chapter 16. The first concerns collections for a need in Jerusalem:

Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also:
(1 Cor. 16:1)

The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
(1 Cor. 16:19)

All three of these uses refer to specific congregations. Note that, once again, we see Aquila and Priscilla had a congregation in their home.

2 Corinthians

In the 2 Corinthians letter, Paul greeted the Corinthians as follows:

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:
(2 Cor. 1:1)

The inclusion of «all the saints who are in all Achaia» here could be evidence that Paul was addressing a single congregation there in Corinth. It seems clear that Paul intended the letter for circulation throughout the region.

In chapter 8, Paul refers to the «churches» five times, each referring to various congregations.

1 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: … 18 And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, 19 and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind, … 23 If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24 Therefore show to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.
(2 Cor. 8:1, 18-19, 23-24)

Similarly, the Holy Spirit through Paul used the word «churches» three times in chapters 11 and 12:

8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you.
(2 Cor. 11:8)

23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. … 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
(2 Cor. 11:23-28)

For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong!
(2 Cor. 12:13)

Each of these three uses were regarding individual congregations.

Galatians

The letter of Galatians was addressed to multiple assemblies in the region of Galatia:

1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:
(Gal. 1:1-2)

There are two additional uses of «church» in the letter, both of which are found in chapter 1:

For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
(Gal. 1:13)

21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ.
(Gal. 1:21-22)

Verse 13 is referring to the entire body of Christ, whereas verse 22 is referring to the various assemblies in Judea.

Ephesians

Paul used the word «church» nine times in the Ephesian letter, six of which are found in chapter 5, where he explained the relationship between Christ and the church as that of a marriage. In all nine cases, the word «church» was used to refer to the entire body of Christ and not a specific assembly or congregation. Here are the verses in the letter:

22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
(Eph. 1:22-23)

8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. … 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
(Eph. 3:8-12, 20-21)

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
(Eph. 5:22-32)

Philippians

Paul’s letter to the Philippians contains two uses of «church.» The first is a reference to the entire body of Christ, whereas the second is a reference to the various individual congregations at the time.

…If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
(Phil. 3:4b-6)

Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only.
(Phil. 4:15)

Colossians

There are four occurrences of the word «church» in Paul’s letter to the Colossians. The first two, found in chapter 1, are discussing Jesus’ entire body. The latter two, found in chapter 4, are referring to specific congregations.

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
(Col. 1:18)

I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
(Col. 1:24)

15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house. 16 Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
(Col. 4:15-16)

I will also point out that in verse 15 we are introduced to another house church, either in Laodicea, Colosse or the surrounding area.

1 Thessalonians

Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians contains two uses of «church,» both of which refer to a specific assembly. The first is the introduction to the letter:

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Thess. 1:1)

The second reference is to the various assemblies in the Judea region.

For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus.
(1 Thess. 2:14a)

2 Thessalonians

Paul’s second Thessalonian letter also contains two uses of «church.» Both are found in the introduction and both are referring to individual assemblies.

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,
(2 Thess. 1:1-4)

1 Timothy

Paul’s first letter to Timothy contains three uses of «church,» the first two of which I believe are references to the entire body of Jesus. These two references are found in the context of discussing roles and responsibilities in the church.

1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);
(1 Tim. 3:1-5)

In practice, a bishop would take care of the church of GOD by working with specific Christians in the area where the bishop lived. The scope of this verse could arguably be even more narrowly defined as the specific assembly of Christians with whom the would-be-bishop assembles regularly. As such, I listed the reference in both places of the appendix.

Here’s the second use of «church:»

14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; 15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
(1 Tim. 3:14-15)

The household of GOD is greater than any one congregation or assembly—it is the totality of the body of Christ.

The third occurrence of «church» applies to the local congregation of Christians:

If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.
(1 Tim. 5:16)

Philemon

The short letter to Philemon contains one use of «church,» found in the letter’s introduction, and is most likely a reference to another house church.

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, 2 to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:
(Phlm. 1-2)

Hebrews

There is one occurrence of «church» in Hebrews, and it clearly pertains to the entire body of Jesus.

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
(Heb. 12:22-24)

James

The book of James contains one use of «church.» It’s interpretation is tricky. Here’s the verse:

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
(Jam. 5:13-15)

The most common understanding is that every assembly of Christians has its own elders, and thus the meaning would be to call the elders of your specific congregation.

This is quite possibly an accurate understanding.

But suppose for a minute that we apply this to the church in Rome where, as we’ve pointed out, there were multiple smaller congregations meeting in homes. Did each of these house churches have their own set of elders, or were there elders throughout the city of Rome who «floated» among these various assemblies?

In other words, if a Christian is sick and calls elders of the church who (primarily) assemble with various other congregations to pray over him, is this not still accomplishing the same purpose of Jam. 5:14?

3 John

The third letter of John contains three uses of «church,» each of which appear to be references to a specific congregation:

5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, 6 who have borne witness of your love before the church. … 9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.
(3 John 5-6a, 9-10)

Revelation

There are 19 uses of «church» in the book of Revelation. The first is found in the introduction and is an obvious reference to specific individual congregations:

4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
(Rev. 1:4-5)

The next three occcurrences are also in the first chapter and are also regarding these seven congregations:

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” … 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
(Rev. 1:10-11, 20)

In Rev. 2-3, Jesus gave specific messages to each of the seven congregations. To each congregation, Jesus introduced Himself differently:

1. “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
   (Rev. 2:1)
2. “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:
   (Rev. 2:8)
3. “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:
   (Rev. 2:12)
4. “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:
   (Rev. 2:18)
5. “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
   (Rev. 3:1)
6. “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:
   (Rev. 3:7)
7. “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
   (Rev. 3:14)

Likewise, Jesus closed his comments to the first three congregations somewhat differently, and used the same closing for the last four:

1. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’
   (Rev. 2:7)
2. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’
   (Rev. 2:11)
3. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”’
   (Rev. 2:17)
4. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
   (Rev. 2:29)
5. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
   (Rev. 3:6)
6. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
   (Rev. 3:13)
7. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”
   (Rev. 3:22)

In the middle of these instructions Jesus gave to the seven churches of Asia, we find another reference to the individual congregations:

20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
(Rev. 2:20-23)

The final occurrence of the word «church» is found in the last chapter of Revelation, again referring to the individual assemblies:

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
(Rev. 22:16)

Conclusions

This has been a challenging study, and is one of the longer articles I’ve written, both in terms of words and time invested.

I am a firm believer in the concept of simple—GOD wrote the Bible in such a way as to reach the hearts and minds of simple people.

So it always raises a red flag in my mind any time I find a subject more complicated. «Am I over-thinking, over-analyzing this?,» I ask myself. Yet we also know that Scripture is full of meaty, difficult-to-digest content as well.

I find myself frustrated at times with the lack of details about the organization of the NT church. I know that GOD has revealed the important information that we need to know. Yet, having seen over the years so many places where men have perverted and twisted GOD’s design, I think diligent effort should be put forth in uncovering the truth about each subject.

At the conclusion of this study I agree with the definitions laid out by Vine and Strong’s at the beginning of this article. I found that most of the Scriptures containing «church» are clear as to whether they are universal or congregational in scope, and, of the passages where I was uncertain, the majority of them had both a universal and local application.

After conducting this study, I am more convinced than ever that the NT Christians met in homes, and that these house churches were well-informed of what was happening with one another.

Entering the study, one of my primary questions was whether Rev. 2-3 were addressed to all Christians in each location, regardless of whether they all regularly assembled together or had multiple house churches that comprised «the church at/in/of» each location. While still not 100% convinced, particularly in the case of Ephesus, I am more convinced than before that each location in these chapters was a single congregation.

Thanks for reading!

Appendix

References are NKJV unless otherwise stated. These are my conclusions and there is certainly room for debate on some of these, so please, study for yourself.

References to the entire body of Christians:

1. …And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
   (Acts 2:47)
2. So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.
   (Acts 5:11)
3. 1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. … 5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
   (Acts 12:1-5)
4. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
   (Acts 20:28)
5. 4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren?
   (1 Cor. 6:4-5)
6. 31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,
   (1 Cor. 10:31-32)
7. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
   (1 Cor. 12:27-28)
8. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
   (1 Cor. 15:9)
9. For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
   (Gal. 1:13)
10. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
    (Eph. 1:22-23)
11. 8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. … 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
    (Eph. 3:8-12, 20-21)
12. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

    25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
    (Eph. 5:22-32)

13. …If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
    (Phil. 3:4b-6)
14. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
    (Col. 1:18)
15. I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
    (Col. 1:24)
16. 1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);
    (1 Tim. 3:1-5)
17. 14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; 15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
    (1 Tim. 3:14-15)
18. 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
    (Heb. 12:22-24)

References to either A.) all Christians in a specific geographic location; or B.) a specific assembled group(s):

1. …At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.
   (Acts 8:1-3)
2. Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
   (Acts 9:31)
3. Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch.
   (Acts 11:22)
4. Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
5. (Acts 11:25-26)
6. 1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
   (Acts 13:1-3)
7. 21 And when they [Barnabas and Paul] had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” 23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
   (Acts 14:21-23)
8. Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
   (Acts 14:27)
9. 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. 4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.
   (Acts 15:3-4)
10. Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.
    (Acts 15:22)
11. And he [Paul] went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
    (Acts 15:41).
12. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
    (Acts 16:5)
13. And when he [Paul] had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch.
    (Acts 18:22)
14. From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.
    (Acts 20:17)
15. 1 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house.
    
    Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who labored much for us. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
    
    8 Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. 10 Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
    
    12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.
    
    16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you. …
    
    23 Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother.
    (Rom. 16:1-16, 23)
16. 1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

    2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
    (1 Cor. 1:1-2)

17. 17 For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.
    (1 Cor. 4:17)
18. 4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren?
    (1 Cor. 6:4-5)
19. 17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.
    (1 Cor. 7:17)
20. 15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.
    (1 Cor. 11:15-16)
21. 18 For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. 19 For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. 20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. 21 For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.
    (1 Cor. 11:18-22)
22. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification. …

    12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. …

    18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. …

    23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? …

    27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. … 33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

    34 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. 35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.
    (1 Cor. 14:4-5, 12, 18-19, 27-28, 33-35)

23. Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also:
    (1 Cor. 16:1)
24. The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
    (1 Cor. 16:19)
25. 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

    To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:
    (2 Cor. 1:1)

26. 1 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: … 18 And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, 19 and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind, … 23 If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24 Therefore show to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.
    (2 Cor. 8:1, 18-19, 23-24)
27. 8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you.
    (2 Cor. 11:8)
28. 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
    (2 Cor. 11:28)
29. For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong!
    (2 Cor. 12:13)
30. 1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me,

    To the churches of Galatia:
    (Gal. 1:1-2)

31. 21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ.
    (Gal. 1:21-22)
32. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only.
    (Phil. 4:15)
33. 15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house. 16 Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
    (Col. 4:15-16)
34. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

    To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

    Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
    (1 Thess. 1:1)

35. For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus.
    (1 Thess. 2:14a)
36. 1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

    To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

    2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,
    (2 Thess. 1:1-4)

37. 1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);
    (1 Tim. 3:1-5)
38. If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.
    (1 Tim. 5:16)
39. 1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

    To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, 2 to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:
    (Phlm. 1-2)

40. 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
    (Jam. 5:13-15)
41. 5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, 6 who have borne witness of your love before the church. … 9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.
    (3 John 5-6a, 9-10)
42. 4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

    Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
    (Rev. 1:4-5)

43. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” … 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
    (Rev. 1:10-11, 20)
44. “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
    (Rev. 2:1)
45. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’
    (Rev. 2:7)
46. “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:
    (Rev. 2:8)
47. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’
    (Rev. 2:11)
48. “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:
    (Rev. 2:12)
49. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”’
    (Rev. 2:17)
50. “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:
    (Rev. 2:18)
51. 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
    (Rev. 2:20-23)
52. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
    (Rev. 2:29)
53. “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
    (Rev. 3:1)
54. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
    (Rev. 3:6)
55. “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:
    (Rev. 3:7)
56. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
    (Rev. 3:13)
57. “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
    (Rev. 3:14)
58. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”
    (Rev. 3:22)
59. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
    (Rev. 22:16)