The
following is an edited outline/commentary of a presentation made in Destin,
Florida on September 20, 2005 by Richard Woodall. This is based in large part
from the book, The Separation of Church & Faith by Daniel Gruber, and
specifically chapter 4, entitled “A Good Church is Hard to Find.” While this
is not in full article form, it nevertheless is adequate in substance and
content to present the issue at hand. For your consideration, comments and
thoughts:
TRUE
“CHURCH”
FACT
OR
FICTION?
Many
today assume that the Greek word “ekklesia” means “church,” which is
typically understood to refer to either the, or a, meeting place for believers
in Christ, or the whole body; part of the body; or any division of the body of
believers in Christ. Similarly, many also assume the word “synagogue” means
a Jewish meeting place.
Just how biblical is this common “modern” day understanding and what difference does it make even if we got it wrong? We have never really had a cause to examine the biblical evidence. Why? Have we simply seen what we were taught by others to “see”? Have just assumed that it was so obvious, what else could it possibly be? If you want to see the difference for yourself- keep reading.
Where
should we start our search?
Our God (Yhwh),
our Father, our Creator has made many promises that have not yet been
fulfilled.
The Holy Days picture some of the fulfilled promises,
and some not yet fulfilled.
This Feast of
Tabernacles (Succoth) pictures a remembrance of a past event or time, and in
type- both current and still future events.
Lev 23:42 brought out of Egypt in booths.
42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Lets review some of the promises of YHWH
Gen 15:18 Egypt
to Euphrates.
18
In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy
seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the
river Euphrates:
1 ¶ And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4 ¶ As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
7 ¶ And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
8
And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land
wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting
possession; and I will be their God.
(17)
Genesis 22:17
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in
multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand
which [is] upon the sea shore; and thy
seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Genesis 28:13-14
(13)
And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I [am]
the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou
liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
(14)
And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread
abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in
thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Isaiah 2:1-3
(1)
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
(2)
And it shall come to pass in the last days, [that]
the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto
it.
(3)
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the
mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of
his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
QUESTION????
WHY HAVE THESE PROMISES OF GOD (YHWH) NOT BEEN
EMPHASIZED BY TRADITIONAL CHRISTIANITY OR EVEN THE VARIOUS “CHURCHES” OF
GOD, EXCEPT ON THE HOLY DAYS?
HAS
GOD CHANGED? MAL3:6
IS
HIS EMPHASIS NOW ON SOMETHING ELSE?
HAS
HE FORGOTTEN THESE PROMISES?
HAS
THE PROMISED SHIFTED TO A DIFFERENT PEOPLE?
HAS
HE FORGOTTEN ISRAEL?
HAS THE CHURCH REPLACED
ISRAEL?
The
“Ekklesia” is the center OF what God (YHWH) is doing on the earth today, but
just what is this “Ekklesia”?
True or False?-
The Ekklesia contains all of the redeemed of both Israel and Gentile.
What Hebrew words in the Old Testament (TANAKH) are used to describe the community Israel?
WHAT IS THE SEPTUAGINT LXX ?
It is a translation of the
TANAKH (OT) Hebrew scriptures into the Greek language around the 2nd
century BC, and written in Alexandria, Egypt.
If we can see how these words are translated in Septuagint,
then we can
Many phrases in the Messianic
writings are directly from the Septuagint.
The
vast majority of Theologians, virtually without exception, do not realize, nor
even consider, that the Messianic writings (New Testament) were written in a
“Jewish” Greek, similar or even identical to the Greek found in the
Septuagint, where many words were created by the Jews in Greek for the purpose
of sustaining a Hebrew idiom that would be lost in the Classic or Koine Greek,
while at other times the “normal” Greek words were used with normal Greek
meanings. This point cannot be overstated. Without this understanding, one will
always assume that the apparent Greek word will always carry with it a meaning
peculiar to Greek, when in fact, many words were actually “coined” by the
Jews, who literally “created” new Greek words based solely on a Hebrew usage
and meaning particularly not peculiar to the Greeks of that day.
They, the Greeks, would have no comprehension at all of what the new “Greek”
word meant, or even what it was, or why or how it came to be. In a number of
cases, a “normal” Greek word was used, but by comparing it to the
Septuagint, which is then compared to the Tanakh, we can readily see that it,
too, is “Jewish” Greek because the “meaning” will reflect a purely
Hebrew or Jewish usage and meaning. Thus, the writings of what is commonly known
as the New Testament can only be fully understood from the perspective of the
Jewish culture of the day and the Hebrew meanings behind these new
“Jewish Greek” words.
The
HEBREW words used for the COMMUNITY of Israel are almost always ---
EDAH AND
KAHAL – translated: Congregation, Assembly, meeting, gathering, community, group
Prov 5:14
both Kahal
and Edah
used in same sentence
Proverbs 5:14
(14)
I was
almost in
all evil in
the midst
of the
congregation6951 and assembly.5712
Kahal 6951
Edah 5712
The
Septuagint
translated the Hebrew word
Kahal
as
Ekklesia
and the
Hebrew word
Edah=
as
Sunagoge.
Edah is almost always translated as
Sunagoge.
However,
let’s remember that words change meanings over time.
What did
(the word)
GAY mean to my dad?
(Compared to what it might mean to
the average person of today.)
“Disk”
to a farmer is not the same thing as it is to a computer expert.
In
the first century SUNAGOGE did not mean synagogue - a Jewish religious meeting place!
It was just a common word for a GATHERING.
Gen
1:9 Let the waters of heaven be
GATHERED …..
EDAH=Hebrew=SUNAGOGE=Greek
in the
Septuagint.
Ex
12:3 Speak to all the CONGREGATION of Israel……. EDAH=Hebrew
SUNAGOGE= Greek in the Septuagint.
3
Speak ye unto all the congregation5712
of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every
man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
KAHAL
in the TANAKH
is a:
COMMUNITY, AN ASSEMBLY OR AN ASSOCIATION OF DIFFERENT COMMUITIES.
GEN49:5-6
Let me not join their ASSEBLIES=KAHAL=Hebrew
5 ¶ Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
6
O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly6951,
mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in
their selfwill they digged down a wall.
20
But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that
soul shall be cut off from among the congregation6951, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the
LORD: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.
In
the Septuagint
KAHAL is translated alternately to both Greek words
SUGAGOGE
AND EKKLESIA and
the word simply means: MEETING,
GATHERING,
COMMUNITY OR ASSEMBLY. NEITHER
WORD, IN ITSELF,
CONTAINED ANY RELIGIOUS MEANING OR CONNOTATION- IT WAS NOT
CONNECTED TO ANY SPECIFIC GROUP.
In standard Greek EKKLESIA
is simply an ASSEMBLY…..PERIOD.
The
Classic Greek used the word as: AN ASSEMBLY CALLED OUT BY THE MAGISTRATE OR
LEGITIMATE AUTHORITY.
In
JEWISH/GREEK the word EKKLESIA did not signify an institution.
EZRA
10:8 Separated from
the CONGREGATION=KAHAL=Hebrew=EKKLESIA =GREEK=CONGREGATION
8
And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the
counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited,
and himself separated from the congregation
of those that had been carried away.
Today-
EKKLESIA is
translated as
CHURCH. The word “Church was not the first century Meaning,
nor a “Christian” word. At the
time of the Septuagint nothing CHRISTIAN EXISTED. EKKLESIA
WAS EVERYWHERE in the GREEK world. They all had their meeting places.-
Remember, in the SEPTUAGINT-
at its writing, neither Sunagoge or Ekklesia, by itself, had any
religious meaning at all. This same
NONRELIGIOUS usage was carried over to the messianic writings (what
we rather mistakenly call the New Testament).
MATT 2:4 Gathering
together (SUNAGOGON) 4863 sunago:
Collect, gather, accompany, assemble, come together.
4 And when he had gathered 4863 all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
MATT
13:47 Gathered (Sunagogouse) all kind of fish.
Matthew 13:47
47
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the
sea, and gathered4863 of every kind:
Sunagoge
is used over 50 times in the Messianic writings and always means: meeting,
assembly, or meeting place.
What about: “The Synagogue of the Jews”?
The
Expression “Synagogue
of the Jews” What else could it mean? Isn’t
Synagogue automatically
Jewish? NO- Not in the first
century usage of the word. It just
meant a meeting place.
ACTS
17:10 Luke just tells us what kind
(whose) of a synagogue it was.
10 ¶
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto
Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue4864
of the Jews.
LUKE 21:12
Deliver you up to the SYNAGOGUES (Sunagogai)
Be careful of men’s and not just JEWS synagogues.
SUNAGOGAI does not mean Jewish at all. The ROMANS established Sunagogai
for their own purposes, and it was Roman, or non-Jewish, gatherings or meetings,
that Jesus warning referred to.
REMEMBER: HEBREW
“KAHAL”= GREEK “EKKLESIA” in the messianic writings.
The word is used 100 of times and means meeting or
assembly. It has no religious
connotation, neither Jewish nor Christian.
22 ¶ I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation 6951 will I praise thee.
12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the
midst of the church 1577 will I sing praise
unto thee.
But what about
Strong’s Lexicon?
Ekklesia, #1577=
calling out, a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation, (Jewish
Synagogue or a Christian community of members on earth or Saints in heaven or
both) assembly, church.
116 times,
77=church 36=churches 3=assembly
Heb 2:12 in
the King James Ekklesia is CHURCH
38 This is he, that was in the church 1577 in the wilderness with the angel which spake to
him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to
give unto us:
He (Moses) was in the Ekklesia
in the desert (Kahal=church)
Peter was not speaking Greek, he did not use the word
Ekklesia but Kahal Assembly
Why
was the word translated CHURCH? Stephen
and Moses knew nothing of a “church”.
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church 1577; and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it.
I will build my EKKLESIA (CHURCH)? NO, only 2 possible words used, either KAHAL
or EDAH
GOD’s Kahal or EDAH, is HIS congregation, HIS
assembly is what? ISRAEL, and not
just JUDAH, but- all Israel.
Yeshua (Jesus) came to fulfill God’s promise, not annul it. God had promised to make ISRAEL HIS Community-Kahal-ekklesia of nations. It’s what the promises are all about.
Matthew 18:15-18
15 ¶ Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church 1577: but if he neglect to hear the church1577, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed
in heaven.
Tell it unto the CHURCH—Kahal- Ekklesia… From what we have been
learning, does this make sense? There
was NO church at the time Messiah spoke these words. Not even a concept of A or THE
Church. Yeshua spoke Hebrew.
There was not even a word in the language that meant church.
There was no such thing as a church in the Greek world.
To be treated as a gentile, meant that you had no
standing in Israel, you were treated as an outcast. So the instruction is, if he would not listen- treat him as
an outcast of Israel.
The
new English Bible and the Jerusalem bible use Community not church.
The Disciples knew exactly what God meant
by the Kahal of Israel. That is
exactly what much of the entire BIBLE was pointing to.
There
was no new religious institution being established. The Father had promised that the Gentiles would be restored
to him by including them in the Commonwealth of Israel. The EKKLESIA of Israel
32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly 1577 was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
Ekklesia
does not have a religious meaning, just an assembly.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church 1577; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Call
for the Elders of the Ekklesia = assembly or congregation. There is no
connection, nor implication to any “body” or organization, or denomination,
or sect, or even religion in this verse. The use of “elder” does not even
refer to an “office”, but simply to the “older” responsible persons in
the community. As an aside, when Paul instructed Timothy to “ordain” elders
in the “churches”, it did not mean to “ordain” men to the “rank” or
office of “elder”, but simply to have elder men take on responsibilities of
service to, and in, their own local community, and they were selected by voting
in each respective community. The word “elder” meant to these believers in
Christ precisely what it meant to these same believers in Christ before they
became believers in Christ- older people.
The
word Ekklesia did not take on the meaning of church until centuries later.
William
Tyndale translated the new testament in 1525.
Ekklesia was translated COMMUNITY.
No “church” is in his translation. The “Church” had him burned at
the stake for his good work. Some
say 90% of the King James bible came from the works of Tyndale.
But
what about Ekklesia??????????? There
were rules given to the translators by the King Of England.
Rule #3 “The old ‘Ecclesiastical’ words were to
be kept. The word Church— was not
to be translated Congregation.”
The
Church of England and The King of England-The head of the “church,” needed
the word church in the bible even though it was not there. May we assume the
reason for this is readily apparent?
The
Puritan’s translated the word as congregation
Luther’s
German bible 1535 translated it as community
- Not church.
The
Geneva bible was the first English bible to use the word “Church” in 1560.
SO, WHAT AM I SAYING?
THERE
IS NO CHURCH IN THE BIBLE!
DOES
IT MATTER? Is it possible
that the word CHURCH could distort your view. If you think not then, just for fun,
put the word MOSQUE EVERYWHERE YOU
CURRENTLY READ THE WORD CHURCH. JUST
SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
Let’s see now, IF
there is NO CHURCH, Then there is no Church Age, NO True Church, NO
Church RANK. AND IF THERE IS NO
CHURCH, Then Jesus the Christ (Yeshua) IS NOT BUILDING A BODY CALLED THE CHURCH,
but something else.
HAS THE WHOLE WORLD BEEN DECEIVED????????
Yeshua is building a commonwealth of Israel,
which God YHWH Promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets of old.
The Scriptures
speak of the Body of Messiah, and they speak of the commonwealth of Israel, but
they do not speak of a separate CHURCH.
MATT 19:27-28
What a shame all they did and they won’t even have a position in the
“church,” but are stuck with Israel.
Consider
if you will,
Acts 1:1-7 for 40 days Jesus the Messiah, Yeshua Messiah, spoke to the things
pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
(Act 1:1) The
former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do
and teach,
(Act 1:2) Until
the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given
commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
(Act 1:3) To
whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs,
being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God: why
did Christ tell them about the new
structure he was setting up called ( THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD?) He
had 40 days to do it.
(Act 1:4) And,
being assembled together with [them],
commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the
promise of the Father, which, [saith he],
ye have heard of me.
(Act 1:5) For
John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not
many days hence.
(Act 1:6) When
they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at
this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
(Act 1:7) And
he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the
Father hath put in his own power.
Does this sound like they were looking
for a whole new structure to begin?
Let’s now look at future looking
scripture.
Acts 3:21
(21)
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all
things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the
world began.
This is a study all in
itself (for further reference please see: What in the World Are “All
Things”? at [
www.israelofgod.org
],
but it certainly refers to the Coming Kingdom of God.
What was one of the last
things Paul discussed at the end of the book of Acts?
(30)
And Paul dwelt two whole years
in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
(31)
Preaching the kingdom of God,
and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all
confidence, no man forbidding him.
Is it just about THE CHURCH
or is it all about Israel and our relationship to It
(1)
The LORD said: Israel, I promise that someday all
your tribes will again be my people, and I will be your God.
(2)
In the desert I was kind to those who escaped death. I gave them peace,
and when the time is right, I'll do the same for you. I, the LORD, have spoken.
(3)
Some time ago, the LORD appeared to me and told me to say: Israel, I will
always love you; that's why I've been so patient and kind.
(4)
You are precious to me, and so I will rebuild your nation. Once again you
will dance for joy and play your tambourines.
(5)
You will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria and enjoy the grapes.
(6)
Someday those who guard the hill country of Ephraim will shout,
"Let's go to Zion and worship the LORD our God."
(7)
The LORD says: Celebrate and sing for Israel, the greatest of nations.
Offer praises and shout, "Come and rescue your people, LORD! Save what's
left of Israel."
(8)
I, the LORD, will bring my people back from Babylonia and everywhere else
on earth. The blind and the lame will be there. Expectant mothers and women
about to give birth will come and be part of that great crowd.
(9)
They will weep and pray as I bring them home. I will lead them to streams
of water. They will walk on a level road and not stumble. I am a father to
Israel, my favorite children.
(10)
Listen to me, you nations nearby or across the sea. I scattered the
people of Israel, but I will gather them again. I will protect them like a
shepherd guarding a flock;
(11)
I will rescue them from enemies who could overpower them.
(12)
My people will come to Mount Zion and celebrate; their faces will glow
because of my blessings. I'll give them grain, grapes, and olive oil, as well as
sheep and cattle. Israel will be prosperous and grow like a garden with plenty
of water.
(13)
Young women and young men, together with the elderly, will celebrate and
dance, because I will comfort them and turn their sorrow into happiness.
With whom is the new
covenant made? Is it just to the
CHURCH or is it far greater?
(31)
Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will cut a new covenant with
the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
(32)
not according to the covenant that I cut with their fathers in the day I
took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt (which covenant of
Mine they broke, although I was a husband to them, says Jehovah).
(33)
But this shall
be the covenant that I will cut with the house of Israel: After those
days, declares Jehovah, I will put My Law in their inward parts, and I will
write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
(34)
And they shall no longer each man teach his neighbor, and each man his
brother, saying, Know Jehovah. For they shall all know Me, from the least of
them even to the greatest of them, declares Jehovah. For I will forgive their
iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.
WHERE IS YHWH GOING WITH ALL THIS??????
ANSWER…….
Ezekiel
37:15-28
(15)
The
word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
(16) Moreover,
thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the
children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it,
For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and [for]
all the house of Israel his companions:
(17) And
join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine
hand.
(18) And
when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not
shew us what thou [meanest] by these?
(19) Say
unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph,
which [is] in the hand of Ephraim, and
the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, [even]
with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine
hand.
(20) And
the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
(21) And
say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of
Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on
every side, and bring them into their own land:
(22) And
I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one
king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither
shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
(23) Neither
shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their
detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them
out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse
them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
(24) And
David my servant [shall be] king over
them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my
judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
(25) And
they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein
your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, [even]
they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant
David [shall be] their prince for ever.
(26) Moreover
I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant
with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary
in the midst of them for evermore.
(27) My
tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be
my people.
(28) And
the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary
shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
YHWH LOVES HIS PEOPLE, AND IF WE ARE TO BE HIS
PEOPLE, WE HAD BETTER BE PART OF ISRAEL, not part of a church that doesn’t
exist.
Addendum:
While many there be who arrive at the above understanding
through whatever route their journey has taken, many others will read this
article, or even the book, which is very explicit, and come away thinking
nothing is different. This, in large part, or totally, has to do with the
natural “filter” through which new information is always and without
exception, viewed- The Copernicus Syndrome!* Thus, the mind will only allow an
individual who has been up until now operating in the traditional “church”
mindset, at least on the first glance or reading, to automatically categorize
the various points, especially those concerning the use of ekklesia and
its relationship to the Hebrew words and their usage- as well as the
demonstrated connection of the Hebrew and Greek through the Septuagint, would
immediately put forth the argument that the word Church, congregation, assembly,
are all one and the same. Therefore, we can indeed be the “True Church”,
whomever we are (Church of Christ, Church of God, Baptist’s, etc.), and the ekklesia
of Israel can be physical Israel, and the four books of what we call the
“gospel” uses and appearances of ekklesia can still be the true, uh,
oh, hmmm, ah, well, actually they cannot be “the church”, can they?!
(rhetorical, not interrogative)
Hmmm, that’s right, the “I will build my
‘church’” can’t refer to the “church” that did not even exist
yet. Likewise, the “if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the
church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen
man and a publican”, also cannot possibly be a reference or instruction to
a non-existent “church”. But surely the 7 “churches” of Revelation 2
& 3 are to the true “church”? Well, they are to the ekklesia,
true enough, but there is no biblical, nor logical reason that creates an ekklesia
any different than the one in Matthew, which already existed long before
Pentecost 30, 31, 33, or whenever AD. If you think so, please write to me and
elaborate on your reasoning and point. I would appreciate seeing and reading
your information. Then, we can compare your truth to my error and see what
happens.
If we note the logic incorporated to dismiss the above
article as inconsequential to “our” church, although we freely allow it to
apply to everyone else’s “church”, we have completely missed the entire
point. If there is no “church” in the way we have been taught and have
thought, then to say that the assembly is the “church” (or especially “our
church”, which would naturally be the “true” church) vacates the very
evidence presented solely on the basis of our presupposed preconceived notion
and premise, and not on counter evidence, nor fact, which then fails to address
the supposed shortcoming of the article. If
you think we have lost it, please write and explain why, how, or where. We would
greatly appreciate such a letter. Perhaps we have missed something that would
alter the outcome of this article. We are only human and as our brother or
sister we beseech you to intervene on our behalf in this matter. There is much
to learn and we freely admit we have no “corner” on the “understanding”
market. We have simply put forth that what we were taught was not based on fact
or direct understanding of the biblical context and the culture of the day, but
rather on the presupposed theology of those who came before and the influence of
the Greek culture, Gnostic “theology”, and Roman rule on them, not to
mention their own lust for retention of their power and authority.
While we may certainly still be in error, there is no question remaining that what we once thought can no longer be sustained with veracity. The evidence is overwhelming and conclusive at this point. This article only lights on one single point. May we humbly suggest you enter your own examination of what the ekklesia is and share your finding with us. Thus, if we are still in error, at least it is no longer the previous error, but a new one, and it is our hope that we will eventually find our way, or be led by the spirit, to the complete understanding of just what this “ekklesia” really is. Either way, we hope we are in it, and that you are, too.
Richard Fix
October 2005
*Copernicus Syndrome reflects a circumstance where all the
world “knew” without any question- because it was so obvious to anyone and
everyone, that the universe revolved around the earth. In other words, the
“earth” was at the center (we can relate this readily to humanity and
vanity) and the sun, moon, and stars revolved around us. However, there were
numerous difficulties with what people saw in the skies that created
overwhelming difficulties with the “known” truth that the earth was at the
center. Many realized that what they saw made the supposition of the earth being
the center impossible, but no one could, or would, take a stand against the
“obvious” truth of the day. The Roman Church perpetuated the myth by
declaring it so, thus to even think the earth was not the center was heresy.
Yet, the earth is not the center of the solar
system, nor the universe. We have no idea where the center of the universe is,
and we factually are now aware that the Sun is at the “center” of the solar
system. We factually know that the stars do not revolve around the planet earth.
It was not until Copernicus, that the truth that was error began to be undone.
Similarly, because we all know that the “church” is what it is, it surely cannot be something different than what we have been taught, or something different than what the “establishment” of today (which includes “our” ‘true’ church’s teaching) teaches it is? (This is neither rhetorical nor interrogative, but thought provoking sarcasm) The point being- that anything read, seen, or heard is viewed from a perspective that it must fit into our present understanding- that we are at the center of the universe and everything revolves around us. Thus, our filter will alter what we hear or read by how we already “know” it must be. Unfortunately, that approach seldom works, but it is also seldom realized, and as a result, many continue blithely with their beliefs, certain that they are right and that they are “in” the true church, and that those others and other churches are less fortunate, after all, we must be right, simply look up to the sky and we can see it so plainly- the sun revolves around us!