What is the Church?

[Micheal Westin]

This question came up in another thread... Let's discuss it here.

 

What is the Church? Who is part of the Church?

God bless,

GE

according to Revelations the church is a group of people in a certian area, or city, some will overcome and some will not

[JohnD]

The Church, ekklesia, assembly is the gathering of believers in God who have faith according to the amount of divine (progressive) revelation in their day... throughout history.

 

Adam and Eve were the church until the fall.

 

Noah and his family were the Church from the time of the flood.

 

Abraham Isaac and Jacob...

 

The Jewish people who clung to the Law (the remnant).

 

All believers in Jesus Christ are the Church since "it is finished."

 

People not buildings not denominations are the Church.

[Qnts2]

The Church, ekklesia, assembly is the gathering of believers in God who have faith according to the amount of divine (progressive) revelation in their day... throughout history.

 

Adam and Eve were the church until the fall.

 

Noah and his family were the Church from the time of the flood.

 

Abraham Isaac and Jacob...

 

The Jewish people who clung to the Law (the remnant).

 

All believers in Jesus Christ are the Church since "it is finished."

 

People not buildings not denominations are the Church.

 

Curiosity.

 

Are you saying that the Jewish people who kept the law are saved? And a part of the same gathering of believers as those who believe in Jesus?

[FreeinChrist]

This question came up in another thread... Let's discuss it here.

 

What is the Church? Who is part of the Church?

God bless,

GE

 

Great topic GoldenEagle, and I thought I knew, but not so sure now

The word Jesus used for "church" in the Greek was ecclesia, which simply means "gathering of people" or "assembly", more specifically one that was called out. It was a normal Greek word.

 

So one could say the "Church" is Jesus' assemly or congregation - His people n- we who are called out from the World unto Him.

 

 

 

What then, is the correct term for the building that so many people wrongly refer to as a church?

 

A Christian Meeting House.

 

 

Nebula, really agree with both of your statements but than thought of Paul's letters (for example Unto the church of God which is at Corinth... I Corinthians 1:2).  So now i'm a bit confused.

[Diatheosis]

The church is what happens between the sermons.

[nebula]

 

This question came up in another thread... Let's discuss it here.

 

What is the Church? Who is part of the Church?

God bless,

GE

 

Great topic GoldenEagle, and I thought I knew, but not so sure now

The word Jesus used for "church" in the Greek was ecclesia, which simply means "gathering of people" or "assembly", more specifically one that was called out. It was a normal Greek word.

 

So one could say the "Church" is Jesus' assemly or congregation - His people n- we who are called out from the World unto Him.

 

 

 

What then, is the correct term for the building that so many people wrongly refer to as a church?

 

A Christian Meeting House.

 

 

Nebula, really agree with both of your statements but than thought of Paul's letters (for example Unto the church of God which is at Corinth... I Corinthians 1:2).  So now i'm a bit confused.

 

 

OK, there is a difference between the building and the congregation, or the assembly of believers.

 

Paul was addressing the assembly of believers in Corinth, not the meeting place.

 

Make sense?

[FreeinChrist]

 

 

This question came up in another thread... Let's discuss it here.

 

What is the Church? Who is part of the Church?

God bless,

GE

 

Great topic GoldenEagle, and I thought I knew, but not so sure now

The word Jesus used for "church" in the Greek was ecclesia, which simply means "gathering of people" or "assembly", more specifically one that was called out. It was a normal Greek word.

 

So one could say the "Church" is Jesus' assemly or congregation - His people n- we who are called out from the World unto Him.

 

 

 

What then, is the correct term for the building that so many people wrongly refer to as a church?

 

A Christian Meeting House.

 

 

Nebula, really agree with both of your statements but than thought of Paul's letters (for example Unto the church of God which is at Corinth... I Corinthians 1:2).  So now i'm a bit confused.

 

 

OK, there is a difference between the building and the congregation, or the assembly of believers.

 

Paul was addressing the assembly of believers in Corinth, not the meeting place.

 

Make sense?

 

 Makes a lot more sense than anything I could come up with; thank you Nebula.

[Willa]

The church is the bride of Christ, betrothed to her till He comes back for her and He takes her to His Fathers house where there are many mansions or dwellings for her. Eph. 5:25-28,32

The church is composed of all born again believers who have received Christ into their lives, confessing that Jesus is Lord, having believed in their hearts that He is risen from the dead. They have been sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption. Eph 4:30 2 Cor. 1:22

Rom.8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indead the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

The church is the body of Christ Eph 1:22b-23 --and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all. --- but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--from whom the whole body joined and knit together by which every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Eph. 4:15-16 NKJV.

So we belong to Christ and are a part of each other since Christ dwells in each of us.

[Joceline]

Hi. I'm new here and this is my very first reply

 

I picked an easy topic for my first post, LOL. The answer to the lead post's question, what is the church is THE REDEEMED. It is the body of believers, the saved. Because in English we use the word "church" as a verb, i.e. going to church today, not everybody sitting in "church" are "THE CHURCH." In fact, it is more likely than not that there are non redeemed sitting in churches across the country alongside the redeemed.

[JohnD]

 

The Church, ekklesia, assembly is the gathering of believers in God who have faith according to the amount of divine (progressive) revelation in their day... throughout history.

 

Adam and Eve were the church until the fall.

 

Noah and his family were the Church from the time of the flood.

 

Abraham Isaac and Jacob...

 

The Jewish people who clung to the Law (the remnant).

 

All believers in Jesus Christ are the Church since "it is finished."

 

People not buildings not denominations are the Church.

 

Curiosity.

 

Are you saying that the Jewish people who kept the law are saved? And a part of the same gathering of believers as those who believe in Jesus?

 

 

 

Only one Jew kept the Law (Jesus).

 

The Church (ekklesia / assembly) goes all the way back to Adam through the various covenants with God, and among those we will see in heaven are those who were faithful to God according to the amount of revelation they had at the time they lived. Hence Abraham in Luke 16:19-31 which was among the captive Jesus took captive to heaven (Ephesians 4:8-10) and who are with him in disembodied spirits in heaven though he (Jesus) is already in his resurrection body (1 John 3:2 note the present tense "is") the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18) awaiting the cry from the Jews who survive to the point of Armageddon that they cry out to Jesus Hosha Nah save now Lord Jesus!

 

Does that answer your curiosity from just about all angles?