The word Church appears many times in the Scripture, does it always mean the same thing?
The dictionary defines Church as “a building used for public Christian worship.”
A biblical definition is “A group of Christians; church is a biblical word for “assembly.”
A called out Assembly. The word church appears 76 times in the New Testament.
In Matthew 16:18, 18:17 it would have been better translated assembly, since it was addressing Jews.
In Acts (appears 18 times) again the word assembly would have been a better translation since the people assembled or meeting were Jews who had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah and gotten baptized to confirm their belief.
In Romans through Philemon, Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, is writing to the CHURCHES (mostly Gentile believers) which he had established during his journeys.
Hebrews, written by Paul to Jewish believers again probably should have been translated assembly.
James, Peter, and John were Jews writing to Jewish believers and again should have been translated assemblies.
Revelation 2-3, letters to the 7 churches would have been better translated assemblies since they were 7 Jewish assemblies that existed in that day:
Revelation 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
What is the Church? Yes, it is a building where people gather and meet to worship. But the true church is made up of all who have been saved (Romans 10:9-13) also called the Body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
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