What Is The Church?

Most people are surprised to learn the word church is not in the original Greek manuscripts which were collected and compiled into what we now call the Bible.

When the Greek manuscripts were translated into English, the original word in the manuscripts translated into “church” was ekklésia.

Ekklésia was a common Greek word meaning a gathering or an assembly of people.

In the Roman culture, ekklésia was used to refer to any gathering or assembly of people for whatever purposes.

In the Bible, ekklésia meant the gathering/assembly of people in someone’s house who accepted Jesus as the Christ (Romans 16:5).

Ekklésia also meant a gathering/assembly of people on city streets who rioted against those who believed Jesus is the Christ (Acts 19:23-41).

When the word ekklésia is used in the original Greek manuscripts of the Bible, one of the main purposes is to describe how God has assembled people from all nations to be in his spiritual family of grace (Ephesians 2-3).

Those who believe in Jesus for salvation become a part of God’s spiritual assembly of his family of grace.

There are times when some who form God’s spiritual family of grace gather/assemble physically together for the purpose of building relationships, singing, hearing someone teach from the Bible, etc…

This is often called church.

However, this gathering/assembling of people is never called church in the Bible.

Nowhere in the Bible is the word church mentioned.

Whenever we read the word church in the Bible, it is a mistranslation of the Greek manuscripts.

Remember, the original word translated as church is the word ekklésia.

Ekklésia simply means a gathering or assembly of people.

Why does it matter that we know the word church is not in the Bible?

Some “churches” claim to be a church that is a part of the original church of the first century.

They believe that salvation and/or communion with God (experiencing God’s presence) is through participation in their church.

They proclaim that those who are not a part of their church cannot experience God’s presence.

Some even claim people can’t experience salvation apart from their church.

The problem is there is no such thing as the original church.

There is no original church.

No church can claim to be the original church because there is no original church.

However, there is a spiritual gathering/assembling of all believers in Jesus from all over the world who form God’s family of grace.

Anyone can be a part of this family of grace through faith in Jesus.

When people place their faith in Jesus for salvation, God places them into his family.

Is there anything wrong with modern-day churches calling themselves a church?

No.

However, there is something very wrong with a modern-day church claiming to be a part of the original church and telling people that closeness with God and/or salvation is through participating in their church.