WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED "C H U R C H"?

Someone on an Internet Bible discussion list ask me this question;  They challenged me to try to do the most difficult thing in this world, that is communicate with one another!!!  You are probably more right than I would like to admit, when saying you don't have the foggiest notion of what Ole' Horace believes concerning this word and its usage, "CHURCH"! I've said recently, "Let me make this perfectly clear".... Well, that didn't get the job done, so I'll take one more stab at it, ok?

It will be necessary for you to try NOT viewing the "ecclesia of God" as anything other than:  Saved People, Called-Out-Ones, Gods' Family, Christians, etc.... And please don't allow any definition, whether 20th century or not, into defining who and what God's people are! I will be the first to admit that is the most difficult thing to do, but if your primary interest is in trying to understand what God through His spirit said to those in that first century, we will do well to use proper definitions and reliable word studies, that depict accurately what the sacred text contains!

Now, I've quit using some words in my vocabulary, that is, when I find better words to use, to try and describe concepts and ideas from the holy scriptures.  Like, "baptism", this transliterated word is not a word that I still use in trying to tell folks that speak English just what inspiration meant when the original Greek word was "Baptizo" or a form thereof was used. People today ask me what is this word "baptism" as found in most English translations, I say that if those translators had been consistent in translating this word, as well as a few others like it, you would never have ask that question. "Baptizo" should have been translated, "immersion"!  Now, since most religious folks give out many and varied definitions to this 16th century created 'English' word, "baptism", I, when asked, "What does baptism mean?", I then ask them; Can it be determined from the context where it is used? If they say I'm not sure, then we turn to many other passages where the same original Greek word is used. I then ask, now how about these passages? Nearly always they say, "Immersion, is what it means".

"Church", is no different in how this one word confuses the religious world today. If one word, like, assembly, or group, or gathering or an equivalent term was used every time the original Greek word "ecclesia" was used, many of our problems would vanish. Nearly everyone has their own definition to that multi-meaning word, "church"!

You probably struck near the heart of the matter, with your final and closing comment, when you said, "Horace may not accept the term, "church", as a viable concept". Since nearly all of the religious world uses this word "church" to mean many, many things, ideas, and concepts foreign to the Word of God, then for fear of misleading some folks to think I believe in all of that Institutional Church type of Organizations with all the Employee/Employer relationships, I only use the term, "church", in quote marks, as I've just done, to tell all that I understand how they are using it, but that I don't accept their concept!!!!

Let me summarize by saying, there are a lot of other words that the "Church-world" uses, that I don't use any longer, some I never did use. I'll give you some examples that don't have a biblical definition to how these 20th century words are being used. It's not that the Word of God has changed, but the "Church" has different usage's and meanings than was used back then.... Examples; Church, baptism, deacon, bishop, officer, presbyter, ordination, Pastor, rapture, missionary, any and all of the "church-terminology", such as, sanctuary, altar, mourners bench, pews, vestry, parson and parsonages, baptistery, clergy/laity, purgatory, tongue speaking/today, miracles/today, demons/today, Lent, Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, N.& O. Testaments, Diocese, Synod, premillennalism, Protestant, ecclesiastical, ghost, Mass, sacrament, Vestment, unction, all liturgical pomp and form, and a host of other words too numerous to mention!... I know that these words exist, and I know what they mean, but I do not accept them as a valid concept!

You can't say I didn't try, even though you may not understand. I also believe your not understanding my view is not totally my fault either, because I've counted over forty articles that I've written, basically on this same subject; God's People, Christians, The "Church", Organized Religion, "Churchanity", and many, many others.

I do hope this helps some and does no harm.

Yours for Truth and Freedom......Horace Hooper