cHURCH hISTORY
The real meaning of the word church: The Greek word Εκκλησία (Ekklesia) is translated as Church. It means people brought together for a specific purpose. The word ek in it means outside and the word Klesia means the called people. So Ekklesia means people gathered together for a specific purpose. It is translated as Church in English. A gathering of people can be called a church. A church is not a place where people gather. In Christian circles it is customary to call the place where the congregation gathers as a church. But this is wrong. The meeting place should be called the meeting place of the Church. It is the gathered people that make up the Ekklesia, the congregation, and the church.
History of the origin of the church: On the fiftieth day after the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit descended upon the twelve apostles gathered in an upper house at Jerusalem.
Speaking on their behalf, Peter said in his speech that God made Jesus, whom the Jews crucified and killed, Lord and Christ. When the Jews heard this, they were pierced to the heart and asked Peter: What shall we do? And Peter said: Repent every one of you and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. About three thousand people were baptized that day. Thus established on earth the church is going straight and steady on its journey to heaven. But since the early days of the church, there have been groups that have left the church. A diagram of this is given below:
The bold and horizontal arrow in the picture above indicates that THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST (THE CHURCH OF CHRIST) began its journey to heaven based on Christ’s teaching. The upward vertical arrows indicate that all who have fallen away from Christ’s teaching, even from the beginning to this day, must be brought back into the Church of Christ.
Any group in the world that calls itself Christian has been started at some point after the establishment of the Church. Go to the pastor of the congregation where you gather to worship God, and first learn the history of your congregation. Generally, church denominations in the world have a leader, headquarters, and man-made constitutions for that denomination. If so, know that it is not the church that God established. Because God made Christ the head of the church. God’s will is that we all should grow and increase in the head of the church Jesus Christ. We read in the Bible that the early Christians were steadfast in the preaching of the apostles, in fellowship, in breaking bread, and in prayer. Following this same practice, the true Church continues to grow spiritually today.
It is God’s will that the deviated Roman Catholics, the Greek Orthodox, the Protestant churches, the various sects that have branched off from them, the Pentecostals that have recently sprung up, and all the others might be brought back in Christ’s true kingdom His Church. Let us do our part of work in fulfilling this will of God. Let us pray that all people will be united in Christ’s true Kingdom, the Church. God bless us all. Amen.