Dr. Barlay with Something to Think About - THE CHURCH

THE CHURCH*

It is not unusual to hear people say that they are going to church on Sunday; or asking if someone had been to church lately. In essence, both of these statements are incorrect because the church is not a building to which one goes but rather we, being the church itself, are really the church going to a building in which to gather. So the church, being the congregation, in actuality, refers to the people of the congregation and has nothing to do with the physical building where the congregation meets.

Therefore, in reality, the church extends back to the time of the Old Testament and is not something that initially came from Christ. This gathering was originally known as the ekklesia which means “the gathering.” So when in the Bible a congregation is mentioned it is often a translation of ekklesia. For example:

…as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation [ekklesia] of the children of Israel… 

(Exodus 16:10)

Now, the word ekklesia is itself a translation of the Hebrew word “kehilah.” Kehilah refers to the congregation of Israel travelling through wilderness on its journey to the Promised Land. Thus, the church, or the ekklesia, may be considered the spiritual journey through the wilderness to the Promised land.

And as it has been stated, the Jewish people are known as the chosen of God.

For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, 

and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself… 

(Deuteronomy 14:2)

So, if the Israelites are a chosen people who are called the kehilah because of their journey through the wilderness, and since ekkelsia comes from kehilah which refers to a congregation and hence the church; then the church is in essence the new Israel - trekking through the wilderness of this world on the way to the Promised Land.

It’s just interesting to realize the church of God is the new Israel and again God’s chosen people.

Just a little something to think about.

*Adapted from The Book Mysteries by Jonathan Chan p.g. 182