Chai: We see, therefore, that, not all "ekklesia" is, or should be translated as "a church." Both KJV and ASV translators have made a subtle theological error when they translated Acts 7:38 as the "church" in the wilderness. A correct literal translation should be: the "assembly, gathering, or congregation" in the wilderness.
To render this passage as the "church" in the wilderness is to make an interpretation, not a literal translation. And this "interpretation" is not doctrinally or theologically correct. As noted, both the New King James and New American Standard versions have made the correction by using the word: "congregation" instead of "church" in the wilderness.
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Ken: They have made the same mistake in the New Testament. There is no such word "church" in the entire Bible if you want to get technical. The word "church" derives from CIRCE OR KIRKE. Circe was burried in view of John on Patmos. In legend she is the holy whore who seduces with music and drugs or magican chants along with a product of our May Apple. But, not to get too excited about WRONG TRANSLATIONS, here are a few:
Latin Vulgate 7:38 hic est qui fuit in ECCLESIA in solitudine cum angelo qui loquebatur ei in monte Sina et cum patribus nostris qui accepit verba vitae dare nobis
American Standard Version 7:38 This is he that was in the CHURCH in the wilderness with the angel that spake to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received living oracles to give unto us:
Bible in Basic English 7:38 This is the man who was in the CHURCH in the waste land with the angel who was talking to him in Sinai, and with our fathers; and to him were given the living words of God, so that he might give them to you.
Douay Rheims 7:38 This is he that was in the CHURCH in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on mount Sina, and with our fathers; who received the words of life to give unto us.
Noah Webster Bible 7:38 This is he, that was in the CHURCH in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the living oracles to give to us:
BOTH ekklesia and synagogue are GREEK words. If you read the Septuagint version you wil find assembly often translated as ekklesis. Ekklesia means Synagogue.
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon
EKKLESIA
..I. an assembly of the citizens regularly summoned, the legislative assembly, Thuc., etc.:--at Athens, the ORDINARY Assemblies were called kuriai, the extraordinary being SUNKLETOI; ekkl. SUNAGEIREIN, SUNAGEIN, SULLEGIN...to call an assembly, Hdt., etc.; ekkl. poiein "to make a house, "
....II. in NTest. the Church, either the BODY, or the PLACE.
Scholars are wrong to find church in KURIOS. It is not the ekklesia. Satan led us to call church after CIRCE. And God? Why, we call Him Gad the eternal enemy of God's people and THE GOD OF FORTUNE.
The ASSEMBLY or the PLACE of assembly could be called the EKKLESIA or SYNAGOGUE (Same meaning). However, those who ASSEMBLE are called a form of the word SYNAGOGUE. That is why preachers cannot find the church meeting authority.
A writer puts it exactly how every writing scholar defines the church or ekklesia or synagogue: it is neither a PAGAN or LEGAL worship center but "A school of the Bible." You don't preach in the synagogue, you read. Paul told Timothy to "give attendance to the (public) reading of the Word. You neither PLAY nor SING in the pagan harmonic style: you SPEAK or PREACH to one another leaving the "melody" in the heart because EXTERNAL MELODY honors Apollo or Abbadon or Apollyon the "father of musical harmony, twanging bowstrings to send 'singing' arrows to 'psallo' your literal heart to death." He is also the father of thieves and liars.
"Temple! The original purpose of the synagogue was primarily for Scripture-reading and exposition of the passages read (Lk.4:16-22; Mt.13:54; Mk.1:21-22; Jn.6:59).
"There was also prayer (Mt.6:5) and, although there is no specific mention in the literature of singing in the synagogue, it is considered most likely "that those parts of the Liturgy which were connected with Temple worship, like the recitation of psalms...were sung"
"So long as one's idea of worship is rooted in the Temple concept, one will crave "celebrations" and big displays. The charismatic style of worship naturally arises out of this false concept of the O.T. Temple.
"However, the chief element in synagogue worship -- its central factor -- was not ceremonial or display but something which was of vital importance to the shaping of the subsequent life of the local churches upon which the synagogue was so influential.
"That element was the reading and exposition of Scripture. Worship in the Early Church involved "Word-of-God" services."
Stephen called it the ekklesia in the wilderness. Moses called it the Qahal:
Gather (h6950) the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates,
..that they may hear, and that they may learn,
..and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: Deut 31:12
Gather (h6950) the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates,
..that they may hear, and that they may learn,
..and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: Deut 31:12
This is the synagoguing which also outlaws instruments and loud rejoicing:
..Gahal (h6950) kaw-hal'; a prim. root; to convoke: - assemble (selves) (together), gather (selves) together).
..Qahal (h6951) kaw-hawl'; from 6950; assemblage (usually concr.): - assembly, company, congregation, multitude.
Paul's only "worship" words are related to giving heed to the Words of Christ or to Timothy to define worship:
Till I come, give attendance to (the public) reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 1Ti.4:13
There was a DIRECT COMMAND regulating these assemblies:
But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm. Num 10:7
The alarm was to be blown for camp or military movements and God ordained the TWO silver trumpets. Alarm is:
Ruwa (h7321) roo-ah'; a prim. root; to mar (espec. by breaking); fig. to split the ears (with sound), i. e. shout for alarm or joy: - blow an alarm, cry (alarm, aloud, out), destroy, make a joyful noise, smart, shout (for joy), sound an alarm, triumph.
The JUDAS BAG was for carrying the mouthpieces of wind instruments in the perverted Dionysiac. Therefore, Psalm prophesied that Judas would not TRIUMPH OVER Jesus in the sense of "playing instruments and making a joyful noise before the Lord."
By this I know that Thou art pleased with me, Because my enemy DOES NOT shout in triumph over me. Ps.41:11
This web site is not part of or approved by any Church!
...........................THE BOOK
What Happened At the Madison Church of Christ?
There are thousands of churches being taken over across America.
This book is only about one of those churches. It's about the Madison
Church Of Christ. By studying the methods used here along with the resource
references you might be able to inoculate your church. At the very least
you will recognize the signs early on.
Many of the current members of the Madison Church of Christ still don't
know what happened.
Some never will know! This book is for them as well.
Madison Church of Christ was a 60 year old church. At one time it was
one of the largest churches in the US, and the largest Church of Christ.
It thrived for many years on the vision of it's elders and those of
it's ministers. Those visions undoubtably came from the the inspired word
of Jesus Christ.
At sometime in the last 10 years there was a deliberate plan by a majority
of the elders to take the Madison Church of Christ into a more worldly
realm.
They used secrecy, covert planning, and outside sources to scheme and
to change the format and direction of the Madison Church of Christ.
The Elders knew that the membership would never approve such a plan.
Using the tools of the "Community Church Movement"(consultants, books,
seminars, meetings,planters,seeders) they slowly started initiating change
so it was never noticed by the members until it was too late.....
At the heart of the plan was the fact that old members were going to
be driven off so new techniques could be used to go out and reach the unchurched
through new "Contemporary Holy Entertainment" methods developed by the
"Community Church Movement"
Old members had to be kept on board long enough to get their plans ready,
or the funds would not be there to pay for the new building. So by the
plans very nature, it had to be secret.
The church had no plan in effect to renew or approve elders. There was
never any need. The elders had always been "as approved by God". 10 of the last
15 elders would begin to shed some doubt on that.
The Elders did not even need a majority at first, because some of the
elders went along unwittingly.
This edition starts shortly after some of the members begin to smell
something strange in January 2001. Later editions may go back and fill
in some of the timeline.
To even start to understand whats happening here, you must read the
background materials in the first of the book.
This is only the first edition, and not the end. New editions will be
printed as needed. To keep abreast of current changes, please visit our
web site; http://www.concernedmembers.com/madison
Here is the list of players;
5 Godly Elders
10 Not so Godly Elders
120 "Deacons" (allegiance unknown)
2,800 - 4,000 church "members"
2 "teners" (people who have publicly confessed to have broken all ten
commandments)
Unknown number of "sinners" (This is what the 10 elders call us.)
Unknown number of "demons" (Flying everywhere, to many to count)