What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “church”? Maybe, you will think about the buildings with a cross on top of it. Or maybe you think of the humongous church buildings in Europe where architecture is at its highest height. Do you know that ‘church’ as used in the Bible is never used to refer to a building? Join us now as we look at the Bible and see how the word ‘church’ is really used in the Bible.
Is this the church?
Greek word of church reveals the truth
The Greek word of church is ekklesia – which basically mean “a calling out” (Strong Dictionary). It was never used to refer to a building as what most people might think. The term church was mentioned in the Bible around 80 times and all of them are used to refer to people rather than a building or any construction.
Romans 16:5 is another proof
Another proof can be found in Romans 16:5. It says;
“Likewise greet the church that is in their house.”
We see in this verse that the church can be located within a house. This means that the people within the house. It will be hard to imagine if the church is a building within a house. That would not make any sense.
You can have the largest and most beautiful building, but without the people, it boils to nothing and serves as a mere structure made with the hands of men.
Conclusion
So we see in the Bible that a church is never a building – a cold, non-living structure. Church refers to breathing, warm, and conscious people who are striving to live according to God’s will and commandments – the same church that Jesus himself founded on the Day of Pentecost. This church has survived throughout the century until Jesus second coming.
Additional reading:
The Church Is Not The Building
The Commission Jesus Christ Gave Us
Matthew 15:21-28: A Reflection on the Canaanite Faith
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