Thread: repost: The origins of the English word 'church'
Admin
repost: The origins of the English word 'church'
Posted : 22 Apr, 2018 05:09 AM
Hello everyone;
I have written many times that the English word 'church' cannot be found within the Word of GOD Almighty. Many people believe that when they read the scriptures and see the word 'church', they believe that is the word to be used for those calling themselves 'Christians.
I do not have the time, nor the discipline to attempt such a study. I have copied and pasted the words and works of men concerning this wrongly used word, that has been used by the enemy of GOD Almighty to keep the sheeple ignorant of the truths within the Word of GOD Almighty.
I have tried to copy and paste the entire article, but the site will not allow me to do so, instead I have posted the web site addresses.
Please be Bereans, do not allow yourselves to be manipulated by the fancy words, buildings, or bands used to keep the masses entertained and ignorant of Biblical truth.
HubPages�Religion and Philosophy
The Origins of the Word 'Church'
Updated on June 12, 2017
PlanksandNails more
PlanksandNails' goal is to be a catalyst in encouraging the followers of Christ to pursue Biblical truth for themselves.
Contact Author
'Church'
Billions of people around the world go in through the doors of the man-driven institution called 'church.' Since the term 'church' is found within their Bibles, it is accepted as a supposedly divinely inspired word given to man from God. Buildings are erected on every other street corner to represent the word. When people ask each other what church they go to, they can give a particular address and point to a sign where they herd in through her doors to worship God.
These people that go to church call themselves Christians who partake in a conjured service based on a spiritual man-driven agenda conforming to their many denominational templates. They look to salaried officiates to make something happen for them in their spiritual lives within the four walls they call 'church.'
Denominations
What many don�t realize is that in Scripture the body of Christ was not given a name, but identified in a metaphorical sense. It was never about erecting buildings with big signs on the front designating and segregating themselves into their many different denominations.
In contrast, the early ekklesia in the New Testament did not grow into thousands of different sects and denominations where each had their own separate visions and doctrines.
A deeper study into the word 'church' will reveal a counterfeit word that has been replaced by corrupted men to promote a religious man-made agenda instead of one that is to solely led by the Holy Spirit. Many will contend that 'church' is just a word, but when one looks closer at its origins, it reveals an entity that is completely foreign to the meaning of ekklesia.
There is quite a distinction between the two terms. It is vital, imperative and important to know this because it is the difference between seeking first the Kingdom of God or the religious kingdoms of men. It is the difference between walking on the narrow path that leads to life, or the wide road that leads to destruction.
The man-made term 'church' is about structures built with man�s hands with names they have given to themselves. Scripture does not attest to the body of Christ being associated with man-made temples, but the early ekklesiae were identified by the different localities (cities) they resided in. The ekklesia in a particular city were in unity being spiritually built by Christ. They were not separated in four-walled denominational structures run by hirelings called clergy.
The word 'church' is a tradition of man and the institutional church system has been built upon it. This term cannot be reconciled with 'ekklesia' because its origins come from a very different source. Although many attempt to do it, it just creates confusion and double-mindedness as many try define �church� out of both sides of their mouth.
How is ekklesia distinct from church?
The purpose of this article will take a deeper look into the origins of the term 'church.' By following the history of the word, it will make it glaringly obvious that it is a counterfeit.
A Tradition of Man
The body of Christ is not a congregation established under the authority of ecclesiastical men, nor is it a hierarchical governing system either.
The problem with the word 'church' is that it creates a misconception of what the body of Christ truly is. When the corrupt modern understanding is discarded and replaced with the intended divine meaning, the physical and spiritual manifestation are very different.
Unfortunately, many have not taken a deeper look for themselves and many don�t even want to know because it would require a complete re-evaluation of their belief system.
Those who attend buildings called 'church' have conformed to the traditions of man and are clueless to what the word actually means and where its origins are from. �Church� has been deemed the supposed English replacement for 'ekklesia,' but their meanings are completely different.
A Replacement
In Scripture, Christ and the apostles did not use the word 'church.' The fact is that King James ordered the counterfeit word to replace the genuine. He instructed his translators not translate it, but to completely replace it.
Unfortunately, many believe that �church� is a translation of �ekklesia,� but this is a great error and deception. The word 'church' neither originates form the Greek, or Hebrew. The word was already in existence when it was put into the English bible translations, but used as a pagan word.
Ekklesia means, the 'called out ones' who are a congregation, group or assembly. It has absolutely nothing to do with religious man-made denominational buildings, but followers of Christ who have been spiritually joined together by him. What you may find interesting is that word 'ekklesia' is actually in the English dictionary along with 'church.' It is very telling when comparing their definitions. Here are the two definitions to contrast from dictionary.com.
Church - Noun
- a BUILDING for public Christian worship.
- public worship of God or a religious service in such A BUILDING: to attend church regularly.
- (sometimes initial capital letter) the whole body of Christian believers; Christendom.
- (sometimes initial capital letter) any division of this body professing the same creed and acknowledging the same ECCLESIASTICAL AUTHORITY; a CHRISTIAN DENOMINATION the Methodist Church.
- that part of the whole Christian body, or of PARTICULAR DENOMINATION, belonging to the same city, country, nation, etc.
- a body of Christians worshipping in A PARTICULAR BUILDING or constituting one congregation: She is a member of this church.
- ECCLESIASTICAL ORGANIZATION, POWER, and affairs, as distinguished from the state: separation of church and state; the missionary went wherever the church sent him.
� Dictionary.com
Ecclesia - Noun
AN ASSEMBLY, especially the popular assembly of ancient Athens.
A CONGREGATION; church.
� Dictionary.com
It�s quite easy to establish a striking dissimilarity between the two terms based on an English dictionary's definition.
Why wouldn�t later prints of the Bible correct this error and use the actual word that is meant to be in there?
Modern Bible scholars have a deceptive way of getting around this by using the Greek definition for 'church' (kyriakon), meaning 'the lord�s house.' Left simply to this explanation, many look no further and nod their heads to their trusted institutional church Bible scholars.
If we keep digging deeper and press further, other problems arise. Put simply, 'kyriakon' is not used in the Bible, but 'ekklesia' is. Many just assume the derivation, or the Geek etymology of 'kyriakon' and 'kurious oikos,' meaning 'house of God' is the status quo. After all, that is what the salaried clergy tell them as they sit passively in the church pews in what they call, 'the house of God.'
Stonehenge
Avebury
Circles
Digging a bit deeper reveals that the word 'kyriakon' existed in all Celtic dialects as 'cirice' (kee-ree-ke) long before the word was introduced into the Greek. 'Kiriakos' was used in Old English form as 'cirice' then 'kerke' (churche) and then evolved to what we know today as 'church.'
'Cirice' means circles. These were the many places of pagan worship of the Celtic and German nations. The ancient stone megaliths that still stand today, such as Stonehenge and Avebury attest to the pagan worship practices of that time.The Oxford English Dictionary gives that many derivations of 'church' as:(a) cirice, cyrice, chiriche, churiche, chereche(b) circe, cyrce, chyrce, cirke, etc�
The Oxford English Dictionary gives that many derivations of 'church' as:
(a) cirice, cyrice, chiriche, churiche, chereche
(b) circe, cyrce, chyrce, cirke, etc�
The Trail of Evidence
The source of the origin of 'church' can be established as an ulterior derivation that does not come from the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The evidence trail reveals that 'church' comes from the Old English form of 'cirice' and the Middle English form 'circe.' From there, we can move even deeper down the rabbit hole to see where we end up.
'Circe' as a dialect is found in the Greek as 'kirke.' Etymologists agree that the Dutch word for 'church' is 'kerk,' and in German is 'kirche.' The Scottish form is 'kirk' and Old Saxon is 'kirika' having the same linguistic derivation, connection or relation to 'kirke,' or 'circe.'
If you have followed thus far, the next trail of evidence to follow is finding out what is behind the origin of the term 'kirke,' or 'circe.'
From here, this is where things get even more interesting.
What is deemed 'church' (kirke, or circe) today in English can be traced to the name of a Greek goddess Pharmakeia who was a witch, or a sorceress who lived on an island called Aiaia. The ancient form of 'Aiaia' is derived from the name 'Gaia' who was a pagan goddess of fertility. She was the daughter of Helios, the Sun god who had the power to transform men into wolves, lions and even swine. Although she changed men into animals, they still retained their human senses being trapped in the physical bodies of an animal.
This is where the word 'circus' comes from. It is attributed to honouring Gaia�s father, the Sun god, hence where the term 'Cirque de Soleil' in French comes from, or in English, 'Church of the Sun.'
Being entered, she placed them in chairs of State, and set before them meal and honey, and Smyrna wine, mixed with baneful drugs of powerful enchantment. When they had eaten of these, and drunk of her cup, she touched them with her charming rod, and straight they were transformed into swine, having bodies of swine, the bristles, and snout, and grunting noise of that animal; only they still retained the minds of men, which made them the more to lament their brutish transformation.�
� Adventures of Ulysses by Charles Lamb
Sorcery
The Greeks pictured their goddess as a woman with a golden cup in her hand.
Does this picture ring a bell?
If you are familiar with the book of Revelation, there is a striking resemblance of a woman with a golden cup filled with wine mixed with drugs. Upon drinking her wine, kings were seduced and controlled by transforming them into animals with man-like characteristics. This sounds a lot like John�s vision as written in the book of Revelation while he was on the island of Patmos.
�Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the KINGS of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the WINE of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become DRUNK.� And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.
The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a GOLDEN CUP full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: �Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth�s abominations.� � Revelation 17:1-6
For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were DECEIVED by your SORCERY. � Revelation 18:23
Could the manifestation of the word 'church' be the conjuring of sorceries?
If 'circe' is a description of the goddess Pharmacia, and John in the book of Revelation used the word 'sorcery' (5331 [e]) that is the same as 'pharmacies,' could there be a connection?
According to some Greek accounts when Pharmacia died, she was buried in the Pharmacussi island group that can be seen from the Isle of Patmos where John was imprisoned.
The words 'pharmacy' and 'pharmaceuticals' are both derived from 'pharmakaeia,' meaning medicine.
Are we seeing the spiritual manifestation of 'church' happening today where the institutional system entices people within her doors with feel good religious doctrines getting them to drink from her cup of drugs (the opiate of the masses) glossing people�s eyes over so they have visions and hallucinations falling under the spells and power of the Great Harlot?
'Kirke' is also known as a 'hawk,' or an 'unclean bird' by Old Testament standards is a bird of prey. There was a mythological witch who the Greeks called 'Kirke' (hawk lady) who became the Circe of Roman poets.
You shall therefore separate the clean beast from the unclean, and THE UNCLEAN BIRD from the clean. You shall not make yourselves detestable by beast or by bird or by anything with which the ground crawls, which I have set apart for you to hold unclean. � Leviticus 20:25
And he called out with a mighty voice, �Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every UNCLEAN BIRD, a haunt for every UNCLEAN AND DETESTABLE BEAST. � Revelation 18:2
The History of the Institutional Church
It is pretty obvious today that the institution called 'church' has fornicated with the ways of the world system and has been captivated by her sorceries. History attests to the blood that has been spilled by all those who have been slain because of her. Men like Constantine received visions from her to conquer with the sign of the cross. Many deemed as �witches� and �heretics� have been tortured and burned at the stake to appease those within the harlot church system.
Many people have naively believed in their church doctrines while many innocent people have been killed and slaughtered in her name. Rape, lynching, torture, murder and slavery has been defended and justified in her name. This did not bother the harlot daughters of the 'mother of all prostitutes' one bit.
All those who partake of 'church' and her harlot daughters conveniently ignore their institutional history and vehemently defend their man-made traditions.
'Church' is the religion of Mystery Babylon and Scripture states that we are to come out of her. The system of the Mother of Harlots has bred many harlot�s daughters. The fact is there are more than 38,000 of them. They have many names written above her doors, but they still share their mother�s maiden name.
If 'church' is a counterfeit word, then that would mean a complete evaluation of the foundation of the religious system that the word is built upon would be of vital importance.
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my ekklesia [1577 (e)], and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. - Matthew 16:18
Do you believe that Jesus Christ is building four-walled denominational structures called "church" run by salaried officiates?
Yes
No
See results
Related Articles
Ekklesia, or Church?
The word �church� is a very deceptive word that has corrupted the whole world and has been and continues to be the catalyst of perpetuating the dark agenda of Satan.
Comparing the Man-Made Religion of Church with the Spiritual Organism of the Ekklesia
The early ekklesia as attested in the New Testament reveals how the body of Christ organized that is strikingly different to the practiced counterfeit organized religion of the church system today.
A Closer Look at the Greek word Ekklesia under the Microscope
The "church" and home "church" movements basically believe and define ekklesia the same way, but go about it different ways, but Scripture has something different to say about what many call �church.
*WHAT IS THE BIBLE DEFINITION OF A CHURCH OR CONGREGATION**??
The word **CHURCH** in the Bible comes from the Greek word **EKKLESIA**. The Greek word **EKKLESIA** is mentioned 114 times in the New Testament and is also translated **ASSEMBLY** or **CONGREGATION**!
The phrase **THE CHURCH THAT MEETS IN YOUR HOME** is mentioned 6 times in the New Testament and so the church or congregation is **NOT A BUILDING**!
We see the word church used three different ways: First, as the body of Christ, the church is often defined as a local assembly or group of believers (1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:1-2). Second, it is defined as the body of individual living believers (1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13). Finally, it is defined as the universal group of all people who have trusted Christ through the ages (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 5:23-27).
Bible Definition of Church or Congregation:
�The Church or Congregation is the building or temple of God:
Although the church is not a physical building, believers are referred to as the building or temple of God. Like a physical building, believers also have a Cornerstone; Jesus Christ. The foundation is the prophets and apostles. (Matthew 16:16; 1 Corinthians 3:9-17; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:6; Ephesians 2:19-22).
�The Church or Congregation is the Bride of Christ:
The Bible makes reference to the church being the Bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-32). This also alluded to in John 14:1-3 when Jesus talked about making a place at His Father�s house for us. This is a direct reference to when a man proposes to a woman and they are engaged. The man goes back to his father�s house to build on an addition. When the addition is done and everything is ready, he comes to call for his bride, which symbolizes the resurrection (Matthew 25:1; Revelation 19:7-9).
�The Church or Congregation has a Spiritual purpose:
The local church or assembly of believers has different roles that God gave to specific believers for the purpose of perfecting or training the believers, doing the work of the ministry, and strengthening of the church body (Ephesians 4:11-14). The roles given in the Bible are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers who are all appointed by Jesus and not the church. Deacons are also mentioned in Acts 6:1-7 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13 as servants to wait upon people with physical needs.
The church body also serves as a local group to resolve conflicts (Matthew 18:15-20) and serve as a court (1 Corinthians 6:1-8). In addition, baptisms and the Lord�s Supper or communion are observed by the church body (Acts 2:37-40; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34). Depending on the size of the church body, other ministries are performed by the members of the church as God has gifted each person (Romans 12:3-13; Ephesians 4:1-8).
**WHAT SATANIC BELIEFS MAKE YOU UNQUALIFIED TO BE A CONGREGATION OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST**??
Any belief that you can come to God the Father in a way that contradicts the following:
John 14:6,7: Jesus says, "I am the **WAY** the **TRUTH** and the LIFE**. No one comes to the Father **EXCEPT THROUGH ME**. If you really knew Me, you will know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him!!"
A belief that you can be saved by good works or baptism:
Ephesians 2:8-10: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the **GIFT OF GOD**--**NOT BY WORKS**, so that no one can boast. For we are **GOD'S HANDIWORK**, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Any belief that claims that we are not saved by faith {A free gift} in the precious **BLOOD OF CHRIST**
I Peter 1:18,19: For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were **REDEEMED** from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the **PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST**, a Lamb without blemish or defect!
I Peter 2:24,25: He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness: "By His wounds we are healed!" {See Isaiah 53:5,6} For you were like sheep going astray but know you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer** of your souls!
A belief that all the words in the Greek New Testament are not inspired by God and does not have to be followed by the church or congregations of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Peter 3:15,16: Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our **DEAR BROTHER PAUL** also wrote you with the **WISDOM GOD GAVE TO HIM**. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand {To unbelievers} which **IGNORANT AND UNSTABLE PEOPLE DISTORT**, as they do other Scriptures, to their own **DESTRUCTION**! {God inspired Paul to write 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament which are part of **CHRIST'S LAW**}
I Corinthians 9:21: Paul said, "I am not free from God's law but am under **CHRIST'S LAW**!!"
Acts 22:14,15: Ananias said to Paul, "The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know **HIS WILL** and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from His mouth!! You will be **HIS WITNESS** to all people of what you have seen and heard!
Acts 20:27: Paul said, "For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the **WHOLE WILL OF GOD**!
I Timothy 3:16,17: All Scripture is **GOD-BREATHEED** and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead and in view of His appearing and His Kingdom, I give you this charge: **PREACH THE WORD**; be prepared in season in out of season, correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear!!
I Peter 1:23-25: For you have been **BORN AGAIN**, not of perishable seed but the imperishable, through the living and enduring **WORD OF GOD**. For all people are like grass, and all their glory is like flowers in the field; the grass withers and the flowers fail, but the **WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER**!!
I John 2:1-5: Jesus Christ, the Righteous one. He is the **ATONING SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS**, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know we have come to know Him **IF** we keep His commands. Whoever says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a **LIAR**, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone **OBEYS HIS WORD**, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him!!
So the two main reasons that the church or congregations of our Lord Jesus Christ should do good works is for thankfulness for the **FREE GIFT** of eternal life through the Precious Blood of Jesus and the many **ETERNAL REWARDS** for keeping the approximately 400 commands of Christ's New Covenant laws with **FAITH** **HOPE** and **LOVE**!!
