Here is a great article on the Church, which explains what the true church is and what it isnt.
The Church
Ekklēsia is the Greek word used in the New Testament over 116 times, translated in our English Bibles as ‘Church’. The word has NOTHING to do with stone buildings or sacred places of worship. It is a compound word meaning: ‘Ek’: Out from….’Ekklēsia’ the called out. Thus the ‘Called out’.
The Greek word most closely related to ‘Church’ is kuriakos, used in 1Cor11:20 & Rev1:10, translated: ‘the Lord’s’ as referring to the Lord’s Supper and the Lord’s Day. Meaning in the Greek: belonging to the Lord, related to the Lord. This word became associated with places of ‘Christian’ worship around 300AD under Roman Emperor Constantine. Up to that time the true followers of Jesus Christ were meeting in private homes, often in secret at night. WHY? Because in the Roman Empire there could be no private religion! It was against the law and considered conspiratorial to hold secret or private meetings in homes. This is why the Pagans often brought moral charges against the Christians accusing them of incest, cannibalism and unnatural practices.
(meetings in homes: Rom16:5, 1Cor16:19, Col4:15, Phil1:2, Acts2:46)
Christ Intended Church Matt16:13-19
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Thus WHAT is the Church? Its Certainly NOT a building considered ‘Sacred’ where the Lord dwells. His Spirit does not reside in things made of stone and wood. When He told His Disciples that if ‘Anyone love Me, he will Keep My Word and My Father will love him and WE will come to him and make Our home with him’ Jn14:23, He was speaking of this ‘Ekklēsia’ of the ‘Called out ones’. These would be His assembly called out of Darkness and Bondage into Light and Freedom from sin! (Acts26:18) The Saints are NOT called to buildings set apart as sacred run by a religious establishment of clergy with some kind of special privileges to Lord over people.
WHO is Greatest in the Kingdom of our Lord?
And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your servant. Matt20:27
But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. Matt23:11
Even the Ransom (redemption of Christ) is associated with this kind of Servitude:
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”Matt20:28
Jesus as the ‘ROCK’ 1Cor10:4 (Petra, up on which the Ekklēsia is to be Established) Served on the ‘Called out ones’ behalf in order to Redeem them from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God. That’s why His ‘Church’ is the ‘Chosen generation, the Royal priesthood, a holy nation of His own special people that may proclaim praises to Him who called them out of darkness into His marvelous Light!’ 1Pet2:9. The Ekklēsia is NOT the filthy ragged, desperately wicked, wretched, born depraved, chiefs of sinners sitting under the bondage of a religious system that rules over their minds and keeps them in ignorance. (under a millennial of bondage dating back to ancient Rome)
Peter’s (petros, small rock) confession stands as the testimony of the Ekklesia’s foundation on which the Saints are to build; 1Cor3:9-11 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ! Understanding that it’s GOD who gives the increase, 1Cor3:7. This is why His Saints stand out as ‘Special People’ (unique 1Pet2:9) His Bride who has made themselves ready for His coming, Rev19:7, going forth into all the earth to proclaim the riches of His Glory, (Eph1:18, 3:16, Rom9:23) endued with the Power from on High! Acts1:8. Professing Christians in the Church System do not have a clue what it means to be among the ‘called out’ ones. They have yet to answer the call to ‘Come Out from among them and be separate’ 2Cor6:16-18. Separate from what, They ask, we are the Church!
The Satanic distortion of ‘Church’ began in forth Century Rome under Emperor Constantine who granted religious tolerance in the land that brought an end to the bitter persecutions against Christians. This eventually led to the uniting of church and state, bringing the ‘Christians’ into the great cathedrals of Rome. (considered sacred by the pagans) From that time forward an ‘Official’ religious system existed under the guise of Christianity blending together the idols, pagan beliefs and rituals of Roman culture and remains so to this day. To the officials of Rome you were either a ‘Catholic Christian’ or a ‘heretic’….branded foolish madmen, who should suffer chastisement and divine condemnation.
Essentially this turned the tables against the real Saints of God labeling them dangerous dissenters and who would not bow to the authority of Rome. The Ecclesiastical System had full authority to persecute and legally murder their religious opponents who opposed them. Sparing you the long and bloody history of religious tyranny that brought us the horror of Crusades, Inquisitions, torture and massive persecutions throughout history to present day, suffice to say the ‘CHURCH’ as we know it in our current society has NOTHING to do with CHRIST! Certainly much of the bitter persecution has ceased in our ‘relativity’ free country and we are currently permitted to practice the religion of our choice, it doesn’t negate the FACT that the existing Religious Establishment of professing Christianity in the free world is still Pagan based to its core.
The ‘Churches’ as they exist in our towns, villages and cities, in which so-called Christians claim to worship the One True God are simply an off-shoot of what happened in ancient Rome when the Pure Doctrine of Jesus Christ was nullified by the teachings of men. This is why the ‘Church’ has absolutely no similarity to the ‘Ekklēsia’ of the Bible and also has no desire whatsoever to resemble it. They have their SYSTEM in place that serves the purpose of gathering humanity under a unified pattern of religion where anything goes and people can choose the ‘form’ that suits them best.
The establishment can still maintain a fabricated authority over attendees insisting they must submit to church leadership and remain in fellowship lest they abandon the faith. This enforces the fantasy in the minds of church goers that those who flee the System are angry runagates and devils better off gone rather than stirring up trouble in their midst. In olden times the ‘Church’ exercised domination over the people by the pretense of piety, the place of worship (they controlled) was consecrated of the Lord and dare not be blasphemed or defied. They may not be hunting down dissidents or burning anyone at the stake in our time, but TRY going among them to challenge their false doctrines and expose the sin! You will find out very quickly that non-compliance will NOT be tolerated.
A denominational church will use its entire governing body to see that you’re silenced and cast out of doors if necessary. More independent organizations will muster the governing board against you and see that you’re brought to shame in the eyes of the people. How different is that from excommunication or being branded a heretic by the religious establishment? The illegitimate ‘Church’ System STILL holds great sway over the gullible (professed) Christian public who fear being numbered among the rebellious. God’s greatest Prophets (including John the Baptist) always stood aloof of the religious system and were greatly out-numbered by the dominant forces. Elijah had to stand alone against 450 false prophets of Baal who had already gone out and slain hundreds of the Lord’s faithful. (1Kings19:12-21)
It’s really no surprise that those of us who Preach the Lord’s true Doctrine cannot buy or sell inside the religious system. (Rev13:17) The use of these words; ‘Buy & Sell’ in Revelation 13 are metaphorical. To Buy means the ability to Participate in a market place….To Sell translates as ability to Barter in a place. Are God’s true Messengers of Repentance and Faith Proven by deeds permitted to ‘Participate’ in the designated places of worship? Can they ‘Barter’ (the act or practice of carrying on a trade) among the ‘church’ people? BY NO MEANS…..because they have NOT taken on the Mark (which is the lust of the eye, flesh & pride of life!) but have CAST it away in the Crucifixion of the passions and desires of the flesh. (Rom6:4-6,Gal5:24)
That’s what has separated the ‘Ekklesia’ from the church since the beginning. When Saul (later Paul) made havoc of the church entering into every house dragging off men and women committing them to prison (Acts8:3) Obviously he was finding this ‘Ekklesia’ in the houses. He did not have to seek them out in the local synagogues or other official places of worship approved by the religious system. And the SAME holds true today….you will NOT find the ‘Called out ones’ partaking at the table of demons in a place of idolatry. (1Cor10:21, 2Cor6:14-16)
We see this in Christ rolling back the vale of eternity in Matt7:21-23, when He pronounces those awful words to the people who thought they were serving Him in a false System, “I Never Knew you, Depart from Me you workers of iniquity’! They participated in the rituals and traditions of the ‘church’, but never came out of their sins.
If we look back over the centuries of religious bondage since the days of ancient Rome, we find a ruling elite arrogantly reigning over the mind’s of men by the use of superstition and the fear of a vengeful God. In darker times the mere suggestion that you were involved in anything the church deemed blasphemy it meant banishment from common society. (and often times death by horrible means) The average people could not simply ignore the ecclesiastical influence of the establishment because they had power to brandish the full power of the State against anyone who opposed them. So unless you were willing to contest a standing army that thoroughly enjoyed bloody slaughter, you kowtowed to the System in spite of your convictions.
Of course things have changed somewhat since the advent of Liberty in the world, but billions still live under authoritarian style leadership. The major difference today is that the ‘Christian’ Church is no longer a threat to the darkened authorities. Therefore if it, as an organization, is willing to exist within the parameters of state control it can enjoy full acceptance. (even in places like China) However private gatherings or (in house) churches are still considered a danger by most regimes because they operate apart from the supervision of prying eyes. This includes America, where many of the brain dead mind controlled, still believe their leaders respect the Bill of Rights. The general public, among who most professing Christians reside are already good minions of the State and subordinate to some form of authorized religious authority. The religious systems of history have provided man with a sanctuary for his ‘sickness’ of mind called the ‘church’. They have gone to extreme lengths to preserve this safe harbor for carnality, including the use of torture, coercion and deceptions.
Even when the vast monopoly of the Catholic System was challenged during what historians call the Reformation, the duplicity continued. When the Bible was finally authorized to be translated into English by King James VI in 1604, the ‘esteemed’ translators were instructed to rigorously maintain the Episcopal structure of the Church of England and its belief in an ‘ordained’ clergy. So the Word ‘Ekklesia’ in the Greek text was ordered to be translated ‘Church’! (as it also appeared in the Geneva Bible the Anglo-Catholic Bishop’s Bible) Thus it has been to this day. The ‘Church’ is still considered a sacred gathering place for ‘Christians’ and the clergy keeps the people in a state of ignorance and bliss. However GOD did not intend that His Ekklesia become an institutionalized religion.
We have already established that the ‘Church’ as it exists in America today is NOT the ‘Called out’ ones of Christ. Further evidence of this is seen in their eagerness to obey the rules of State and operate within the constraints of a charitable origination. Since the founding of America the ‘Churches’ have been exempt (for the most part) from paying any taxes. (except on payroll earnings stating in the late 1930’s) However as the Gospel became more and more secular in nature the government recognized it’s opportunity to weasel into ‘religious’ affairs by ‘granting’ them a special status under law to maintain their exemption. However nothing comes from government without strings attached and the American Church System was a prime candidate to ‘sign on’ to something they ‘thought’ was to their advantage. And in a bizarre sort of way the 501 (c) 3 charitable corporate tax exempt statuses (introduced in 1954) corresponds seamlessly into their counterfeit gospel message that follows the Great Harlot of Babylon.
This type of tax exemption turns the churches into ‘corporations’, that must follow the guidelines (as any government granted corporation) stipulated in the agreement. Which means that in order to maintain a tax exempt status the Churches (and any charitable organization) must forego certain activities which are specifically: engaging in political lobbying or campaigning. That means the Pastors or other church leadership cannot endorse a candidate for political office or participate in any political debate that may influence the outcome of an election or the passing of legislation. Essentially this hamstrings the ‘Churches’ ability to act as any kind of a moral compass in society at large.
So there you have it! Your precious constitution brought to naught. Congress making no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…. Has virtually no further significance in the land of the free. Not only have the Churches voluntarily repudiated the Gospel of Christ they have enthusiastically gone in league with the devil! They are a sort of ‘Judas’ goat, selling out for their thirty pieces of silver. They ride the Scarlet Beast of Rev17:3-6, adorn with all the trimmings of ancient Babylon.
As throughout their long and sorted history as a religious hierarchy they have always been FULLY aware of the control they have put forth over men AND used it to their complete advantage. With the 501 they can further demonize the runagates that refuse to comply and wrap themselves in the flag as loyal patriots thereby garnering an even greater creditability to the unsuspecting masses who equate God and Country to the Bible. Is it of any wonder why Solomon said that there is nothing new under the sun? This same type of Mind control has been going on from the very dawn of creation. Man is a creature easily duped (or shall I say Doped) by the Luciferian agenda of instant gratification and the promise of supremacy. Thus you have the SAME establishment today as those who crucified Christ. Controlled in Mind and Heart by Satan himself!
Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull .Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them. Matt13:14-15
The Ekklēsia can never be connected with a System, by definition they are the ‘called out’ ones, Separate from the lust of the flesh, eyes and pride of life; all the trapping of the world the establishment churches find irresistible. They are His Sheep who hear His Voice and Obey, sojourns in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom they SHINE as Lights in a world of Darkness, Holding fast the Word of Life! Phil2:15-16
The religious systems of history have provided man with a sanctuary for his ‘sickness’ of mind called the ‘church’. They have gone to extreme lengths to preserve this safe harbor for carnality, including the use of torture, coercion and deceptions. Even when the vast monopoly of the Catholic System was challenged during what historians call the Reformation, the duplicity continued. When the Bible was finally authorized to be translated into English by King James VI in 1604, the ‘esteemed’ translators were instructed to rigorously maintain the Episcopal structure of the Church of England and its belief in an ‘ordained’ clergy. So the Word ‘Ekklēsia’ in the Greek text was ordered to be translated ‘Church’! (as it also appeared in the Geneva Bible the Anglo-Catholic Bishop’s Bible)
Thus it has been to this day. The ‘Church’ is still considered a sacred gathering place for ‘Christians’ and the clergy keeps the people in a state of ignorance and bliss. However GOD did not intend that His Ekklēsia to become an institutionalized religion.
www.standingthegap.org
When I compare the beliefs of the synod I'm part of (the LCMS), I find there is a lot of agreement with what the early church believed. There are probably differences (for example, in the LCMS baptism is done by putting water on one's head, not immersion) but doctrinally, it's really good.
