CHURCH: TEMPLE OR PEOPLE?

Introduction

The first usage of church in the New Testament is found in Matthew 16:18, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (NIV) It was used by Jesus. The Greek word translated church in the New Testament is _ekklēsia (pronounced ek-klay-see'-ah)_. A literal translation of _ekklesia_ would be "an assembly" or "called-out ones". How we got the English word "church" is a different story, but that, too, is rooted in Greek.  

Origin of the Modern English word "church"

Etymologically speaking, the word church means "house of the Lord". The modern English word church is a direct descendant of the Old English word "cirice or circe". The first recorded use of the Old English word is from the thirteenth century, as it could refer to either a body of Christian believers or to the place where they gathered for worship.

Going further back than Old English, the word church ultimately traces its origin to a Greek term, kūrikón, which was related to kurios, “lord.” The phrase kūrikón oikía meant “the Lord’s house.” In the Middle Ages, the Greek term for “house of worship” was shortened to kūrkón. And that’s the word that was loaned to West Germanic as kirika and eventually to Old English as cirice.

Old Norse borrowed the Old English word cirice to form kirkja, and that’s where the Scottish word kirk came from. During the Middle English period, the word kirk was borrowed from the Scots, so now Modern English has both church and kirk as synonyms.

(Credit to gotquestions.org)

Biblical meaning of church

Biblically speaking, the word church means a body of believers. According to Romans 16:5, "Greet also the church that meets at their house..."(NIV), the church refers to the people but not to the place where they met for worship. In keeping with its original meaning as used by Jesus in Matthew 16:18 (quoted above), the church refers to a body of those who believe in, and are transformed by, the revelation that Jesus is the Christ (or Messiah). Really the church refers to the people but scarcely the temple. 

Historically, we have example of a Christian sect that rejected the meaning of church as the place where they gathered for worship. They were the Quakers. The Quakers refused to call the building in which they met for worship as church but rather as steeple house. Today, modern Christians refer to the building in which they meet for worship as temple or church auditorium. Others give their church auditorium specific names such as basilica, cathedral, dome or haven.

The people as God's flock

The final words of Jesus to Peter before he ascended to heaven were  that "if you love me, take care of my flock". These final words of Jesus reveal that God regards his people as his flock to be cared for in the sense of being fed, sheltered, clothed and protected from violence. God's priority is to feed his flock, shelter them, clothe them and give them protection from violence, and every church leader must regard the people as God regards them. What do we see today? Today's Pastor seems to be more interested in putting up stupendous buildings and decorating them to make them look beautiful and attractive, but within those tall and glamorous buildings are people who are hungry, naked, homeless and vulnerable to all forms of spiritual, physical, mental and emotional violence. 

The people as God's building

The Bible teaches that "consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." (Eph 2:19‭-‬22 NIV). God also regards his people together as a building that he is putting up on earth for no one else but himself. Just as he created mankind for his pleasure, and put them in his garden of pleasure, God considers all of us together as his building in which he dwells by his Spirit. So, believers together are God's building or his temple in which he lives by his Spirit. Instead of building up the people by enhancing their capacity for personal development, today's Pastor is interested in constructing stupendous buildings to be inhabited by hungry, naked, homeless and vulnerable Christians. 

The people as the body of Christ

Believers everywhere in the world together form one body with Christ as head. This is known as the universal church. When Christians gather locally for worship, they represent the body of Christ in the locality. This is also known as the local church. The body denotes unity of mind and heart, unity of vision and purpose. The church though scattered in various parts of the world, are one body with Christ as head. This implies that believers fellowshipping in a particular locality must care for one another as members of the same body. This makes Christ, the head of the body, happy. What do we see today? Today's church leader poses as head of the body and accumulates all the wealth and resources of the church to himself, leaving other members of the body hungry, naked, homeless and susceptible to all forms of spiritual and physical harm. 

Growing together

A flock of sheep flourishes together, a building made up of many blocks rises together, and the parts of the body grow together. The head of the body wants the members of his body to grow together, the blocks of his building to rise together, and the sheep of his flock to flourish together, so that together the whole church will manifest peace and prosperity, for church refers to the people but not the temple. 

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