|
The far reaching ramifications of how one word (church) has negatively affected our liberties under Christ. What exactly is a "Kuriakon", that is a "Church", in the 1st Century Greek text? and why haven't Christians known? Did you know that according to the Scriptures it is a great error to refer to the gathering of Christian believers as a "church", or to assign some sort of holiness to the four walled ornate brick structure housing such a group? As truth seeking Christians we must realize that the only Scriptures of any worth are those penned in the original languages. (There are many reference concordances which the Bible student can obtain to help with an understanding of the Hebrew and Greek words) Furthermore, it has been the church institutions which have distorted many original Bible words in order to advance their own various denominational creeds. In fact, by this time in our Western Civilization history where we find ourselves at the cross roads of world tyranny or a restatement of liberty, it is actually imperative that those who seek after righteousness and truth get out of the establishment churches! Why? Because it has been none other than the corporate churches led by their councils of clergy that have adulterated Gods' Word to the point where the real Gospel is hardly recognizable from what was penned by the Prophets and Apostles. For example, the name of the Living God of the Holy Scriptures, Yahweh Almighty, has now been replaced with the name of "The Lord" in church Bible versions, which name (Lord) literally is the personal name of an ancient pagan god called "Baal" in the Hebrew text. The true racial Israelites are now called "Gentiles" by the world at large. (But, the Greek word for "gentile" in the N.T. is actually "ethnos" and it simply means "nation". When racial Israel became scattered north and west of the Judean/Israel area they eventually became the Christian "nations" [gentiles/ethnos] of Europe.) The word "Jew" today has become synonymous with "Israelites", yet that word (jew) was merely "Ioudeous" in Greek meaning "Judean", describing someone from a geographical area of land (Judea) and having no religious or racial connotation at all. It is very easy to become totally confused and misled when reading the Bibles of the denominational churches without checking the precise original meanings of key words to that of the Hebrew and Greek language references. The fact that the denominational word "CHURCH" has replaced the original Bible word "Ecclesia" has far reaching implications of a rather devious nature. The Greek word "Ecclesia" was the word used throughout the ancient manuscript New Testament writings of the Apostles to describe the gathered body of believers in Christ. (Strong's Greek Reference # 1577, pronounced "ek-leh-see'-ah") It is correctly translated as "Assembly". The word "church" comes from another Greek word -- "kuriakon" (kur-ee-ah'-kon) stemming from the word "kurios", that is the "Lord" (see meaning of Kurios: Original Sacred Name Bible, intro notes page XII; also Greek Elements, Concordant Publishing Concern, pg.97). The pagan god Baal translates to the English name "The Lord". (see exhaustively researhed lesson this web site at "God's Name")
The Forerunner Commentary Notes on Revelation chapter one v.11 reads: "Our English word "church" is derived from the Greek word kuriakon, which means "belonging to a lord." But of itself, kuriakon has absolutely no religious connotation. It simply meant "the lord or master of a property." It is never used in the Bible in reference to the body of Jesus Christ (the church)". Ironically, according to the language of the Scriptures a kuriakon is a "house of Baal", lord's house. It is a dogmatic institution run by a hierarchy of priests/ministers who dictate ecumenical policy from an ornate building. Contrary to this, the New Testament Ecclesia (Christ's followers) is a gathering of people "called out" of the world system by the Holy Spirit to love, obey, and worship Yahweh Almighty. The word Ecclesia comes from two Greek root words, "ek"- out, and "kaleo"- call, as the people are called into the government Kingdom of Yahweh in the earth. There is a world of difference between these two OPPOSING standards. Neither Jesus Christ nor the Apostles established churches, they built Ecclesias ... specifically, Christian civil government communities assembled to live by God's laws for liberty!! ... and both Bible and history shows that their meeting places were their homes!! It was the religious leaders of the day who had Christ crucified, plotting from their four walled centers of worship. The New Bible Dictionary, 2nd ed., Tyndale House Publishers, cites the New Testament Ecclesia as follows: "An ECCLESIA was a meeting or assembly. Its most common use was for the public assembly of citizens duly summoned, which was a feature of all the cities outside Judea where the Gospel was planted." The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, 1944 edition, page 111, describes an Ecclesia: " The rendering in the N.T. of the Greek ECCLESIA, which in the States of Greece meant the assembly of citizens summoned for legislative or other purposes (Acts 19:32,41, assembly). The sacred writers use the word ECCLESIA to denote an organization acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Supreme Ruler ..." However, the early Christian Ecclesias were not communes. In an Ecclesia (a Christian civil community) one might find a carpenter, architect, writer, teacher, or other professionals who operate independent businesses, yet come to the defense of the whole in times of war or natural disaster. These responsible professionals also congregated on the Sabbath Day to discuss the governing of the community and to worship Jesus Christ. As long as one is not violating another's God given rights or blatantly rebelling against the Heavenly Father, he is free to do whatever he may, without State license or regulation. That was the early Christian Ecclesian Way of the first century believers. It is the way of true and divine liberty. The last historical example of an Ecclesia was that of the American Colonies, from the era of 1620 up until and including the time of The Declaration of Independence of 1776 and the Constitution For The United States of America 1787. This was the planting of "the body of Christ" in North America. We read in the Book of Acts that Paul and Silas were establishing Ecclesias (Christian civil governments) all over Greece. They were not building churches (Kuriakon -- institutionalized temples of multicultural religion). The Jewish religious leaders did not like it and said of these two men: "These that have turned the world (system) upside-down are come hither also ... and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another King, one Jesus." (Acts 17:5-8) The spread of New Testament Ecclesias, erroneously translated "churches" in our Bibles, was upsetting the dictators and church (synagogue) officials in those days. Why? Because tyrants and religious institutions work together to fleece the people of their substance by keeping them controlled, ignorant, and heavily taxed to rob them of the fruit of their labor. When we understand the meaning of the word Ecclesia, and realize what Paul and the rest of the Apostles were really doing in their travels, it becomes apparent why both church clergy and corrupt politicians hated (and still hate) the Gospel of the Kingdom (government) of Jesus Christ. Centralized totalitarian governments create their own churches by licensing them to satisfy the people with religious bobbles, bangles, and emotionalism. The state licensed church in turn feeds the people a diet of "civic responsibility" to support the central government in the name of "God and country". The American colonists well understood this issue and rallied around their Scriptural awareness of Galatians 5:1 with no intention of relinquishing their Ecclesia to the world system. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Gal.5:1) 58 AD "Whereas we all came into these parts of America ...to enjoy the liberties of the Gospel ... by a wise Providence of God" (Colony Articles of Confederation of 1643-1684. "Providence" was understood to be the Christian God of the Gospel) "And for the support of this Declaration (of Independence), with a firm reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." (The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776) It was this Christian Ecclesia experience on the part of our American ancestors that gave rise to the greatest nation on the face of the Earth. Today America has completely lost sight of its Christian purpose for existence as a nation, primarily because the clergy have instructed the people that worshipping God means "to get to church on Sunday". Exactly how did the word "church" sneak into our Bibles, supplanting the original word "Ecclesia"? It was the 16th century reformer John Calvin who insisted on using the word "church" (in place of using Ecclesia/assembly/congregation) in his version of the Geneva Bible. John Calvin's real name is of Khazar non-Saxon non-Christian origin, Jean Cauvin (link>: French for Cohen), which he later Anglicized to "Calvin" in order to become "THE CHURCH FATHER" of a new instutional religion --- The Presbyterian Church of England. (For Calvin's real name being "Cuavin" see The Encyclopedia of Religion, MacMillan Publishing, 1987, Vol.3 under Calvin, John) Calvin taught the classic Baal worship doctrines of eternal torment in fire, Sunday Sabbath, immortality of the soul/spiritism, suppression of the Holy Name for that of "Lord/Baal", etc. An early enthusiast of international mercantilism, Calvin's influence went a long way in destroying true Ecclesia Christianity in England and elsewhere in Europe. A few leading Christians of the Reformation, such as William Tyndale, refused to deceive the people over the "church" issue. Tyndale's Bible correctly reads "congregation" and not "church" where the Greek New Testament manuscripts have "Ecclesia". Citing the difference is politically charged! The church/state system eventually captured Tyndale in Antwerp in 1535, had him strangled in a courtyard, and burned his body. Other Christian's of that era who cherished liberty and knew the specific definitions of "church" verses "Christian assembly" were persecuted as heretics. Thus began the rise of CHURCHDOM among the English speaking Protestants, and the decline of the Biblical Ecclesia system of liberty according to divine laws. In conclusion, the New Testament Scriptures forbid and warn the believer from participating in a corporate church institution, known to first century Christians as a "Kuriakon", a state recognized and licensed house of Baal. Real Christian Americans need to find their way back to the liberty in Christ by holding home assembly meetings with others who "follow after righteousness". (Isaiah 51:1) Blessings to the Remnant in Jesus Christ! BACK
|
