What Is A Church?

It is very well known from the Holy Scriptures that the term “Church” refers to the body of Christ (Colossians 1:24). Christ gave up His own body (physical) on the Cross in order to receive another body (A spiritual one), which as it stands out is now the Church. This assertion cannot be closer to the truth. The Church includes people with specific spiritual gifts to edify the entire the body of Christ “…Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-14). 

The list of such gifts is given in 1 Cor.12:28: “And God has appointed these in the Church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then the gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.” These gifts are further discussed in detail in 1 Corinthians 12-14.  

Many people have miscellaneous misconceptions about what the word ‘church’ means. Most equate it with a building. But throughout the Scriptures, church and congregation refer to people, and never to a building. In fact, we find several verses in the New Testament where the “church” (people) were meeting inside certain members’ homes (buildings) in the local area (Romans 16:3-5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; and Philemon 2). The Church is made up of people called to follow Christ. That group of people collectively is called “the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 4:12). 

The church is a spiritually transformed body of believers not limited to a particular locale, organization or denomination. The Holman Bible Dictionary, in its article “Church,” explains the background of the word church: “Church is the English translation of the Greek word ekklesia or ecclesia. The use of the Greek term prior to the emergence of the Christian church is important as two streams of meaning flow from the history of its usage into the New Testament understanding of the church. “First, the Greek term which basically means ‘called out’ was commonly used to indicate an assembly of citizens of a Greek city and is so used in Acts 19:32, 39. 

The citizens who were quite conscious of their privileged status over slaves and non-citizens were called to the assembly by a herald and dealt with matters of common concern; like the ‘national assembly’ in most countries today. When the early Christians understood themselves as constituting a church, no doubt exists that they perceived themselves as called out by God through Jesus Christ for a special purpose and that their status was a privileged one in Christ (Ephesians 2:19). The word “Church” was derived from Ecclesia, because Jesus Christ called out some special people from the world to make them kings and priests in His coming government. “Ecclesia” literally means a special congregation or a group of people who are “called out” from the society for special functions. 

The story is not different when you take the Old Testament church as a case study. God called out Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and the twelve tribes of Israel popularly called the ISRAELITES. This ELITE group of people were separated from the world and highly favoured by God above all other nations of the earth. The Greek term ‘ekklesia’ was used more than one hundred times in the Greek translation of the Old Testament in common use in the time of Jesus. The Hebrew term (qahal) simply means ‘assembly’ and could be used in a variety of ways, referring for example to an assembling of prophets (1 Samuel 19:20), soldiers (Numbers 22:4). 

The use of the term in the Old Testament in referring to the people of God is important for understanding the term ‘church’ in the New Testament. For the first Christians to use a term given by Christ in Matthew 16:18, that was common in the Old Testament for the people of God, reveals their understanding of the continuity that links the Old and New Testaments. The early Christians, Jew and Gentile, understood themselves to be the people of God, who had revealed Himself in the Old Testament (Hebrews 1:1-2), and the true children of Israel (Romans 2:28-29) with Abraham as their father (Romans 4:1-25), and as the people of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:1-13). 

God purposely chose the Israelites for Himself, so that they can worship Him in truth, and also trust in Him (Deuteronomy 7:6). The Old Testament Israelites served as a pattern of the New Testament Church. Then, God led the Israelites by the hand of Moses, but now He is leading the Church by the hand of Jesus Christ –His Son- who said, “For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them (Matt. 18:20)” 

As a consequence of this broad background of meaning in the Greek and Old Testament words, the term ‘church’ is used in the New Testament for a local congregation of called-out Christians, such as the ‘church of God which is at Corinth’ (1 Corinthians 1:2), and also of the entire people of God, such as the entire body of believers. Thus, affirming that Christ is ‘the head over all things to the church, which is his body’ (Ephesians 1:22-23)”. The Church therefore, can best be described as where God dwells. More so, the Church of God is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Church of God is a spiritual gathering of an elite group of people, filled with the Holy Spirit and great authority. The Church is the body of Christ, and not an embodiment of old relics or beautiful Church buildings. The Church is also not found in the name of an organization like: ‘The Apostolic, Evangelical, Revival, Healing, Prophetic, (or any other name) Church of God Ministries.’ 

The earliest church on earth was founded at the time when men began to call upon the name of the Lord (this started towards the end of Genesis 4). Then, men started a search for God. The first Church in the Scriptures was established as early as Genesis 5:22, which states that “Enoch walked with God.” The whole essence of God is worship. God is always seeking for those who are worshipping Him. The more an individual worships God and gives glory to His name, the more Church that individual has inside of Him. Before the days of Enoch, men had not known the Church because they had not known God. Enoch was the first after Adam to find God. And he became a friend of God by constantly worshipping and walking with Him. The Bible also states in Genesis 6:9 that “Noah walked with God.” This is what God expects from every Church of His today. At the same time, the devil has also been seeking for worshippers; because he always wants to mimic God’s style. The Creator seeks your worship, and Satan, seeking to be like the Creator, wants your worship too, so which will you choose? 

The true founder of the church is God, as opposed to the dubious idea that Peter founded the Church. It is sacrilege to believe such heretical doctrine because Peter never founded any Church; neither was he the head of any Church. Like all true Believers, Peter is a living stone in the temple of God –which is the Church. So he says in 1 Peter 2:4-5: “Coming to him as a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen by God and precious, you also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”. God used Peter and the other apostles, to lay the foundation of the spiritual temple of God. 

On the day of Pentecost, Peter, together with one hundred and twenty others, including Mary the mother of Jesus (Acts 1:13-15) were gathered in “one accord” (Acts 2:1) when the New Testament Church came into existence, and 3,000 converts were baptized (vs. 41). They formed the very foundation (Spiritually) of Christ’ Church. The initial description given was “…and they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship” (vs. 42), “… all that believed were together” (vs. 44) and “…they, continuing daily with one accord…did eat their meat (food) with gladness and singleness of heart” (vs. 46). 

Do you know of any Church organization in the world today that does this? From the above verses, we can clearly see that the Church Jesus built began in unity—agreement—over doctrine, and were together. Now verse 47 concludes: “And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved.” In the true Church, the Lord Jesus Christ guides and directs it. He is the One who adds to it and builds it! Though the Church has changed her way and manner of worship over many generations, this has done little to wear or tear God’s unfailing affection for His Church. The way and manner Enoch, Job, and Elijah worshipped God in the Old Testament has not changed a great deal. The emergence of the New Testament church came as Christ died on the cross. The veil of the temple was torn open, marking the end of worshipping God in temples and synagogues as the only way to worship God (John 4:20-24). 

One noticeable change between now and the New Testament Church, was that believers worshipped God in small groups then. It is sufficient to gather as a family and pray daily; or worship together with few like-minded believers in a designated house or location like the Apostles did. God wants all believers –Jews and non-Jews – to worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman: “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:21-24). 

Therefore, you who profess to love God, worship God in the Spirit through Jesus Christ wherever you go. And like the patriarchs of old, erect an altar (a holy and sincere heart) to the Lord wherever you pitch your tent. We do not need more denominations or organizations. Nor do we need to participate in the institutions engaged in apostasy today. The home Church that was established in Eden, affirmed in the Gospel, and was maintained by early commandment-keeping Apostles. 

It is a common belief that many Churches were founded by the apostles, especially Paul. How true this may be, I cannot tell. However I know from scriptures that it is only God that can form a Church. The apostles won converts for Christ in diverse places, and anywhere those converts worshipped God, that place was called ‘the Church of God at ‘place of worship’. For example, Paul, in 1 Corinthians 1:2 writes: “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ, both theirs and ours.”    

There are twelve separate places where the New Testament records that the true Church is kept in the name of God. Five refer to the entire Church, or body of Christ, as a whole. Another four speak of a specific local congregation, while using the same term “Church of God.” Three other references speak collectively of all the individual local congregations combined.  All these references use the term “Churches of God” (Acts 20:28; I Cor. 1:2; 10:32; 11:16, 22; 15:9; II Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:13; I Tim. 3:5, 15; I Thes. 2:14; II Thes.1:4). 

In modern days, various mainstream denominations may have adopted the name “Church of God” with a few affixes, but are teaching variety of false doctrines. The Church Jesus built is not exclusive to any body or religions. The true Church knows what lies ahead for humanity—including both the short-term bad news and the long-term good news. True Christians understand prophecy and do not take matters into their own hands to try and play the role of Christ by organising followers after themselves. The Church Jesus built is not involved in the ‘image laundering’. The Church of God portrayed in Revelation 12, shows man that he is utterly incapable of governing himself or solving his problems without the help of God! We read how Christ prayed in John 17, “Sanctify them through Your TRUTH: Your word is TRUTH.” The Church that Christ founded, believes and teaches the plain truth, only the truth, and nothing but the truth!

·    Be it, Catholicism, (For more than a thousand years the Roman Catholic Church was the principal church   of Christianity, and have since divided into different sects like Protestantism, Pentecostalism, evangelicalism, Baptist, Methodist, and more);

·    Islamism (founded by Mohammed 622 A.D.); 

·    Judaism (originated from Moses, and assumed its modern form in 586 B.C.) 

·    Buddhism (founded in 6th c. B.C. by Gautama Buddha); 

·    Bahaism (founded by Baha’u’llah in 1863 and incorporates Christian and Islamic tenets); 

·    Confucianism (by Confucius, a Chinese philosopher, at the end of 6th B.C.);

·    Hinduism (one of the oldest religion, founded since 2000 B.C. by the indigenous Indians; it spreads into Brahmanism, Krishnaism, Shaktism, Shivaism, Vishnuism, Vedism, and Yoga. It is a religion of the majority of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal); 

·    Shintoism (indigenous religion of the Japanese, characterized by a veneration of nature spirits and of ancestors, founded in the 6th c. and was revived in the 17th c.);

·    Unitarianism (developed in Poland in the late 16th c., stresses individual freedom of belief and rejects the Trinity); 

·    Animalism (holds the doctrine that there is a no distinction between man and animal); 

·    Atheism (a godless religion); 

·    Shamanism (Any animistic religion);

·    Pantheism (a religion that tolerates all gods or The doctrine or belief that God is the universe and  regards the universe as a manifestation of God)

·    Second Adventism (Adventism is strongly Protestant and observes Saturday as the Sabbath, while Second Adventism holds the view that the second coming of Jesus as Judge for the Last Judgment is imminent); 

·    or any other new age “ism”; including Scientism or (associated with American writer, L. Ron Hubbard in 1955 and characterized by a belief in the power of a person's spirit to clear itself of past painful experiences through self-knowledge and spiritual fulfilment); 

·    and Traditionalism (a religious teaching that strictly believes that all cultural and traditional knowledge of doctrines are divine revelation and that it is transmitted from ancestral generations, it is a common religious practice of most of Africa): 

The Emerging “Third Way” of Apostate Religion and Globalization

The campaigners of one of America’s fastest growing religious spiritual movements, “The Emergent Church” champions the neo-Marxist call for a utopian society through spiritual evolution where good and evil merge to form a better “third way”. This idea derives from the belief system of German philosopher, George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and finds its contemporary manifestation in the “Third Way” movement of Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Barak Obama. In the Third Way, capitalism, socialism, and communism merge to form a misanthropic combination of the three. This blending is now represented in simple terms like “The New World Order” and “The New Enlightenment.”

The Third Way promotes a toxic blend of communism, socialism, atheism, and cosmic humanitarianism. The Third Way believes in universal health care, government-subsidized housing and education, global radical environmentalism or “green politics”, Fabianism, Socialism, and the likes. To hear evangelicals tell us that we need practices that were never spelled out in the Bible to become more like Christ or to get closer to God is astonishing. What is more astonishing is that colleges, seminaries, and church denominations are requiring their students and members to study practices that are relics of Medieval Rome, not found in the Bible, and closely akin to the practices of manly pagan societies. The bottom line is that the Interfaith Church Movement, the Emergent Subversive Church Movement, and the Spiritual Reformation Movement all lead to the richly endowed Harlot Church of Revelation chapter 17. 

The true Church of God was inside God from the beginning. Jesus Christ was inside God from the very beginning of creation. Just as the body cannot live in isolation from the head, even so, Jesus Christ cannot live in Isolation from the Church, since He is the head of the Church. The Church basically is a conglomeration of true worshippers of Jesus Christ who are gathered together to seek the face of God. 

It has always been God’s plan for the Church to be a spiritual body of authority. In the fourteenth chapter of the gospel of John, while all the disciples were gathered together with Jesus, and as such, forming a Church, Phillip, one of the twelve said to Jesus: “Lord, show us the Father and it is sufficient for us” (Verse 8). Jesus understood that what Phillip was requesting was a normal craving for all true worshippers of God (to see God); therefore Jesus replied: “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me… Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to My Father. (John 14: 11-12) ” 

Let’s take a closer look at this very technical passage of Scripture. Sensual knowledge will tell us that the two statements: “I am in the Father” and “the Father is in Me” are mutually exclusive. Howbeit, through desperate attempts to break down this scripture, and by grace, I found out that Jesus Christ was talking about His body (the Church of God) being inside of God: “I am in My Father”. Also, the Holy Spirit Being inside His body – the Church: “And the Father in Me”. 

Most people who refer to the Trinity as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit often have a hierarchical view of God. Some will say God the Father is the first God, followed by God the Son –Jesus Christ, then God the Holy Spirit is third Person of the Godhead. This assertion is not true, as it has the capacity to cause the Church to derail. The truth remains that there is only one God. Isaiah calls Him “the Holy One of Israel.” 

Now, God the Everlasting Father is God. Jesus Christ is God and the Holy Spirit is the same One God with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, and He is also the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Because of the scope of this book I will stop there and encourage you to believe that for a start. As you read on I hope you will understand. Due to the fact that it was the Holy Spirit who empowered Mary’s womb to carry the Holy Seed of God –Jesus Christ; He (Jesus) also found it appropriate to refer to the Holy Spirit as His Father, even after referring to God, the Eternal Creator, as His Father. 

How Religion has Derail the Church of God for 2000 years

So who is behind this suppression of the Church which could have unleashed crucial knowledge that could have restored humanity to its previous glorious state? Is the Church in complete apostasy now? How can you identify with the true Church now? Answers to these questions and much, much more are herewith revealed.

Religion has been responsible for the ‘in-action’ of the Holy Spirit for most part of 2000 years. The truthful and trustworthy knowledge that would have completely erased mankind’s problems was held back from the world since the first century, leaving humanity dumbfounded on how it could have solved its problems –disease, poverty, and death. This amazing understanding is now revealed—along with the conspiracy to suppress it. Billions are now being deceived. Previous billions have been! Even you and I have been lied to. A complete seduction has taken place, and all the world’s religions have played a big part in it. The leaders of these religions are being deceived that they are on the right path to solving the world’s problems, but they are not. The vital knowledge of the gospel would have shown mankind the solution to its most insoluble problems. And yet, except for the apostle John, all the original apostles were martyred for teaching the truth of God’s authoritative gospel. 

Every supposed “great religion” of the world has helped suppress it. Theologians neither comprehend nor are willing to teach the truth. A correct understanding of the true gospel reveals crucial knowledge. It contains a dimension of understanding that cannot be discovered by scientific inquiry. The Bible states that, since his rebellion prior to the creation of man, Satan has greatly “deceived the nations” (Revelations 20:3) and “weakened the nations” (Isaiah 14:12) in understanding the critical knowledge explaining God’s true purpose for His Church. His deception has been complete. We will explore how he deceived the Church into believing another gospel. “The entire world remains deceived about the fact that it is deceived!” (David C. Pack, the Awesome Potential of Man, pg. 10)