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To: Jvette; HossB86

“A simple search of the word church in the Bible reveals that its usage is not limited to describing only the believers, but rather an institution of beliefs, elders, and such.”

A simple search shows it typically refers to congregations - religious assemblies. The Greek word means simply an assembly of people, and is used in one place in the NT to describe a riot.

It is also used to refer to the universal church stretching thru time, but there has never been a unified - a truly catholic - organization of congregations or believers.

See here for 114 uses in 111 verses:

http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1577&t=ESV


296 posted on 01/23/2011 5:24:11 PM PST by Mr Rogers (Poor history is better than good fiction, and anything with lots of horses is better still)
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To: Mr Rogers

So when Paul says for instance, in Corinthians,

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say,
and that there be no divisions among you,
but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.”

he was not speaking to them to be united in faith and beliefs?

And if he were, does that not imply that there is a central and universal truth to which he wished all would adhere?

Church is always used singularly, for the church was to be as one. One mind, one faith, one baptism. Just as Jesus prayed for it to be.


320 posted on 01/23/2011 5:57:40 PM PST by Jvette
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