CHURCH OR CONGEGATION OR ASSEMBLY?
Bible Correctors complain about the translation of the word church in the New Testament, advising us that Ecclesia should be translated "assembly" or "congregation" but never “church,” for churches are buildings. Bible Correctors do this to fault and disparage the KJB. While we agree that churches can be buildings by extension just like synagogues, such blanket statements are hardly appropriate. Let us examine a notable Bible Corrector’s etymology and reasoning for the word "church." -- Herb Evans
Rick Norris:The English word church comes from the Old English cirice or circe, which came from the Latin curia or the Greek adjective kuriakos. This Greek adjective which comes from the Greek noun kurios (lord, ruler, or master) and which means "of or belonging to the lord" is only used twice in the Greek New Testament. It was used at 1 Corinthians 11:20 (Lord's Supper) and at Revelation 1:10 (Lord's Day).
Herb Evans:Indeed, it is the Lord's CHURCH (MY CHURCH), congregation, and assembly. The Scottish "kirk" and the German "Kirche" all follow this same etymology from the Greek "KURIAKOS."
Rick Norris:[Some say that] the English word church was derived from the secular Greek usage of this Greek adjective in referring to the imperial palace (the lord's house). The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology noted that the English word church developed from the Old English cirice that meant a "public place of worship" (p. 171).
Herb Evans:But, at first, some churches were in their private homes. The KJB sees nothing wrong with using church for an assembly in comeone’s house. How is it that the Latin Bibles use such a word for the congregation or “people" as well? Especially when Christians are God's building? Huh? Lively stones?
Rick Norris:In his 1828 dictionary, Noah Webster gave the following as the first definition for the word church: "A house consecrated to the worship of God, among Christians; the Lord's house. This seems to be the original meaning of the word."
Herb Evans:As long as one understands that the word "house" has multiple uses - no problem. The house of prayer, the house of the Lord, the house of God all fit the synagogue and also the church, and in regard both to the people and to the edifice that houses them (by extension).
Psa 74:8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land. -KJB and Geneva
Psa 74:8 Yea, they sayde in their heartes, let vs make hauocke of them altogether: thus haue they burnt vp all the houses of God in the lande. - Bishop's
My house shall be called the house of prayer . . . - Matt. 21:13
For the Son of man . . . left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. -- Mark 13:34
And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house - Luke 4:38
How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the showbread . . . -- Luke 6:4
. . . Go out. . . and compel them . . . that my house may be filled. - Luke 14:23
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. -- 1 Tim. 3:15
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God:-- 1 Pet 4:17
Rick Norris:The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church also pointed out that the English word church applied originally to a church building (p. 344). The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation noted that the term congregation "described a gathering or assembly" while the term church "suggested a structure or organization" (IV, p. 190
Lam 1:10 The enemie hath stretched out his hande vpon al her pleasant things: for she hath seene the heathen enter into her Sanctuarie, whom thou diddest commande, that they shoulde not enter into thy Church. - Geneva Bible
Herb Evans:This is a half truth in that the word "church" and the word "synagogue" have been applied to both the people and the edifice that housed them. If churches meant only buildings, why did the Geneva Bible render congregation CHURCH and other Bibles render it congregation and assembly in Lam 1:10? Huh?
Rick Norris: William Tyndale used the English word "church" for buildings or temples as seen in Acts 14:13 ["the church porch"] and Acts 19:37 ["robbers of churches"]. In Acts 14:13, there is wide latitude among the early English Bibles in that the word meant a portal, porch, or gate. It was clearly a heathen sacred place to bring garlands. Tyndale has said church porch. Still the great Bible says porch. Other Bibles say gates like the KJB. The RSV interprets the place to be a temple without any underlying Greek support. Since the heathen priest stood before the city; it is reasonable to say that it was the heathen temple entrance.
Herb Evans:The Great Bible, The Geneva Bible, The Bishop’s bible, The KJB, and even the The RV and TheRSV did not retain that renderingbut rather used gates, doors and porch without the adjective church. Why did not Tyndale render the Greek word as the church porch in Matthew 26:71 or some of the other places that the Greek word was used? Tyndale's convention was obviously to use church for any sacred places, whether heathen or Christian.
In the case of Tyndale’s rendering of churches in Acts 19:37, the softer word for temple is used here and other places with a literal meaning of sacred or HOLY PLACE, either of the Jews or the heathen or the Christians. Still, Acts 19:37 rendering of Acts 19:37 was kept in the KJB, the Great Bible, and Bishop's Bible.The Greek, which underlies Acts 19:37, is a combination of "HIERO" (holy or sacred) and "SULAO" (rob or despoil) It is found in Romans 2:22 in the singular form and in Acts 19:37 in the plural. This is also where the use of the co-opted word "SULAO" (the looser word for temple) as opposed to “NAOS” originates."HIEROS" (holy or sacred) is also used in 2 Timothy 3:15 for "holy scriptures" and Titus 2:3 for "holiness" and for Jerusalem ("Hierusalem in the older English Bibles), in other words, "Holy Shalom." Actually,"robbers of holy or sacred places" would be more literally correct than ''temple robbers." In Romans 2:22, we read of robbers of legitimately "holy" or “sacred" things (of whomever), and it is called "sacrilege." However, in Acts 19:37, we find sacrilege, “in general,” being discussed.
Rick Norris:Likewise, Miles Coverdale used the English word "church" or "churches" for buildings intended for worship. For example, the 1535 Coverdale's Bible has "churches" at Hosea 8:14 where the KJV has "temples."
Herb Evans:The choice here seems to be either "palaces" or ornate "temples." The YLT, the Bishop's, and the ASV render it "palaces, while the KJB and the Geneva go with "temples." God’s people are both a church and a temple of God. Nevertheless, the conclusion that a church was only a building is being read into all this.
Rick Norris:It also has "churches" (Lev. 26:31, Amos 7:9) where the KJV has "sanctuaries." In a sermon in the official Church of England Homilies, it is stated: "We have in the first part of this Homily declared by God's Word, that the temple or church is the house of the Lord" (Griffiths, Certain Sermons, pp. 170-171). It also stated: "The material church or temple is a place appointed for the people of God to resort together unto" (p. 164).
Herb Evans:The Geneva, the YLT and the KJB have sanctuaries. Again, Norris keeps quoting half and partial truths. Who cares how an old homily viewed it. You could find the same idea today in an Episcopal or Catholic Church. In Psalm 22:22, the KJB, the Bishop's, and the Geneva translate the word "congregation." But now Bible Correctors have a real problem. There is a cross reference to this passage in the New Testament that make congregation and church synonymous. Thank you Jesus!
Psa 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. -- KJB
Psa 22:22 I wil declare thy Name vnto my brethren: in the middes of the Congregation will I praise thee, saying, -- Geneva
Psa 22:22 I wyll declare thy name vnto my brethren: I wyll prayse thee in the middest of the congregation. -- Bishop's
Psa 22:22 I declare Thy name to my brethren, In the midst of the assembly I praise Thee. -- YLT
Heb 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. - KJB
Heb 2:12 Saying: I wyll declare thy name vnto my brethren, in the myddes of the Churche wyll I prayse thee. - Bishop's
Heb 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy Name vnto my brethren: in the middes of the Church will I sing praises to thee. -- Geneva
Heb 2:12 saying, `I will declare Thy name to my brethren, in the midst of an assembly I will sing praise to Thee;' and again, `I will be trusting on Him;' -- YLT
Mat 26:30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
We ask our Bible Correcting friends as to where be this church building? It is one thing to quote dead men and another to quote the scriptures to support your view. I think that you are going to be in big trouble with God at the JSOC (or the White Throne). So much for church/assembly/congregation synonymy!
– Herb Evans