What was Jesus talking about? What is the immortal assembly or ekklêsia which he said he would form, and where is it located? Is it an earthly religious organisation in this world – a church – or is it a heavenly assembly that has as its members the saints who have become immortals?
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Many people have been caused to believe that Jesus foretold the formation of "God's
Church" or "a true Church of God" somewhere here on Earth. That is because numerous
churches and preachers have quoted the 1769 King James version's rendering of Matthew
16:18, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it", and have then proceeded to form all kinds of dogmas around that wording. But,
those are dogmatic claims based on translations and teachings of men. The important
question is, really what was Jesus talking about? What is the immortal assembly
or ekklêsia which he said he would form, and where is it located? In other
words: Is it an earthly religious organisation in this world – a church – or is
it a heavenly assembly that has as its members the saints who have become immortals?
This essay takes a closer look at verse 18 in chapter 16 in the book of Matthew,
including the context and the Greek text and other linguistic matters, in order
to find out what Jesus really meant.
Let us begin this study by considering two different translations of the last part of Matthew 16:18:
[...] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (KJV-1769)
[...] I will build my assembly, and hades' gates shall not prevail against it. (DBY)
A note: This verse, including its first part, will be discussed in more detail below, as well as 1 Corinthians 15:55 where the apostle Paul in connection with the saints' promised immortality used the word hadês, "grave" and wrote, "O grave, where is your victory".
Most bible-translators have put the word "church" in Matthew 16:18, and again, a lot of dogmas have been built around that translation "I will build my church". Because of that wording, many have wondered, "Where is the church Jesus built?" But, the Greek word in question, ekklêsia, meant "an assembly". The word "church" is not a translation of ekklêsia but is of a very different origin; that may be why for instance Tyndale used the noun "church" only twice, both times as a reference to buildings connected to idol-worship. (The actual origin and meaning of the English word "church" will be explained later in this essay.)
In short: What does Matthew 16:18 mean? How should it be understood? This paper gives a straight and clear answer to that question. Further, the background of the phrases and concepts "God's Church" and "the Church of God", and the old, Catholic "true church" dogma, will be sorted out. Even the Greek words petra and petros in Matthew 16:18 will be considered. A deeper analysis of Matthew 16:18-19 is very important, in regard to several different things. (Verse 19 is discussed later in this essay, and especially in the essay eb08c.htm which takes a closer look at the "keys of the Reign of the Heavens" that are mentioned in that verse.)
The meaning and origin of the word "church" will be explained in more detail later in this essay, but in short: The English word "church" comes, via the Middle English chirche, from the Old English cirice. And then, it is said that cirice in its turn came from the Greek phrase kyriake oikia (kuriakê oikia) which meant "the Lord's house". But – which lord did that refer to? The answer is that it referred to the lord which emperor Constantine caused people to bow down to – the sun-god Mithra, Sol Mithras Deus Invictus. In short, the Catholic phrase kuriakê oikia, which is the origin of the word "church", points to the house of Mithra. Again, there is more on this below; see also the essay eg06b.htm which has more on that subject.
Please note that the correct translation is "I will build my assembly" or "I will establish my assembly". The word "church" is not a correct translation of the Greek word ekklêsia; the essay eg06b.htm has more on this.
First, one must understand that the phrase "and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" simply refers to the fact that the assembly which Jesus said he would form, is not an earthly one; it is a heavenly assembly that consists of immortal members, among them the resurrected/changed saints. That is why "the gates of hades" could not and would not prevail against that assembly or its members. (The essays eb04c.htm, eb05b.htm and ex11b.htm have more on the saints and Heaven.)
The Greek text says pulai hadou, "gates of hades". The word hadou, genitive of hadês (haidês), was simply a reference to the grave. (In those days, Jewish graves often were tombs with heavy gates or doors.) So, what Jesus said was that the "doors of the grave" would not prevail against the assembly he was forming. That was because its members were to be immortal.
The apostle Paul knew that. That is the reason why he wrote in his letter to the saints in Corinth, "O grave, where is your victory":
1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? (AKJV)
Verse 55: The word Paul used was hadês, "grave". He wrote, "O grave, where is your victory". Many translations have "O Hades, where is your victory" (1 Corinthians 15:55), but again, Paul used the word hadês as a reference to the grave (death). That is the same word which appears in the genitive form hadou in Matthew 16:18:
Matthew 16:18 [...] I will build my assembly, and hades' gates shall not prevail against it. (DBY)
In those passages, hadês refers to the grave, and death in general. In both cases, the point is that "the gates of the grave" would not and could not prevail against Jesus or against the saints. They were to (and did) become immortals. (The essay eb09c.htm has more on the subject of resurrection.)
A note: As was mentioned above, in those days, Jewish graves often were tombs with heavy gates or doors. For an example of this, see Matthew 27:57-60 regarding the grave or tomb where Jesus was put after his death (and which then could not hold him or "prevail against him", because he was raised up to new life).
A side-note: The Greek text of Matthew 16:18 has the words pulai hadou, "gates of hades". (Pulai is plural of pulê; hadou is genitive of hadês.) In ancient Greece, the word pulartês ("gate-keeper") was sometimes used of the Greek gods who were though to be guarding the gates of Haidês (or Hadês), the abode of the dead. But, Jesus was not talking about Greek idol-myths; the phrase pulai hadou in Matthew 16:18 simply referred to death and the grave.
There is more on the immortal assembly of Matthew 16:18, later in this essay, but let us first consider some of the context, and the words petra and petros in verse 18.
Jesus said to the apostle Peter (whose Aramaic name was Kephas, "stone", in Greek Petros):
Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that you are John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He said to them, But whom say you that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also to you, That you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (AKJV)
Matthew 16:13 Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 They said, "Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 I also tell you that you are Peter, [1] and on this rock [2] I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades [3] will not prevail against it. (WEB19Aug08, original margin notes)
[1] 16:18 Peter's name, Petros in Greek,
is the word for a specific rock or stone.
[2] 16:18 Greek, petra, a rock mass or bedrock.
[3] 16:18 or, Hell
A note: In the Greek text of verses 18 and 19, the word for "you" is soi, singular. Thus, it seems that Jesus directed those words specifically to Peter, telling him about his plans. But, on that occasion as a whole, Jesus was talking to his disciples, plural, and the subject was not Peter but Jesus himself – "Who do men say that I the son of man am" (verse 13 and onward). Also: The immortal assembly Jesus was forming, was based on Jesus and not on Peter. Peter was only a small stone among other small stones; it was Jesus who was the petra, the solid rock of the foundation. Not Simon the son of Jonah who was called Petros ("stone") but Jesus the Petra, "Rock". (Another note: Most English translations have in verse 16 the word "Christ", as a "translation" of the Greek ho christos. The essay eg07b.htm explains what the phrase ho christos actually means.)
In other words: The petra of Matthew 16:18 is the same as the petra of Romans 9:33 and 1 Corinthians 10:4 (and also Matthew 7:24-25 and Luke 6:47-48), and the lithos of Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17 and 1 Peter 2:7, and the akrogôniaios of Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:6. See those verses in your own bible.
It is fully clear that in Matthew 16:18, the word petra, "rock", referred to Jesus himself, because he, Jesus, was and is the Rock upon which that immortal assembly was then built. The word petros (a smaller stone), on the other hand, referred to the apostle Peter. His name was actually Simon, but Jesus called him Kephas – a name of Aramaic origin which translated into Greek as Petros – see John 1:42:
John 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, You are Simon the son of Jona: you shall be called Cephas [kêphas], which is by interpretation, A stone [petros]. (AKJV, comments added)
A note: Apparently, the word kêphas in the Greek text Greek of that verse was a transliteration of the Aramaic keph, "a stone". The English name "Peter" is a corruption of the Greek petros, "stone".
Again, regarding Matthew 16:18: The word petros, "stone", referred to Peter, but the word Petra, "Rock" in that verse and in Romans 9:33 and 1 Corinthians 10:4 (and also in Matthew 7:24-25 and Luke 6:47-48), referred to Jesus who was the "chief corner of the foundation". The apostle Paul noted:
1 Corinthians 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (AKJV)
Jesus is the Foundation, the Rock upon which the rest of that spiritual Dwelling of God was built, the saints being smaller stones in that building.
See even 1 Peter 2:5, and Isaiah 28:16, Psalms 118:22, Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:5. The essay ea05c.htm has more on this, and shows that the passages which talk about "the chief corner-stone" do not picture Jesus as a "capstone" as some have claimed but rather – as even the above-quoted 1 Corinthians 3:11 shows – as the main stone of the foundation.
So, in Matthew 16:18, the word petra, "rock", referred to Jesus. It could be that on that occasion, Jesus was speaking in Aramaic, but we can safely assume that the New Testament's Greek-language record of that event, with the words petros-petra, is correct. We do not know what gestures were eventually made when those words were said, but it could be Jesus first pointed at Kêphas (Simon Peter, Petros), and then at himself (Jesus the Petra, the Rock).
Many bible-versions have "church" in Matthew 16:18, but the Greek word was ekklêsia which meant "an assembly" (such as "a legislative assembly", "a public meeting for open discussion", and so on). Quoting the synopsis of the entry "Ecclesia" in Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898):
"The assembly of the people, which in Greek cities had the power of final decision in public affairs".
Ekklêsia was combined of the preposition ek, "out", and a derivative of the verb kaleô which meant "to call". In other words: The literal meaning of the word ekklêsia was something like "called out ones", "summoned ones". In ancient Greece, ekklêsia referred to a gathering of citizens who had been called out from their homes into some public place, for an assembly. The English word "assembly" has almost the same meaning, in its non-religious use. The word "church" has no support or basis in the Greek text of the New Testament. (There is more on the origin and meaning of the English noun "church" elsewhere in this essay, and especially in the essay eg06b.htm.)
The important question regarding the assembly mentioned in Matthew 16:18 is this: Was Jesus speaking about an assembly of mortals here on Earth? Obviously not. Since he said that "the gates of hades" (that is, death and the grave) would not prevail against the ekklêsia that he was forming, it is clear that he must have meant that the members of that ekklêsia would be persons who have been made immortal.
A number of things in the Bible indicate that formerly, certain "powers and principalities" had somehow had "the power of death" over humans (see Hebrews 2:14 and other similar passages). Jesus the Saviour was taking such powers away from those "powers and principalities", and was forming an immortal assembly that they could not prevail against.
A more careful study of the New Testament shows that Jesus told his disciples that they would sit together with him at his throne; the ruler's seat which Jesus shares with his Father. That is not a "church"; that is a heavenly ekklêsia (assembly) administering God's awesome Reign.
For more on what the Reign of Heaven, also called the Reign of God or the Kingdom of God, really is, please read the essay eo01b.htm.
Regarding "the keys of the Reign of the Heavens" which are mentioned in Matthew 16:19, see the next point, below, and also the essay eb08c.htm.
Jesus knew well that the powers controlling this world would arrange Jesus to be killed, as well as many of his disciples. Thus, it is clear that his point must have been that both he himself and the ekklêsia he was forming, would despite that not come to their end, and that his plans would not be hindered by the murderous "powers and principalities" who controlled this world.
Jesus was killed, and so were many of his disciples. But, the gates of hadês (grave, death) could not prevail against them; after their resurrection/change, they were immortal. In short: The immortal ekklêsia Jesus spoke about is in the heavenly realm and consists of immortals.
It is true that in later passages of the New Testament, the word ekklêsia often pointed to the saints' local communities, but when it comes to Matthew 16:18, it is clear that Jesus was talking about an ekklêsia of a different kind. It is fully clear that the ekklêsia Jesus said he would form, was a spiritual, heavenly assembly whose members administer the Reign of God together with Jesus and his Father.
That is precisely what Jesus said that his disciples would do. The next verse, 19, records how Jesus spoke about that to Peter (the other disciples were listening, and other passages show that even they would share those things):
Matthew 16:18 'And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it; 19 and I will give to thee the keys of the reign of the heavens, and whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens.' (YLT, highlighting added)
The keys of the Reign of the Heavens have nothing to do with churches. Those keys are connected to rulership. However, those disciples did not receive those "keys" (that rulership) while they still lived in bodies of flesh. It is clear that the ekklêsia Jesus on that occasion was talking about, would consist of immortal beings – it was to be a spiritual, heavenly ekklêsia whose members administer the Reign of God together with Jesus and his Father.
A note: Again, even though Jesus on the occasion recorded in Matthew 16:18-19 was speaking to Peter, other passages in the NT show that that rulership and those keys were not unique to Peter. Even the other disciples were to be given those things.
The essay eb08c.htm has more on Matthew 16:19 and the "keys of the Reign of the Heavens" – the rulership which Jesus promised to give to his disciples.
The essay eo10d.htm takes a closer look at Matthew 6:33 and the phrase "seek first the kingdom of God", and what Jesus meant – in what way the disciples were to "seek the Kingdom of God".
And again, the essay eo01b.htm considers what the Bible really says about the Reign of Heaven, also called Reign of God (or "Kingdom of God" as some have it) and what, when and where it really is.
Even though this is not what Jesus was speaking about on the occasion recorded in Matthew 16:18, later the word ekklêsia came to be used of the saints' local communities.
That word appears in around 118 New Testament passages. Examples: "The ekklêsia that was in Jerusalem", "the ekklêsia in Antioch", "all the ekklêsiai of the nations" (plural), "the ekklêsia in their house", "the ekklêsiai of the Anointed" (plural), the ekklêsiais of Galatia" (plural). And so on. There was not only one ekklêsia of that kind; there were many of them.
It is important to understand that the saints' fellowships were communities, more than anything else. They were not "churches", nor were they a "two hours a week" thing. They were a seven-days-a-week matter; again, more like a community. The book of Acts and Paul's letters show that the saints met in private homes. ("Met": Not as people meet in churches. No; more like communities. Their being together had to do with many areas of life and not only "religion". And, they met and were together throughout the week, and not only a couple of hours on the weekends.)
In those fellowships or communities, people were equal. There were no "ranks", nor any "ordination". Indeed, the very concept "ordination" is an invention of men, and has no support in the Greek text of the New Testament. For more on this, please read the essays ee02b.htm and ee01c.htm – but here is a short synopsis, quoting what Jesus said to his disciples:
Matthew 23:8 "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 "And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 "And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. (NASB-77)
However, some decades later when the apostles and other saints were not around any longer, things changed and onto the scene came something totally different: A hierarchical religious organisation controlled and run by a "priesthood" – a "church". That new system had a "priesthood", consisting of men who were very different from what the apostles had been like.
A note: The word "hierarchy" really means "priest-rule" (hier-archy). In ancient Greece, a hierarchês was someone who "presided over sacred rites": A high priest (of the Greek idol religion).
The saints had no hierarchies, and they had no priests besides Jesus.
And again, Matthew 16:18 is not about the saints' local communities; it is about an immortal ekklêsia in the heavenly realm.
(A note on the word "immortal": It means "not liable to die" – under certain circumstances not ageing but ever-living. But, the matter of immortality and everlasting life is something for a separate study.)
The word "church" came into use in the English language some time before the 12th century. The Wycliffe translation (1395) used the word "church" (chirche), but then, for instance Tyndale (1525) did not. Tyndale properly translated ekklêsia as "congregacion" (he spelled it that way). Well, even Tyndale did use the noun "church" – twice, in Acts 14:13 and Acts 19:37 which refer to buildings connected to idol-worship. That is interesting to note.
In the early 1600s when James the king of England ordered a new bible-translation to be made, he insisted that the word "church" was to be used, instead of "congregation" or similar. James' reasons for demanding the use of certain words in his new translation, were largely of political nature. The essay es03c.htm has more on the KJ version and on the men involved in producing it. The essay ew02c.htm has more on the rulers and governments of this world and whom they really serve; that essay also sorts out the "divine right of kings" that James claimed to possess.
The essay eg06b.htm has more on the meaning and origin of the word "church", but in short: It is said to come via the Middle English chirche and the Old English cirice, from the Greek phrase kyriake oikia (kuriakê oikia) which meant "the Lord's house", and which has been in consistent use since the 300s. In other words: The phrase kuriakê oikia refers to the religious organisation whose de facto founder was the emperor Constantine – the Catholic Church. And then, it is important to know that Constantine and his church worshipped the Lord Mithra the sun-god, Sol Mithras Deus Invictus (or really, Constantine caused people to bow down to Mithra, deceiving them and masquerading that idolatry as "Christianity").
Thus, in that phrase kuriakê oikia, the word kuriakê ("of the lord") refers to the lord Mithra, and the word oikia refers to the house of Mithra, including the Mithra-serving organisation and religion that Constantine de facto set up and then made into state religion. In other words: The phrase kuriakê oikia which is the origin in the word "church", has nothing to do with the Lord Jesus or his Father or their House, but refers to the lord Mithra and his house. Again, the essay eg06b.htm has more on this. (There is some information on emperor Constantine under the heading "Constantine" on the index-page keyw-c3.htm.)
Many English-speaking preachers copy the old, Catholic "true church" dogma, applying it to their own church. They claim that there is "a true church" somewhere on Earth, and (of course) claim that their own church is that "True Church". Some of those preachers further claim that "the True Church" supposedly must have the phrase "church of God" in its name.
Some comments on that:
"I will build" (Matthew 16:18). Above, it was shown that Jesus' words "I will build my assembly" do not refer to an earthly religious organisation here on Earth but to an immortal, heavenly assembly that includes resurrected/changed saints, who together with Jesus administer the Reign of God. Again, the assembly Jesus said he would form, was not a mundane one but a heavenly one. (The essay eo01b.htm has more on God's Reign or Kingdom; the essay eb08c.htm has more on Matthew 16:19 and "the keys of the Reign of the Heavens". The essay eb04c.htm has more on the saints and Heaven.)
"Church". The actual origin and meaning of the word "church" was explained above. It was shown that the word "church" is a construction which lacks support in the Greek text of the New Testament, and that it actually refers to the Mithra-worshipping religious organisation which the emperor Constantine de facto founded. The essay eg06b.htm has more details on that subject.
"True name". Some of those who claim that there is a "True Church", further claim that it must have the words "Church of God" in its organisation name. They say that to be "biblical". They quote the eight (8) passages that in the 1769 KJ version contain the phrase "church of God" (and three with the plural form "churches of God"), and claim those passages to "prove" something. But again, not even the word "church" is biblical, even though so many bible-translations have it. The origin and actual meaning of the English word "church" was explained earlier in this essay, and there is more on that matter in the essay eg06b.htm. And, as to the manner of those preachers to quote eight NT passages and ignoring all the rest – let us look at that matter.
As was mentioned earlier, the Greek word in question is ekklêsia. How is that word used in the Bible? It occurs 118 (one hundred and eighteen) times in the NT. The first is Matthew 16:18, "I will build my assembly (ekklêsia)"; earlier in this essay it was pointed out that that passage does not refer to an assembly of mortals. Examples of other passages with the word ekklêsia (quoting the YLT, Young's Literal Translation): Matthew 18:17, "say it to the assembly"; Acts 7:38, "this is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness"; Acts 8:1, "there came in that day a great persecution upon the assembly in Jerusalem"; Acts 14:23, "having appointed to them by vote elders in every assembly"; Acts 19:32, "the assembly was confused, and the greater part did not know for what they were come together"; Acts 19:39 "in the legal assembly it shall be determined"; Acts 19:41, "and these things having said, he dismissed the assembly" (ekklêsia, which in this case was a public meeting); Romans 16:4, "the assemblies of the nations"; Romans 16:16, "the assemblies of Christ"; 1 Corinthians 11:18, "coming together in an assembly"; 1 Corinthians 14:28, "and if there may be no interpreter, let him be silent in an assembly"; 1 Corinthians 16:1, "the assemblies of Galatia"; 2 Corinthians 8:19, "who was also appointed by vote by the assemblies"; Colossians 4:15, "the assembly in his house"; Revelation 1:15, "the seven assemblies that are in Asia" – and so on, altogether 118 passages.
Point: For the first, there was not only one ekklêsia (assembly); there were many of them. Secondly, those assemblies were called by names pointing to their locality – Acts 7:38, "the assembly in the wilderness" (which was ancient Israel); Acts 11:22, "the assembly that is in Jerusalem"; Romans 16:5, "the assembly at their house"; Colossians 4:16, "the assembly of the Laodiceans"; Revelation 2:12, "the assembly in Pergamos" – or by some name, such as (Ephesians 3:21) τε εκκλησια εν Χριστω Ιησου, "the assembly in the Anointed Jesus", and so on.
In short: The "true name" dogma is nonsense. And again, one must remember that the word "church" – from chirche, cirice, from the Greek phrase kuriakê oikia, "the Lord's house" – points to the Lord Mithra who was and is served by the idol-worshipping organisation which the emperor Constantine de facto founded. The essay eg06b.htm has more on this.
"Church eras". Some preachers combine their "true church" dogma with a dogma about "church eras". But, anyone who reads the Bible with open eyes, can easily find out that the Scriptures do not mention or support any such concept as "eras of the church". The assemblies to which the Lord sent messages via the apostle John, were contemporary and they existed, not in our day but in the first century, in the days when John wrote what we call "the book of Revelation". Apparently, the doctrine about "seven eras of the church" was invented by the Freemason and Baptist preacher William Miller (1782-1849). It is quite obvious that he produced that dogma for the purpose of creating a new "history" for the new religious grouping that he was founding – a history that was not through the Catholic Church but instead parallel with it, so that he could claim that his own grouping supposedly was "apostolic", "original" and "pure". But, Miller's "eras" dogma is not only unbiblical but also in conflict with the facts of history. Among many other things it can be noted that the medieval groups which he claimed to have been "eras of the true church", were nothing but dissent within the Catholic Church, and splits from it. For more on the "eras" dogma, see the essay ea03d.htm.
"Church mother" or "Mother Church". The Bible does not mention any such thing as "a church as a mother". The passage in question (Galatians 4:26 with context) does not talk about "a church", it talks about the heavenly Jerusalem. The essay ea02d.htm has more on the doctrine regarding "church as a mother", and shows that it lacks biblical basis.
"144,000". Many churches add to their claims of "originality" and "apostolicity" a deception where the members of that church, or some part of them, are claimed to form the 144,000 of the book of Revelation. But the facts, of course, are that that first-fruits group of 144,000 consists of those who were the first-fruits: Those who were sealed by the Holy Spirit in the first century. The essay et03c.htm has more on this, and contains also a study on the great multitude who will be sealed with the Holy Spirit in the "end time".
"Signs". Some preachers talk about "the signs of the true church of God". Those preachers produce bundles of dogmas and claims of different kinds (their own inventions, teachings of men), and then they proceed to present those invented things as "proofs" that their church supposedly is "the True Church". But, those things are not biblical; they are merely something that preachers invent, as a part of their marketing effort for "selling" their church to new people. The essay ec09b.htm shows what sign really shows who are God's people. The essay eg03c.htm considers who really is a saint. And then, the essay eg04b.htm shows what happened to the saints, in the first century, and gives also a short synopsis of what later has come to be called "the Early Church" (which is to say, the first stages of the Catholic Church).
"Going to church for worship". Many people have been caused to consider that as something very important. But, the facts are that the saints had no temples or church buildings, and no altars or mortal priests. Nor did their fellowship consist of meeting for two hours once a week; their fellowship was more a matter of daily community life – they were together throughout the week, all days. The essay ea04c.htm has more on the matter of "worship".
"Church membership is required for salvation". Many preachers have added to their "true church" dogmas a claim that it is (only) through belonging to the preacher's church that people can be saved, or become a part of "the elect" (or whatever). But, all that is a shameless deception, copying an old Catholic dogma. The saints were not saved by "belonging to a church"; they were saved by belonging to Jesus. Again, the word and concept "church" is not biblical, even though most bible-translators (working for churches) have put that word in their translations. (There are some bible-versions which never mention the word "church". As was mentioned above, for instance Tyndale used the noun "church" only twice, both times as a reference to buildings connected to idol-worship.)
The essay eg01c.htm considers the words "heathen", "gentile" and "pagan", and the way they are used in the "Christian" world. More: The saints (people of the first century) were elected, called, sanctified, and more – but what about people of our day? The essay eb02b.htm has more on that matter; the essay eg02c.htm takes a look at a related, important subject.
But, despite these clear facts and much more, some preachers nevertheless claim that there supposedly is, somewhere here on Earth, "a True Church" which (supposedly) "must have the words 'Church of God' in its name". Why do those preachers come up with that claim? Again, the simple answer is that the whole thing is merely a marketing trick. When preachers claim that their church is "true" or "original" or "the True Church of God" (sometimes even, "the only True Church") – that simply is something those preachers do for gaining followers. However, those churches, and churches in general, have nothing to do with the true Jesus and his Father. (Again, the essay eg06b.htm sorts out the meaning of the word and concept "church".)
The essay eg07b.htm explains the meaning of the words Christ, Christian, Messiah and Messias, and considers whether or not the saints called themselves "Christians" – christianos or christianoi. The essay eo02d.htm explains the meaning of the words antichristos and pseudochristos and shows that the antichristoi/pseudochristoi (plural) whom the apostle John mentioned and whom Jesus had warned about, had already come on the scene when John wrote his letters, in the first century.
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If this page did not contain what you were looking for, see the links below, and the key-word index and the table of contents, or use the search function.
Additional reading at the Bible Pages, on related as well as other issues:
A clarifying explanation of the short names for the bible-versions quoted or mentioned at this site, such as that NKJV stands for New King James Version, YLT for Young's Literal translation, HCSB for Holman Christian Standard Bible, NRSV for the New Revised Standard Version, and so on. → es09c.htm
The origin and meaning of the word "church". → eg06b.htm
Jesus warned his disciples about false prophets, teachers of falsehood, deceivers and deception. He said that many would be deceived. → eo09e.htm
Church eras – do they exist? Are there seven "eras of the Church", as some have claimed – "Sardis era", "Philadelphian era", "Laodicean era" and so on? Is there any biblical basis for that dogma? The question in a nutshell: The seven assemblies mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3 – were they contemporary assemblies of saints in the days of John (as the book of Revelation describes them), or are they, as some have claimed, successive "eras of the Church of God" that exist in later times and continue to our day? → ea03d.htm
What does Galatians 4:26 mean? It talks about the heavenly Jerusalem and is a part of an allegory regarding the two covenants. Why have some preachers then claimed that it refers to some church? This essay finds the facts regarding the allegory of Galatians 4:21-31, and shows what the different things named in it pictured and symbolised. → ea02d.htm
Worshipping God. What does the Bible say about worship, when it comes to New Covenant times? Serving God is something important, for many believers. There is a custom to gather for worship services. Indeed, for many people, worship is the same as going to church or attending church. But, where does the word "worship" really come from, and what does it mean? And, what about praise and giving thanks and "offerings", and so on? In what way and when and where should believers be serving and worshipping God? → ea04c.htm
The meaning of the words Christ, Christian, Messiah and Messias. Also: Did the saints call themselves "Christians" – christianos or christianoi? → eg07b.htm
What is the Kingdom of God? Where is it located? Does it exist already, or is it only going to be established in the future? Or, is it only something "in the hearts of men" as some have claimed, quoting the translation "within you" in Luke 17:21? → eo01b.htm
Check your bible knowledge. A basic self-test with 15 biblical questions (with answers and commentary). → es04b.htm
How to understand the Bible. Easy keys to interpreting and understanding Scripture in a better and deeper way, by avoiding certain fundamental but common mistakes and errors in bible study. These vital keys are really the basics for objective bible study. Knowing these keys will make many things easier to interpret and comprehend, and one will see several central matters in the Bible from a new and different perspective, especially in connection with the Gospels and the Epistles. → eg02c.htm
The Promises spoken to Abraham, and the saints' heavenly Rest and Inheritance. How the earthly Land of Israel symbolised and foreshadowed a Promised Land in Heaven. Also, how the words Promise, Inheritance, Rest and Land in certain bible passages point to the same thing. → eb05b.htm
A clarification of the actual nature of the sabbatismos or Rest of Hebrews 4:9. → ex11b.htm
What does the Bible say about Heaven? What does it look like? Were the saints to go there, and if so, for how long? What about others? → eb04c.htm
What does the Bible say about resurrection? How many resurrections do the Scriptures talk about? → eb09c.htm
Is Jesus "a cap-stone on top of a pyramid" as some have claimed, or is he, as the Bible says, the main corner-stone of the foundation of God's spiritual house or dwelling? → ea05c.htm
On Jesus' teaching regarding "the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven" or "the keys of the Reign of Heaven". What did the word "keys" depict or symbolise? What is the interpretation of that passage – what was it that Jesus was saying to his disciples? Bible study notes on Matthew 16 verse 19, with context. Also, a general overview and comments on the subject of "binding and loosing". → eb08c.htm
Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you". What did Jesus mean? How were the disciples to go about "seeking the Kingdom"? Also, what did the expression "all these things" really refer to, and when and where were those things to be "added" to those disciples? → eo10d.htm
What does the Bible say about ordaining and ordination? In other words: How did the saints appoint or choose their elders? And, were those elders "ordained", and did they function as "priests" of some kind? → ee02b.htm
What does the Bible say about elders? What was their role in the saints' fellowships? Also, was there a "hierarchy" with "ranks"? → ee01c.htm
The King James bible, the Authorised Version – is it somehow "the inspired Word of God", better than other translations, or a particularly "holy" bible-version, or the best or most exact or accurate one as some have claimed? Also: In what way or sense is it authoritative, or, who "authorised" it? This essay has some details of the story behind the King James translation or KJV, including the men who were involved in producing it. Two examples of pages in KJV-1611 are included as well; one is an image showing the page with Hebrews 1, the other is a PDF-file containing a facsimile, picture format copy of the book of Matthew in the year 1611 edition of the King James version. There are also some brief remarks on the so-called "Received Text" or Textus Receptus, the Greek NT text compilation produced by the Catholic priest Gerrit Gerritszoon ("Erasmus"). → es03c.htm
What does the Bible say about authority? Who has biblical, spiritual or religious authority on the mundane, human level? Who can speak for God? Knowing the answers to those questions is a vital key to understanding the Bible in a better and deeper way. → es06d.htm
The so-called "divine right of kings" – is there such a thing? Are kings, rulers and governments appointed by God? → ew02c.htm
Essays regarding various matters in connection with religious fellowships. → keyw-a4.htm (Look under the heading "Assembly".)
Monetary things in connection with religious fellowships. → keyw-s5.htm (Look under the heading "Silver and gold".)
The identity and timing of the 144,000 and the great multitude of Revelation 7, and the first-fruits or virgins of Revelation 14:1-4 – who those groups really are, and when they came or come into existence. → et03c.htm
Covenant signs, including the sign of the New Covenant which shows who really are God's people. The Old Covenant's sign was the circumcision of males. What is the New Covenant's sign, seal or token? → ec09b.htm
The concepts "saint" and "sainthood" analysed. Does the Bible define or clarify who is a saint and what sainthood consists of? Also: Are there saints here on Earth, in our day? What do the Scriptures say concerning these things? Further: What is the etymology of the word "saint", and what does it really mean? → eg03c.htm
What happened to the saints, in the first century? Also, some notes on the "early church". → eg04b.htm
Rapture and parousia – are they biblical concepts? → eg05b.htm
What does the Bible say about calling, election, sanctification and justification? → eb02b.htm
Gentiles, pagans and heathen or heathens – what do those words mean? This exposition makes it plain and clear what the concepts "gentile", "pagan" and "heathen" actually refer to, in the Bible. → eg01c.htm
What does the Bible say about the antichrist or antichrists? The meaning of the Greek word antichristos. Also: The apostle John spoke about multiple antichristoi, plural, not a singular one only. → eo02d.htm
Are modern-day believers a "royal priesthood", or "kings and priests", as some have claimed? How should one understand 1 Peter 2:4-9 and other related passages? → eo03d.htm
Info on the goal and purpose of this site, and a contact address.
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purpose.htm
Table of contents for this site, including a synopsis or a short, summary description
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Search for specific words, phrases or bible passages at this site. →
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An alphabetical bible topic keyword index of the essays and articles at this site:
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Detailed index overview
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The essays at this site are not in "bible lesson" or "bible study course" format, nor are they meant as on-line "bible study classes" of some kind. Even though this site gives ready answers to biblical questions of many kinds, its main goal is providing food for thought on a variety of biblical subjects, and challenging and encouraging people to get started with deep personal bible study and then continue with that. (Many religious organisations and denominations have their bible lessons and correspondence courses; they are ready-made "studies" which are shrewdly constructed and written in such a manner that they lead the reader to conclusions that fit the dogmas of the group in question.) A careful, closer study of the books of the Bible with proper tools will help a believer to gain better and deeper biblical understanding. In that way, one will find out more about what the Bible really says, means and teaches. One can then, with wisdom, use that knowledge as a guide for one's life, instead of accepting as "biblical truths" whatever commercial religion – churches and their ministers (preachers) – have taught and want people to believe.
A more thorough, bible-based study with care and with thought will, not only help one to learn more, but also show one how many a popular belief has no scriptural basis or support but is altogether false and not biblical at all. This applies, not only to prophecy and "end time" related things, but also to many other subjects where prevailing dogmas are often taken "for granted". For this reason, it is extremely important for believers to personally study the Writings, and to thoroughly analyse them down to the smaller details, in order to find out the real facts. For doing that, it is not necessary to know the Hebrew, Greek or Latin languages (even though learning their letters and alphabet can be a good idea); there are modern, advanced tools which can help one to study in an effective way – see the pages es01d.htm and es02c.htm for more on this. The essay eg02c.htm supplies a number of easy, elementary keys to acquiring a better and deeper understanding of the Bible, simply by consciously and methodically avoiding certain usual errors and pitfalls.
This site is non-denominational and non-sectarian. It is not connected to any church, sect or religious organisation or movement. This site looks at things from a biblical perspective, and not from a dogmatic one. It does not claim to be without error or to "know it all" or to have a perfect or complete explanation to all things – it consists of an ongoing bible study that has been made public, and as the study goes on, the contents of these pages are revised and also expanded, with new topics and themes being addressed. Readers are invited and welcome to write to the author with thoughts and comments, or to ask questions or to point out a mistake if they feel that they have found one. For more on this, see the page purpose.htm.
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This page was created or modified 2010-01-15.