Ecclesia Vs Assembly

In this treaties we will be discussing which English words best define the NATURE of who is known as “the Ecclesia of God” found in the Old and New Testament. Is the NATURE of God’s ecclesia best defined as an assembly or a multitude? Can we say things like “I am part of God’s assembly” or “I am part of God’s multitude” and which one better fits the Bible’s use of the word ecclesia?

Yes the words assembly or congregation are great synonyms for the English word church and they don’t make the same prochronistic translation error that the word church does. But they carry their own personal set of translation error.

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#1 WHY DEFINE ECCLESIA AS MULTITUDE

If you read the septuagint you will see that ecclesia was first used of the people of God there.

1 Chronicles 28:8 So now, in the sight of (all Israel), (the) MULTITUDE/HOUSE of Y’H’Vah (as opposed to the house of Jacob or the house of Israel, see 1 Kings 12:21), and in the hearing of our God, I say this: Carefully observe all the commands of Y’H’Vah your God, so that you may possess this good land and may leave it as a permanent inheritance for your children after you.

Can you see that GOD’S ECCLESIA/QAHAL(Hebrew) Is synonymous with ALL ISREAL? It’s not a little assembly, It’s a people group.

Not to mention that Genesis 28:3;35:11;48:4 all show exactly the nature of “qahal” (the Hebrew word for ecclesia). That it is a mix of different peoples into one people, a MULTITUDE. These are the first references to the word “qahal” in scripture.

Genesis 28:3 God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and MULTIPLY you, that you may become a MULTITUDE of peoples.

Genesis 35:11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and A MULTITUDE of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.

Genesis 48:4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and MULTIPLY you, and I will make of you MULTITUDE of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’

Can you see now that the Hebrew word qahal and it’s greek translation ecclesia do not refer to assembly but to multitude?

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#2 GOD’S ECCLESIA ARE HIS ECCLESIA WHETHER IN CONFERENCE OR NOT

A. (Matthew 18:15-17)

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, (should be an ecclesia/assembly at this point) that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses (an assembly right?).

17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it TO THE ASSEMBLY (wait! But I already did?!). And finally, if even in the case of THE ASSEMBLY, he would still not listen, THEN let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

These verses show three christians assembled together. It doesn’t call them ecclesia until verse 17. If ecclesia is assembly then these three brothers clearly constitute an assembly and yet they are told to bring the situation before the assembly?

Here is a better rendering.

Matthew 18:17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it TO THE MULTITUDE/EVERYONE. And finally, if even in the case of THE MULTITUDE/EVERYONE he would still not listen, THEN let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

B. Why does an assembly need to assemble? Isn’t this verse referring to the PEOPLE who are assembling?

1 Corinthians 14:23 If, therefore, the whole ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLES and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?

Here is a better rendering

23 If, therefore, THE WHOLE MULTITUDE assembles and ALL speak in tongues, and ignorant or unbelievers enter, will they not say that YOU (plural) are raving?

24 But if ALL (plural) prophesy, and an ignorant or outsider enters, he is convicted by ALL (plural), he is called to account by ALL (plural),

This verse clearly shows that ecclesia refers to a plurality of individuals as shown by the plural pronouns throughout the sentence. So it could mean assembly or multitude except that the word assembly would be completely strange. It is people who need to assemble not an assembly.

C. God’s Ecclesia are not his ecclesia because they assemble but because Jesus bought them as in the following verse

1 Corinthians 1:2 TO THE CALLED MULTITUDE who belong to God, residing in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, CALLED to be saints TOGETHER with all those who in every place CALL upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

Everyone who calls on His name and is called by Him is his ecclesia whether they are assembled or not. When I am shopping, I am still His ecclesia.

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#3 GRAMMATICAL SYNTAX ERRORS WITH THE WORD ASSEMBLY REPLACING ECCLESIA

Paul didnt persecute their assembly He persecuted them even when they were not assembled

it’s much more syntactically proper to say Paul persecuted the people/multitude of Christ (those bought by His blood)

A.  Timothy 3:5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for GOD’S ASSEMBLY?

Is Paul calling us to care for assemblies or people?

Paul: OK now Timothy, if they can’t take care of their family how will they care for religious meetings / ministries.

Or

Paul: OK now Timothy, if they can’t take care of their family how will they take care of God’s family? (all His people who are bought by Him, His Multutude)

Is Paul calling us to ADMINISTRATE religious meetings, ministries, assemblies or to care for FELLOW BELIEVERS?

Here is a better rendering:

Timothy 3:5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for GOD’S MULTITUDE?

B. 1 Thessalonians 2:14 For you, brothers, became imitators of THE ASSEMBLIES (who belong to God in Christ Jesus) who are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,

Did these brothers become imitators of people or imitators of assembly meetings?

Here is a better rendering:

1 Thessalonians 2:14 For you, brothers, became imitators of THE MULTITUDES (who belong to God in Christ Jesus) who are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,

C. 1 Corinthians 14:4 The speaker of tongues builds up himself, but the prophesier builds up AN ASSEMBLY.

Paul is comparing these two ANTONYMS, SELF and ECCLESIA. Self is not an antonym for assembly. This reading would totally confuse this verse.

Here is a better rendering:

1 Corinthians 14:4 The speaker of tongues builds up himself, but the prophesier builds up A MULTITUDE.

It should also be noted that Paul is not referring to “God’s ecclesia” in this verse, he would have said THE ecclesia. The rendering I give is not only the most fair grammatically but also fits best with the whole context of this chapter.

D. Acts 16:5 Thus THE ASSEMBLIES were strengthened in the faith, and they grew in number daily.

The Sunday worship service meetings were strengthened? The Sunday worship service meetings grew in number? Of course fellowship increased but numbers and strength is referring to PEOPLE not assemblies.

Here is a better rendering:

5 Thus THE MULTITUDES were strengthened in the faith, and they grew in number daily.

E. Romans 16:4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all THE foreign ASSEMBLIES, give thanks as well.

Here we have meetings giving thanks. Have you ever been thanked by a meeting? It is not meetings that give thanks but PEOPLE.

Here is a better rendering:

Romans 16:4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all THE foreign MULTITUDES, give thanks as well.

F. 1 Corinthians 16:19 THE Asian ASSEMBLIES send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with THE ASSEMBLY at their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.

We are being greeted by religious services in Asia? Or are we being greeted by people in Asia?

Here is a better rendering:

1 Corinthians 16:19   THE Asian MULTITUDES send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with THE MULTITUDE at their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.

All the folks from Asia and all those at her house are greeting them. It isn’t referring to some religious assembly that is greeting them. Meetings don’t greet people. If that were what Paul wanted to say, he could say, those at the meetings send you greetings.

G. Galatians 1:2 and all the brothers who are with me, TO THE Galatian ASSEMBLIES:

Was Paul sending greetings to an assembly? Or was Paul greeting people?

Here’s a better rendering:

Galatians 1:2 and all the brothers who are with me, TO THE Galatian MULTITUDES:

H. 2 Corinthians 11:28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for THE ASSEMBLIES throughout.

Are we to believe that Paul is worrying about Sunday service assemblies? Or is he worried about people?

Here is a better rendering:

2 Corinthians 11:28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for THE MULTITUDES throughout.

I. Proverbs 21:16 The one who wanders from the way of wisdom will end up IN THE ASSEMBLY of the dead.

Tell us please, what do dead people do when they assemble? Do you think they sing songs in their assembly?

Here is a better rendering:

Proverbs 21:16 The one who wanders from the way of wisdom will end up IN THE MULTITUDE of the dead.

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#4 BIBLICAL SYNONYMS FOR GOD’S ECCLESIA DO NOT FIT CONFERENCES

• The following are all metaphors/synonyms found in Scripture which describe the same thing, God’s ecclesia. Just read through them and decide whether you think they are referring to an assembly or a multitude?

A. 1 Peter 2:5 YOU (plural) yourselves like living stones are being built up as A SPIRITUAL HOUSE, to be A HOLY PRIESTHOOD, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:9 But YOU (PLURAL) are A CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who CALLED YOU (plural) OUT (ecclesantos) of darkness into his marvelous light.

Titus 2:14 Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify FOR HIMSELF A PEOPLE FOR HIS OWN POSSESSION who are zealous for good works.

1. A CHOSEN RACE / OF MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE – Does this refer to the mixed multitude from Genesis or to an assembly? Am I no longer part of this race when I am not assembled with other members of this race?

2. A ROYAL/HOLY PRIESTHOOD / OF A MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE– Did Peter say you are “a royal assembly” or “a royal priesthood” of people? Am I not a part of this priesthood when I am not assembled with them?

3. A HOLY NATION/ OF MULTITUDES – Does this refer to the mixed multitude from God’s promise to Abraham/Isaac/Jacob in Genesis, or to a holy assembly of some kind? Am I not a citizen of this nation when I am not assembled with them?

4. A PEOPLE/ MULTITUDE FOR HIS OWN – An assembly for His own? NO!

5. CALLED YOU OUT / A MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE – (ecclesantos humas) Ecclesia, Ecclesantos, you don’t see a connection there? The YOU in this verse is even plural. This is a number or multitude of people who have been chosen by God but they are not some religious conference or assembly. They are His PEOPLE. The called out multitude that come from the promise way back in Genesis. Do I cease to be called out when I am not assembled with others who have been called by God?

6. A SPIRITUAL HOUSE/ A MULTITUDE OF STONES – House can refer to family or building. Do I cease to belong to this house when I am not assembled with other stones from this house? We are part of this house assembled or not. When I am cooking and going to the post office, I am still part of this spiritual house.

B. (1 Timothy 3:5,15) 5 for if someone does not know how to lead his own FAMILY, how will he care for GOD’S MULTITUDE? 15 If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in THE FAMILY of God, because it is the living God’s MULTITUDE, A BUTTRESS and support of the truth.”

(Galatians 6:2,6,9,10) 2 Bear ONE ANOTHER’S burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 6 One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches. 9 And let us not grow weary of DOING GOOD, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and ESPECIALLY to those who are of OUR FAMILY OF FAITH.

(Ephesians 2:18-22) “18 For through him we both (Hebrew and non Hebrew) have access in ONE Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are FELLOW CITIZENS with the saints and MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD/FAMILY OF GOD, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole STRUCTURE, being joined together, grows into A HOLY TEMPLE in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being BUILD TOGETHER into A DWELLING PLACE FOR GOD by the Spirit.”

1. THE FAMILY OF GOD/ FAMILY OF FAITH – Which word best fits? The family of God is His ASSEMBLY or The family of God is His MULTITUDE?

2. A BUTTRESS OR SUPPORT FOR TRUTH – How many fellowships / assemblies do christians have? How many buttresses of truth does God have? One! We are it!

C. CHRIST’S SHEEP

(Matthew 25:32,33)

32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates THE SHEEP from the goats. 33 And he will place THE SHEEP ON HIS RIGHT, but the goats on the left.

Matthew 26:31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK will be scattered.’

2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of THE SHEEP. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls HIS OWN SHEEP by name and leads THEM out. 4 When he has brought out ALL HIS OWN, he goes before THEM, and HIS SHEEP follow him, for they know his voice. 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of THE SHEEP. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but THE SHEEP did not listen to them. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for HIS SHEEP. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who DOES NOT OWN the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for MY SHEEP.16 And I HAVE OTHER SHEEP that are not of this fold. I must bring THEM also, and THEY WILL listen to my voice. So there will be ONE FLOCK, one shepherd. 27 MY SHEEP hear my voice, and I know THEM, and THEY follow me. (John 10:2-4,7,8,11,12,15,16,27)

John 21:16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend MY SHEEP.”

21 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead OUR Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of THE SHEEP, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip YOU with everything good that YOU may do his will, working in US that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20,21)

1 Peter 2:25 For you were straying LIKE SHEEP, but have now returned to THE SHEPHERD and CARETAKER of YOUR SOULS (PLURAL).

• CHRIST’S SHEEP/FLOCK – How many flocks does Christ have? many little assemblies everywhere? No! One FLOCK! Of many SHEEP. Is Christ the SHEPHERD OF HIS ASSEMBLY, or THE SHEPHERD OF HIS MULTITUDE? Am I not a sheep when I am out shopping? Do I not belong to His flock when I am eating dinner with my family?

D. THE BROTHERHOOD

1 Peter 2:17 Honor everyone. Love THE BROTHERHOOD. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

1 Peter 5:9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your BROTHERHOOD throughout the world.

• Is this brotherhood found only in religious assemblies? Can I find them at the public pool or in my office at work? There is ONE brotherhood and many members thereof. This is another synonym for ecclesia. We are all brothers who are called by God. He didn’t call it God’s clergy but God’s brotherhood.

E. THE ELECT, A CHOSEN REMNANT

(Matthew 24:21,22,24,31)

21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of THE ELECT those days will be cut short. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even THE ELECT. 31 And he will send out his messengers with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather HIS ELECT from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Luke 18:7 Wont God give justice to HIS ELECT, who cry to him day and night? , Will he delay long over THEM?

(Romans 8:32-34)

32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for ALL OF US, how will he not also with him graciously give US all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against GOD’S ELECT? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed mediates FOR US.

(Romans 11:5,7)

5 So too at the present time there is A REMNANT, CHOSEN by grace. 7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. THE ELECT obtained it, but the rest were hardened

Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of GOD’S ELECT and THEIR knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness

• Where can I find God’s elect remnant? Can I find them only at a religious assembly? Can I find them in my house? Can I find them at the mall?

PONDER ALSO THE FOLLOWING SYNONYMS:

F. THOSE BOUGHT BY CHRIST’S BLOOD

G. THE BODY OF CHRIST

H. WISE VIRGINS

J. BROTHERS IN THE FAITH

K. OLIVE BRANCHES

L. WE/US

M. THE BRIDE OF CHRIST

• This is not referring to an assembly or assemblies but to God’s mixed multitude the remnant for His possession whom He called out of darkness and saved through Christ’s atoning work.

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#5 SCRIPTURE’S LACK OF ASSEMBLY

Throughout the whole book of acts we have no recordings of these alleged Sunday services / assemblies that were supposedly going on. You would think it would be a pretty important subject, how one is to worship God. Just one verse that said tells us to worship God by gathering in a church service and some explanation of what that church / assembly service is supposed to look like. But nothing.

All we have is a picture of the NT MULTITUDE OF GOD living their lives together every day. Not making religious assemblies to sing songs at but singing praise songs all the time, every day and eating together and living in close proximity. They didn’t make ecclesias or attend ecclesias because they were the ecclesia. You can’t say that about the word assembly. It just has not place in Scripture.

The closest you will find is two references to somethings that randomly happened, supposedly on Sunday in some translations:

Acts 20:7 On the sabbath (twn sabbatwn), after the followers were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

1 Corinthians 16:2 On every sabbath, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting (for the suffering christians in Jerusalem) when I come.

These verses are said at least in the greek to have happened on “the sabbath” and there is nothing about them having a repeated special worship assembly. Only that this day they were to collect some money for the suffering Christians in Jerusalem and one night Paul happened to be in town and had a talk with them one sabbath. Other scriptures show us that their eating together was an every night thing.

Like I said. Where are our religious assemblies that were are to be holding every week to check off our list and say I did it? You’d think there’d be more instruction and recording of these events that without a shadow of a doubt were happening.

God’s ecclesia is His multitude of saved people, not an assembly.

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#6 GOD’S NT ECCLESIA DID NOT NEED TO ASSEMBLE

(Acts 2:42-46)

42 And they DEVOTED THEMSELVES to the apostles’ teaching and FELLOWSHIP (not meetings/assemblies), to the breaking of bread (eating together) and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And ALL who believed WERE TOGETHER (they didn’t need to “assemble”) and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and BREAKING BREAD in their HOMES, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 PRAISING GOD (not starting praise groups or praise assemblies once a week) and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

(Acts 4:32-37) 32 Now THE FULL NUMBER of those who believed were of ONE HEART and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had EVERYTHING IN COMMON. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

• The testimony of the WORSHIP of the NT MULTITUDE OF GOD, is clear. They were not assemblies or assemblers. They were every day God worshippers wherever they were and whomever they were with, all the time. A great multitude of brothers, not an assembly. Their lives testify to who they are. They didn’t need to assemble because they were always together.

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#7 CHRISTIAN PRIORITIES

Lets take a quiz!

Who are Christians to care for most on this list (aside from God)?

1. The un-regenerate non believing world

2. my un-regenerate non believing family members

3. The ecclesia who meet at my church

4. The ecclesia who live in my neighborhood

5. The ecclesia who live in my house

Try to put them in order of who we are to care for most according to scripture.

Galatians 6:10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

This shows that we are to care for GOD’S MULTITUDE above everyone else.

1 Timothy 5:8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

So we can now say that believers in our family go above other believers.

(Matthew 12:46,48-50) 46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

These verses put the believers/obeyers who were with Jesus above his biological family who were unbelieving saying outside that Jesus was insane.

Then there are the verses that tell us to care for everyone in general for example:

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Therefor the list is simple.

We must care for all people and in this order of priority/importance:

1. God’s ecclesia who live in our house

2. God’s ecclesia who live in our neighborhood

3. God’s ecclesia who go or don’t go to religious assemblies/ church

4. unbelieving family

5. unbelieving world

This again makes me wonder why people go to church / religious assemblies when we have God’s ecclesia who live right in our own house who we are to shepherd and fellowship with first most. (Hold on… I need to go schedule an assembly with my little brother to praise God with him. Gotta put in those hours you know.)

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#8 ONENESS THEME (no relation to oneness pentecostalism)

Many nations becoming one.

Many peoples becoming one.

The jews and gentiles as one.

All heaven and earth becoming one.

UNITY, one God , one Spirit, one Lord, one baptism and One nation which is a MULTITUDE of nations belonging to God.

(1 Corinthians 12:12-13) 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

(Ephesians 4:4-6) There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

We are not ONE ASSEMBLY. Nothing like that is mentioned in Scripture. Not to mention that the word assembly being glossed into the word ecclesia will lead us into believing that ecclesia is a bunch of little assemblies all over the earth. When ecclesia is ONE.

Let’s look at an example of this:

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.  As IN THE ASSEMBLIES (of saints) throughout,

This will lead you to think that God’s ecclesia is somehow not one, but many little up-springs around the Earth. However:

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.  As IN THE MULTITUDES (of saints) throughout,

This will show you that God’s family is made up of many individuals throughout the Earth who are ONE. See the difference?

If you throw the word assembly in there then you pull out the multiple ONENESS idea and throw in religious ceremony in place of that. Yet, religious ceremony was not the heart of any teaching of the New Testament.

(Galatians 4:9-11) But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

The idea of Synagog worship was not initiated in Scripture. It was a recent invention created during the time the Jews were in captivity

“During the Babylonian captivity (586–537 BCE) the Men of the Great Assembly began the process of formalizing and standardizing Jewish services and prayers that did not depend on the functioning of the Temple in Jerusalem. Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai, one of the leaders at the end of the Second Temple era, promulgated the idea of creating individual houses of worship in whatever locale Jews found themselves. This contributed to the continuity of the Jewish people by maintaining a unique identity and a portable way of worship despite the destruction of the Temple, according to many historians.

Synagogues in the sense of purpose-built spaces for worship, or rooms originally constructed for some other purpose but reserved for formal, communal prayer, however, existed long before the destruction of the Second Temple.[2] The earliest archaeological evidence for the existence of very early synagogues comes from Egypt, where stone synagogue dedication inscriptions dating from the third century BCE prove that synagogues existed by that date.[3] A synagogue dating from between 75 and 50 BCE has been uncovered at a Hasmonean-era winter palace near Jericho.[4][5] More than a dozen Second Temple era synagogues have been identified by archaeologists.[2]” (2009 wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synagog)

What is even worse is that the word Synagog comes from a greek word sunagogos which is what is used all over the Old Testament to refer to the commonwealth of the 12 tribes of Israel as a UNION. Why did they take that word UNION and make it into little groups to perform acts of worship? Sound familiar?

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RANDOM WAYS THE WORD ECCLESIA IS NOT USED IN SCRIPTURE NOT RELATED TO THE ASSEMBLY ARGUMENT

Let’s go to ecclesia tomorrow : D

I only sing ecclesia music (¬.¬)

We are talking about how Christians should DO Ecclesia (U_U)

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