Showing posts with label congregation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label congregation. Show all posts

Monday 11 November 2013

Small churches of the few Christadelphians

The big difficulty we do encounter in Belgium is that when people do ask where we meet with how many, they hesitate to come to our meetings because we are not with enough people attending a service.
they all prefer to come to a church where they can hide in the massa's of people. When there are many people they can just be an unnoticed onlooker; but when there are just a handful of people present they shall be noticed by the others, and that is something what they do not like so much.

Today we also do hear about the empty Roman Catholic Churches but the growing attendance in the Pentecostal churches. On television people also can find many mega churches where enough entertainment is given to enjoy the show.

Most people have their instinctive opinions about “big church.”  Some may prefer to be a nobody in the amount of people present at a service, others may not like the feeling to be swallowed up in such a congregation.

We wonder if there are enough people who have a dislike for “big church,” because it seems so impersonal and also perhaps because in those churches the accent is not always on the right things. It is not the amount of people , the quantity in church, but should be more of the quality in church.

Those who do not want to come to our services because we are not with enough people should reconsider what they like to see in church and what would be that "Big church".

Don’t critique or judge getting big. Look the “bigness” right in the face. And ask, “What does big really mean?”
English: Jesus, followed by Simon Peter and Andrew
English: Jesus, followed by Simon Peter and Andrew (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Matthew 16:16-18 (NIV) says, “Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”"
Well, if you are wanting to see a "Big Church" or going to go big, go really big!
When you accept that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God … you better also look at him as the one building his church!

Church of the Primacy of St. Peter on the Sea ...
Church of the Primacy of St. Peter on the Sea of Galilee. Traditional site where Jesus Christ appeared to his disciples after his resurrection and, according to Catholic tradition, established Peter's supreme jurisdiction over the Christian church. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Jesus is the one who makes church. Jesus is the church. Church is not a specific 'church-building' with a tower and a cross shape directed to the east.

It is also not the construction of people. Though we would like it, it is not us building the church. It’s not the pastor on the stage or the priest in the pulpit.  It is Jesus, the Son of the living God, who is building His Church.

The Church is a big idea. Because Jesus is a big idea. And because Jesus gives his disciples a big task.

All those who call themselves Christians, should be followers of Christ. they should not only be name Christians, but doers of the Word. In Acts, Jesus describes how big of a task he is giving the disciples.  Acts 1:7-8 (MSG) states,
 “He told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.”
Imagine if Jesus came to us and said,
 “…you will be my witness in Leefdaal, all over Flemish Brabant and the Low countries, even to the ends of the world.”
 Yeah, that’s pretty big too.   The church is a big idea, and it will expand. It started with 12 disciples and it has grown across the world to nations with more than 100 different languages.
In Acts 2:21 (NIV), it says, ”Everyone who calls on the name of The Lord will be saved.”
That saving should we proclaim and we should bring the hearts into fire for the name of Jesus. Christians should bring forwards the Gospel of the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God.  Every person coming to believe in Jesus as the saviour send by the Most High Saviour Jehovah God, would have to become partaker of the body of Christ and as such being a member of the Church of God, which has Christ Jesus as its High priest.

All those believing individuals in their own houses, who believe in the offer Jesus made and accept him as their saviour, willing to become part of that Body of Christ, are part of the church.

Here is another example of ‘big church’ in the Bible.
  In Acts 2:41-47 is the story of the 3,000 who were baptized… imagine that in present day. How many kids rooms would we need from one week to the next? How many new greeters? How many overflow rooms? How many extra chairs? The Church basically went from meeting in a living room to needing a stadium! And that was just one day.

Now to transition just a little bit, it is one thing to agree and say, yes, we agree with you, Jesus that the church should probably be big. But what does is truly mean to be a disciple? Great question.
In John 13:34-35 (MSG) Jesus states,
 ““Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples — when they see the love you have for each other.”
Well, that sounds pretty simple doesn’t it? Love one another, cool! I’ve got it. But what does it really mean to live out your love for each other?

The first part of loving one another is building relationships with one another.  The church is not just based out of a building or a temple, it is based out of homes. Faith is centered on two places: temple and homes.
To love one another in the old church knew they needed to meet and know each other in their homes. Meeting at the temple was important, but they had to eat with each other and know each other in order to love each other like Jesus loved.  This is such a critical part of today’s church as well! That is also the reason why we meet in houses, cafetaria's, parks, have something to eat or drink with each other and not sit on benches or ordered chairs in a row.

We need our small groups and relationships to truly know each other and love each other.

It’s a great first step to agree with Jesus. But how do we actually Do what Jesus said? How do we love one another despite the chaos of life? Despite our differences?
 Jesus directs us to do the following:
Submit to one another. Honor one another. Bear with one another. Forgive one another. Accept one another. Care for one another. Encourage one another. Restore one another. Love one another.
Most of this cannot happen on Sunday morning. We have to be in each other’s lives daily.
“We, the church family, want to get bigger for the sake of eternity and smaller for the value of each individual.”
We all should feel like brothers and sisters in Christ.

As brethren and sisters we do have to help each other to grow spiritually. It is by sharing ideas that we can help each other to see other things or to think about other things or to think in another way. As such we can grow and get more strength, because others share their messes, and we share our messes, yet we are still there for each other, serving one another and loving one another despite the chaos of life.
“Let’s share our messes so that we can see grace move in each other as light is shed on our mess.”
“Is big church healthy?
Size doesn’t have anything to do with health. Health has everything to do with our relationships.”

When we want to become good Christians, this shall not only become by becoming 'churchgoers'. We do need to make church, but making church happens in the own heart. It is the willingness to become part of the Body of Christ and willing to share that feeling with others, in love, by taking their bad and good elements, overlooking their peculiarities. Willing to take every person like he or she is, and considering him or her as your brother or sister.

This brotherly love is what makes the church, not the building or the presence of just material bodies in one specific place.

The Christadelphians may gather with not so many people, but the love of those people for each other and their love for God is what binds them all over the world. In one specific place they are perhaps not with many, but they do feel connected with others in many different countries, speaking many different languages, which we even not always understand. But we understand each other in the love of God, and that is what binds us forever.

Next time when you are looking for a church, question what you are looking for. Are you looking to find a place where you can find some nice entertainment? Are you looking for some enjoyable socialising? Or are you looking for the genuine love Christ has given mankind?
Are you submitting to one another? Are you letting others go first? Are we honoring one another in how we speak to each other? Are we caring for one another? 
When was the last time we went out of our way to appreciate and love on someone else? How are you loving each other as Jesus loves?
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Thursday 20 June 2013

Learn how to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News of the coming Kingdom

Charles Spurgeon said:
If you read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the word of God, the qualities of that word will be displayed in you.
By the non-trinitarian Baptists Spurgeon was a treasured guide. His words, from the time when he saw the only One God could bring the congregation to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the word of God, so that the qualities of that word would be displayed in the congregation.

He taught  the sin-pardoning God in Christ Jesus. For Spurgeon it was clear that we should come to the knowledge that Jesus was the man send by God to save us by a gift of grace.
Saint George Preca has been likened as a succe...
Saint George Preca has been likened as a successor to Saint Paul's evangelical work on the island of Malta. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is grace upon grace. Observe that if we climb on high, the position may be dangerous; but if the Lord sets us there it is safe.
He may raise us to great usefulness, to eminent experience, to success in service, to leadership among workers, to a father’s place among the little ones.
If He does not do this, He may set us on high by near fellowship, clear insight, holy triumph, and gracious anticipation of eternal glory.
For the non-trinitarian baptist as the same for us Christadelphians we learned from Spurgeon how to go out into the world and give enough attention onto the preaching of the Gospel.

We should feel the same as the apostle Paul who felt it a great privilege to be allowed to preach the gospel. For us it is a privilege to be long to the chosen ones, to be a child of God but also a worker for God.

The Apostle Paul did not look upon his calling as a drudgery, but he entered upon it with intense delight. Yet while Paul was thus thankful for his office, his success in it greatly humbled him. The fuller a vessel becomes, the deeper it sinks in the water.

Today we still can use many of Spurgeons teachings to inspire us and remember his works:
If you seek humility, try hard work; if you would know your nothingness, attempt some great thing for Jesus. If you would feel how utterly powerless you are apart from the living God, attempt especially the great work of proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ, and you will know, as you never knew before, what a weak unworthy thing you are.
Although the apostle thus knew and confessed his weakness, he was never perplexed as to the subject of his ministry. We should find an example in the apostle Paul, who always wanted to do the work for the Only One god, first as Saul, thinking the followers of Christ where worng, but than after he got more insigth given him by Christ, he became a speaker for Christ. We too should be such an ardent speaker in the name of Christ, and show the world that Jesus did not preach an other Gospel than the many prophets before him. Jesus was that fulfilment of the words of the prophets and the fulfilment of the Word of God having become into the flesh (John 1:1)

Jesus was not another one who claimed to be God. No he clearly indicated the Father was grater than him and that he could not do anything without his Father, the Only One God. We too, can not do anything without God the Father, who is in heaven. Like Jesus and the apostle Paul we should know that and be thankfull that God has drawn us near to Him and does allow us to work for HIm.

From his first sermon to his last, Paul preached Christ, and nothing but Christ. He lifted up the cross, and extolled the Son of God who bled thereon. Follow his example in all your personal efforts to spread the glad tidings of salvation, and let “Christ and Him crucified” be your ever recurring theme. . .

Only because God wanted to accept the Peace offering of Christ we can be saved for ever. By the acceptance of the Ransom we have no debts any-more and can trust the Good News of the coming Kingdom. This marvellous Good News we should proclaim all over the world, with gladness and full of grace.

If there is anyone who should be opposed to strife and bloodshed it is the man that names the name of Christ. Spurgeon considered the spirit of war to be absolutely foreign to the spirit of Christianity….
Modern conservative, fundamentalist, and evangelical Christians, all of whom might claim him as one of their own, have much to learn from Spurgeon, not only for his example of an uncompromising and successful Christian minister, but also for his consistent opposition to war and Christian war fever.--Laurence M. Vance [extended quotes and citations]
Spurgeon near the end of his life.
Spurgeon near the end of his life. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Our kingdom is not of this world; else would God’s servants fight with sword and spear. Ours is a spiritual kingdom, and the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual, and mighty through God, to the pulling down of strongholds.

We as Christians should bring the message of peace, which Jesus brought into the world, and should let others know the Word of God, without forcing it on them with violence but with the word of love, the arrow of the cupid. Our war should be a continuous war of bringing peacefully the message Jesus proclaimed. We should display the work of God's Word in us. We should have become transformed so much by the Word of God that we can attract others with our righteousness.

We should not hesitate and wait until tomorrow but stand up in a hurry, before the End Times will surprise many, so that more people shall recognise when Jesus will return to the earth, and find us worthy followers of him, worthy to enter the Kingdom of God.
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Please do read also:

  1. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
  2. Church sent into the world 
  3. If we, in our prosperity, neglect religious instruction and authority 
  4. Are Christadelphians so Old Fashioned? 
  5. Our relationship with God, Jesus and eachother 
  6. God’s design in the creation of the world 
  7. God’s reward 
  8. God’s promises 
  9. God is one 
  10. God of gods 
  11. God’s salvation 
  12. Creator and Blogger God 3 Lesson and solution
  13. Creator and Blogger God 4 Expounding voice
  14. Creator and Blogger God 5 Things to tell
  15. Statutes given unto us
  16. Bible in the first place #2/3
  17. Missional hermeneutics 1/5
  18. Missional hermeneutics 3/5
  19. Missional hermeneutics 4/5
  20. Missional hermeneutics 5/5
  21. Breathing to teach
  22. Blogging for Jesus...

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Monday 18 February 2013

United people under Christ

Last week the worldcommunity saw that the one who claims to be the follower of the apostle Peter stepped down from his position on what many call the 'holy chair'.
English: Christ Handing the Keys to St. Peter ...
English: Christ Handing the Keys to St. Peter by Pietro Perugino (1481-82) Fresco, 335 x 550 cm Cappella Sistina, Vatican. Ελληνικά: Λεπτομέρεια από την νωπογραφία του Πιέτρο Περουτζίνο, Ο Χριστός Παραδίδει τα Κλειδιά στον Πέτρο, 335 x 600 cm, Καπέλα Σιξτίνα, Πόλη του Βατικανού. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


The church community should be found on a good faith base and have clear and undeniable grounds with people who live according to community rules which are according to the Law of God. They should try to be living by the standard of the “One Body” of Christ. The Nazarene man who did not appoint one or the other above one another. Though perhaps many might think that the apostle Peter was chosen to be a leader, he certainly was not the leader of the church community at the time of the first years after Christ his death. All apostles had their particular duties but worked together and even where not afraid to criticise each other.

In the Acts of the apostles is given a very clear picture of the working of the first church as one united body in Christ. when you read the chapters you shall not find any decent reason to believe that the Pope is the real acceptable leader of the Church of God.
Could it also be that the church became subdivided into local churches but that along the way into history that church their members (of each local church) still make up the universal body of Christ? There is no one church that monopolizes the body of Christ.

History proves that contamination was brought in very soon after Jesus' death. Several apostles warned the followers of Christ to be careful and to look out for false teachings. People also had to be careful not to mingle with weak or sinful men, who would love to see them being diverted from the unworldy ideas of their religion.

Though we are never to judge or condemn others; we just have to politely “stand aside” from them!

When we look at the world we should consider that there are many people with different beliefs, but that there might be different opinions between the many persons that does not mean they would not be considered as being part of one and the same united people under Christ.

Some teach that if you are not part of this denomination or that denomination then you cannot be part of the body of Christ. There exist many denominations which believe people do have to belong to them, because otherwise they would be doomed into damnation or when people do not belong to their denomination they would not be able to enter the Kingdom of God. What most of those denomination forget is that before they came into being ther where also people who loved God as the Most High, and honoured Him at their best. Those people are also saved by Jesus his offer and got the right to enter the Kingdom of God. It is he, Jesus who shall decide who is able to enter the Kingdom of God and not one world church organisation or denomination who is going to decide that. God knows the heart of each person and He shall see if that person is worthy or not to enter the Kingdom. Jesus as the mediator shall be the person who can mediate for those who tried to do their best on earth and who followed one or another path according to a path laid in front of them by one or another denomination. but the people themselves shall have to carry the responsibility of their choice. They also shall not be able to blame their congregation or denomination for the choices they have made.
As part of the body of Christ we should be people working under the guidance of the Bible, to serve each other and the body, not taking into account language, ethnicity, gender, nationality etc. When we are unified with One Spirit in One Body that means we are unified under Gods Spirit to have and show  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and awareness for each other, treasuring the same hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ together with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of his Father.

Every person has received the gifts to think and to have his mind working to find out certain things. Every person, in his or her life shall get opportunities to be able to be confronted with certain values, certain truths, certain ideas ... and shall be confronted with the possibility to make a certain choice.
The 1st English edition of The Kingdom of God ...
The 1st English edition of The Kingdom of God Is Within You. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


It is up to us to think about our faith, about what we do want to believe and about what we do have to believe.

Every transition in a movement should be followed up and registered, looked at in function of the Will of God and the Biblical writings. They are given to us to help us to direct the right way. We should listen to the voice of God and follow the directions given in the Holy Scriptures. They should be the most important guide for our life and way of life.

The guidance from the Bible should give us insight in what the world offers, also on religious matters and on actions of faith.
We must remember that the ecclesia does not exist to keep the Truth pure as a theory (i.e., “The purer our ecclesia, the better!”). The Truth (as an abstract principle, or set of principles, communicated from God) cannot be anything but pure! It might sound strange that the ecclesia does exist to help impure men and women (with imperfect beliefs and impure ways) to move toward purity, even if their progress is slow… Some expect that the people who enter the ecclesia or church-community would be already very pure from their baptism, but that is not so. The baptism is only the starting point to the way of purity to the small gate to the Kingdom of God.

Out of love for each other each member of the ecclesia should help each other to grow and to make every day a step closer to that set-apartness or holiness of purity.

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Read also:
  1. Fellowship 101: A Short Course by George Booker – Class 5
    Those who believe the gospel and are baptised into Christ become ‘brethren in Christ’, without regard to nationality. They also become a part of the ‘one body’, with Christ as their head. God calls them His children, and they become partakers of His grace and love” (BASF 22).

  2. Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith
  3. Handbook to the Christadelphian Statement of Faith
  4. Reasons to come to gether
  5. Philippians 1 – 2
  6. Look for your Refuge by God
  7. A day without taking the symbols
  8. Breathing to teach
  9. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #1 Kings Faith
  10. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #2 Calling upon the Name of God
  11. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #1 Creator and His Prophets
  12. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #2 Instructions and Laws
  13. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #3 A voice to be taken Seriously
  14. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #4 Words in Scripture
  15. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #5 To meditate and Transform
  16. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #6 Words to feed and communicate
  17. Jehovah in the BASF
     


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Tuesday 15 March 2011

Meeting - Vergadering

Under the tag "vergadering" or "meeting" you shall be able to find articles on the act or process of people coming together organised as an assembly, or to come face to face with, to company of like minded people or with others for a common purpose or for a conference, session or sitting, either to hear others speak, exchange ideas, to be introduced to, to find or experience, or to encounter in unison or in conflict. The meeting is a gathering of two or more people that has been convened for the purpose of achieving a common goal through verbal interaction, such as sharing information or reaching agreement. On these pages, mainly it shall handle the appointment of brothers and sisters in Christ or the rendezvous of religious people.

See also:
to gather; come together; get together, come together; congregate (people) forgather (vergadering/omgaan) gather (people/bijeenkomen/verzamelen van mensen) group (people) meet (vergadering) , holding a reunion,

in Dutch: Verzamelen, vergaderen, zitting houden, samen komen, treffen, bijeenkomen, verzamelen van mensen, zich verzamelen, groeperen, samenrotten, ontmoeten, reüniëren, omgaan, saam gaan, samen gaan

in German (Duits): zusammenkomen; zusammentreffen; sammeln; sich versammeln; vereinen

in French (Frans): se réunir; assembler; rassembler; s'assembler; se rencontrer; accumuler;

Find more about coming together and meeting:
Congregate, to gather, to meet
Congregation - Congregatie
Parish, local church community - Parochie, plaatselijke kerkgemeenschap

And about the reasons why to come together:
Bad habits are like a comfortable bed
Church sent into the world

Or about getting together as the first Christians did to meet each other and to pray: Works of The First Century Ecclesia or to be Working for God
Either coming together as members or not as members: Is membership important?


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Onder de etikettering "vergadering" of "ontmoeting" zal u artikelen kunnen vinden die handelen over de daad of het proces waarbij mensen tezamen komen of die een georganiseerde bijeenkomst uitroepen als een vergadering, om met elkaar in confrontatie te gaan of van gedachten te wisselen, al of niet met één en hetzelfde gemeenschappelijk doel of voor een conferentie, sessie, zitting of om anderen te horen spreken, ideeën uit te wisselen, om voorgesteld te worden, om dingen te vinden of te ervaren of een ontmoeting aan te gaan in eenstemmigheid of in conflict. De meeting is een bijeenkomst van twee of meer mensen die zijn samengeroepen teneinde het bereiken van een gemeenschappelijk doel door mondelinge wisselwerking, zoals het delen van informatie of het bereiken van een overeenkomst. Op deze pagina's zal het hoofdzakelijk de bijeenkomst van broeders en zusters in Christus of de rendez-vous van godsdienstige mensen behandelen.

Zie ook de bovenstaande linken

En vindt meer over het verzamelen en bijeenkomen in:
Verzamelen, bijeenkomen, samenkomen, vergaderen
Congregatie
Parochie

Aanverwant kan u ook lezen:
Gemiste bijeenkomst ook een gemiste kans
De ecclesia als lichaam van Christus
Maken van een kerk
In een bijeenkomst samenkomen om te debatteren, overeen te komen of geschillen te bespreken en op te lossen, al of niet samen te gaan met anderen: Al of niet toegeven aan de wereld + Kerkgroei en samengaan
Groei in karakter
Samen komen zoals de eerste Christenen deden om te vergaderen maar ook om te bidden: Eerste eeuw Ecclesia

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Congregate, to gather, to meet

Congregate, to gather, to meet

You can find the Dutch version of this article
U kan de Nederlandse versie van dit artikel vinden onder:
Verzamelen, bijeenkomen, samenkomen, vergaderen
Under the tags ”Verzamelen”, “vergaderen”: to gather; come together; congregate;forgather(“vergadering”) gather; group; “bijeenkomen” & “vergaderen” meet you shall be able to find articles with as subject the coming together of people +


Ontario Christadelphian Fraternal Meeting with picnic

Congregate(people) forgather(meeting) gather(people) group(people) meet(meeting); get together, come together

To meet, to come together; come to talk and to take decisions together; To meet something to discuss to assemble; collect themselves; group themselves; unite themselves; meet each other; bringing people together;  bringing people with you; to bring with; to take along; keeping a meeting; to reunion; meeting confers, congress.

From Middle English gaderen, from Old English gaderian (“to gather, assemble”), from Proto-Germanic *gadurōjanan (“to bring together, unite, gather”), frequentative of Proto-Germanic *gadōjanan (“to hold together”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰhedʰ- (“to unite, assemble, keep”). Cognate with Dutch gaderen, garen (“to gather”), Middle High German gadern (“to gather”), Old Frisian gadia (“to unite”), German begatten (“to mate”). Compare also Old English gæd (“society, fellowship, union”).

To come together by mutual approach; esp., to come in contact, or into proximity, by approach from opposite directions; to join; to come face to face; to come in close relationship; as, we met in the street; two lines meet so as to form an angle.

To come together
To assemble together; to congregate; To collect into one place or body; to bring or call together; to convene;To come together by mutual concessions; hence, to agree; to harmonize; to unite; To meet or come together, as a number of individuals.
To bring into one place, or into a united body; to gather together.
An assembling together; esp., the assembling of huntsmen for the hunt; also, the persons who so assemble, and the place of meeting.
Assemble, Assembling; Meet, Meeting; Unite; club; group; flock; A meeting or get-together; a party or social function; an assembly for a common purpose (as worship)
gathering; the social act of assembling; gathering of people for discussion, etc.
a concourse of spectators or participants for some purpose of common interest;
a congregation; a group of persons together in one place


Congregation

Mid-14c., "a gathering, assembly," from O.Fr. congregacion (12c., Mod.Fr. congrégation), from L. congregationem (nom. congregatio), noun of action from congregare (see congregate). Used by Tyndale to translate Gk. ekklesia in New Testament and by some Old Testament translators in place of synagogue. (Vulgate uses a variety of words in these cases, including congregatio but also ecclesia, vulgus, synagoga, populus.) Protestant reformers in 16c. used it in place of church; hence the word's main modern sense of "local society of believers" (1520s).[1]

Synagogue

Late 12c., from O.Fr. sinagoge (11c.), from L.L. synagoga "congregation of Jews," from Gk. synagoge "place of assembly, synagogue," lit. "meeting, assembly," from synagein "to gather, assemble," from syn- "together" + agein "bring, lead" (see act). Used by Greek translators of the Old Testament as a loan-translation of late Heb. keneseth "assembly" (cf. beth keneseth "synagogue," lit. "house of assembly.")

Convention; summit; rendezvous; symposium

Bethel

Congregation
n

1. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) a group of persons gathered for worship, prayer, etc., esp in a church or chapel
2. The act of congregating or collecting together
3. A group of people, objects, etc., collected together; assemblage
4. (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) the group of persons habitually attending a given church, chapel, etc.
5. (Christianity / Roman Catholic Church) RC Church
a. a society of persons who follow a common rule of life but who are bound only by simple vows
b. an administrative subdivision of the papal curia
c. an administrative committee of bishops for arranging the business of a general council[2]

Congregation an assembly of persons or things; a group of religious persons under a common rule; the Christian Church collectively; those attending a religious service. See also community, confession.[3]

Examples: congregation of holy apostles, 1526; of gaseous atoms, 1883; of birds; of cardinals; of elves, 1809; of fish, 1865; of goods; of hypocrites, 1611; of holy maidens; of monasteries [e.g., Congregation of Cluny]; of oyster and scallop shells, 1717; of people, 1486; of plovers, 1430; of princes, 1539; of fine qualities, 1878; of saints, 1535; of soldiers, 1598; of vapour, 1602; of water, 1526; of winds; of worshippers.[4] (Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Hebrew ‘ e·dhah’ from ja·adh = to intend, to agree (2 Samuel 20:5; Jeremia 47:7; Levites 8:4, 5; Judges 21:10; Exodus 12:3; Numbers 32:4; 1 king 8:5; Numbers 27:17).

Hebrew word mo·edh inferred from the same radical as e·dhah and meaning „intended time or „agreed place (1 Samuel 13:8; 20:35; Exodus 27:21; Levites 23:2, 4, 37, 44; Isaiah 33:20)

Jewish term miq·ra´', which „mean “samenkomst” = “coming together”, from the basic word qa·ra´' (clamour, clamor, calling) + „holy gathering” (Isaiah 4:5; Exodus 12:16; Levites 23:2, 3)

Hebrew qa·hal', that is relative to a verb which means „convene; to meet, to call together (Exodus 35:1; Levites 8:4). Sometimes qa hal' (municipality) used together with e·dhah (meeting) (Levites 4:13; Numbers 20:8, 10).

Forms of both terms can be found in the expression „ meeting of municipality of Israel [Hebr.: qehal' adhath-Jis·yard·´el]. (Exodus 12:6) It frequently is used for an organised group of people and can be found in the expressions „municipality of Israel (Levites 16:17; Jozua 8:35; 1 Kings 8:14), „municipality of the true God (Nehemiah 13:1), „municipality of Jehovah (Deuteronomy 23:2, 3; Micha 2:5), and „Jehovah’s municipality (Numbers 20:4; 1 Chronicles 28:8). Qa·hal' indicates several types of gatherings together of people, like for religious aims (Deuteronomy 9:10; 18:16; 1 Kings 8:65; Psalms 22:25; 107:32), for treating administrative matters (1 Kings 12:3) and for warfare (1 Samuel 17:47; Ezra 16:40 [meeting]). In the Greek ek·kle'si·a, which has been inferred of two Greek radicals, namely ek that „from mean, and ka'le·o, which means „call”. In the Septuagint the Greek word ek kle'si·a (ecclesia) becomes usually used as a translation of the Hebrew word·qa hal', like in Psalm 22:22 (21: 23, LXX).

To meet, meets
: Ek·kle·si'a·son; Lat.: Con'gre·ga.

‘Atsa·rah’, have been reflected with „solemn meeting”. This term is used concerning the “Loofhuttenfeest” = the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkoth and the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Pascha or Pesa(c)h. (Levites 23:36; Deuteronomy 16:8).

public meeting (Gr.: su·na·go'ge) synagogue, sinagoge, synagoga congregation or group of Jews, place of meeting,  meeting, meets, collects, assembles, bringing together , leading together; house of meeting. (See above)

Confidential meetings of a several nature are indicated by the Hebrew word sodh that means „confidential discussion; confidential ambulatory (Psalm 83:3; Job 29:4). It is reflected in Psalm 89:7 with „intimate group„: God is to be held in awe among the intimate group of holy ones; He is grand and fear-inspiring over all who are round about him.”The Greek ek·kle'si·a (from ek, “from” and kle'sis, „a calling”) in the Greek Septuagint it is usually used as a translation of the Hebrew qa·hal' (municipality) and sometimes of e·dhah (meeting), although the last word is also reflected with the Greek expression su·na·go'ge (that means “bringing together “from sun, „together”, and a'go, „to bring”) (see above). In Christian Greek writings ek·kle'si·a becomes usually reflected with „municipality. The Greek word su·na·go'ge “synagogue” is used in Acts of the Apostles 7: 13:43 concerning the meeting in the synagogue and in James 2:2 („meeting).In Wcts 7:38 it is used for the municipality Israel. Another Greek expression, pa·ne'gu·ris (from pan, „all”, and a'go·ra, which indicates each type of meeting), is reflected in Hebrews 12:23 with „general meeting.[5]

Meeting can happen at open places or in public buildings, synagogues, speech or prayer places or other. Jesus brought a lot of people on their legs to collect them around him. Christ met frequently with his disciples to give them mental instruction, and after his dead his followers came together, as on the Whitsunday in 33 C.T., when the Holy Spirit was poured out to those who were gathered together. (Acts 2:1 - 4).
In imitation of the example which Jesus had given them the apostles and the first Christians brought together also people to meet together, to study the Word of God and to bring a memory time with breaking bread.


Already before Jesus, attention was being given by the people of God to come together or to meet to study the Holy Scriptures together, and to spend time on the praise for Jehovah. Paul advised the believers not to neglect the regular meetings of God’s people: „ Let us hold fast the public declaration of our hope without wavering, for he is faithful that promised. And let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23- 25) These meetings could take place in the ekklesia or ecclesia. (Acts 7:38; 8:1; 13:1; 19:23, 24, 29, 32, 41; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 2 Corinthians 1:1), but they could also take place simply in the house of fellow believer. (Romans 16:5; Philemon 2).

In agreement with that there is also spoken of separate Christian municipalities or „municipalities of God (Acts of the Apostles 15:41; 1 Corinthians 11:16). In older Dutch translations sometimes the word „church” is used in places which are related to the Christian municipality, like in 1 Corinthians 16:19 (KB; Leu). Since many people by the word ‘church’ think rather of a building where religious services are kept then to a municipality which practices its religion, the translation „church” can be misleading. For this reason we prefer as brothers of Christ rather to use the word ‘ecclesia’. The association of the “church” with the Roman Catholic Churches with cross constructions and church tower must be laid aside and the church must be considered as the Body of Christ made up by the collection of believers. The meeting believers form together the church. They must feed and prove the church community.

Jehovah has imposed to His people to come together and to hold meetings: “And I shall certainly bring upon YOU a sword wreaking vengeance for the covenant; and YOU will indeed gather yourselves into YOUR cities, and I shall certainly send pestilence into the midst of YOU, and YOU must be given into the hand of an enemy. “(Leviticus 26:25) (When you come together, BBE; huddled in your cities, CJB) “Only watch out for yourself and take good care of your soul, that you may not forget the things that your eyes have seen and that they may not depart from your heart all the days of your life; and you must make them known to your sons and to your grandsons, 10 the day that you stood before Jehovah your God in Ho´reb, when Jehovah said to me, ‘Congregate the people together to me that I may let them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they are alive on the soil and that they may teach their sons.’ (Deuteronomy 4:9-10)


“Congregate the people, the men and the women and the little ones and your alien resident who is within your gates, in order that they may listen and in order that they may learn, as they must fear Jehovah YOUR God and take care to carry out all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 31:12) ““Therefore say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: “I will also collect YOU from the peoples and gather YOU from the lands among which YOU have been scattered, and I will give YOU the soil of Israel. And they will certainly come there and remove all its disgusting things and all its detestable things out of it. And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I shall put inside them; and I shall certainly remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, in order that they may walk in my own statutes and keep my own judicial decisions and actually carry them out; and they may really become my people and I myself may become their God.”’ (Ezekiel 11:17-20) “For all the peoples, for their part, will walk each one in the name of its god; but we, for our part, shall walk in the name of Jehovah our God to time indefinite, even forever. “In that day,” is the utterance of Jehovah, “I will gather her that was limping; and her that was dispersed I will collect together, even her whom I have treated badly. And I shall certainly make her that was limping a remnant, and her that was removed far off a mighty nation; and Jehovah will actually rule as king over them in Mount Zion, from now on and into time indefinite.  (Micha 4:5-7) And, indeed, because the wine is dealing treacherously, an able-bodied man is self-assuming; and he will not reach his goal, he who has made his soul spacious just like She´ol, and who is like death and cannot be satisfied. And he keeps gathering to himself all the nations and collecting together to himself all the peoples. (Habakuk 2:5) “ “‘Therefore keep yourselves in expectation of me,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘till the day of my rising up to [the] booty, for my judicial decision is to gather nations, for me to collect together kingdoms, in order to pour out upon them my denunciation, all my burning anger; for by the fire of my zeal all the earth will be devoured. For then I shall give to peoples the change to a pure language, in order for them all to call upon the name of Jehovah, in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder.’ “(Zephaniah 3:8-9) “The ones grief-stricken in absence from [your] festal season I shall certainly gather together; absent from you they happened to be, because of bearing reproach on her account. “(Zephaniah 3:18) “For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20) “ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her,—how often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks together under her wings! But YOU people did not want it. Look! YOUR house is abandoned to YOU. For I say to YOU, YOU will by no means see me from henceforth until YOU say, ‘Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name!’” (Matthew 23:37-39) “In that very hour certain Pharisees came up, saying to him: “Get out and be on your way from here, because Herod wants to kill you.” And he said to them: “Go and tell that fox, ‘Look! I am casting out demons and accomplishing healing today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be finished.’ Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the following day, because it is not admissible for a prophet to be destroyed outside of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the killer of the prophets and stoner of those sent forth to her—how often I wanted to gather your children together in the manner that a hen gathers her brood of chicks under her wings, but YOU people did not want [it]! Look! YOUR house is abandoned to YOU. I tell YOU, YOU will by no means see me until YOU say, ‘Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name.’” (Luke 13:31-35) And they continued devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to sharing [with one another], to taking of meals and to prayers. (Acts 2:42) “Just as he chose us in union with him before the founding of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love.  For he foreordained us to the adoption through Jesus Christ as sons to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, in praise of his glorious undeserved kindness which he kindly conferred upon us by means of [his] loved one. By means of him we have the release by ransom through the blood of that one, yes, the forgiveness of [our] trespasses, according to the riches of his undeserved kindness. This he caused to abound toward us in all wisdom and good sense, in that he made known to us the sacred secret of his will. It is according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself for an administration at the full limit of the appointed times, namely, to gather all things together again in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth. [Yes,] in him, in union with whom we were also assigned as heirs, in that we were foreordained according to the purpose of him who operates all things according to the way his will counsels, that we should serve for the praise of his glory, we who have been first to hope in the Christ.” (Ephesians 1:4-12) “19 Therefore, brothers, since we have boldness for the way of entry into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 which he inaugurated for us as a new and living way through the curtain, that is, his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with true hearts in the full assurance of faith, having had our hearts sprinkled from a wicked conscience and our bodies bathed with clean water. 23 Let us hold fast the public declaration of our hope without wavering, for he is faithful that promised. 24 And let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, 25 not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as YOU behold the day drawing near. “(Hebrews 10:19-25) (NWT)

Jesus gave a superb example in showing appreciation for spiritual meetings. At a youthful age of twelve years he gave proof of his love for God’s house in Jerusalem. His parents had got rid of him, but found him finally whereas he spoke in the temple with teachers concerning the Word of God. As a response to the concern of his parents Jesus asked respectfully: „Did you not know that I must be in the [house] of my Father?” (Luke 2:49) Humbly the young Jesus returned with his parents to Nazareth. There he continued to show his love for meetings concerning worship by being regularly present in the synagogue. The Bible reports thus that he, when he started his service, „he came to Naz´a·reth, where he had been reared; and, according to his custom on the Sabbath day, he entered into the synagogue, and he stood up to read.”  After Jesus had read and explained Isaiah 61:1, 2 and had surprised the listeners with the pleasing words which originated from his mouth. (Luke 4:16, 22).

Jesus not only gave the example of preaching and of a healthy manner to associate with others. He urged his followers not to renounce to meet. We have to, in the extension of the work of Jesus Christ and his disciples, to follow them and have to bring others to gather together, looking to it that as many as possible come to God’s municipality (Matthew 24:14, 45; Luke 12:42 - 44; Revelation of John 7:9 - 14). Such as it was important in the municipality Israel to keep meetings for the worship of Jehovah and for a consideration of His law (Deuteronomy 31:12; Nehemiah 8:1 - 8) we must consider to accomplish in this way meetings for the worship of Jehovah and studying the book as an essential characteristic of the Christian municipality of God. If we really want to be considered as a component of the body of Christ we must take care that we form together with others a municipality in Christ, `a meeting in Christ’ or an ecclesia.


The Christian meetings thus must be for us a source of encouragement. It must form occasions where we feel that we our united with each other in Christ. It must, as well be moments where we sense how refreshing it is for being together with loving brethren and sisters that have the same interest for God but also feel interested in each other and also want to persist to the end! We cannot permit it to take this loving provision of Jehovah for us rashly. Let us by means of our hard-working personal study and our regular visits to meetings “become adults in intellectual capacities”. (1 Corinthians 14:20).

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews admonished to the recipients of his letter thus to not forsake mutual meetings (10:24, 25) and that everyone by that meeting can take a particular task for himself in which he or she himself can do the best for the community. „ But let each one prove what his own work is, and then he will have cause for exultation in regard to himself alone, and not in comparison with the other person. For each one will carry his own load. “(Galatians 6:4, 5). Jehovah accepts our strength efforts and sacrifices to what we have, not to what we do not have. (2 Corinthians 8:12; compare Luke 21:1 - 4).

If we come together as Brothers in Christ the emphasis must be to serve God. The attention must go out firstly and especially to the Word of God. At the meetings we can apply to examine and to discuss together God’s Word and to encourage each other. We must further take care that the service or the God worship in the meeting goes according to the wishes of God and that the worldly pleasure does not come to the fore.

From regular companionship with our fellow believers we also beside encouragement can receive perseverance and a lot of burdens will seem lighter and we shall feel less tired. (Hebrews 12:1; Galatians 6:9.)

Regular meetings with fellow believers are a form of exteriorizing of the belief is and belongs to the obligation which a dedicated Christian has towards God. We will create joy in the stimulus and exhortation of our brothers and sisters and by being exhorted and to be strengthened by love and excellent work for the important works that exist in the public disclosure of our hope if that is now an earthly or celestial hope. (John 13:35). Jehovah God has interest for our meetings. The main aim of such meetings is to send „under the meeting mob praise to God “(Psalm 26:12)[6]. That we visit municipality meetings or ecclesiae, are a proof of our love for Him. To meditate concerning the privilege and the advantages of visiting Christian meetings will help to support these meetings loyally and wholeheartedly. When all who have a share to the program of a meeting, consciously take care that they reflect the fruit of God’s Spirit, such as joy, forbearance and belief, all people present definitely will feel built-up. (Galatians 5:22, 23). Let us therefore for this reason take care to meet regularly and to delight Jehovah’s heart with our gathering together in the name of Jesus Christ who will stretch us abundantly to advantage if we incorporate the divine education which leads to eternal life. (Proverbs 27:11; Isaiah 48:17, 18; Mark 13:35 - 37).


[2] Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
[3] Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved
[4] Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
[5] 22 But YOU have approached a Mount Zion and a city of [the] living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels, 23 in general assembly, and the congregation of the firstborn who have been enrolled in the heavens, and God the Judge of all, and the spiritual lives of righteous ones who have been made perfect, 24 and Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and the blood of sprinkling, which speaks in a better way than Abel’s [blood].
[6] My own foot will certainly stand on a level place; Among the congregated throngs I shall bless Jehovah.