Featured Early English Translations and word "church"

The Wycliffe Bible (1395) does not contain the word "church", but it contains the following:
"chirch", "chirche", "chirches","chirchis" representing the people of God in both Old and New Testaments.

The Tyndale New Testament (1525) uses the word "church" twice, in the NT, Acts 14:13, 19:37; both times representing heathen, idolatrous temples.

The Miles Coverdale Bible (1535) uses the word "churches" three times, in the OT, Lev. 26:31, Hosea 8:14, Amos 7:9; and each time in an idolatrous or negative sense.

The Bishop's Bible (1568) uses the word "churche" 110 times, all in the New Testament, used in the ecclesiastical sense as in the KJV.

These statistics come from: StudyLight.org: Search, Read and Study with our Bible Tools

The word "church" has no basis in the Hebrew or the Greek of the Bible. It is a word insisted upon by King James. From The Translators to the Readers in the 1611 KJV:

"Lastly, we have on the one side avoided the scrupulosity of the Puritans, who leave the old Ecclesiastical words, and betake them to other, as when they put WASHING for BAPTISM, and CONGREGATION instead of CHURCH: as also on the other side we have shunned the obscurity of the Papists, in their AZIMES, TUNIKE, RATIONAL, HOLOCAUSTS, PRAEPUCE, PASCHE, and a number of such like, whereof their late Translation is full, and that of purpose to darken the sense, that since they must needs translate the Bible, yet by the language thereof, it may be kept from being understood. But we desire that the Scripture may speak like itself, as in the language of Canaan, that it may be understood even of the very vulgar."
Translators' Preface to 1611 KJV

So, did the "church" begin at Pentecost? Did Jesus Christ say he'd build his "church" or his "assembly" in Matt.16:18? In Matt. 18:17 were the disciples to take a charge of trespass to the "church" or to the "assembly"? It appears to me that the ecclesiastical word "church" has become a stumbling block, a misleading term as it is used in Dispensationalism.

 

church (n.)
Old English cirice, circe "church, public place of worship; Christians collectively," from Proto-Germanic *kirika (source also of Old Saxon kirika, Old Norse kirkja, Old Frisian zerke, Middle Dutch kerke, Dutch kerk, Old High German kirihha, German Kirche), probably [see note in OED] from Greek kyriake (oikia), kyriakon doma "Lord's (house)," from kyrios "ruler, lord," from PIE root *keue- "to swell" ("swollen," hence "strong, powerful"); see cumulus. Phonetic spelling from c. 1200, established by 16c. For vowel evolution, see bury. As an adjective from 1570s.

Greek kyriakon (adj.) "of the Lord" was used of houses of Christian worship since c.300, especially in the East, though it was less common in this sense than ekklesia or basilike. An example of the direct Greek-to-Germanic progress of many Christian words, via the Goths; it probably was used by West Germanic people in their pre-Christian period.
Online Etymology Dictionary

 

From the BDAG:
κυριακός, ή, όν (s. κύριος) pert. to belonging to the Lord, the Lord’s (oft. in ins [since 68 A.D.: OGI 669, 13; 18] and pap.=‘imperial’ in certain exprs.: imperial treasury, service, etc. See Dssm., NB 44ff [BS 217ff ], LO 304ff [LAE2 362ff ]; Hatch 138f; and πρῶτος 1aα end; Iren. 1, 8, 1 [Harv. I 67, 1; 6f ]) κ. δεῖπνον the Lord’s Supper 1 Cor 11:20. κ. ἡμέρα the Lord’s day (Kephal. I 192, 1; 193, 31; ὁ μὲν τέλειος … ἀεὶ ἄγει κ. ἡμέρας Orig, C. Cels. 8, 22, 6) i.e. certainly Sunday (so in Mod. Gk., and cp. POxy 3407 [IV A.D.]) Rv 1:10 (WStott, NTS 12, ’65, 70–75). For this κυριακὴ κυρίου D 14:1. Without κυρίου (Kephal. I 194, 9; 195, 6; Did., Gen. 190, 2) GPt 9:35; 12:50. τῷ σαββάτῳ ἐπερχομένης τῆς κ. AcPl Ha 3, 9. κατὰ κυριακὴν ζῆν observe the Lord’s day (opp. σαββατίζειν) IMg 9:1 (on the omission of ἡμέρα cp. Jer 52:12 δεκάτῃ τοῦ μηνός and s. ἀγοραῖος 2). σύνταξιν τῶν κυριακῶν ποιούμενος λογίων making an orderly presentation of the dominical words Papias (2:15) (s. also ἐξήγησις end); κ. λογίων (11:1; 12:2); κ. λόγων (3:1); κ. ἐξηγήσεων (8:9).—SMcCasland, The Origin of the Lord’s Day: JBL 49, 1930, 65–82; JBoehmer, D. christl. Sonntag nach Urspr. u. Gesch. ’31; PCotton, From Sabbath to Sunday ’33; WRordorf, Der Sonntag … im ältesten Christentum ’62 (Eng. tr. AGraham ’68); HRiesenfeld, Sabbat et Jour du Seigneur: TWManson memorial vol. ’59, 210–17.—B. 1008. DELG s.v. κύριος. M-M. TW. Spicq. Sv.

I tried to add this to the Etymology I posted but for reason could not. Anyway, I see the Lord's Supper and the Lord's Day in Scripture, but I only see it applied as an adjective to a church in C300 in the etymology. So, that makes it an ecclesiastical word, not a literal word of Scripture, right?

 

We have the "assembly of God" in Neh. 13:1 and we have "assembly of God" in Acts 20:28, YLT. We have the phrase "people of God" KJV in Judges 20:2 and we have the "people of God" in 1 Peter 2:9-10 YLT. No word "church" in the Hebrew or Greek. The people of God in the OT were called Israel and Paul speaks of the Commonwealth of Israel and how Gentiles are brought in:

"Wherefore remember, that once ye, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands; that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace" (Eph 2:11-15, ASV)

The Old Covenant was abolished, and the Gentiles are made nigh by the blood of Christ to the Commonwealth of Israel. He has made us both "one". The Old Covenant was done away with and we are now under the New Covenant in Christ's blood. The NT tells us who the true Israel is, and it is not all the Jews of the flesh:

"When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, 'Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!'” (John 1:47, NRSV)
"For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." (Rom 2:28-29, KJV)
"But it is not as though the word of God hath come to nought. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel" (Rom 9:6, ASV)

The elect of God, those chosen to come to faith, come from Jew and Gentile alike:

"What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath that are made for destruction; and what if he has done so in order to make known the riches of his glory for the objects of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— including us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?" (Rom 9:22-24, NRSV)

We believing Gentiles were grafted into the olive tree, Israel, as the 'not truly Israelis' were broken off:

"But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree" (Rom 11:17, NRSV)

So now, those who believe as Abraham our father in the faith of Jesus Christ, elect Jews and elect Gentiles are the continuation of Israel, the true Israel, the Israel of God:

"May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God." (Gal 6:14-16, NRSV)

The "and" is clearly explicative as shown by the context, so the following translations show that:

"God forbid that I should boast of anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world is crucified to me and I to the world! Circumcision is nothing; uncircumcision is nothing; the only thing that counts is new creation! All who take this principle for their guide, peace and mercy be upon them, the Israel of God!" (Gal 6:14-16, REB)

"Yet God forbid that I should boast about anything or anybody except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, which means that the world is a dead thing to me and I am a dead man to the world. But in Christ it is not circumcision or uncircumcision that counts but the power of new birth. To all who live by this principle, to the true Israel of God, may there be peace and mercy!"
(Gal 6:14-16 Phillips)

The fog clears once you remove the man-made ecclesiastical word "church"! By the way, I am of New Covenant theology, not Covenant theology and I am Baptist and the 18th century Baptist John Gill nailed it on Gal. 6:16

"The "Israel of God", or as the Arabic version reads it, "Israel the propriety of God"; which he has a right unto, and a claim upon; who are chosen by him, Israel his elect; who are redeemed by him, out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation; who are called by his grace, and are styled Israel his called; who are justified in his Son, and by his righteousness; and for whose sake he is exalted as a Prince and a Saviour, to give them repentance and remission of sin; and who are, or will be saved by him, with an everlasting salvation; and is a name that includes all God's elect, whether Jews or Gentiles..."

Gill was a historic pre-mil, but NOT a dispensationalist, which had never been heard of in John Gill's day.

 

Did Jesus speak Greek, or Aramaic? What Language Did Jesus Speak?

I just wish to use the proper English definition of "ekklesia" which is more closely assembly or congregation. As in my earlier post, it can be important when identifying the people of God in the Old Testament and then the people of God in the New Testament. All the arguments about Israel versus church become easier to understand avoiding the ecclesiastical word... at least for me it is.