The End Time Church: From the Cathedrals to the Catacombs

By Dan L. White

Copyright ©2017 by Dan L. White, all rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB) which is in the public domain.

Chapter 32

So What is the Church, Anyway?

There were no denominations. There were no cathedrals. Yet Christ said, “I will build my church,” Mat 16:18, KJV.

With no denominations or cathedrals, what in the world did He build?

He did build it quickly.

Act 2:41 WEB
(41)  Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.

Act 4:4
(4)  But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

Act 6:1,7
(1)  Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, a complaint arose from the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily service.
(7)  The word of God increased and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

“[T]he Lord added to the church daily,” Act 2:47 KJV. Three thousand here, five thousand there, and to whatever degree, that happened every day! The number of disciples multiplied exceedingly!

So only a few weeks after that Pentecost festival, the ‘church’ was up to probably tens of thousands of disciples.

The Greek word rendered as ‘church’ in the King James translation is ‘ekklesia.’ Later English translations followed the King James in that. However, some earlier English translations of the Bible did not say that ekklesia meant church. The Tyndale New Testament in 1525, the Coverdale Bible in 1535, the Great Bible in 1540, Matthew’s Bible in 1549 and the Bishop’s Bible in 1568 all translated ekklesia as ‘congregation.’ The Geneva Bible of 1557 did render ekklesia as ‘church,’ but it had marginal notes that made ‘church’ authorities uncomfortable.

The King James translation of 1611 is called the Authorized Version because he authorized it. King James was head of the Anglican Church, begun in 1534 by Henry VIII. Rome would not allow Henry to divorce his wife, so Henry declared himself head of a new church, the Church of England, and then he did what he wanted with his wives. Henry supported the doctrine of the divine right of kings to rule, that his right to rule came directly from God and only God could judge him, because only God had authority above the king.

You can see how that helped support his newly created position as head of the church.

King James, about a half century later, likewise applied the divine right of kings doctrine to himself. King James, as head of the church that Henry started, was challenged by reformers such as the Pilgrims and Puritans. In fact, they came to America specifically to escape King James’ church.

A biography of William Bradford titled Bradford of Plymouth, by Bradford Smith described Puritanism.

Its innovating principle was in the idea that the Bible, rather than any established religious hierarchy, was the final authority. Therefore every man, every individual, had direct access to the word of God. It was the Puritan’s aim to reconstruct and purify not only the church, but individual conduct and all the institutions men live by.

King James did not agree with the Puritans that the Bible, rather than any established religious hierarchy, was the final authority in religion. He thought he was. The Church of England was the only official church in England. Everybody in England was in King James’ church because everybody was born into it. King James wanted to ensure that an English Bible version supported his position as head of his church. Therefore, King James authorized his version of the Bible — the Authorized Version — to support his authority as head of the church.

The New World Encyclopedia has these comments on King James’ translation project.

The King James’ Bible was a political project to assert the king’s control over the established and state supported religion in Great Britain.

In the preface, the translators of the King James note: “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:”

King James gave the translators instructions, which were designed to discourage polemical notes, and to guarantee that the new version would conform to the ecclesiology of the Church of England.

King James’ instructions included requirements that:…The old ecclesiastical words to be kept; as the word church, not to be translated congregation, &c.

In other words, King James ordered the translators to put authority over accuracy.

The King James translation is rightly hailed as a great translation, yet it’s mostly just a restating of the Tyndale Bible. Analysis shows that about four-fifths of the King James version was taken directly from Tyndale, as in this example from the Beatitudes.[1]

Tyndale
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be filled.

King James
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Pretty close! The KJV is noted for its noble language, most of which is simply copied from Tyndale, and that brings to mind the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

However, the KJV, by King James royal order, included words to support ecclesiastical authority, such as church, while Tyndale did not. Church was understood to mean not just a scattered body of believers but an authoritarian organization, such as the Church of England that James headed.

After the King James Bible became the common English edition, with the king of England and his church behind it, most later English Bible translations then followed the practice of rendering ekklesia as church. In modern times, several versions choose to translate the word more accurately. In Matthew 16:18, where the King James says,“I will build my church,” the Literal Translation of the Holy Bible and Young’s Literal Translation translate ekklesia not as church but as assembly. And in KJV Acts 2:47, “added to the church daily,” the Contemporary English Version, the English Standard Version, the Good News Bible and the International Standard Version say either “added to their number” or “added to their group.”

Here is the question.

The Greek New Testament uses the word ekklesia. Most translations follow the King James and render it as church, to support centralized church authority. Others translate it as congregation or assembly, which does not support centralized church authority.

Does the word ekklesia support ecclesiastical authority or defrock it?

It’s widely assumed that ekklesia was a very religious word that God picked to use in the New Testament. It is said to be “the called out ones” and that makes the word ekklesia sound very — ecclesiastical. However, when the New Testament was written, ekklesia was a centuries old Greek word that related not to religion but mostly to Greek politics.

The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology defines the political word ekklesia.

[E]kklesia, derived via ek-kaleo, which was used for the summons to the army to assemble, from kaleo, to call (–. Call). It is attested from Eur. and Hdt. onwards (5th cent. B.C.), and denotes in the usage of antiquity the popular assembly of the competent full citizens of the polis, city. It reached its greatest importance in the 5th cent, and met at regular intervals (in Athens about 30–40 times a year, elsewhere less frequently) and also in cases of urgency as an extra-ordinary ekklesia. Its sphere of competence included decisions on suggested changes in the law (which could only be effected by the council of the 400), on appointments to official positions and — at least in its heyday — on every important question of internal and external policy (contracts, treaties, war and peace, finance). To these was added in special cases (e.g. treason) the task of sitting in judgment, which as a rule fell to regular courts. The ekklesia opened with prayers and sacrifices to the gods of the city.

Thus, ekklesia, centuries before the translation of the Old Testament and the time of the NT, was clearly characterized as a political phenomenon, repeated according to certain rules and within a certain framework. It was the assembly of full citizens, functionally rooted in the constitution of the democracy, an assembly in which fundamental political and judicial decisions were taken.[2]

Ekklesia was an assembly, a gathering together of a crowd.

In the New Testament, Acts 19 shows that ekklesia was not a religious word. This ekklesia was more like a mob than a church meeting.

Act 19:23-41 WEB
(23)  About that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way.
(24)  For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen,
(25)  whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, “Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth.
(26)  You see and hear, that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands.
(27)  Not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted as nothing, and her majesty destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships.”
(28)  When they heard this they were filled with anger, and cried out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
(29)  The whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel.
(30)  When Paul wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples didn’t allow him.
(31)  Certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent to him and begged him not to venture into the theater.
(32)  Some therefore cried one thing, and some another, for the assembly [ekklesia] was in confusion. Most of them didn’t know why they had come together.
(33)  They brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. Alexander beckoned with his hand, and would have made a defense to the people.
(34)  But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice for a time of about two hours cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
(35)  When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, “You men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?
(36)  Seeing then that these things can’t be denied, you ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rash.
(37)  For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.
(38)  If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them press charges against one another.
(39)  But if you seek anything about other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly [ekklesia].
(40)  For indeed we are in danger of being accused concerning today’s riot, there being no cause. Concerning it, we wouldn’t be able to give an account of this commotion.”
(41)  When he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly [ekklesia].

The World English Bible, an update of the American Standard Version which was a sequel to the King James, translates ekklesia there as ‘assembly.’ Even the King James is forced to do that. They couldn’t call that mob a church! That near riot had nothing to do with church authority, so it was all right for the King James translators to render ekklesia there — and only there — as assembly. All English Bibles agree. That rowdy crowd was no church meeting.

But that rowdy crowd was an ekklesia.

Just a few verses later, ekklesia occurs again. The World English Bible, to be consistent, again translates ekklesia as “assembly.”

Act 20:17 WEB
(17)  From Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to himself the elders of the assembly [ekklesia].

However, the King James Version and most other translations revert back to church.

Act 20:17 KJV
(17) And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

It’s the same Greek word in both places — ekklesia. In Acts 19 it’s an assembly or crowd. In Acts 20 it’s a church. The word ‘assembly’ connotes a bunch of people gathered together. The word ‘church’ connotes an institution, like King James’s Anglican Church or the Roman Catholic Church.

Again, King James ordered his translators to deliberately avoid translating certain words accurately and instead to render them ecclesiastically, to support institutional religion.

His institutional religion.

Other translations then followed that practice. If they had not, their translations would not have been accepted by the institutional churches.

So then, does the word ekklesia support ecclesiastical authority or defrock it?

No where in common Greek usage did ekklesia refer to a religious institution. Oxford Dictionary defines the word ‘ecclesiastical’ as “Relating to the Christian Church or its clergy — ‘the ecclesiastical hierarchy.’” Ecclesiastical is obviously from ekklesia, yet ekklesia means the exact opposite of “ecclesiastical hierarchy.”

How ironic is that?

Ecclesiastical is from ekklesia, yet means the opposite of ekklesia. Ecclesiastical is institutional, a church with cathedrals and soaring sanctuaries and controlled by people with soaring titles and positions. Ekklesia is just a gathering of people, as when they got together in Athens for a town meeting or when they filled the street in Ephesus for a near riot or —

When they follow the Messiah in the Way.

Ekklesia is a crowd of people gathered together for a purpose.

So in the New Testament ekklesia, the New Covenant crowd, there were no denominations, there were no church buildings, and there was no ecclesiastical hierarchy. If you don’t have denominations, you can’t have a ruling ecclesiastical hierarchy.

Realistically, in the earliest ekklesia, there was no way they could have had an ecclesiastical hierarchy. The purpose of an ecclesiastical hierarchy is to control people. Think about the logistics involved in trying to humanly control tens of thousands of brand new disciples.

On that Pentecost Day in 30 CE, when “The Lord added to the assembly day by day,” Acts 2:47 WEB, who were those people?

Acts 2:7-11
7) They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans?
8) How do we hear, everyone in our own native language?
9) Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia,
10) Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
11) Cretans and Arabians: we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!”

They were people from all over and they had done what Paul did later.

Acts 20:16
16) For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

Israelites from all those lands had come to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. After that incredible day when the Holy Spirit fell, they stayed in Jerusalem. Why leave? That’s where the action was.

Acts 2:44-47 WEB
44) All who believed were together, and had all things in common.
45) They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need.
46) Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart,
47) praising God, and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.

After Stephen was executed by the Jews, however, those new disciples did leave Jerusalem. The Jews persecuted the new Christianos and the ekklesia spread out. The crowd dispersed physically.

Where did they go?

Some spread throughout Israel. Others surely went back home, to Parthia, Media, Cappadocia, Pontus, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Rome, Crete, Arabia, etc.

The crowd was no longer all together in one place. They were all over the place.

But —

They were still the crowd, still the assembly of Christianos, who had been called out to follow Yeshua, wherever and whoever they were. They were the ekklesia, here, there and everywhere.

And in spite of King James’ later efforts, there was no ruling church hierarchy.

They didn’t have time — only a few weeks — to set one up. They were scattered all over the place and dispersed among all the other peoples. And wherever they went, the crowd got bigger! The ekklesia enlarged, expanded and exploded! No ecclesiastical hierarchy could possibly keep up with that incredible, humanly uncontrollable crowd.

No person could keep up with all the persons in the Way.

No human could possibly keep up with that scattered ekklesia.

But Christ could.

Yeshua didn’t need an ecclesiastical version of the Roman Empire to control His flock. He didn’t even need membership rolls. He knew who was in his crowd and wherever they were, His crowd followed Him.

Remember the example of Korah and his comrades, the Levites who tried to also seek the priesthood? That might have been confusing to the people at the time, because Korah and his family were indeed Levites, who took care of the Ark of the Covenant. Very important position! Some people might have thought that Korah should lead just like Moses. That could have been humanly confusing, but God knew who His people were.

Num 16:5
(5)  He said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning, Yahweh will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him. Even him whom he shall choose, he will cause to come near to him.

Even when those who are supposed to be shepherds don’t do their job, God does His. He shepherds His sheep.

Ezek 34
5) They were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered.
6) My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill: yes, my sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth; and there was none who searched or sought.
7) Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh:
8) As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely because my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the animals of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and didn’t feed my sheep;
9) therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh:
10) Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.
11) For thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.
12) As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13) I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14) I will feed them with good pasture; and on the mountains of the height of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie down in a good fold; and on fat pasture shall they feed on the mountains of Israel.
15) I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord Yahweh.
16) I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will feed them in justice.

God is quite capable of shepherding his sheep himself.

When Yeshua taught among the Jews, there was confusion. Some of the most religious Jews were the most opposed to this prophet. Who could know who was who?

John 10:19-27
(19) Therefore a division arose again among the Jews because of these words.
(20) Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane! Why do you listen to him?”
(21) Others said, “These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It isn’t possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?”

(24) The Jews therefore came around him and said to him, “How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
(25) Yeshua answered them, “I told you, and you don’t believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify about me.
(26) But you don’t believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you.
(27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Christ knows his people and they follow Him — directly. The ekklesia does not have to go through an ecclesiastical hierarchy to get to Christ. Christ is the ecclesiastical hierarchy.

“I know them, and they follow me.”

Very convenient.

Yeshua has their names in His book.

Rev 3:5
5) He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Rev 21:27
(27) There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

No ecclesiastical hierarchy can know who is in the Book of Life. Only the Lamb knows who is in his book. The Book of Life is not a church membership list. The Book of Life is an ekklesia list and only the head of the ekklesia can know — whoever and wherever they are — only the head of the ekklesia can know who is in His book.

Theologians have changed the ekklesia from a humanly uncontrollable crowd to a humanly controlled church. That is not the ekklesia of the New Testament. That is the ekklesia of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, like King James’ church or the Roman church or so many others. The ekklesia of the New Testament, the New Testament church, is a crowd without walls, an assembly that answers to only one Caller, and a group that can only be led by the supernatural Son of God.

This is most important to understand.

No mortal humans, no Romish empire, no ecclesiastical hierarchy can lead this scattered gathering of called out ones.

Only Christ can lead this flock, His flock.

He calls them.

He saves them.

He leads them.

In the earliest ‘church,’ there were no denominations. There were no cathedrals. Yet Christ said, “I will build my church.”

What in the world did He build?

He built a crowd of people who follow Him and His Way. The ekklesia are the called out ones, geographically scattered, spiritually united. The town crier in Athens called the citizens to assemble for a town meeting and Yeshua personally calls His sheep out to follow Him. He is the only one who knows who is written in His Book of Life and He knows each one of these people personally.

Would we not expect, then, that He also personally leads them? After all, He’s the only one who can.

ENDNOTES:
[1] http://www.tyndale.org/tsj03/mansbridge.html
[2] Colin Brown, The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology,. Vol. 3, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979), p. 291.