Opinion
In my search for truth, I have grown to become very apprehensive of anything that is of common or popular human practice, behavior or belief. This is because it is easier and more comfortable for mankind to do evil things than good. And so, every popular human behavior always sets me thinking!
For example, I think about why very few men today bear full grown beards while the majority of them, on a daily basis, would religiously scrape off their beards first thing every morning after waking up from their night sleep, oblivious of the fact that their beard hairs were made to grow by the power and will of the Creator while they slept!! You may want to think a little more deeply about this popular human practice within the contexts of Vayikra (Leviticus?) 19:27 & 20:5 of the Torah and Lukas (Luke) 21:18.
Why do the overwhelming majority of men and women delight in unisex garbs, by their wearing of pairs of trousers, as if seeking to nullify any distinction established by the Creator between the sexes? While seeking answers to this, please be guided by Devarim (Deuteronomy?) 22:5 of the Torah!!
Furthermore, why are almost all of today’s African women infatuated with wearing non-African hairs—that are artificially made or are harvested from non-African women, dead or alive—on their heads, and thus, concealing or camouflaging through weave-ons, wigs, and hair extensions, the natural hair given to them by their Maker?
Whenever I have become apprehensive of human behavior, I have often found out that people who indulged in popular and common lifestyles ended up displeasing their Maker by their actions, except in the few situations when that popular behavior was mandated or approved by the Creator—Yahuwah Elohiym.
And so, by permitting my apprehensions to be extended to the word “Church”, which is arguably the most popular English word around the world, I have come upon some strange findings which I want to share with my readers through this article!
The word “Church” is a common English word that is known to almost all spiritually minded people of all religious persuasions—Satanists, pagans, Buddhists, Muslims, Voodooists, Christians, etc. Even atheists know about “Church”, except that what they understand the word to mean may be unpalatable to others, especially Christians, who pride themselves as being the bona fide owners of the word!
Amazingly, despite their not knowing or ever considering the roots and origins of the word “Church”, every Christian today is very happy and comfortable in claiming to belong to “the Church”! By the word “Church”, all manner of Christians are lobed together as one people; for, there is no Christian who does not belong to “the Church”! It seems mandatory that, because all Christians believe in, hold allegiance to and also profess to belong to the name JESUS CHRIST, they must of necessity also belong to “the Church”.
So then, “the Church” and the words “JESUS CHRIST” have become synonymous to each other—if anyone belongs to one, the one must automatically belong to the other! Interestingly, even though “Church” and “Jesus Christ” are synonymous, it is not considered strange, odd, funny or even absurd to have all over the world a “Church of Jesus Christ” or “Church of Christ”, despite the obvious tautologies in such a naming nomenclature! But then, why is there never found a “Church of Church”; or is one to be so-named soon to come??
Paradoxically, the word “Church” is the cause of all the fragmentation that is clearly visible among Christians, despite they all having faith and a feeling of togetherness in and by it! It is not hard to see that the word “Church” breeds disunity!! For, it is the cause of the severe fragmentation of a body supposed to be established upon a common faith in a JESUS CHRIST, and affectionately called the Body of Christ which Christians are known to often refer themselves as belonging to!
You see, even though the word “Church” is used to describe an entire or universal body of believers in a JESUS CHRIST, it is also used to distinguish any small unit of this universal body! This allows each of these small units of the composite body to stand apart from one another according to their individual peculiar doctrines or teachings and practices, which vary from denomination to denomination! And yet, every one of the thousands of differing Christian denominations identifies itself in the world by the name “Church” while seeking to be one with all the others.
So then, based on the strong peculiarity of doctrine and beliefs of the differing denominations of Christians and their strong resolve and determination to stand uniquely different from one another, there has come into being such groupings as: Methodist Church, Church of Christ, Apostolic Church, Charismatic Churches, Pentecost Church, Evangelical Church, Baptist Church, Musamo Disco Christo Church, Presbyterian Church, etc., thus forming a huge conglomeration of bodies with differing names running into thousands! It seems to me that fragmentation and division are the bane of the Christian religion!!
Interestingly, the physical building structure that is designated for the meetings of these denominations is also called “Church”. Exteriorly, these meeting places—“Churches”—display as many a varied architecture as there are descriptive names for them based on the differing beliefs and practices of their various congregants.
But of course, it is also very common to have these meeting places being referred to as Chapel, Temple, Cathedral, Basilica, etc. and made to look as grandiose as possible, to the extent that the human mind would permit for their design! But whether these meeting places are called by the names Chapel, Temple, Cathedral, Basilica, or Church, their values are the same, for they all must belong to “the Church”!!
Evolving from all of the foregoing are such English vocabulary and phraseology as the Orthodox Church, Mainline Churches, the Protestant Churches, the Breakaway Church, the defunct Church, the New Creation Church, Church property, the fourth century Church, St. Charles’ Church, Holy Ghost Church, the Synagogue Church, and so on and so forth; never ending names of man’s creation!
Further evolving from all of the foregoing are such descriptions as: my Church, our Church, their Church, her Church, this Church, that Church, which Church, in Church, from Church, etc, which seek to personalize the ownership of the already fragmented units of “the Church” and thus further fragment a so-called unique and whole body by these descriptions.
All in all, one could say “the Church” is the most amorphous body one can find of any people seeking spiritual uplifting according to the teachings of the English Bible! The Church is amorphous in its doctrine, practice of beliefs, name-tags, architectural designs of its meeting places, days that are deemed to be divinely designated for meetings, etc.
All of this English-based nomenclature for “the Church”—a body whose membership supposedly contains only saved and holy mankind—wrongly suggests the salvation message was first delivered by Elohiym to English people. But this is contrary to the revelation in the Hebrew Holy Scriptures which says that salvation is primarily of Hebrews—cf. YahuKhanan (John?) 4:22! It may thus seem that, all these “Church” nomenclature are irrelevant to the salvation of Elohiym!!
I am sure many may wonder with me why there is so much confusion and disunity among salvation seekers regarding the word “Church” if it is deemed to be good and holy, and more so when most of its members think to consider the English Bible, where it emanates from, as the pure and unblemished Word of Elohiym??
But then, permit me to say that it is because of the wrongful acceptance of the English Bible by every Christian as the pure and unblemished Word of Elohiym that has kept them in a deception that “the Church” is holy and of, by, and from Elohiym. It is sad that, because the English Bible mentions “Church” and “Churches” in a total of 113 times in its pages, always portraying them as holy words, Christians have come to accept the word “Church” as such, ignorant of what it portends for them!!
Let me advise all who read the English Bible to accept that it is a mere translation of an original message that was delivered to mankind in Hebrew by Elohiym! Because the English Bible is a translation, none of the words in it ever came out of the mouth of Elohiym verbatim as English translators have sought to entice readers of, typically, the “Red Letter Edition” of their Bibles into believing!! Be not deceived, the word “Church”, which is an English word, has never been uttered by Elohiym; for Yahuwah Elohiym, the Most High One, only speaks Hebrew!
Since the word “Church” neither came to mankind from Elohiym in Shamayim (Heaven?) nor did He mandate translators to come up with it, it is must be obvious that “Church” is purely man-made and thus only earthly in all its meaning! In fact, this word was, through trickery, supplied to salvation seekers via a rather circuitous route by their fellow men; men who, like all others, are ordinarily flesh and blood!!
The Greek word, “ekklesia”, found in the Greek “version” of the Hebrew-revealed Beyrit Khadasha (New Testament, NT) marked the beginning of the coming of the word “Church” into the faith of bible-believing salvation seekers.
Ekklesia is taught to mean “the called out ones” in reference to a group of people called out of the teeming populations of the world who believe in the name JESUS CHRIST. Well, this meaning to ekklesia may seem good and harmless, but then, did Elohiym ever mention or reveal the word “ekklesia” or the English words JESUS CHRIST in reference to any people He has called to Himself and to His only begotten Son Yahushua? No, and never!
Later on, when the Greek “version” of the Holy Hebrew Scriptures was also translated into Latin, the focus of translators whittled from “ekklesia” being used in reference to some peculiar group of people that are called out of a populous world, to amphitheaters or auditoria that were common in Greece and the then Roman-controlled world, similar to which these “called out people—ekklesia” at times held their meetings in!
The history of Latin people vividly portrays their entertainment culture in indoor amphitheaters and in open air “stadia”. This history also tells of a type of an indoor entertainment involving humans displaying with tamed animals [tigers, lions, elephants, snakes, monkeys, etc.] in performances to viewers who were often seated in a circular or semi-circular arrangement.
The circularity associated with this entertainment—both in the seating of spectators and movement of the displaying animals and their handlers—led people to refer to both the event and the structure of the place of the event, together, as “circe” in Latin.
Interestingly, the word “circe”, which was pronounced as “chirche” by Latin people, and the type of entertainment associated with it, eventually got adapted and popularized by Anglo-Saxons and other westerners, and was given the name “circus”!!
And so, this same “chirche”, which had previously given birth to “circus”, was carried wholesale by English translators of the Latin “version” of the Greek NT into their English “version”; whereupon “chirche” was later to be transformed to “Church” in modern day English! And thus has “Church” stuck with mankind onto this day! So then, the unholy roots of the word “Church” do not make whatever it is thought to be today, anything holy and of or from Elohiym!!
Permit me to now digress from “Church” to state a few things that are taught in the Hebrew Holy Scriptures of the Savior’s immediate post-ascension era. Dear reader, it is important both to you and to me that you endeavor to read me well in this.
We learn from the Scriptures of the Savior’s post-ascension era that sinners can be rendered pure and holy, and thus, set free from sin and its consequences, when they come into contact with the shed blood of Yahushua by their faith exercised in a tevilah (baptism?) in a mikveh mayim (natural body of running water), in and into the name Yahushua.
Note that the Hebrew Yahushua [not the English JESUS] is the name of the Savior that was delivered by malak (angel?) Gavriel from Elohim to Yosef and Miryam—cf. MattitYahu (Matthew?) 1:21 and Lukas (Luke?) 1:31—before his birth, which means “Yahuwah gives salvation”, and thus is the only name recognized by Elohiym and by which mankind can enter His salvation, after one has repented of one’s sins.
People, who express faith in Yahushua, repent of their sins and undergo tevilah in a mikveh mayim in the name of Yahushua, are thus the only ones who become consecrated and set apart [ekklesia?] from the teeming populace of the world to forever belong to Elohiym and His Son, Yahushua.
Such blessed people are individually filled in their spirits (hearts) with the Ruwakh HaKodesh (Holy Spirit?) as a mark of identification and ownership to Elohiym: They are called “Kedoshim” in Hebrew, meaning “the holy ones”.
Any single grouping of these blessed people is called by the Hebrew name Kehillah; while they are called Kehillot in a plurality of groups in differing residential locations. They are never called “Church” or “churches” or even “ekklesia” simply because Kehillah and Kehillot are what names by which Elohiym, who brought them into being, wants them to forever be known by and called!!
And so, had the Holy Hebrew Scriptures never been translated into English, as has been done obviously without the mandate of Elohiym, the word “Church” would neither ever have come into the thoughts of salvation seekers, nor would it have attracted anyone’s consideration in his quest for the saving grace of Elohiym.
The word “Church”, as cardinal as it is to Christian belief and culture, is sadly, irrelevant for anyone’s entry into the saving power of Elohiym, since it is nonexistent in the revelation of the Holy Hebrew Scriptures that Elohiym gave for mankind’s salvation!! Mortal men, without any mandate of Elohiym to translate Kehillah to “Church” have, in effect, deceived mankind into thinking that when one belongs to “the Church” (still “the circus”?) one is saved!!
As stated earlier, not only is every member of the Kehillah someone “called out of the world” by Elohiym for and on behalf of His Son Yahushua, but the one is also marked and filled with Ruwakh HaKodesh in his heart to forever be kept safe from Lucifer and his gang of hounds in this and in the world to come.
And so, such a person becomes a spiritual being re-made, reborn, or born anew into the nature and likeness of Yahushua and his Av (Father) and kept by Grace. Having become one in likeness and nature with Yahushua and his Av, everyone who is “called out of the world” by Elohiym can be found inside them (that is, in Elohiym and Yahushua), and that person too inside them (Elohiym and Yahushua)—just as every true son is found in his true father and his father in him!!
For security considerations, and to forever have oneness with Yahushua and Elohiym, everyone who is “called out of the world” by Elohiym is automatically joined or grafted to Yahushua who is HaGefen (The Vine) to be a branch in him—cf. YahuKhanan (John?) 15:5—to enable him draw on the fullness of Yahuwah Elohiym and His Ben (Son)!
Also, the life of the one who is “called out of the world” is hidden in Yahushua, whose being is in turn hidden in Elohiym his Av—cf. Colossae 3:3. Thus, the one “called out of the world” by Elohiym becomes clothed with immortality, even while in his flesh in his days of sojourn on Earth!
Obviously, for any one of the Kedoshim or those “called out of the world” by Elohiym, his/her relation to HaGafen and his position within an inner core surrounded by Yahushua and Yahuwah Elohiym, renders him immortal since he cannot be touched by sin or Death while being so enviably positioned!!
And so, all Kedoshim—whether they depart this Earth or are physically present in it—are forever united to one another simply because they are forever joined to the beings of Yahushua and Yahuwah Elohiym and are also always found in them! Oh what blessedness!!
From these revelations about the state and status of those who are “called out of the world” by Elohiym, it must be obvious what their common destiny is: Life in Eternity in the presence of Elohiym and Yahushua in Shamayim; for, how would one who is attached to Yahushua and also hidden in Elohiym ever be found anywhere else but in the most holy place where Elohiym and Yahushua live??
During the first several decades following the ascension of Yahushua to HaAv (The Father), all people “called out of the world” by HaAv, as true followers of Yahushua, never delighted themselves in constructing grandiose structures as their meeting places! That is why no relics of their “churches” exist today!!
They lived in great expectation of an imminent return of their Master and so were comfortable worshipping on river banks and in homes—cf. Acts 16:13, Romans 16:5, Colossae 4:15 and Philemon 2—where they could freely prostrate in unobstructed worship of their Elohiym, unlike in today’s “churches” where solid pews do not permit them (“churches”) to be worship-friendly!
I dare say that “the Church”, Christians, Christianity and the phantom of deception called JESUS CHRIST (that remains unproven as anyone who was ever born into any human genealogy) have been fused together to erect the huge statute of idolatry that has filled the Earth and become offensive to Yahuwah Elohiym—cf. DaniEl 4:31-45—and so, will soon be crushed to powder and blown out of sight!!
Ever since “the Circus” evolved into “the Church”, begotten through “Chirche”, “the Church” has lived true to its original nature, “the Circus”, and still functions as a place of entertainment for comfortably seated people! For no unholy root begets a holy tree!!
I am scared that the next stage in this evolution of “circe” to “circus” to “chirche” and to “Church” might be “hell fire”. My dear reader, aren’t you also scared??
As a shofar (ram-horn trumpet) blower of Elohiym, I am by this article dutifully warning mankind according to His Word in YechezkEl (Ezekiel?) 33:6-7; and this, I do in love for my readers. Will this generation heed the Word of Elohiym? Dear reader, my prayer is that your spiritual eyes become opened to the truth so you may be delivered from the deception of the English Bible. Shalom aleikhem.
PS: Should readers of this and any of my articles have serious questions or suggestions, they may contact me via e-mail by clicking on “Contact” on the Home Page of my website, http://sbprabooks.com/BongleBapuohyele . You may also purchase a copy of my book—Beware of This False Doctrine: Of Reciting the Sinners’ Prayer for Salvation—via the same web address so together, we walk the narrow way to the presence of Elohiym. Shalom.
