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subtopics = [[Nature of the church]]* [[Mission of the church]]* [[Church Terms Index]]* Contemporary Ecclesiology Issues and Terminology - [[Megachurch]], [[Home church]], [[Emerging church]], [[Incarnational church]]* [[Church building]]

* [[Church service]]|* opinion_pieces = [[Church Terms Index]]* [[Megachurch(discussion)]] | opinion_pieces = {{short_opinions}}

This word ekklesia was used in ancient [[Koine Greek|Greek]] to mean "gathering" or "assembly"in a political sense. In the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, the [[LXX]], the word ekklesia occurs over 200 times (usually as a translation from the Hebrew word qahal), most commonly to refer to the assembly of the covenant people of God. In the [[New Testament]] the word ekklesia occurs in the [[gospels]] only twice ([[Matthew 16:16]] and [[Matthew 18:20]]), but it occurs many times elsewhere in the [[New Testament]].

===Theology Uses of the word "church" in common English===

There are TIn English, the word "church" means different things to different people in different contexts. It can be used in reference to a variety gathering of understandings about what the church actually people for a religious meeting. It is. There are also sometimes used to refer to a variety of uses building or group of buildings, and occasionally it refers to an entire [[denomination]]. It can also be used in an institutional sense to refer to all churches, such as "... the word "churchtoday...." in common English.

====Uses [[Nature of the word "church" in common English=Church]]===

In English, the word "church" means different things to different people in different contexts. It can be used in reference to There are a gathering variety of people for a religious meeting. It is also sometimes used to refer to a building or group of buildings, and occasionally it refers to an entire [[denomination]]. It can also be used in an institutional sense to refer to all churches, such as "... understandings about what the church todayactually is...."  ====The Church as the Community of Believers====

====The Church as belonging to Furthermore, although consisting of people, the church is not simply an instution created by people. In [[Matthew 16:18]] Jesus spoke about building '''his''' church and his presence later, in [[Matthew 18:20]] he spoke about being present among it==the church: ''{{Bible verse|matthew|16|18|lang=WEB}}'' (Matthew 16:18): ''{{Bible verse|matthew|18|20|lang=WEB}}'' (Matthew 18:20)

The Bible uses the term churchin both a local and universal nature. Mostly the word refers to local churches, although consisting of peoplefor example, Biblically speaking, is not simply an instution created by people. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus spoke about building '''his''' the church and later, in [[Matthew 18:20]] he spoke Rome or Antioch. Quite often it is spoken about being present among the church: ''{{web_verse|matthew|16|18}}'' (Matthew 16:18): ''{{web_verse|matthew|18|20}}'' (Matthew 18:20) ====The Church as both local and plural. On a few occasions the New Testament uses the word in a general or universal====sense.

Throughout church history, starting with [[Augustine]], the church has sometimes been spoken about in terms of the "invisible church" as opposed to the "visible church". The Bible uses invisible church basically means the community or collection of true believers in Jesus regardless of denominational affiliation. The term visible church in both is used to refer to the physical countable members or leaders that make up a local church or group of churches. Many Protestant churches tend to emphasize the invisible church, and universal natureview this as something quite distinct from the visible church. Mostly The Roman Catholic Church, on the word refers to local churchesother hand, for exampleteaches that the invisible church and visible church are very closely connected, although there is recognition that some elements of the invisible church can be present outside the visible Roman Catholic church in Rome or Antioch. Quite often it is spoken about <ref>[[Congregation for the Doctrine of the pluralFaith]]: [http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070629_responsa-quaestiones_en. On a few occasions html Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the New Testament uses Doctrine of the word in a general or universal senseChurch], 2007, second and third question.</ref>

====The Invisible versus [[Mission of the Visible Church=church]]===

Sometimes the The church is spoken about in terms 's mission can be summarized as to bring glory to God through humanity mirroring God’s own holy character of the "invisible church" and the "visible church"love<ref>[[Stanley J. The invisible church basically means Grenz]], ''[[Theology for the community or collection Community of true believers in Jesus regardless of denominational affiliationGod]]'' (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 2000), 489.</ref>. The term visible church is used to refer This involves:# Honourable worship to God# Building up of each other within the physical countable members or leaders that make up a church or group of churches. # Reaching out into the world through service and evangelism