Recapturing The Vocabulary Of The Holy Spirit

[Reformer]

Recapturing The Vocabulary Of The
HOLY SPIRIT
[Section 1]

     

   Let's start with the terms "church" and "Easter," per the King James Version. Most believers do not approve of "Easter" in the place of "Passover" in Acts 12:4. We reject the translation because the term was added by King James, not by the Holy Spirit. We feel the term should not be an integral part of the Christian vocabulary. Then why do most of us approve of "church"? Both terms were added by King James, not by the Holy Spirit. 

    Most translations following the KJV deleted the king's "Easter" in favor of "Passover," the correct translation. Should they not also have deleted his "church" and replaced it with congregation, assembly, or community? Yes, of course! We are compelled to ponder why they deliberately committed this blunder. I think the answer is obvious.
 
    The Christian community had become so addicted to "church," the translators and publishers knew they would not have an attractive market for their translations should they delete "church" and translate "ekklesia" correctly. So, we are stuck with "church" because of inconsistent and spurious translators and publishers.

    Let us not forget that religious parties in the form of churches did not exist until centuries after the new order was founded. Churches breed and promote division. Personally, I will no longer have any part of it, although I'll continue working within the system for reform.  Jesus wants a relationship with you and me. Sects, religious parties, and churches only get in the way of that relationship.
 
    Recently, a sister in the Lord asked, "Buff, you stated in a recent column that Jesus did not join any of the religious parties when He was on earth. Was there a reason He didn't?"
 
    Yes. Jesus was a man of peace, not a man of division. All of the religious parties of His time bred division. My hunch is that Jesus wanted no part of their divisions. He earnestly prayed to His Father for unity in John 17. That prayer alone demonstrates the truth that joining divisive parties was not His intent, nor part of His mission.

    Consider another matter. If He were here in the flesh today, it is highly unlikely He would join any of our churches or religious parties. He would, instead, "crawl all over us" for being so splintered. The Christian movement of 2,000 years ago has taken a back seat to sectarian labels and partisan disputes. 
 
    It is indeed sad that we seem to be bent on fostering King James' blunders. Instead of trying to recapture the vocabulary of the Holy Spirit, we insist on promoting the mistakes of a bungling king. Jesus would never oppose the religious parties of His time and in the next breath organize another one in the form of a church—any church.
 
    Our dilemma is a sad commentary and witness to Jesus' plea for unity. Ours is a diseased sack of splintered bones, and there will be no improvement until enough of us raise our arms and voices in disgust and cast by the wayside our ecclesiastical moorings. Until then, our divisions will simply multiply, and our Lord will be grieved even more.
 

[Please look for Section 2]

[Rella]

Glad you are back, Buff. 

[Reformer]

Thanks, Rella.