I hear this term a lot from the christians that go to 'church'.
Could someone tell me what a 'church service', is as i cannot find that term in the entire scriptures.
END Q QUOTE
Q, you can tell a lot about a person by the kind of questions he asks.
For example, no one who has actually read the entire scripture or is at least minimally aware of what they’ve read would hardly ask such a question.
Secondly, since many English Bibles are written somewhere about the 4th grade level, most people are able to distinguish between biblical terminology and informal or popular expression.
So based on the above premises that are based on your post, it’s obvious you need to work on an open-minded comprehension (yes, some people don’t just don’t want to understand)
If you can do that, you’ll probably avoid further embarrassment. After all, we’re talking about a 4th grade reading level.
Here’s a question for you Q.
What does the Bible mean when it says:
King James Bible, Titus 3:9
But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain
If you missed it, the answer is right there in the verse!
Church is when 2 or more born from above believers get together to study God's Word and to worship and praise God. A larger church includes elders and deacons and one or more prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers appointed by our great God and Savior Jesus Christ as per:
Ephesians 4:7,11-16; To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.... So **CHRIST HIMSELF** {Not the churches}appoints some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature , attaining to the whole measure of the **FULLNESS OF CHRIST**!... From Him the whole body , joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work.
The problem in the last days as we get close to the Great Tribulation there will be a great apostacy or great falling away in the churches which we are now experiencing!
In Matthew 24:9-13 shows this great falling away when the 1260-day Great Tribulation begins:
Matthew 24:9-13: Jesus says, ""Then you will be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets {Like Chuckles and Quiznos} will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness the love of **MOST** will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
And just after the 2nd Coming of Jesus and the marriage Feast of the Lamb Jesus and His faithful saints will mount Heavenly White Horses as per Revelation 19:7-20!!:
Revelation 17:14: They will make war against the **LAMB** but the **LAMB** will overcome them because He is **LORD** of lords and **KING** of kings, and with Him will be His **CALLED** **CHOSEN** and **FAITHFUL** followers!!
You can't find what a "church service" is? Well, it's just not worded quite the same, but same thing. Assembling together in Christ's name.
Heb 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
I do not go to duh church thingy, I meet with believers wherever they are, we break bread, share the word, have a meal at a restaurant, discuss Messiah at Dunkin DONUTS .
The early Bible saints met in houses where you have a
lot more **FREEDOM TO SPEAK** and maybe enjoy some food that is **DELICIOUS, **NUTRITIOUS** and makes you feel **AMBITIOUS** rather than getting **FAT** with **DUNKIN DONUTS**!! You can also have a lot more people in a living room then at a small table!
**WHAT IS THE BIBLE DEFINITION OF THE CHURCH OR CONGREGATION**?
The word church in the Bible comes from the Greek word **EKKLESIA**, which means a called out company or assembly. Wherever it is used in the Bible it refers to people. It can be a mob (Acts 19:30-41), the children of Israel (Acts 7:38), and the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 5:25,32).
The Greek word **EKKLESIA** is mentioned 114 times in the New Testament and is also translated **ASSEMBLY** or **CONGREGATION**! **THE CHURCH THAT MEETS IN YOUR **HOUSE** OR **HOME** is mentioned 6 times in the New Testament and so the church or congregation is **NOT CALLED A BUILDING** in the entire New Testament!!
Acts 5:42: Day after day, in the temple courts and from **HOUSE** to **HOUSE**, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
Romans 16:5: Greet also the **CHURCH** that meets at their **HOUSE**!
I Corinthians 16:19: Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord and so does the **CHURCH** that meets at their **HOUSE**!
Colossians 4:15: Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the **CHURCH** in her **HOUSE**!
Philemon 1:,1,2: To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker.... and to the **CHURCH** that meets in our **HOME**!
We see the word church used three different ways: First, as the body of Christ, the church is often defined as a local assembly or group of believers (1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:1-2). Second, it is defined as the body of individual living believers (1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13). Finally, it is defined as the universal group of all people who have trusted Christ through the ages (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 5:23-27).
What the church or congregation is not:
•The church or congregation is not Jews or Gentiles:
We see three distinct groups of people in the Bible: Jews, Gentiles, and the church (1 Corinthians 10:31-33; Galatians 3:26-29). Jews are all born as descendants of Abraham through Isaac (Romans 9:6-7). Gentiles are all other people born who are not Jews.
When a Jew or a Gentile trusts Christ as their Savior, they are born again into God’s family, become a child of God, and are part of the church. They are no longer a Jew or a Gentile (Galatians 3:26-29). The wall of separation between Jew and Gentile is torn down and they become one body (Ephesians 2:14-16).
•The church or congregation is not a kingdom:
Some people try to make the church the kingdom of Heaven that has already come. They ignore the following: The church inherits the kingdom (Matthew 25:34; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Corinthians 15:47-50). The church is here on earth, but the kingdom of Heaven is not here (Isaiah 9:7; Matthew 5:19-20; Matthew 8:11)
**The church or conregation is not a physical building or business organization:
Too often people describe a church building or organization as the church. This is because they emphasize the facility or organizational hierarchy as what constitutes a church. Most churches are organized in such a way that the public face of a church is seen as a business. However, since many people have a difficult time putting a label on a church, the term local church is often used to denote the local assembly of believers along with their meeting place and operations.
What is the Biblical view of church?
**The church is the building or temple of God:
Although the church is not a physical building, believers are referred to as the building or temple of God. Like a physical building, believers also have a Cornerstone; Jesus Christ. The foundation is the prophets and apostles. (Matthew 16:16; 1 Corinthians 3:9-17; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:6; Ephesians 2:19-22).
Peter 2:5,6: You also like **LIVIG STONES**, are being built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in the Scripture it says: "See, I lay a **STONE** in Zion, a chosen and **PRECIOUS CORNERSTONE**
**The church or congreagation is the bride of Christ:
The Bible makes reference to the church being the bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-32). This also alluded to in John 14:1-3 when Jesus talked about making a place at His Father’s house for us. This is a direct reference to when a man proposes to a woman and they are engaged. The man goes back to his father’s house to build on an addition. When the addition is done and everything is ready, he comes to call for his bride, which symbolizes the resurrection (Matthew 25:1; Revelation 19:7-9).
•The church has a Spiritual purpose:
The local church or assembly of believers has different roles that God gave to specific believers for the purpose of perfecting or training the believers, doing the work of the ministry, and strengthening of the church body (Ephesians 4:11-14). The roles given in the Bible are prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Deacons are also mentioned in Acts 6:1-7 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13 as servants to wait upon people with physical needs.
The church body also serves as a local group to resolve conflicts (Matthew 18:15-20) and serve as a court (1 Corinthians 6:1-8). In addition, baptisms and the Lord’s Supper or communion are observed by the church body (Acts 2:37-40; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34). Depending on the size of the church body, other ministries are performed by the members of the church as God has gifted each person (Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:7-16).
Ephesians 4:7,11-13,16: To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.... So **CHRIST HIMSELF** {Not the churches} gives some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the **FULLNESS IN CHRIST**!... From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work!
Quiznos, who knows so very little about scripture or about the Messiah or about Christians, bears false witness against all “Christians” by falsely accusing them of “not wanting to pay taxes”.
Most Christians, who attend church services, pay sales, property, income and other kinds of taxes, but common facts like these seem to elude Quiznos.
After all, it’s Quiznos who can’t deduct the simple concept of a “church service” from a 4th grade level English text which applies even less complex terminology like “meeting together” or “assembly” in lieu of the term “church service”. So it’s completely understandable he’s unable to distinguish the individual person from a body composed of individual persons.
But the trouble with Quiznos is not stupidity (although he might easily be mistaken for such)
Rather, Quiznos is an intelligent person who is just a bitter clinger who is warned about here:
Titus 3:9
New International Version
But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.
