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NASB | Matthew 16:18 "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 16:18 "And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ]. [Eph 1:22; 4:15; 5:23; Col 1:18] |
Subject: Did Jesus found the church? |
Bible Note: Dear Hank, I will tell you what I think Jesus was saying in Matthew 16:18. It seems that the main source of confusion comes from the mistranslation of the word "Church", this word as we know and think about did not exsist in Jesus's time. The Greek word ekklesia which means "called-out ones"and is used in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew kahal,"assembly, congregation,community." The usual English translation of ekklesia is "church" and from it comes the word "ecclesiastical," meaning, "having to do with the church." What is being spoken about is a spiritual community of people based on trust in G*d and his son the Messiah Yeshua(the name his disiples called him by). The phrase, "the ekklesia that meets in their house"(Rom 16:5), refers to a particular congregation. Unlike "church"ekklesia never refers either to an institution or to a building.Yeshua(Jesus),if anything might have been the founder of a new sect of Judaism, there were many in his day,what was one more ? If Jesus founded anything he founded the Messianic Community, that is he ushered in the Messianic Age to the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles(the group I fall into). I pray that this helps. |