RESTORATION OF THE EKKLESIA OF CHRIST

We have earlier in these series of gospel messages, spoken concerning the mystery of the gospel
and the two great mysteries namely: the Great mystery concerning Christ and the church and the Great
mystery of godliness, upon which the church — the EKKLESIA of Christ was built.

Now, we present a message on the restoration of the EKKLESIA of Christ which calls for urgent action, on
the part of everyone who believes in the revelation of Jesus Christ, according to the New Testament.

We know that the word "ekklesia" means a "calling out" or "that which is called out" or "an assembly
called together".

Ekklesia is used 111 times in the Greek New Testament scripture, with reference to those whom God
named "Christians" (Greek:"Christianos" which means "those who belong to Christ"), which is the body
of Christ — the people called out of the world by Christ, through His gospel.

Behold the ekklesia of Christ in Matthew 16:18; Acts 5:11; 20:28; Romans 16:16; Ephesians 1:22;
Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 12:23; Revelation 22:16 etc.

The "ekklesia of Christ" is described as "the called and chosen and faithful" in Christ (Revelation 17:14)

Jesus Christ purchased His ekklesia with His own blood (Acts 20:28) and not with the blood of Peter or
any other apostle of Christ. Therefore, the foundation of the Ekklesia of Christ is the Lord Jesus Christ
and not Simon Peter (1st Corinthians 3:11; 10:4; 1st Peter 2:2 -8). Even as Peter himself testifies that
"Christ The Rock" is the foundation upon which the Ekklesia of Christ was built by the Lord to be a
spiritual house.(Acts 4:8-12; 1Peter 2:1-9)

The Bible word "ekklesia" and the English word "church" does not mean the same thing, as can be seen
in the etymology of the English word church. Therefore the expression "churches of Christ" should be
properly called the "ekklesia of Christ".

The translators of the "old Syriac" version and the "old Latin" version of the Bible in the 2nd century
maintained the word "ekklesia". Also, the translators of the "Latin vulgate" and "Gothic version" of the
Bible in the 4th century maintained the word "ekklesia" just as it is in the Greek New Testament for the
New Testament was written in Greek. Therefore, our modern English version of the Bible should show
the "ekklesia" .
Someone said: "we seek an ekklesia for the restoration of the ekklesia". Therefore, let all the
evangelists, and all the Elders (shepherds, pastors, overseers, bishops) and Deacons (menservants), and
all the Teachers, and all other members of the body of Christ arise and shine now as the Ekklesia of
Christ all over the world, and jettison the word "church" or "chirche". For we are the congregations of
the Lord Jesus Christ, the holy assembly of priests belonging to the King. (1Peter 2:5,9; 5:1-4; Hebrews
12:22-28; Revelation 14:1-6; 17:14). The ekklesia of Christ must function daily in the services of the Lord
Jesus Christ as a living body with divine life.

In the etymology of the word "church", the modern English word "church" formerly "chirche" (kirke) in
middle English and "cirice" (kirika) in old English, is not derived from "ekklesia" in the Bible. It is derived
from "kirke" (Circe) a pagan word not found in the Bible. It is connected with pagan temples and their
gods or goddesses who claim to be lords. Even one of the Greek goddess is called "kirke" (Circe) the
goddess of sorceries. Even "Circe" is also said to be the fertility goddess of circles and round things.
Some English scholars claimed that their "kirke" (Circe) is from the latin "circus" which means "circle"
or "ring"; but ekklesia does not mean circle or ring.

In the first English translation of the Bible called the Wycliffe Bible translated in 1382, the word
"chirche" appeared in Matthew 16:18 as representing "ekklesia". This is a misnomer. Also in the old
King James version of the Bible translated in 1611, pagan "temples" was translated as "churches" (Acts
19:37).

The old English word for "church" is "cirice" derived from a proto-West Germanic word "kirika" said to
be an early borrowing from the ancient Greek word "kuriakon", the neuter form of "kuriakos" which
means "belonging to the lord" or "lord's". And we know that there are many lords among the Greeks.
Therefore "cirice" or "chirche" or "church" is said to be the lord's (house) a building belonging to the
lord. That was why the Oxford advanced learner's dictionary defined "church" to mean a building where
Christians go to worship. A Gothic church in Germany, is a building, an architecture built in a style that
was popular in Western Europe; from the 12th to the 16th centuries, with pointed ARCHES and windows
and tall thin PILLARS. And the Oxford dictionary of English says that ekklesia was not carried over into
English, German and Slavonic languages.

Having seen the origin of the English word "church", you can now understand that it is not from the
Greek word "ekklesia" in the Bible but from pagan religion. In effect, there is no "ekklesia of Christ" in
the "churches of men". Even their leaders who claim to be lords over their people and in these
"temples" (churches) where Christianity is mixed with paganism, with doctrines of demons and
commandments of men, how can they be saved with the eternal salvation in Christ?
Behold, the ekklesia of Christ (Romans 16:16) is not the churches of men—the mother and daughters of
denominationalism. The churches of men is the product of apostasy which the Lord Jesus Christ warned
us about in 2Thessalonians 2:1-12; 1Timothy 4:1-3; Revelation 17:1-18, which developed rapidly in the
4th century and became a wholesale departure from the ekklesia of Christ in the 7th—18th centuries
period of the dark ages.

Now, it behoves the Christians translating the New Testament from Greek to English, to do justice to
their work of translation, by honoring God and His words, since the inspiration of God is sacrosanct. As
one of the best, if not the best translation today, the translators of the International King James version
(A.K.A. Dickson Teachers' Bible) should boldly do justice effecting the restoration of the inspired word
"ekkesia" in all the scriptures, in line with the will of God.

Brethren, our human body functions without ceasing while we are yet breathing. Behold, the ekklesia of
Christ — the body of Christ filled with the Spirit, must function every second, every minute, every day,
without ceasing. Every member of the body of Christ, must be fervent in Spirit —burning with heavenly
zeal in worshipping God and serving the Lord in the ministry of reconciliation every day, doing the
greatest commission and commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ – the Head of His ekklesia. We must be
the glorious ekklesia without spots and wrinkles, but holy and without blemish; the pure and holy bride
of Christ destined for heavenly Glory at the second coming of Christ our Lord and King.

SOME EXAMPLES OF BIBLE TRANSLATION ON EKKLESIA

1. Matthew 16:18 in the Latin Vulgate, which is a Latin translation of the Bible completed by Jerome in
the 4th century, reads as follows:

"Et ego dico tibi: Quia tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam, et portae inferi
non praevalebunt adversus eam."

2. Matthew 16:18 in the Wycliffe Bible, which is an first English translation from the 14th century, reads
as follows:

"And Y seie to thee, that thou art Petre, and on this stoon Y schal bilde my chirche, and the yatis of helle
schulen not haue miyt ayens it."
3. Matthew 16:18 in the Tyndale Bible, which is an early English translation from the 16th century, reads
as follows:

"And I saye also vnto the that thou arte Peter: and apon this rocke I wyll bylde my congregacion. And the
gates of hell shall not prevayle ageynst it."

4. Matthew 16:18 in THE WILL BIBLE New Covenant translated by Arsenia R. Joaquin in 2015

"And I also say to thee that thou are Petros (stone), and on this Rock (Petra) I will build the Ekklesia of
Me and the gates of Hades will not prevail against her"

5.Transliteration of Ephesians 1:22 in the GOTHIC BIBLE (translated by Wolfilas 4th century)

"jah alla ufhnaiwida uf fotuns imma jah ina atgaf haubip ufar alla aikklesjon"

6. Transliteration of Matthew 16:18 in KOINE GREEK

"Kagō de soi Lego, hoti sy ei Petros, kai epi tautē the Petra oikodomēsō mou tēn ekklēsian, kai pylai
hadou ou katischysousin autēs."

Note: THIS MESSAGE IS PART OF DAY 224 OF THE 300 DAYS WORLD EVANGELISM THROUGH THE
INTERNET BY THE EKKLESIA (CHURCH) OF CHRIST IN OGUTA, IMO STATE NIGERIA, WEST AFRICA.

Presented by: Eugene I. James (evangelist)

Phone number: +2348148169256

WhatsApp number: +2348063618841