Grace Thoughts
Teaching Notes: How The Saints Grow (Part Four)
Teaching Notes are Bible studies we taught before GraceLife Ministries began publishing articles online in 1995. Some were presented as sermons, others as group studies.
Our hope is that these older studies will be a blessing to you in your life and ministry. Please use them in any way God leads you.
These teaching notes are from a series about Church Growth taught over a period of several months.
[These notes are from a study from 40 years ago.]
Outline For Growth
A. Understanding of Growth: Defining Christian Growth
B. Direction for Growth: Goals of Christian growth
C. Training for Growth: What Christians Need to Grow
D. Assembling for Growth: What the Assembly is For
E. One-Anothering for Growth: How to Build Up Members of the Assembly
F. Structuring for Growth: How the Assembly Should be Managed
G. Ministering for Growth: How the Assembly Should Impact Its Community
Part Four: What the Assembly is For
There are nine Greek words in the New Testament translated church, assembly, congregation, multitude, company, synagogue, and gathering together – in the context of people assembling for a purpose.
- ἐκκλησίᾳ (ekklēsia) – called out assembly .. used more than 100 times in the New Testament (e.g. 1 Thessalonians 1:1)
- ἱεροσύλους (hierosulous) – a temple-despoiler .. used in Acts 19:37
- πανηγύρει (panēgurei) – a general assembly, assemblies of all kinds .. used in Hebrews 12:23
- πλῆθος (plēthos) – a multitude .. used in Acts 23:7
- ὄχλος (ochlos) – a throng of .. used in Acts 6:7
- συναγωγάς (sunagōgas) – assembly, synagogue, a bringing together .. used in Acts 9:2; James 2:2
- ἐπισυναγωγὴν (episunagōgēn) – assembling together, gathering together .. used in Hebrews 10:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:1
- συναλιζόμενος (sunalizomenos) – to convene, assemble together .. used in Acts 1:4
- συνέρχομαι (sunerchomai) – to assemble, to come together .. used in 1 Corinthians 11:17, 18, 20; 14:23, 26
Dividing The Differences
- The Wandering Church – Acts 7:38
- The Psalmist’s Church – Hebrews 2:12 (ekklesia is a translation of the Hebrew kahal – congregation)
- The Secular Church – Acts 19:32, 39, 41
- The Kingdom Church (Revealed in Prophecy) – Matthew 16:18; 18:17; Acts 2:27; 5:11; 8:1, 3; Galatians 1:13, 22; James 5:14
- The Mystery Church (Hidden in God) – μυστήριον, mustérion (secret, mystery) οἰκονόμος, oikonomos (administration of a household) .. Acts 11:19-26; 13:1; Galatians 2:6-9; Ephesians 3:1-12; Colossians 1:25-29; 1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:10; 3:2; Colossians 1:25
- The Mystery Church is the Body of Christ – σῶμά, sōma (body) .. Romans 12:4, 5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 5:29, 30; Colossians 1:18
Next Time
We will look at How to Build Up Members of the Assembly in the next part of our series.
[Thank you for reading these teaching notes from 40 years ago. My prayer is they will be a blessing to you and your life and ministry.]
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Founder & Director of GraceLife Ministries View all posts by gracelifethoughts
