What is the meaning of Church? Concept and Definition of Church

Definition, concept, meaning, what is Church

1. Concept of Church

From the Greek "ekklesia" meant in Athens, during the term of the political system of direct democracy, citizens for purposes of political meeting.
The Gospel of St. Matthew, relates that Jesus entrusted Peter built the first church. The union of all Christian believers was called the Church by St. Paul, Apostle of Christ, than from being a persecutor of Christians became a propagator of that faith, to distinguish it from the synagogue where Jews gathered. For him the Church was unique, United all believers through faith in Christ, Holy and universal. Therefore with the word Church was renamed Assembly of faithful Christians as well as the building devoted to the cult of this religion.
The members of the Catholic Church's hierarchical structure, recognize as its highest authority, the Pope of Rome.
Jordanian archaeologists have recently found what they believe was the first church cristina, near Amman, in a town called Rihab, which would date the ages of 40 and 70.
At the split in Christianity, from the 15th century, Catholics and Protestants, latter proclaimed the free interpretation of the Bible, salvation by faith and not by works, and the abolition of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, among other reforms. Protestants conceived the Church not as materiality but as spirit, whose building concretion is only secondary. Each of the new Christian religions had their own church, in the sense that assigned to them: thus speak of Catholic Church, Anglican (English church), Evangelical, seventh-day Adventist, etc., in its inception, major conflicts between them.

2. Definition of Church

The word Church comes from the latin ecclesĭa, and is understood as a set of believers of the Christian faith. It should be noted that, in the non-Christian tradition and in texts made before the spread of Christianity, the Greek word from which Church (ἐκκλησία) derived the word meant Assembly, so that the Word can also define just a gathering of people around a theme in common. This has opened the door for other religions use the term church to define its own set of believers, as it is the case of, for example, the Church of Scientology.
Thus, in the Bible, the word Church appears twice in the old testament, in both cases with different connotations. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells Peter: "And I also tell you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church", implying the Church as the institution created by Jesus Christ, while in another biblical passage the word refers to a local community to which one belongs, as is in Matthew 18:17, with the phrase: "And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the Church".
In the New Testament, the word is used more times and still retains both ways, both a single local community and that of the Church to refer to all the churches collectively.
Of course, the word Church also appoints the building or construction that houses a religious community, which is also usually Christian. This is so that in other religions, such as Islam or Judaism, the temples that we considered similar or equivalent to the Christian Church have names and different customs.
When Christianity began to grow and the number of the faithful was already very large to continue holding meetings in homes of citizens, began to work with the idea of a church, and it is believed that the first could have appeared in the ancient city of Byzantium.

3. Meaning of Church

The word Church presents an extended usage in the field of religion and also supports various applications.
On the one hand, with the term we can designate the construction which is designed and dedicated to providing and hosting events and religious practices, especially to those associated to the Christian religion.
It should be noted that among the most commonly used synonyms stands the temple.
Prior to approximately the year 50 ad began to proliferate these buildings, once the Christians left meetings in catacombs and houses and began to build churches.
Christians took as inspiration the Roman basilicas to build their churches, their parts being key components: the apse (it's part arranged at the top of the building, can be semicircular or polygonal and in some cases may be covered by a vault), choir (is the part to the Congregation of laymen or religious who interpret sacred songs; its location was changing over time), the altar (is the place that captures the attention of the faithful, since in it, the priest officiating the mass and will worship him and enshrined the offerings), the ship (a space extended along and that is between two columns or rows) and Gargoyle (protruding façade to more easily evacuate water from the roof).
On the other hand, the word Church appoints the set of true believers.
On the other hand, the Catholic Church, also designated as the Apostolic Roman Catholic Church, is the Christian Church largest number of faithful around the world. It was founded by Christ himself and stands as the point of union with God and the rest of the men who professed the same belief. Its headquarters is the Vatican in Rome and is considered to the Pope as its highest authority.
Noteworthy is also the word is used to describe: the ecclesiastical Government headed by the Pope, as the primary executive authority, and followed by the rest of the eclesiatica hierarchy: Cardinals, bishops, among others. each belonging to Christianity confessions.