From the Greek word kaleo, it means "to call anyone, to invite, to summon." It is used particularly of the Divine call to partake of the blessings of redemption. God sends out the call of salvation through Jesus Christ to ALL. He INVITES them to come back to Him--to be reconciled to Him through the blood of His Son. Romans 8:30 says, "And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified." 1 Corinthians 1:9 says, "God, Who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Thessalonians 2:12 says, "...encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, Who calls you into His kingdom and glory." Hebrews 9:15 says, "For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant."
It is also "to be called by a name." This is as being called "sons of God", or "they will call Him ‘Immanuel,'" or where God says the He will call people who were not His people, "My people." An example of both meanings is in Romans 9:22-26: "What if God, choosing to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the objects of His wrath--prepared for destruction? What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the objects of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory--even us, whom He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? As He says in Hosea: ‘I will call them "My people" who are not My people; and I will call her "My loved one" who is not My loved one,' and ‘It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, "You are not My people," they will be called "sons of the living God."'"
Therefore, God calls us--invites us--to Him through His Son, and then we may be called--named--by Him as sons of God, children of God, Christians, as in Acts 11:26, "The disciples were called Christians first at [the city of] Antioch." To be called--named--by Him, to carry His Name means that we belong to Him. An example of this is James 2:7: "Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble Name of Him to Whom you belong?" In John 8:47, Jesus says, "He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." Romans 7:4 says, "So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him Who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God." Romans 8:9 says, "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ."
See Love / Charity.
See Sadducees...
From the Greek word Christos. From the Hebrew, this is translated Messiah. It means "anointed" or "The Anointed One". The material used to anoint was either oil or ointment. In the Old Testament, anointing was done to prophets, priests and kings to show that God had consecrated them for His service. Christ, Who was Prophet, Priest AND King, was "The Anointed One of God." God's seal of approval was on Him. His anointing was not with oil, but with the Holy Spirit of God. (See Jesus.) God anointed Jesus to preach the Good News to the poor, (Luke 4:18). (See also Poor in Spirit.) God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power, (Acts 10:38).
From the Greek word christianos. It signified a follower, or disciple, of Jesus. It was first applied to the followers of Jesus by the Gentiles and is found in Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16.
Acts 11:26: "...The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch." "Were called" implies that the disciples did not name or call themselves Christians, but that others called them this name. The Christians do not seem to have adopted it for themselves in the times of the Apostles. It would have been a derogatory term, like saying, "those beggars" or "those strange people." The believers--disciples--of Christ were more often known as "followers of the Way." Acts 9:1-2: "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem." In Acts 24:14, Paul is speaking before Felix, defending himself against the Jews. He says, "However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect."
In Acts 26:28, Paul is defending himself before King Agrippa against the accusations of the Jews. "Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?'" The term "Christian" as applied by Gentiles was no doubt an implication of scorn. Tacitus (a Roman historian), writing near the end of the first century, says, "The vulgar call them Christians. The author or origin of this denomination, Christus [Christ], had, in the reign of Tiberius, been executed by the Procurator, Pontius Pilate" (Annals xv.44).
In 1 Peter 4:15-16, Paul is speaking to followers of Christ who are suffering persecution and being insulted because of the Name of Christ. He tells them, "If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that Name." He is speaking from the point of view of the persecutor. It is as if those persecuting the followers of Christ were saying, "You are a thief!" or "You are a murderer!" or "You are a Christian!" The word "Christian" would have been said, and was said, in such a way as to make it insulting, vulgar, derogatory, worthless, etc.
From the second century onward the term was accepted by believers as a title of honor.
(See also Church / Assembly, Disciple.)
From the Greek word ekklesia (from ek, meaning, "out of," and klesis, meaning, "a calling." Klesis, "a calling," comes from the Greek word kaleo, meaning, "to call." The church, or, the assembly, is made up of those who have been "called out." 1 Peter 2:9-10 says, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him Who CALLED YOU OUT of darkness INTO His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
The church has two applications to companies, or assemblies, of Christians. (a) It applies to the whole company of the redeemed throughout the present era, the company of which Christ said, "I will build My Church," (Matthew 16:18), and which is further described as "the Church which is His Body," (Ephesians 1:22 and Ephesians 5:23). This would be all congregations of the Lord's church throughout the world who have existed at any given time since Jesus established His church. And (b) it applies in the singular number, to a company, or assembly, consisting of professed believers, (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:5), and in the plural, with reference to churches--individual assemblies--in a district. These would be a "congregations of the Lord's people"--all local congregations, i.e., "The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings...," (1 Corinthians 16:1), and "...All the churches of Christ send greetings," (Romans 16:16), etc.
Christ's church is universal in nature, and it is made up of hundreds and thousands of individual congregations, or assemblies. Each congregation is made up of many individual members, who are "the called out." Each congregation, or assembly, of the Lord's people--His church--is autonomous in its organization, each following the commands and examples of the New Testament. The government of the church is local, and not national or international. The authority to govern given by Christ to Elders and Deacons who are to be appointed from among the members of a local congregation extends only to that local congregation in which they were appointed. Also, those who govern a local congregation of the Lord's church do not have one who rules over all. The Lord's church does not have an earthly head or earthly headquarters. All people who are "the called out" and meeting together as an assembly, or church, are in the ONE church that Jesus built--the church of Christ. Christ is the head of that one church, (Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18). Since Christ is the head of the church, then that means He is the head of each local congregation or local church, (1 Corinthians 11:3). That also makes Him the head of each member of the church. ALL in Christ's church--ALL of the "called out"--have the mission of carrying on the Lord's work as He commanded in Matthew 28:18-20.
The church is described by various names in God's Word: "the church of Christ," (Romans 16:16); "the body of Christ," (1 Corinthians 12:27 and Ephesians 1:22-23); "the church of God," (1 Corinthians 1:2 and Acts 20:28); "the kingdom of God," (John 3:5; 1 Corinthians 6:9); "the kingdom of Christ," (Ephesians 5:5); "the kingdom of His dear Son," (Colossians 1:13); "the kingdom of our Lord," (2 Peter 1:11); "the church," (Acts 13:1); "the church of the living God," (1 Timothy 3:15); "the church of the Firstborn," (Hebrews 12:23), etc.
(See also Disciple, Kingdom of Heaven.)
It means "to know something against; to pronounce judgment; to give judgment against; to pass sentence upon; the sentence which is pronounced; a verdict; the decision resulting from an investigation; can also be the result of one's wrong doing--condemnation." Very close to the word, "blame."
"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned," (Mark 16:16). In John 3:18, Jesus says, "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the Name of God's One and Only Son." And again, in John 5:24, Jesus says, "I tell you the Truth, whoever hears My Word and believes Him Who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." Those who have done evil will rise (be resurrected) to be condemned, (John 5:28-30). The prince of this world [Satan] now stands condemned, (John 16:11). There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, (Romans 8:1-2). God condemned sin in sinful man by sending His Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering, (Romans 8:3-4). One's own words will condemn one, (Matthew 12:33-37). To preach any other Gospel than the Gospel of Christ is to be eternally condemned, (Galatians 1:8-9). False teachers have condemnation hanging over them, (2 Peter 2:1-3). In John 12:47-50, Jesus says that the very Word which He spoke will condemn the man who rejects Him and does not accept His Words. The reason that the very Word Jesus spoke will condemn the man is that they are the Words of God, His Father: "As for the person who hears My Words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My Words; that very Word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of My Own accord, but the Father Who sent Me commanded Me what to say and how to say it. I know that His command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told Me to say."
(See also Baptize..., Faith...Belief..., Judge / Judgement, Reconcile / Reconciliation, Resurrect / Resurrection, Righteous / Righteousness, Word....)
From the Greek word exomologeo. Taken from ek, meaning, "out, intensive" and homologeo, meaning, "to speak the same thing." Two meanings of the word "confess" are: (1) to confess forth--to freely and openly acknowledge and confess sins; to agree with, declare or admit that one is guilty of what one has been accused of because one is inwardly convinced of the wrongdoing and guilt, and (2) to profess forth, or acknowledge--to declare openly by way of speaking out freely; to be totally convinced by the facts that something is true and then speaking out openly to declare that truth. Thus, we confess our sins and the guilt of wrongdoing against God (an action of repentance) AND we confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (an act of submission). This good confession of Jesus Christ being the Son of God is required of all believers in the presence of witnesses. This confession is made because of faith in Christ Jesus and because of Christ's Own example. 1 Timothy 6:11-16 says, "But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, Who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, Who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in His Own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Who alone is immortal and Who lives in unapproachable light, Whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen."
(See also Baptize..., Faith...Belief..., Repent / Repentance, Serve / Service / Serving, Sin / Sinful / Sinner, Word....)
From the Greek verb summorphizo and the Greek adjective summorphos. The meaning is "to make of like form with another person or thing, to render like." It is to become like another person as one observes, learns about and imitates that person. It implies that the person who is conforming is "shedding" their own "self" and "putting on" the form of the person they are conforming to. The children of God are becoming conformed, or growing into, the image--likeness--of God's Son, (Romans 8:29). The children of God will have a physical conformity to Jesus' body of Glory--their lowly bodies will be transformed so that they will be like His glorious body when Jesus comes again, (Philippians 3:21).
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