1 Corinthians 16:18-24 The Church Greets You

1 Corinthians 16:18-24

18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. 20 All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.21 The greeting is in my own hand—Paul. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

In the last part of 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul is giving thanks to the church, in this letter he wrote to the members of that church. The church of Corinth, shares the letter that Paul sent them to other churches in the Community & now we have Paul’s letter that is a part of God’s Holy Word. Many Christians don’t know the role of the church or what it is, is it a building, is an assembly of worshippers or follow Jesus teachings. The word church has a few different definitions that are nouns ; the first meaning A building for public worship of Christians, second meaning public worship of God or a religious service in such a building: third meaning  the whole body of Christian believers; the fourth meaning any division of this body professing the same creed and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; a Christian denomination: (the Methodist Church. example) . Then there is one verb definition, to conduct or bring to church, especially for special services. These definitions are from the educational point of view, but what does scripture say about church? The world church comes from the Gospel of Matthew, when Peter gives the Scripture meaning of church & Jesus tells Peter he is correct & that Hades, the Greek word for Hell, can not overpower the Lord’s church;

Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 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. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Jesus did not make Peter the Rock of the church, the Rock of the Church is that Jesus Christ is Son of the Living God, & if you accept that you became a member of the Lord’s church. But do you think the church is a building, or a group who assembles together, or is just any place believers come together. The New Testament says plenty about the church, It calls it a household of God;

1 Timothy 3:15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

My social media friend debated with me that the church was never a building in Scripture, and that is true, it was anywhere  any place they found to worship, the apostle Paul said here in 1 Corinthians 16:19 that the church was Aquila and Prisca’s house; imagine that a building or someone dwelling place to assembly & worship. The place of worship was building in the Old Testament as well;

Psalm 122:1 was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

The Lord God is good, & I enjoy going to an assembly to worship the Lord Jesus with other believers, my church family. I personally don’t understand how a believer can be bitter against the church or the people in it, or how they say the people in the church are hypocrites, have they stepped into every Christian church on this earth? How limited are the eyes of man or women compared to the eyes of the Lord? The apostle Paul gave thanks to the church, & so do I. God bless you, the bride of Jesus Christ our Lord God, when you come to take Your bride to the wedding feast, which will be a  tabernacle (Hebrew: ??????????, mishk?n, meaning “residence” or “dwelling place”, ) I can’t wait to be in a assembly with other worshiper, in the permanent House of God, how about you, my brothers & sisters in Christ?  My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. Sam H.

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Death All Around