{"product_id":"2940012599513","title":"CHURCH MANUAL DESIGNED FOR THE USE OF BAPTIST CHURCHES","description":"The term Church occurs in the New Testament more than a hundred times. The word thus translated means congregation or assembly; but it does not indicate the purpose for which the congregation or assembly meets. Hence it is used, Acts 19:32, 39, 4I, and rendered assembly. In every other place in the New Testament it is translated church. In its application to the followers of Christ, it refers either to a particular congregation of saints, or to the redeemed in the aggregate. It is employed in the latter sense in Ephesians 1: 22; 3:2I; 5:25, 27. Here we have the expressions, Head over all things to the Church;  To him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end;  Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it ... that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. In these passages, and a few more like them, it would be absurd to define the term Church as meaning a particular congregation of Christians, meeting in one place for the worship of God.\u003cbr\u003eOur business, however, is with the other signification of the word church. In a large majority of instances it is used in the Scripture s to denote a local assembly, convened for religious purposes. Thus we read of the church at Jerusalem,  the church of God which is at Corinth,  the church of the Thessalonians,  the church of Ephesus,  the church in Smyrna,  the church in Pergamus, etc., etc. Nor are we to suppose that it required a large number of persons to constitute a church. Paul refers to Aquila and Priscilla and the church that is in their house, to Nymphas and the church which is in his house, and in his letter to Philemon he says, to the church in thy house. A congregation of saints, organized according to the New Testament, whether that congregation is large or small, is a church...","brand":"JMPendleton Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47170362310896,"sku":"2940012599513","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940012599513_p0.jpg?v=1763570325","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012599513","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}