Church, Chapel, and Organization
By Editor
A correspondent writes: "I would like to request some of the brethren to give me the evidence for the propriety of using some words in the connection they occur in some of the communications recently published in the Review. 1. The word "church" is used for chapel. 2. "Organization" is used for gospel order. Now my former views have been that Bible expressions were preferable." ANSWER.—It is doubtless preferable to apply Bible expressions to all things for which they are provided. But we think our correspondent will find upon examination that the word "chapel," and the expression "gospel order," are not known in the New Testament, and hence are no more scriptural than the ones to which he objects. The word church in the N. T. comes from ecclesia, the primary signification of which is, a body of people called together, an assembly; and the word has come now to signify primarily, the place or building occupied by such assemblies. Chapel is defined to mean "A house for public worship erected separate from a church;" from which we see that chapel cannot properly take the place of church.