Lord, in the adjectival form _kuriakos_, of or belonging to the
Lord--the Scottish word "kirk" being therefore a form nearer the
original than the equivalent term _Church_. The Greek word translated
"church" occurs only three times in the Gospels. In English the word is
used in different senses, all of them, however, pointing to the Lord
Jesus as their source and sanction. By "church," we sometimes mean a
building set apart for Christian worship. The Jew had his Tabernacle in
the Wilderness, his Temple at Jerusalem, and his Synagogue in the
Provinces; the Mohammedan has his Mosque, and the Brahmin his Pagoda;
but the Christian has his Church, in whose very name his Lord is
honoured. Sometimes the word denotes the Christians of a specified city
or locality--the Church at Ephesus, the Church at Corinth. Sometimes it
is limited to a number of Christians meeting for worship in a house, as
in Romans xvi. 5 and in Philemon.[185] Sometimes "Church" denotes a
particular denomination of Christians, as the Presbyterian Church, the
Episcopal Church. Sometimes it expresses the distinctive form which
Christianity assumes in a particular nation--the Church of England, the
Church of Scotland. In the Creed the Holy Catholic Church means the
whole body of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, all who anywhere and
everywhere are looking to Him for salvation, and are bringing forth the
fruits of holiness to His praise and glory.

The Lord Jesus Christ did not, during His ministry, set up a Church as
an outward organisation. He was Himself to be the Church's foundation;
but in order to be qualified for this office it was necessary that He
should first lay down His life. The work of building and extending, in
so far as it was to be effected by human agency, must be undertaken by
others after His departure. He came to fulfil the law, and so He was not
sent save to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He worshipped,
accordingly, in the Jewish temple and synagogues, observed the