Kahal of God

One friend asked me to explain this term, kahal of God.
This is my response, I am on a journey to fully and deeply understand this, join me if you like.

Ephesians 2 is the basis of understanding that when Paul watched God bring a gentile into

the "faith" that gentile believer was being brought into the commonwealth of Israel.

Kahal, as best as I understand it, is a Hebrew word meaning "gathering of people around 

a common theme" could be a group of union workers, an army, a sewing club.  "Kahal of God" would

be a gathering of believers, whose uniting factor is God.

In the New Testament language, "ecclesia" was used as the Greek equivalent word.  Then in later 

translations "synagogue, or church" (two very different words) were used to translate this one word, 

 depending on the context, re-creating

a "dividing wall" that Christ had specifically come to break down.

"Church was not birthed at Pentecost", but the stream of the Spirit of God moving in the hearts of believers

through Christ who was slain since before the foundation of the world, was widened and deepened into the amazing

big river that we are currently in.  Just because the stream, widened and became deeper, there was no need

for a new name.  

Unfortunately, the new name, came with a price, and the dividing wall comes with a price and that price is 

arrogance and pride, that says, "we are more special than you"  "we aren't rebellious like you"  "we are the new

thing and you are the rejected old thing".   That kind of thinking leads to an "evil freedom" to crush others, the 

crusades and other dark black things that the "church" has carried out through the ages are proof of this.

Anything that puts me out of touch with the truth that "I am a vessel of wrath, that was given mercy."  is going 

to be ultimately destructive to our Spirit.  Anything that elevates me and allows me to look down on "sinners" and to

"make war" on the individual person, that I am supposed to be serving and loving is a very dangerous lie.  So someone

who begins to see the continuing work of a very patient God with a very obstinate chosen people, is softer, more

open to others and their baggage and faults and crap, than someone who is convinced that God has rejected someone else

in favor of "little old special me."

All the language of the New Testament letters (specifically Galatians and Hebrews) that speak of a rejecting of the 

old in favor of the new is directly related to the Mosaic Covenant of sacrifice and offering.  Christ fulfilled that and

so it is "past" BUT, none of that language relates to the Abrahamic covenant of coming to God through faith, which is

older and which is not fading away or passing.  None of that relates to the Davidic covenant of God promising an eternal

reign on the throne of David, through Jesus.  

This is very new to me, but the more that I dive into it, the more true, I am finding it to be.