The Collaborative International Dictionary
Church \Church\ (ch[^u]rch), n. [OE. chirche, chireche, cherche, Scot. kirk, from AS. circe, cyrice; akin to D. kerk, Icel. kirkja, Sw. kyrka, Dan. kirke, G. kirche, OHG. chirihha; all fr. Gr. kyriako`n the Lord's house, fr. kyriako`s concerning a master or lord, fr. ky`rios master, lord, fr. ky^ros power, might; akin to Skr. [,c][=u]ra hero, Zend. [,c]ura strong, OIr. caur, cur, hero. Cf. Kirk.]
A building set apart for Christian worship.
A Jewish or heathen temple. [Obs.]
--Acts xix. 37.A formally organized body of Christian believers worshiping together. ``When they had ordained them elders in every church.''
--Acts xiv. 23.A body of Christian believers, holding the same creed, observing the same rites, and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; a denomination; as, the Roman Catholic church; the Presbyterian church.
The collective body of Christians.
Any body of worshipers; as, the Jewish church; the church of Brahm.
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The aggregate of religious influences in a community; ecclesiastical influence, authority, etc.; as, to array the power of the church against some moral evil.
Remember that both church and state are properly the rulers of the people, only because they are their benefactors.
--Bulwer.Note: Church is often used in composition to denote something belonging or relating to the church; as, church authority; church history; church member; church music, etc.
Apostolic church. See under Apostolic.
Broad church. See Broad Church.
Catholic church or Universal church, the whole body of believers in Christ throughout the world.
Church of England, or English church, the Episcopal church established and endowed in England by law.
Church living, a benefice in an established church.
Church militant. See under Militant.
Church owl (Zo["o]l.), the white owl. See Barn owl.
Church rate, a tax levied on parishioners for the maintenance of the church and its services.
Church session. See under Session.
Church triumphant. See under Triumphant.
Church work, work on, or in behalf of, a church; the work of a particular church for the spread of religion.
Established church, the church maintained by the civil authority; a state church.
Apostolic \Ap`os*tol"ic\, Apostolical \Ap`os*tol"ic*al\, a. [L. apostolicus, Gr. ?: cf. F. apostolique.]
Pertaining to an apostle, or to the apostles, their times, or their peculiar spirit; as, an apostolical mission; the apostolic age.
According to the doctrines of the apostles; delivered or taught by the apostles; as, apostolic faith or practice.
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Of or pertaining to the pope or the papacy; papal.
Apostolical brief. See under Brief.
Apostolic canons, a collection of rules and precepts relating to the duty of Christians, and particularly to the ceremonies and discipline of the church in the second and third centuries.
Apostolic church, the Christian church; -- so called on account of its apostolic foundation, doctrine, and order. The churches of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem were called apostolic churches.
Apostolic constitutions, directions of a nature similar to the apostolic canons, and perhaps compiled by the same authors or author.
Apostolic fathers, early Christian writers, who were born in the first century, and thus touched on the age of the apostles. They were Polycarp, Clement, Ignatius, and Hermas; to these Barnabas has sometimes been added.
Apostolic king (or majesty), a title granted by the pope to the kings of Hungary on account of the extensive propagation of Christianity by St. Stephen, the founder of the royal line. It is now a title of the emperor of Austria in right of the throne of Hungary.
Apostolic see, a see founded and governed by an apostle; specifically, the Church of Rome; -- so called because, in the Roman Catholic belief, the pope is the successor of St. Peter, the prince of the apostles, and the only apostle who has successors in the apostolic office.
Apostolical succession, the regular and uninterrupted transmission of ministerial authority by a succession of bishops from the apostles to any subsequent period.
--Hook.
Wikipedia
The Apostolic Church in Slovakia (in Slovak Apoštolská cirkev na Slovensku) is a Pentecostal denomination in Slovakia.
It shares much of the history of the Apostolic Church (Czech Republic) until the two countries separated in 1989. Yet, both churches keep a close fellowship and interaction. Pentecostalism came to present Slovak lands in 1927, but only in 1977 did the Pentecostals start to have open meetings, and only in 1989 was the Apostolic Church officially recognized by the Slovak government.
It has an episcopal polity and 20 congregation with about 1,000 adherents.
The Apostolic Church is a denomination that came from the Pentecostal movement. This term "Apostolic" defines this denomination whose teachings follow those of the 12 apostles who followed Christ. This denomination has its roots in the 1904–1905 Welsh Revival, and seeks to stand for first-century Christianity in its faith, practices, and government.
The purpose of the denomination is summed up by one prominent Apostolic writer as:
to make known world-wide the forgiveness of sins through the atoning death of Christ; the baptism in water by immersion; the baptism of the Holy Ghost with signs following; the nine gifts of the Holy Ghost; the five gifts of our Ascended Lord; and the vision referred to in the New Testament as "the Church which is His Body".
The worldwide vision of the church is evidenced by a strong missionary concern. The movement, which commenced in Welsh-speaking villages of south Wales, had, by the end of the 20th century, grown to over 15 million members in approximately 100 nations. The largest national church is The Apostolic Church Nigeria, with over 4.5 million members and a national convention centre that seats over 100,000.
Apostolic Church may refer to:
- The Armenian Apostolic Church
- The church of the Apostolic Age
- Any church of an Apostolic See
- Apostolic Church (denomination), formed in 1916
- Catholic Apostolic Church, formed in 1835
- Old Apostolic Church
- New Apostolic Church, formed in 1879
- United Apostolic Church, including the Apostolic Church of Queensland and the Apostolic Church of South Africa
- Apostolic Church (Czech Republic)
- Apostolic Church (Slovakia)
The Apostolic Church (in Czech: Apoštolská církev) is a Pentecostal denomination in Czech Republic.
Pentecostalism came in 1910 to the present Czech and Slovak lands, and spread to Brno, Prague and other places and was registered as The Union of Resolved Pentecostal Christians. The church pass through many difficulties under the Nazi occupation and during the Communist regime, when 1948 it was abolished. Only in 1977 the Pentecostals could set up an organisation and the Apostolic Church was founded on Czechoslovakia. After the separation of Slovakia the church was officially legalised in 1989 by the Czech Republic government. Today, the Apostolic Church keeps close fellowship with the Apostolic Church (Slovakia) and both maintains a Bible school in Kolín, close to Prague.
In 2008 there was nearly 3400 members in 110 communities, and the church polity is episcopal.
Usage examples of "apostolic church".
And consequently I abjure all heresy, and renounce and revoke all who raise themselves against the Holy Roman and Apostolic Church, of whatever sect or error they be.
And consequently I abjure, detest, renounce and revoke every heresy which rears itself up against the Holy and Apostolic Church, of whatever sect or error it be, etc.
They displayed them at an improper season, presumptuously disturbed the service of the assembly, and, by their pride or mistaken zeal, they introduced, particularly into the apostolic church of Corinth, a long and melancholy train of disorders.
The one true apostolic church was in trouble, but he knew what its corpus needed—.
And don't you think their fierce faith in the Holy and Apostolic Church and her clergy might be just a wee bit undermined, eh?
Nor had Father Dur lost his conviction that the Holy Catholic Apostolic Church continued to be humankind’.
Nor had Father Dure lost his conviction that the Holy Catholic Apostolic Church continued to be humankind's last, best hope for immortality.
But it was no joke that in retaliation for the Crusade sent against him by Pope Nicholas Alfred had declared the Church in England out of communion with the Catholic and Apostolic Church of Rome itself.