The Hebrew word arqm (miqra) carries the same meaning as the word ekklesia, is used in the Tanakh to refer to the “holy convocations” of Israel, and can readily be translated as “called out.” Thus it is my personal belief that the arqm (miqra) of the Tanakh [Hebrew Bible or so-called “Old Testament”] and the  ekklesia (ekklesia) of the B'rit Chadasha [Renewed Covenant or so-called “New Testament”] refer to exactly the same group of humanity—God’s elect or “called-out ones.”

This group of people, also called “the Elect,” consist of those physical descendants of Avraham (Abraham), Yitzchak (Isaac), and Ya'akov (Jacob) who, like their father Avraham, “believed ADONAI and it was credited to [them] as righteousness,” — and also includes those from among the nations (all the rest of the family of man) whom ADONAI has chosen to be adopted or “grafted into” the “family tree” of Ya'akov, whom G-d re-named Yisrael [Israel].    [See Where Did the Word “Church” Come From?]

[2] Jesus: The word “Jesus” is a false English transliteration of the Greek transliteration of the Lord's name. The name which the angel told his parents to name him was not “Jesus” or even “Iesus” or “Iesu.” The angel specifically instructed his parents that he was to be named “Yeshua,” which means “YHWH is Salvation” or “YHWH’s Salvation” or simply “Salvation” (depending upon where one adds the vowel points.)

But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Yosef, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Miryam, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Ruach HaKodesh. She shall bring forth a Son. You shall call His name Yeshua [Salvation]], for it is He who shall save his people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:20-21 HNV)

The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Miryam, for you have found favor with G-d. Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a Son, and will call His name Yeshua [Salvation].” (Luke 1:30-31 HNV)

Not one single person who ever knew Him in the flesh ever called Him “Jesus” because, stated in the simplest possible terms, that was never His name at any time in the past, nor is it His name now. [See The Name That is Above Every Name]

[3] Christ: Here again we have a transliteration into the Roman alphabet of a Greek translation of a Hebrew word. The Hebrew word mashiach means “anointed,” and with the definite article HaMashiach means “The Anointed One.” The Israelites anointed three classes of leaders: prophets, priests, and kings. Yeshua serves over His chosen people as all three, hence he is “The Anointed One.”

The Greek word for anointed is cristoß (christos), or with the definite article ho Cristoß (the Christ). If one absolutely must insist on using the Greek form of His name and title (and there is certainly no compelling reason for anyone to do so), the proper form would not be “Jesus Christ” in any event; it would be “Jesus the Christ” with the definite article.

[4] As we pointed out above and in the referenced article, there was no “church” at all until the beginning of the fourth century. Prior to that time, the movement of believers in Israel’s Messiah was (and still properly is) called Nazarene, or Messianic, Judaism. Under the Roman empire, Judaism was an “approved religion.” Gentiles who were followers of the Jewish Messiah were tolerated by Rome only because they were part of Judaism, met in Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath (the 7th day of the week, not the 1st day), and lived Torah-obedient lifestyles.

[5] “It was Judaism.” ... Excuse me, but what was Judaism? To what does the dangling “it” refer? To the only true form of worship acceptable to the one true G-d … the G-d of Avraham, Yitzhak, and Ya'akov … the G-d Who never changes?

[6] As pointed out above[1], “Jesus” did not “build” a “church.” From the time of Ya'akov (whom the Most High renamed “Yisrael”) onward, Israel is repeatedly referred to as G-d’s bride. If Yeshua is Who He claimed to be—that is, the G-d of Avraham, Yitzhak, and Ya'akov—then Israel is His Bride. Beginning with Avraham, Yeshua “called out” for Himself a people to be His “Bride” and that invitation was extended “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Gentile). Therefore, if “the church” is the Bride of Yeshua and is not part of Israel, then Yeshua is a bigamist, having two “Brides.”

“You worship that which you don't know. We [that is, we Jews; Yeshua identifies Himself as a Jew] worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Yehudim [Jews].” (John 4:22 HNV)

For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Messiah, for it is the power of G-d for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Yehudi first, and also for the Yevanit [Greek]. (Rom. 1:16)

[7] The only “format” upon which the Holy Community, the Miqra of Yeshua HaMashiach, was built was the format of the Synagogue. Yeshua was a Torah-observant Jew all the days of his life, as were all the Shliachim (Apostles) and all the other authors of Scripture, including both the Tanakh and the B'rit Chadasha. Yeshua worshipped in the Synagogue every Shabbat, and so did the Shliachim. They didn’t start a new form of worship, they only explained what the existing forms meant! Shliach Sha'ul (the Apostle Paul, emissary to the Gentiles) even interrupted one of his missionary journeys to return to the temple to make sacrifices … after the death and resurrection of Mashiach. (Acts 21:26)

In fact, the writer of the letter to the Hebrew Believers cautions them to not forsake Synagogue attendance. In the phrase “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,” [Heb. 10:25] the word that is translated as “assembling” is actually ejpisunagwghv (episunagoge), from which is derived the English word “Synagogue.”

Additionally, the Jerusalem Council’s decision to accept Gentile Believers into the Messianic Community without first going though a formal conversion to Judaism (including circumcision) is based largely on the fact that if they would refrain from idol worship and gross immorality (Acts 15:20) they could be accepted into fellowship and then be allowed to gradually learn through their Synagogue attendance how to live holy lives in obedience to Torah (15:21).