WHAT IS THE MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WORD "CHURCH"?
 

The word "Church" has many interpretations (see Hrachya Acharyan, Armenian Root Dictionary, Vol. II, pp. 12–13). According to popular interpretation, the word "Yekeghetsi" (Church) comes from the Armenian words yek (come) and eghitsi (let it be), which roughly translates to "come so that your wish may be fulfilled." However, the more widely accepted view is that it derives from the Greek word Ekklesia, which means "gathering of believers" (Matt. 16:18), or "assembly of saints" (Eph. 1:1). The first part of the word (Ek or Yek) is believed to be borrowed from Greek, while the ending -etsi is considered an adaptation unique to the Armenian language.
When we say "Church," we generally understand it in two senses: Spiritual (the gathering of believers) and Physical (as a building).

WHEN WAS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST FOUNDED?

Different theologians answer this question in different ways, but the most widely accepted view is that the Church was born on the day of Pentecost in the Upper Room, through the coming of the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1–4). That is why the Upper Room was later called Ashkharhamatour—the “Chapel of the World,” i.e., the first church of the world. The Armenian Church has designated a special feast dedicated to the Ashkharhamatour, which falls on the second Sunday after Holy Easter, also known as “Green Sunday.”

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHURCH?

The Church is the Body of Christ (Eph. 5:29–30), in which the Holy Spirit—the Comforter—dwells eternally (John 14:16). As a spiritual structure enlivened by the Holy Spirit, the Church is considered Heaven on earth, because what is bound on earth is bound in Heaven, and what is loosed on earth is loosed in Heaven (Matt. 16:19). The Church is the People of the Lord (Acts 20:28), bearing the seal of the Most Holy Trinity. Finally, the Church is the Bride of Christ, the Bridegroom (Rev. 21:2, 21:9).
This is how the historian Yeghishe describes the Church:

“The Church is God's great grace, given not to any one person, but to all rational nations destined to live under this sun. Its foundations are laid upon a solid rock, which neither men can shake nor angels disturb.”

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MISSION OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH?

To protect the faithful from all trials and guide their steps toward the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life. Thus, the Church has a direct and unbreakable connection with God’s plan of salvation. Moreover, only within Christ’s Church does the believer become a member of Christ’s body (Eph. 5:21) and receive the constant guidance of the Holy Spirit. That is why the Apostle Peter, speaking of the flood, compares Noah’s Ark to the Church of Christ (into which we enter through baptism), concluding that just as the ark was the means of salvation in Noah’s time, so today the Church serves as the means of salvation (1 Pet. 3:20–21).
Believing this truth, the Fathers of the Church call out to us, saying:

“If anyone wishes to be saved, let him come into this house…, where the blood of Christ has been paid as a ransom” (Origen, 3rd century).
Indeed:
“The House of God is one, and outside the Church, there can be no place of salvation for man.” (St. Cyprian of Carthage, 3rd century).

Hayk Madoyan
To be continued