When I was a little kid—okay, maybe a few years before I was born—the word “gay” meant happy. Many words since then have undergone metamorphosis, some even taking opposite meanings from what they once were:
* Bad. Bad used to mean bad, then it meant good, now it can go either way depending on context.
* Artificial. This originally meant ‘full of artistic or technical skill.’
* Awful. At one time, this meant “full of awe” in a wonderful, delightful way.
* Manufacture. From the Latin word meaning “to make by hand,” this originally signified things that were created by craftsmen.
Is it any wonder that many words in our Bibles are used in a way that does not convey the original meaning? For the next few entries, we’ll explore a few of these. Today’s word is “church.” Read more…
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