March, Dictionary of the Bible.

In Acts 7:38,38This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: (Acts 7:38) “The church in the wilderness” means the assembly or congregation of Israel. But the word is chiefly used either to denote a local assembly of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (as in Acts 13:11Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. (Acts 13:1); Romans 16:55Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. (Romans 16:5); 1 Corinthians 16:1919The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. (1 Corinthians 16:19); Revelation 2 and 3., &c.), or the whole body of saints on earth, as in Matthew 16:1818And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18); 1 Corinthians 12:2828And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:28); Galatians 1:1313For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: (Galatians 1:13); Ephesians 1:22, 3:10; Hebrews 12:2323To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, (Hebrews 12:23); Colossians 1:1818And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18). “The assembly of God,” or “of Christ,” consists both of Jews and Gentiles (Eph. 2:14-22; 3:614For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:14‑22)
6That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: (Ephesians 3:6)), but only of true believers, although that which presents itself as God’s assembly may include mere professors, and at last become so corrupt that Christ will utterly reject it (Rev. 3:1616So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:16)). Yet if such persons “have crept in unawares,” they have no business there, and, although responsible for the place they have taken, they really form no part of the Church of God (2 Tim. 2:19-21, 3:1-9; Jude, &c.). The Church is not mentioned or referred to in the Old Testament, except in unexplained types: it was absolutely “hid in God;” and the Old Testament saints, although saved through Christ are not spoken of as the Church. From Abel down to the Day of Pentecost they were saved as individuals; after that, although personal and individual faith was just as needful, the Lord added daily TO THE CHURCH such as were being saved (Acts 2:4747Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:47)). Till Christ was glorified “the Holy Ghost was not yet given” (John 7:3939(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:39)), and therefore until then believers could not be “baptized by one Spirit into ONE BODY.” It was impossible for disciples to be members of Christ while He was on earth. Then He stood alone (John 12:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (John 12:24)), and but through death and resurrection would have abided alone. But risen and glorified, He sent down the Holy Ghost (John 15:26, 16:7; Acts 2:2, 332And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. (Acts 2:2)
33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. (Acts 2:33)), by whom the Church was formed for the first time on the Day of Pentecost — the fiftieth day from His resurrection, who is the “First-fruits” of them that slept (1 Cor. 15:2323But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. (1 Corinthians 15:23); Lev. 23:10, 1110Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: 11And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. (Leviticus 23:10‑11)). On that day a “NEW meat-offering” was offered to the Lord, as “a kind of first-fruits of His creatures” (Lev. 23:15-1715And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 16Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. 17Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord. (Leviticus 23:15‑17); James 1:1818Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:18)), and has existed on earth ever since. The Church is the body of which Christ is the Head (Eph. 1:22, 2322And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:22‑23)), and every believer is a member of that body (1 Cor. 12:12, 13-2712For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12)
13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14For the body is not one member, but many. 15If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: 25That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. (1 Corinthians 12:13‑27)). This body is indwelt by the Spirit, who also dwells in each member (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:1516Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
15Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. (1 Corinthians 6:15)); and thus] believers are united to each other and the Lord by One Spirit (1 Cor. 12:1313For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13); Rom. 12:44For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: (Romans 12:4); Acts 9:1-41And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? (Acts 9:1‑4)). In the last-quoted passage you see that the saints whom Saul was persecuting are spoken of as being Jesus Himself, so truly are they “His body” (Eph. 5:3030For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (Ephesians 5:30); Col. 1:2424Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: (Colossians 1:24)). Christ “loved the Church, and gave Himself for it,” and, as the Lord God presented Eve to Adam, so will the Lord Jesus “present to Himself,” without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, a glorious Church (Eph. 5:2727That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:27)).; thus the Church is called His bride (Rev. 21:9; 19:79And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. (Revelation 21:9)
7Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (Revelation 19:7); Eph. 5:3232This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:32)). Raised or changed, we shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, and so be ever with the Lord (1 Thess. 4). After this we shall reign with Him, and that forever and ever (Rev. 22:55And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:5); 2 Tim. 2:1212If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: (2 Timothy 2:12)).
Chronicles. — A name which appears to have been first given by Jerome to the two historical books of the Old Testament which bear that title. The Jews call these books words of days, and reckon the two as one book. They were evidently written by some inspired writer after the Babylonish captivity (2 Chron. 35:25; 36:21, 2225And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations. (2 Chronicles 35:25)
21To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years. 22Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, (2 Chronicles 36:21‑22)), and Ezra is most generally supposed to have been the instrument, but others think that Mal chi was their author, as the genealogy of Zerubbabel is carried down beyond Ezra’s day (1 Chron. 3:19-2419And the sons of Pedaiah were, Zerubbabel, and Shimei: and the sons of Zerubbabel; Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister: 20And Hashubah, and Ohel, and Berechiah, and Hasadiah, Jushab-hesed, five. 21And the sons of Hananiah; Pelatiah, and Jesaiah: the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shechaniah. 22And the sons of Shechaniah; Shemaiah: and the sons of Shemaiah; Hattush, and Igeal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shaphat, six. 23And the sons of Neariah; Elioenai, and Hezekiah, and Azrikam, three. 24And the sons of Elioenai were, Hodaiah, and Eliashib, and Pelaiah, and Akkub, and Johanan, and Dalaiah, and Anani, seven. (1 Chronicles 3:19‑24)).
Chu’za. — The steward of Herod Antipas, whose wife Joanna ministered of her substance to the need of the Lord Jesus Christ and His disciples (Luke 8:33And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance. (Luke 8:3)).
Cilic’ia, a province in the south-east of Asia Minor, having the Cilician Sea on the south (Acts 27:55And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. (Acts 27:5)).
Cilicia Proper (as the level or eastern part was called) was well watered and abundant in grain and fruits. Its chief towns were Issus, Solos, and Tarsus, the birth-place of the Apostle Paul. The western, or mountainous, part, called Cilicia Trachea, abounded in cedars and firs for shipbuilding, and was noted for its goats, from whose skins tents and cloaks were manufactured, and also for its horses, 360 of which formed part of the yearly tribute paid to the King of Persia. Many Jews settled in Cilicia (Acts 6:99Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. (Acts 6:9)).
Cin’namon, is mentioned Exo. 30:2323Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, (Exodus 30:23); Prov. 7:1717I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. (Proverbs 7:17); Song of {s 4672}Solomon 4:1414Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: (Song of Solomon 4:14); Revelation 18:1313And cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. (Revelation 18:13). Cinnamon is obtained by peeling the twigs and shoots of the plants every three or four years from about six or seven years old. This is done by making two opposite cuts along the twig, and raising the bark by inserting the end of the peeling knife. The outer skin, and the green pulpy substance inside, are carefully scraped off, and the smaller quills put into the larger ones. It is then dried in the sun, and made into bundles. The best cinnamon is in the present day imported from Ceylon, where cinnamon gardens are carefully cultivated on the south-western coast. Cassia bark closely resembles it, but it is coarser and thicker, darker in color, less sweet, and more pungent than true cinnamon, leaving also a bitter taste. Cassia is imported from Bombay, the Mauritius, Calcutta, Batavia, Singapore, the Philippine Islands, and Canton. It is commonly sold for cinnamon. That from Bombay is the produce of the Malabar coast, and is thicker and coarser than the cassia of the Chinese, who, however, reserve for their own use the coarser kinds unfit for the European market, as they probably consider that good enough to employ in the incense offered to their idols.
Chin’nereth, one of the fenced cities of Naphtali (Josh. 19:3535And the fenced cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth, (Joshua 19:35); Deut. 3:1717The plain also, and Jordan, and the coast thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, under Ashdoth-pisgah eastward. (Deuteronomy 3:17)); also the original name of the lake Gennesareth, from which it would seem that the town lay on the border of the lake on the western side, that being within the tribal portion of Naphtali.