When the modern Bible reader comes across the word “Israel” in scripture, it is natural to think first of that modern nation in the middle east which calls itself by that name. Nevertheless, the Bible’s use of the word is far more broad.
In fact, there are at least ten interpretive options which an honest student of the Bible needs to consider before deciding what the word “Israel” means in any given passage:
Our English word ‘Hypocrite’ comes from the Greek word upokrites [pronounced hoop-o-cree-tays].
In its ancient usage, this word was used to describe the ‘play-actors’ or ‘pretenders’ of the Greek Theater who (obviously enough) wore a mask in order to appear as someone they were not.
The English word “Church” was most likely derived from the Greek word kyriokos [pronounced ku-ree-ah-kus] which literally means “of the Lord” or “belonging to the Lord”.
Early authors used this word to describe the place of Christian worship as being “the house which belongs to the Lord” or more simply as “The Lord’s House”.