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congregation

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congregation


  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Congregation  \Con`gre*ga"tion\,  n.  [L.  congregatio:  cf  F. 
  congr['e]gation.] 
  1.  The  act  of  congregating,  or  bringing  together,  or  of 
  collecting  into  one  aggregate  or  mass. 
 
  The  means  of  reduction  in  the  fire  is  but  by  the 
  congregation  of  homogeneal  parts  --Bacon. 
 
  2.  A  collection  or  mass  of  separate  things 
 
  A  foul  and  pestilent  congregation  of  vapors.  --Shak. 
 
  3.  An  assembly  of  persons;  a  gathering;  esp.  an  assembly  of 
  persons  met  for  the  worship  of  God,  and  for  religious 
  instruction;  a  body  of  people  who  habitually  so  meet 
 
  He  [Bunyan]  rode  every  year  to  London,  and  preached 
  there  to  large  and  attentive  congregations. 
  --Macaulay. 
 
  4.  (Anc.  Jewish  Hist.)  The  whole  body  of  the  Jewish  people; 
  --  called  also  {Congregation  of  the  Lord}. 
 
  It  is  a  sin  offering  for  the  congregation.  --Lev. 
  iv  21. 
 
  5.  (R.  C.  Ch.) 
  a  A  body  of  cardinals  or  other  ecclesiastics  to  whom  as 
  intrusted  some  department  of  the  church  business;  as 
  the  Congregation  of  the  Propaganda,  which  has  charge 
  of  the  missions  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 
  b  A  company  of  religious  persons  forming  a  subdivision 
  of  a  monastic  order 
 
  6.  The  assemblage  of  Masters  and  Doctors  at  Oxford  or 
  Cambrige  University,  mainly  for  the  granting  of  degrees. 
  [Eng.] 
 
  7.  (Scotch  Church  Hist.)  the  name  assumed  by  the  Protestant 
  party  under  John  Knox.  The  leaders  called  themselves 
  (1557)  Lords  of  the  Congregation. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  congregation 
  n  1:  a  group  of  people  who  adhere  to  a  common  faith  and 
  habitually  attend  a  given  church  [syn:  {fold},  {faithful}] 
  2:  an  assemblage  of  people  or  animals  or  things  collected 
  together;  "a  congregation  of  children  pleaded  for  his 
  autograph";  "a  great  congregation  of  birds  flew  over" 
  3:  the  act  of  congregating  [syn:  {congregating}] 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Congregation 
  (Heb.  kahal),  the  Hebrew  people  collectively  as  a  holy  community 
  (Num.  15:15).  Every  circumcised  Hebrew  from  twenty  years  old  and 
  upward  was  a  member  of  the  congregation.  Strangers  resident  in 
  the  land,  if  circumcised,  were  with  certain  exceptions  (Ex. 
  12:19;  Num.  9:14;  Deut.  23:1-3),  admitted  to  the  privileges  of 
  citizenship,  and  spoken  of  as  members  of  the  congregation  (Ex. 
  12:19;  Num.  9:14;  15:15).  The  congregation  were  summonded 
  together  by  the  sound  of  two  silver  trumpets,  and  they  met  at 
  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  (Num.  10:3).  These  assemblies  were 
  convened  for  the  purpose  of  engaging  in  solemn  religious 
  services  (Ex.  12:27;  Num.  25:6;  Joel  2:15),  or  of  receiving  new 
  commandments  (Ex.  19:7,  8).  The  elders,  who  were  summonded  by 
  the  sound  of  one  trumpet  (Num.  10:4),  represented  on  various 
  occasions  the  whole  congregation  (Ex.  3:16;  12:21;  17:5;  24:1). 
 
  After  the  conquest  of  Canaan,  the  people  were  assembled  only 
  on  occasions  of  the  highest  national  importance  (Judg.  20;  2 
  Chr.  30:5;  34:29;  1  Sam.  10:17;  2  Sam.  5:1-5;  1  Kings  12:20;  2 
  Kings  11:19;  21:24;  23:30).  In  subsequent  times  the  congregation 
  was  represented  by  the  Sanhedrim;  and  the  name  synagogue, 
  applied  in  the  Septuagint  version  exclusively  to  the 
  congregation,  came  to  be  used  to  denote  the  places  of  worship 
  established  by  the  Jews.  (See  {CHURCH}.) 
 
  In  Acts  13:43,  where  alone  it  occurs  in  the  New  Testament,  it 
  is  the  same  word  as  that  rendered  synagogue"  (q.v.)  in  ver.  42, 
  and  is  so  rendered  in  ver.  43  in  R.V. 
 




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