[ { "comments": false, "reminders": false, "selections": false, "verseEdits": true, "nothingToSelect": false, "contextId": { "occurrenceNote": "Here, **church** is a collective noun. The phrase **the church** refers to Christians as a whole and includes anyone belonging to the group of people who follow Jesus. What Paul means by saying that he had persecuted **the church** is that he formerly persecuted anyone who was a Christian. Alternate translation: “persecuting Christians” or “persecuting anyone who was a Christian” (See: [Collective Nouns](rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-collectivenouns))", "reference": { "bookId": "php", "chapter": 3, "verse": 6 }, "tool": "translationNotes", "groupId": "grammar-collectivenouns", "quote": [ { "word": "τὴν", "occurrence": 1 }, { "word": "ἐκκλησίαν", "occurrence": 1 } ], "quoteString": "τὴν ἐκκλησίαν", "glQuote": "persecuting the church", "occurrence": 1 } } ]