Church (Greek Ekklesia)
This Is Appendix 186 From The Companion Bible.
- The
Greek word ekklesia means assembly, or a
gathering of called-out ones. It is used seventy times in
the Septuagint for the Hebrew kahal (from which latter we
have our word call), rendered in Septuagint by
sunagoge and ekklesia.1 This latter word
occ. in New Testament 115 times (36 in plural), and is always translated
"church" except in Acts 19:32, 39, 41
(assembly).
- kahal is used (1) of Israel as a People
called out from the rest of the nations (Genesis
28:3); (2) of the
tribal council of Simeon and Levi, those called out from
each tribe (Genesis 49:6); (3) of an
assembly of Israelites called out for worship or any other
purpose (Deuteronomy 18:16; 31:30. Joshua
8:35. Judges
21:8); (4) any
assembly of worshippers as a congregation (Psalm 22:22, 25.
Ekklesia in Matthew 16:18;
(18:17. 1Corinthians
14:19,
35,
etc.); (5) the equivalent ekklesia of separate assemblies
in different localities (Acts 5:11; 8:3. 1 Corinthians
4:17, etc.); (6) of
the guild or "union" of Ephesian craftsmen (Acts
19:32,
41),
and verse 39 (the lawful
assembly). Finally, the special Pauline usage of ekklesia
differs from all these. Other assemblies consisted of
called-out ones from Jews, or from Gentiles (Acts
18:22), but this new
body is of called-out ones from both.
- Our
word "church" 2 has an equally
varied usage. It is used (1) of any congregation; (2) of a particular
church (England, or Rome, etc); (3) of the ministry of a church; (4) of
the building in which the congregation assembles; (5) of Church as
distinct from Chapel; (6) of the church as distinct from the world, and
lastly, it is used in the Pauline sense, of the body of Christ.
- It is
of profound importance to distinguish the usage of the word in each
case, else we may be reading "the church which was in the
wilderness" into the Prison Epistles, although we are expressly
told that there is neither Jew nor Gentile in the "church which
is His body". And when our Lord said "On this rock I will
build my church" (Matthew 16:18), those who
heard His words could not connect them with the "mystery"
which was "hid in God" and had not then been made known to
the sons of men. Confusion follows our reading what refers to Israel in
the past or the future into the present dispensation. Readers are
referred to the various notes in the connexions.
- The
word where qualified by other terms occurs thus: -
- Church of God; Acts 20:
28. 1 Corinthians
1:2;
10:32;
11:16 (plural),
22;
15:9. 2 Corinthians
1:1. Galatians
1:13. 1 Thessalonians
2:14 (plural).
2 Thessalonians
1:4 (plural).
1 Timothy
3:5,
15
(c. of the living God).
- Churches of Christ; Romans 16:
16.
- Church in .. house; Romans 16:
5. 1 Corinthians
16:19. Colossians
4:15.
Philemon 2.
- Churches of the Gentiles; Romans 16:
4.
- Churches of Galatia;
1 Corinthians
16:1. Galatians
1:2. Of Asia;
1 Corinthians
16:19. Of Macedonia;
2 Corinthians
8:1. Of Judaea;
Galatians 1:22. Of the
Laodiceans; Colossians 4:16. Of the
Thessalonians; 1 Thessalonians
1:1; 2 Thessalonians
1:1.
- Church of the firstborn (plural); Hebrews 12:
23.
- Church in Ephesus, Smyrna, etc. Revelation 2 and 3; and
- Churches; Revelation 22:
16.
NOTES
1
kahal occurs in the Old Testament 123 times; congregation
eighty-six, assembly seventeen, company seventeen, and multitude three
times. The Septuagint uses sunagoge and
ekklesia as practically synonymous terms. But the
sunagoge concerns the bringing together of the members of an
existing society or body excluding all others, whereas the
ekklesia calls and invites all men, including outsiders
everywhere, to join it. Sunagoge being permanently
associated with Jewish worship, was dropped by the early Christians in
favor of ekklesia as of wider import.
2 Is derived from
the Greek kuriakos, of or belonging to the Lord, house
(Greek oikos) being understood. It comes to us through
Anglo-Saxon circe (Scottish kirk).
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