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CHURCH

The Greek word ekklesia means assembly, or a gathering of called-out ones. It would be used in any Greek translation of the Old Testament for the Hebrew word kahal (from which latter we have our English word, call). Ekklesia occurs in the Greek New Testament 115 times (36 in plural), and is always translated “church” except in Acts 19:32, 39, 41 (assembly).

Kahal (Hebrew) 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).

[The special Pauline usage of ekklesia, which 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 (Anglo-Saxon; Scottish) English word “church” (“kirk”; Kurion) has an equally varied usage. It is used

(1) of any congregation;

(2) of a particular (denominational) church (e.g. Church of England, Church of Rome, or Presbyterian Church of America, 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;

(7) 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 in the wilderness” (Acts 7) 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.

The word where qualified by other terms occurs thus:

(1) 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 [church of the living God]).

(2) Churches of Christ (Romans 16:16).

(3) Church in ... house (Romans 16:5. 1 Corinthians 16:19. Colossians 4:15. Philemon 2).

(4) Churches of the Gentiles (Romans 16:4).

(5) 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).