Modern language often uses the word “church” in ways that differ from the Bible. For example, a recently published dictionary says that “church” means “an edifice [building] for public worship,” and also “a Christian denomination.” What happens when people use these definitions in reading the Bible? They are likely to be confused because the Bible never has those two meanings for “church.”
If we are truly interested in understanding the Bible, we must learn how the Bible defines its own words. We can do this by seeing how, when and where the Bible uses words. Often a word’s setting or context makes that word’s meaning clear. This is true of the word “church.” The New Testament’s message about unity within one church stands in conflict with today’s fragmentation into many “denominations” and “divisions of Christianity.” In the same way, anyone familiar with the Bible realizes that it uses “church” to refer to people, not a building. In the first nine chapters of Acts, the family of God is called “all who believed… their people… them (their number)… those who obey Him… the church… the disciples… brothers… saints… the whole group” (Acts 2:44,47; 4:23,32; 5:11-14,32; 6:1-5; 8:1,3; 9:1,13,26,30-31). Compare Acts 8:1 with Acts 9:1, and you will see that “the church” is simply another way of saying “the Lord’s disciples” (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13; Philippians 3:6).
Original Languages People today who want to go deeper into the study of biblical words need to consider the languages in which the Bible was first written. The New Testament was written in the common (koine) Greek language of the first century. Ekklesia was an old word used by the Greeks for assemblies or gatherings, especially meetings of all the voting citizens of a city. (Ekklesia comes from two words: ek meaning “out,” and kaleo meaning “call,” hence the people called out to a meeting.) When the Old Testament was translated into Greek, ekklesia often translated the Hebrew word qahal, which was used for gatherings such as the mustering of troops for battle. In Deuteronomy, it was especially “the congregation” of all the Israelites that God called out of Egypt and gathered at Sinai.
New Testament writers were obviously aware of these older uses, which they borrowed a few times. The Greek use can be seen in Acts 19:32,39,41 where ekklesia refers to the gathered citizens of Ephesus. The Hebrew use can be seen in Acts 7:38 where Stephen talked about the Israelite “assembly” in the wilderness. Apart from such cases, New Testament writers used the word ekklesia exclusively for the followers of Christ, especially as He gathered them in the years after His resurrection. Ekklesia appears in only two passages before Acts. Matthew 16:18 records Jesus’ promise, “I will build My church.” Matthew 18:17 records His instructions for discipline in “the church.” (In that context, Matthew 18:20 records His promise to be present even “where two or three come together [Greek: synago]” in His name.)
Christ’s Ekklesia Begins While Luke never uses ekklesia in his Gospel, he goes on in Acts to use it 23 times (20 times for Christ’s followers). This matches the fact that Jesus used the future tense in Matthew 16:18, “I will build My church.” At that time His ekklesia was still to come. This also matches the New Testament teaching that the ekklesia rests on the foundation of Jesus as the crucified Christ (Matthew 16:16-21; Acts 20:28, Ephesians 1:20-2:16; Hebrews 2:9-17; 9:16; 12:22-24). His death, burial and resurrection form the heart of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), which serves as Christ’s way of calling (kaleo, 2 Thessalonians 2:14). He calls people out of (ek) the world’s darkness (Colossians 1:13; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Corinthians 6:14-17; Hebrews 13:13). Scripture makes no direct play on the two words that join to form ek-klesia. But the earliest Christians easily recognized that Christ’s gathering or ekklesia was made up of those called out by the Gospel.
This explains why we do not read of the church as existing before Acts. Christ had to die and rise again for the Gospel to be preached as an accomplished fact. In this sense, the first Gospel call was broadcast on the Pentecost soon after Christ’s resurrection (about A.D. 30). From that day, the Lord “added” all who believed and obeyed the Gospel (Acts 2:41 with 2:47; 5:11 with 5:14). Acts then speaks often of the ekklesia as a vital and growing reality. The ekklesia fears (Acts 5:11), enjoys peace (9:31), hears (11:22), meets (11:26; 14:27; 15:30), prays (12:5), has elders (14:23; 20:17,28), sends (15:3), welcomes (15:4), decides (15:22), and receives greetings (18:22). Clearly the ekklesia is neither a lifeless structure (such as a building), nor an impersonal institution, nor an idea that exists in heaven alone. As 1 Timothy 3:15 shows, the ekklesia is the living family of God.
Use Of Singular And Plural Scripture often uses the definite article and the singular form: he ekklesia, which means the church. (He is pronounced like “hay.”) He ekklesia can refer to all members around the world that gather in a spiritual sense with Christ (Ephesians 1:22-2:6; 3:10,21; 5:23-32 cf. Hebrews 12:22-23). At the same time, he ekklesia can refer to all members throughout a city (Acts 8:1,3; 11:22,26; 13:1; Romans 16:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Revelation 2:1), and to members that meet in a private house (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1:2 cf. Romans 16:23). Early copies of the New Testament even apply the ekklesia to members throughout a region (Acts 9:31). These cases emphasize that the church keeps its singular nature – it remains one church – even when it spreads abroad and meets in many places.
That essential unity should be remembered when we come to the plural form ekklesiai. Paul “went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches” (Acts 15:41 cf. Romans 16:4; 1 Corinthians 16:1,19; 2 Corinthians 8:18-24; 12:13; Galatians 1:2; Revelation 1:4,11,20; 22:16). “All” such churches shared greetings, and they shared in loving deeds (Romans 16:16; Acts 15:23; 1 Corinthians 16:1,19; 2 Corinthians 8:1,18-19,23-24; 11:8,28; 12:13; Galatians 1:1-2). They remained united in the teachings of “the faith” (Acts 16:5; 14:22; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 7:17; 11:16; Colossians 4:16; cf. Colossians 1:23; 1 Timothy 1:3; 4:1-3). Their unity grew from their common relationship to God and to Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1), as the following phrases show:
- all the churches of Christ (Romans 16:16 cf. Revelation 1:10-20; 2:1).
- the churches of God (1 Corinthians 11:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:4 cf. Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 1:2).
- all the congregations of the saints (1 Corinthians 14:33 cf. Hebrews 12:23)
- churches of Judea that are in Christ (Galatians 1:22).
The New Testament’s use of these plural forms, therefore, never implies division. “The churches” simple means “the congregations” of Christ’s one church or body. Each local congregation meets regularly, and that meeting is also called ekklesia (1 Corinthians 14:19,28,34-35). 1 Corinthians 11 and 14 emphasize that the details of this assembly should reflect God’s nature as loving, strengthening, peaceful and orderly.
Just as Jesus promised, He is present even in the smallest gathering (“where two or three come together in My name”). Thus, whether viewed as universal, or regional, or local, the living Christ’s presence blesses His ekklesia. Whether viewed as a congregation of thousands, or as a church that meets in a home, or as the first small assembly in a new place, the ekklesia remains the family that the Son gathers for His Father. This is the church where you belong, or where you ought to belong!