186. CHURCH (Gr. EKKLESIA).
The
Appendixes were written by Dr. E.W. Bullinger.
- 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 Sept. by sunagoge
and ekklesia.
(*1)
This latter word occ. in N.T. 115 times (36 in plural), and
is always transl. "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 (Gen. 28:3); (2) of the tribal council
of Simeon and Levi, those called out
from each tribe (Gen. 49:6);
(3) of an assembly of Israelites called
out for
worship or any other
purpose (Deut. 18:16; 31:30. Josh. 8:35. Judg.
21:8); (4) any
assembly of worshippers as a congregation (Ps. 22:22, 25. Ekklesia
in Matt. 16:18;
18:17. 1Cor. 14:19, 35, &c.); (5) the equivalent
ekklesia
of separate assemblies in different localities (Acts 5:11;
8:3. 1Cor. 4:17, &c.); (6) of the guild or "union" of
Ephesian
craftsmen (Acts 19:32, 41), and v.
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,
&c); (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" (Matt. 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. 1Cor. 1:2; 10:32;
11:16 (pl.), 22; 15:9. 2Cor. 1:1. Gal. 1:13.
1Thess. 2:14 (pl.).
2Thess. 1:4 (pl). 1Tim. 3:5, 15 (c. of the living God).
- Churches of Christ; Rom.
16:16.
- Church in .. house; Rom.
16:5. 1Cor. 16:19.
Col. 4:15. Philem. 2.
- Churches of the
Gentiles; Rom. 16:4.
- Churches of Galatia;
1Cor. 16:1. Gal. 1:2.
Of Asia; 1Cor. 16:19. Of Macedonia; 2Cor. 8:1. Of
Judaea; Gal.
1:22. Of the Laodiceans; Col. 4:16. Of the
Thessalonians; 1Thess.
1:1; 2Thess .1:1.
- Church of the firstborn
(pl); Heb. 12:23.
- Church in Ephesus,
Smyrna, &c. Rev. 2 and
3; and
- Churches; Rev. 22:16.
(*1) kahal
occurs in the Old
Testament 123 times; congregation
eighty-six, assembly seventeen, company seventeen, and multitude three
times. The Sept. 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.&nb
172
sp; 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 Gr. kuriakos, of or belonging to the
Lord, house (Gr. oikos)
being
understood. It comes to us through
A.S. circe (Scottish kirk).
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