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ἐκκλησία Church:
ekklēsía; gen. ekklēsías, fem. noun from ékklētos (n.f.), called out, which is from ekkaléō (n.f.), to call out. It was a common term for a congregation of the ekklētoí (n.f.), the called people, or those called out or assembled in the public affairs of a free state, the body of free citizens called together by a herald (kḗrux [G2783]) which constituted the ekklēsía. In the NT, the word is applied to the congregation of the people of Israel (Act_7:38). On the other hand, of the two terms used in the OT, sunagōgḗ (G4864) seems to have been used to designate the people from Israel in distinction from all other nations (Act_13:43 [cf. Mat_4:23; Mat_6:2; Jas_2:2; Rev_2:9; Rev_3:9]).
In Heb_10:25, however, when the gathering of Christians is referred to, it is called not sunagōgḗ, but episunagōgḗ (G1997), with the prep. epí (G1909), upon, translated "the assembling . . . together." The Christian community was designated for the first time as the ekklēsía to differentiate it from the Jewish community, sunagōgḗ (Act_2:47 [TR]). The term ekklēsía denotes the NT community of the redeemed in its twofold aspect. First, all who were called by and to Christ in the fellowship of His salvation, the church worldwide of all times, and only secondarily to an individual church (Mat_16:18; Act_2:44, Act_2:47; Act_9:31; 1Co_6:4; 1Co_12:28; 1Co_14:4-5, 1Co_14:12; Php_3:6; Col_1:18, Col_1:24).
Designated as the church of God (1Co_10:32; 1Co_11:22; 1Co_15:9; Gal_1:13; 1Ti_3:5, 1Ti_3:15); the body of Christ (Eph_1:22; Col_1:18); the church in Jesus Christ (Eph_3:21
; exclusively the entire church (Eph_1:22; Eph_3:10, Eph_3:21; Eph_5:23-25, Eph_5:27, Eph_5:29, Eph_5:32; Heb_12:23). Secondly, the NT churches, however, are also confined to particular places (Rom_16:5; 1Co_1:2; 1Co_16:19; 2Co_1:1; Col_4:15; 1Th_2:14; Phm_1:2); to individual local churches (Act_8:1; Act_11:22; Rom_16:1; 1Th_1:1; 2Th_1:1). Ekklēsía does not occur in the gospels of Mark, Luke, John, nor the epistles of 2 Timothy, Titus, 1 and 2 John, or Jude.
(I) Of persons legally called out or summoned (Act_19:39, of the people); and hence also of a tumultuous assembly not necessarily legal (Act_19:32, Act_19:41). In the Jewish sense, a congregation, assembly of the people for worship, e.g., in a synagogue (Mat_18:17) or generally (Act_7:38; Heb_2:12 quoted from Psa_22:22; Sept.: Deu_18:16; 2Ch_1:3, 2Ch_1:5).
(II) In the Christian sense, an assembly of Christians, generally (1Co_11:18, a church, the Christian church).
(A) A particular church, e.g., in Jerusalem (Act_8:1; Act_11:22); Antioch (Act_11:26; Act_13:1); Corinth (1Co_1:2; 2Co_1:1); Asia Minor (1Co_16:19); Galatia (Gal_1:2); Thessalonica (1Th_1:1; 2Th_1:1); Cenchrea (Rom_16:1). Also, "the churches of the nations" (a.t.) means churches of Gentile Christians (Rom_16:4); the church which meets at the house of someone (Rom_16:5; 1Co_16:19; Phm_1:2); the churches of Christ (Rom_16:16); the church of God at Corinth (1Co_1:2).
(B) The church universal (Mat_16:18; 1Co_12:28; Gal_1:13; Eph_1:22; Eph_3:10; Heb_12:23); church of God (1Co_10:32; 1Co_11:22; 1Co_15:9; 1Ti_3:15 [cf. in the Sept. the church of the Lord {Deu_23:2, 3}]).
(III) The word ekklēsía is nowhere used of heathen religious assemblies in Scripture. In the OT, two different words are used to denote gatherings of the chosen people or their representatives: edah (H5712) meaning congregation and qahal (H6951), assembly. In the Sept., sunagōgḗ (G4864) is the usual translation of edah while qahal is commonly rendered ekklēsía.
Both qahal and ekklēsía by their derivation indicate calling or summoning to a place of meeting, but there is no foundation for the widespread notion that ekklēsía means a people or a number of individual men called out of the world or mankind. Qahal or ekklēsía is the more sacred term denoting the people in relation to Jehovah, especially in public worship. Perhaps for this very reason, the less sacred term sunagōgḗ was more commonly used by the Jews in our Lord's time, and probably influenced the first believers in adopting ekklēsía for Christian use.
Sunagōgḗ, though used in the early church as a syn. for ekklēsía (Jas_2:2), quickly went out of use for a Christian assembly, except in sects which were more Jewish than Christian. Owing to the growing hostility of the Jews, it came to indicate opposition to the church (Rev_2:9; Rev_3:9). Ekklēsía, therefore, at once suggests the new people of God, the new Israel.
(IV) The terms "the kingdom of God" and "the church" are distinguished in Scripture. The kingdom appears to be a reign rather than a realm, which the church is. These two ideas, however, are complementary, the one implying the other. Sometimes it is hardly possible to distinguish between them. It may be true that by the words "the kingdom of God," our Lord means not so much His disciples, whether individually or as a collective body, but something which they receive or a state upon which they enter. At the same time, the whole history of the growth of the idea of the kingdom led, naturally, to the belief that the kingdom of God about which Christ taught would be expressed and realized in a society. His kingdom is visibly represented in His church, and the church is the kingdom of heaven insofar as it has already come, and it prepares for the kingdom as it is to come in glory. See basileía (G932), kingdom.
From, "The Complete Word Study" Concordance.
ekklēsía; gen. ekklēsías, fem. noun from ékklētos (n.f.), called out, which is from ekkaléō (n.f.), to call out. It was a common term for a congregation of the ekklētoí (n.f.), the called people, or those called out or assembled in the public affairs of a free state, the body of free citizens called together by a herald (kḗrux [G2783]) which constituted the ekklēsía. In the NT, the word is applied to the congregation of the people of Israel (Act_7:38). On the other hand, of the two terms used in the OT, sunagōgḗ (G4864) seems to have been used to designate the people from Israel in distinction from all other nations (Act_13:43 [cf. Mat_4:23; Mat_6:2; Jas_2:2; Rev_2:9; Rev_3:9]).
In Heb_10:25, however, when the gathering of Christians is referred to, it is called not sunagōgḗ, but episunagōgḗ (G1997), with the prep. epí (G1909), upon, translated "the assembling . . . together." The Christian community was designated for the first time as the ekklēsía to differentiate it from the Jewish community, sunagōgḗ (Act_2:47 [TR]). The term ekklēsía denotes the NT community of the redeemed in its twofold aspect. First, all who were called by and to Christ in the fellowship of His salvation, the church worldwide of all times, and only secondarily to an individual church (Mat_16:18; Act_2:44, Act_2:47; Act_9:31; 1Co_6:4; 1Co_12:28; 1Co_14:4-5, 1Co_14:12; Php_3:6; Col_1:18, Col_1:24).
Designated as the church of God (1Co_10:32; 1Co_11:22; 1Co_15:9; Gal_1:13; 1Ti_3:5, 1Ti_3:15); the body of Christ (Eph_1:22; Col_1:18); the church in Jesus Christ (Eph_3:21
; exclusively the entire church (Eph_1:22; Eph_3:10, Eph_3:21; Eph_5:23-25, Eph_5:27, Eph_5:29, Eph_5:32; Heb_12:23). Secondly, the NT churches, however, are also confined to particular places (Rom_16:5; 1Co_1:2; 1Co_16:19; 2Co_1:1; Col_4:15; 1Th_2:14; Phm_1:2); to individual local churches (Act_8:1; Act_11:22; Rom_16:1; 1Th_1:1; 2Th_1:1). Ekklēsía does not occur in the gospels of Mark, Luke, John, nor the epistles of 2 Timothy, Titus, 1 and 2 John, or Jude.(I) Of persons legally called out or summoned (Act_19:39, of the people); and hence also of a tumultuous assembly not necessarily legal (Act_19:32, Act_19:41). In the Jewish sense, a congregation, assembly of the people for worship, e.g., in a synagogue (Mat_18:17) or generally (Act_7:38; Heb_2:12 quoted from Psa_22:22; Sept.: Deu_18:16; 2Ch_1:3, 2Ch_1:5).
(II) In the Christian sense, an assembly of Christians, generally (1Co_11:18, a church, the Christian church).
(A) A particular church, e.g., in Jerusalem (Act_8:1; Act_11:22); Antioch (Act_11:26; Act_13:1); Corinth (1Co_1:2; 2Co_1:1); Asia Minor (1Co_16:19); Galatia (Gal_1:2); Thessalonica (1Th_1:1; 2Th_1:1); Cenchrea (Rom_16:1). Also, "the churches of the nations" (a.t.) means churches of Gentile Christians (Rom_16:4); the church which meets at the house of someone (Rom_16:5; 1Co_16:19; Phm_1:2); the churches of Christ (Rom_16:16); the church of God at Corinth (1Co_1:2).
(B) The church universal (Mat_16:18; 1Co_12:28; Gal_1:13; Eph_1:22; Eph_3:10; Heb_12:23); church of God (1Co_10:32; 1Co_11:22; 1Co_15:9; 1Ti_3:15 [cf. in the Sept. the church of the Lord {Deu_23:2, 3}]).
(III) The word ekklēsía is nowhere used of heathen religious assemblies in Scripture. In the OT, two different words are used to denote gatherings of the chosen people or their representatives: edah (H5712) meaning congregation and qahal (H6951), assembly. In the Sept., sunagōgḗ (G4864) is the usual translation of edah while qahal is commonly rendered ekklēsía.
Both qahal and ekklēsía by their derivation indicate calling or summoning to a place of meeting, but there is no foundation for the widespread notion that ekklēsía means a people or a number of individual men called out of the world or mankind. Qahal or ekklēsía is the more sacred term denoting the people in relation to Jehovah, especially in public worship. Perhaps for this very reason, the less sacred term sunagōgḗ was more commonly used by the Jews in our Lord's time, and probably influenced the first believers in adopting ekklēsía for Christian use.
Sunagōgḗ, though used in the early church as a syn. for ekklēsía (Jas_2:2), quickly went out of use for a Christian assembly, except in sects which were more Jewish than Christian. Owing to the growing hostility of the Jews, it came to indicate opposition to the church (Rev_2:9; Rev_3:9). Ekklēsía, therefore, at once suggests the new people of God, the new Israel.
(IV) The terms "the kingdom of God" and "the church" are distinguished in Scripture. The kingdom appears to be a reign rather than a realm, which the church is. These two ideas, however, are complementary, the one implying the other. Sometimes it is hardly possible to distinguish between them. It may be true that by the words "the kingdom of God," our Lord means not so much His disciples, whether individually or as a collective body, but something which they receive or a state upon which they enter. At the same time, the whole history of the growth of the idea of the kingdom led, naturally, to the belief that the kingdom of God about which Christ taught would be expressed and realized in a society. His kingdom is visibly represented in His church, and the church is the kingdom of heaven insofar as it has already come, and it prepares for the kingdom as it is to come in glory. See basileía (G932), kingdom.
From, "The Complete Word Study" Concordance.
