One of the greatest deceptions in the so-called “churches” of our modern day is the definition of the word “church” itself. We tend to think of it as a building, an institution, a denomination, or a worship service. None of these accurately capture the true meaning of the Greek word “ekklesia.”
There is evidence that the word church originally comes from the old English and Germanic word kirke, (pronounced "keer - kay"), and which itself came from the Babylonian for the goddess Circe (pronounced "seer-say"). The goddess Circe was thought to be connected with the power of the sun, which is round, and thus the connection to Circe, a circle. In Anglo-Saxon history, the pagans worshipped the sun standing in a circle [kirke]. These pagan worshippers became known as the “circle“, or the “kirke“, then ultimately the “church.” Therefore, the word “church” predates Christianity and is actually a pagan term rather than a Christian one.
The first complete English Bible was the Tyndale Bible in about 1524, and that Bible did not use the word "church" anywhere in its pages, but instead used the word "congregation." This is a more accurate translation, even though it doesn’t quite capture the original meaning of “ekklesia“. The word “church” crept into our English translations soon after, probably because of pagans who accepted some form of Christianity and retained the word “church” from their pagan circle’ to refer to their Christian meeting.
King James was the “Head” of the Church of England, which is essentially the Anglican Church, or the equivalent of England’s Roman Catholic Church. At the time of the 1611 King James translation, the Roman Church, as well as the Anglican Church were threatened by separatist and reform movements, and many of their false doctrines were being threatened with being exposed. By translating the Greek word “ekklesia” as “Church,” the Anglican so-called “church” was able to claim to hold the power of salvation over people, just as the Catholic Church does. This is because of a misunderstanding of who the “ekklesia” really is.
The word “ekklesia” comes from two Greek words: Ek means out and Kaleo means call, and this is the verb form. When we put the two together and write the noun form of it, it is Ekklesia and means "called out ones". This is the way it is always used in the Greek language. It means an assembly of people who are called out for a purpose.
It is used seventy times in the Septuagint which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament from 200-300 BC. It translates the Hebrew word kahal (from which latter we have our word call), as “sunagoge” and “ekklesia.” “Ekklesia” occurs in New Testament 115 times (36 in plural), and is always translated "church" except in Acts 19:32, 39, 41 where it is translated “assembly. “
The word ekklesia is also used to translate the Hebrew word miqra in the Septuagint, because it also means “called out.” Miqra is the word that the English Bibles usually translate as “convocation“, as in "it shall be a holy convocation unto you" (Lev. 23:36). So in the Old Testament the phrase “called out” is translated as convocation and in the New Testament the same phrase is translated as “church.” They have the same meaning, but because of the different English words they are made to seem different from each other.
“Ekklesia” was most often used as a political term prior to the Bible, not a religious one. In classical Greek "ekklesia" meant "an assembly of citizens summoned by the crier, the legislative assembly." It essentially refers to an assembly of people who have been brought together for a common purpose. If it was for a political purpose, it would then be a political assembly; if called out for a social purpose, it would be a social assembly.
We see a political, or anti-religious “ekklesia,” or church, called out in Acts 19:25-41. Verse 25 tells us that they were called together; verse 32 tells us that it was an assembly (ekklesia, church), but here was an ekklesia (assembly, church) that was called to work against Paul who had come to preach the gospel to the heathen city, Ephesus. This is not a religious church (assembly), but a plotting church meeting to stir up the people to destroy Paul. When we think of the word “church” today, we tend to think of it as a religious word, but that is not necessarily the case.
The early believers did not view the Church as an institution. Instead, they saw themselves as the “body of God’s people” united under the leadership and control of His Messiah. Using the term “ekklesia” and their meetings together in each other’s homes gave them greater solidarity and allows them to better understand God’s true calling for the Church. God called them to be bound together closer than any other group and to put off any differences that arose
This is the true meaning of “ekklesia.” It refers to the born-again Christians whom God has called out of the world, rather than referring to any particular institution. By choosing this misleading word, the early Catholic/Anglican translators were able to fool the masses into putting their faith in the “church” as an institution, rather than realizing that we are the Church. Almost all modern translations of the bible have also translated “ekklesia” as “church” because this term has become an integral part of our English language. As Christians we have been called out of the world by our Lord for a specific purpose.
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;" (1 Peter 2:9).
The first time ekklesia (church) is used in the spiritual sense is in Matthew 16:18, where Jesus promised to build His church (ekklesia). Applied spiritually, it refers to those who are called out of the word (John 17). It is sometimes used to denote all the called ones without any particular geographic designation (Matthew 16: 18), and of the called in a particular geographic area (I Corinthians 1: 2). "Church" used universally (all the called ones) is always used in the singular. "Churches," plural, refers to a number of local assemblies of called ones. Hence, Paul wrote, "... The churches of Christ salute you" (Rom. 16: 16). "Church" denotes the called ones who have banded together and appointed overseers. (Acts 14: 23). The local church, when fully organized has elders and deacons (Phil. 1: 1; I Tim. 3: 1-13). "Church" is also used of the banded together called ones in the absence of the full organization(Acts 14: 23).
Out of the 115 times "church" is used in the Greek New Testament, it never refers to the building in which the church meets. "Church" is also never used to denote denominations. Denominations did not exist in the First Century Church, and most of he people in these denominations today, are not part of Christ’s “ekklesia” because their faith is in an institution and it’s false teachings, rather than in Christ’s atonement alone.
The true "Church" consists of those who have been called out of the world by Christ by placing our faith in Him.
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