Ekklesia
Source texts
The ekklesia [meeting place of the community] of the ancient city of Messene
Origin of the term Ekklesia
In the 4th century BC the Greek city Athens rejected the rule by kings and established democracy. From now on authority was in the hands of the community of free citizens, the ekklesia. It appointed administrators, decided about peace or war and passed laws. Most Greek/Hellenistic cities adopted this form of rule. They often had a special arena in which the ekklesia could meet.
Texts in Greek Matthew
Mt 18/15-17 – If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.…
Meaning: the (local) Christian community has the last say.
Mt 16/18 – And I tell you that you are Peter [Kephas = rock], and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the underworld will not overcome it.
Meaning: On this rock [= strong foundation] my assembly will be able to meet.
Prominence of the ekklesia in the apostolic era
In all the following quotations, ‘church’ (ekklesia) stands for the community of the faithful
Acts 5/11 – great fear seized the whole church
Acts 8/1.3 – And Saul approved of their killing Stephen. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria — But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
Acts 11/22-26 – News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
Acts 12/1 – It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.
Acts 13/1-4 IMPORTANT!! – Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.
Acts 15/1-4 – While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers: “Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.” This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. The church (of Antioch) sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
Acts 20/17-18.28 – But when we landed at Miletus, Paul sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him. When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now . . . So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock — his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.
Paul’s letters are addressed to the ekklesia
1 Corinthians 1/2 – “to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people”; 2 Corinthians 1/1 – “to God’s church in Corinth and to all of his holy people throughout Greece”; 1 Thessalonians 1/1 – “to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”; etc.
1 Corinthians 12/28 – God has appointed for the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership [= the elders], those who speak in unknown languages.
Ekklesia – mentioned 75 times in the NT. Presbyteros – in the sense of elder of the community – only 28 times. Episkopoi – in the sense of ‘overseer’, ‘bishop’ – only 4 times.
John Wijngaards