Bible Society of South Africa

Ecclesia

In New Testament times, house churches (congregations which meet at people’s houses) were the foundation of the Christian movement.

The Word Ecclesia

The Greek word ecclesia is derived from the word ekkaleo, which means “to call forth, to summon”, and is usually translated as “congregation” or “church”. The word was used in everyday Greek for a gathering of citizens, and not for religious groups. The religious use of the word in the Old Testament can be traced back to the Septuagint, where it is used as a religious concept, for example in Joel 2:16.

Ecclesia in the New Testament

In the New Testament, the word ecclesia is used in different ways:

  • It is used to refer to all believers together, for example when it is said that Christ is the head of the Church in Colossians 1:18.
  • It is also used to refer to a local group of believers, for example, “the church in Jerusalem” in Acts 11:22.

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