v. Assembly, Congregation, Meeting, Sanctuary, Tabernacle, Temple
Mat 16:18 and on this rock I will build my i; and the
Mat 18:17 say it to the i; and if you don’t hear the i, have him
Act 2:47 the Lord added to the i daily those who
Act 5:11 great fear came on all the i, and on
Act 8:3 Saul devastated the i, and entering the house by
Act 9:31 the i had peace throughout all Judea, Galilee
Act 11:22 reached .. the ears of the i was in
Act 11:26 they congregated there a whole year with the i
Act 12:1 Herod laid hands on some of the i
Act 12:5 la i prayed unceasingly to God for him
Act 14:23 and appointed elders in every i
Act 14:27 gathered to the i, they reported how big
Act 15:4 and arrived at .. they were received by the i
Act 16:5 so the i’s were confirmed in the faith
Act 20:28 to shepherd the i of the Lord, which he
Rom 16:5 Greet also the i of her house
1Co 10:32 do not be a stumbling block…nor to the i of God
1Co 11:18 when ye meet together as i, I hear that there is
1Co 11:22 or do you despise the i of God, and
1Co 12:28 God has set some in the i.. apostles
1Co 14:4 But he who prophesies edifies the i
2Co 8:1 grace of God that has been given to the i
2Co 8:23 messengers of the i, and glory of Christ
2Co 11:8 I have spoiled others i… to serve you
Gal 1:13 persecuted .. the i of God, and devastated her
Eph 1:22 for head over all things to the i
Eph 3:21 to him be glory in i in Christ Jesus for
Eph 5:23 as Christ is the head of the i, which is
Eph 5:27 a glorious i, not having spot or
Phi 3:6 As for zeal, persecutor of the i; in
Col 1:18 and he is the head of the body which is the i
Col 4:15 greet .. Nymphas and the i .. in her house
1Ti 3:5 house, how will you take care of the i of God?
1Ti 3:15 the house of God, which is the i of God
1Ti 5:16 Let not the i be engraved, so that there may be
3Jo 1:10 forbids them, and drives them out of the i
Rev 1:4 John, at seven i who are in Asia
Church (Gr. ekkl’sía; from ek and kaléí‡ ). In secular Greek, the term meant a gathering of people, such as a duly appointed political body, or, in general, an assembly. No case can be presented in which it was used for a religious society. In the LXX ekkl’sía is an almost exclusive translation of the Heb. qâhâl, “congregation”, “meeting”, “assembly” (1Ki 8:14, 22; 1Ch 13:2; etc.). Its use in the NT seems to be based on that in the LXX. In NT times the term is most often applied to the body of people who believe in Jesus as the Messiah and accept him, live his teachings, and are united in an organization created by Jesus (Mat 16:18; cf 1Co 3:11; Mat 28:19, 20; Mar 16:15, 16; Act 2:38, 41, 47; 16:13; Rom 12:4, 5; 1 Cor. 12:12). In Act 7:38 it is used to refer to the congregation of the Israelites. When used for the Christian church it has several shades of meaning: 1. An ecclesiastical meeting (1Co 11:18). 2. The total number of Christians living in a place (4:17). 3. The universal church (Mat 16:18). After the ascension of Jesus, the leadership of the church naturally fell to the apostles. When a need arose, 573 leadership positions were given to others (Acts 6:2-6). The church was first concentrated in Jerusalem (Luk 24:47; Acts 1:8; 10:39; 15:2), but later spread to other parts (Acts 1:8; 8:1; etc.). Apparently the first members were exclusively Jewish (Acts 11:19), but later Gentiles became the majority. As congregations sprang up in various places, local leaders were appointed (Act 14:21-23; 20:17; etc.; cf 1 Tit 3:1-13) The basic requirement to enter the Christian church was to accept Jesus as the Messiah (Acts 2:38; 4:10-12; 5:30, 31; etc,). With respect to other doctrines, the beliefs of the early church were very similar to those of Judaism. Christians, both Jews and Gentiles, attended synagogues on the Sabbath to hear the writings of Moses interpreted (13:42-44; 15:13, 14, 21). Over time, as various schismatic movements arose in the church, there was a need to develop and clarify doctrines (1 Tit 6:20; 2Pe 2:15-19; 1 Joh 2:18, 19; 4:1-3 ; 5:10; see Jude_17-19). The church was to complete the work that Israel had left undone: represent God’s character to the world (Matt 28:19; Rom 2:28, 29; Gal 3:28, 29; Eph 2:8-22; 1Pe 2:5-10) and prepare for the return of their Lord (1Co 1:7, 8; 2Pe 3:14; Rev 14:5; etc.).
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
Greek ekklesía, convocation, from ek-kaleo, to call out. Public assembly, summoned by someone. Two Semitic words are translated with this term: qahal, summons, from qôl, voice, which is frequently found in the OT to refer to the congregation or community of the chosen people, sacred gatherings, holy assemblies of the people of God, that is, brothers who recognize the only God, summoned by God, a cult community bound by certain precepts according to the established alliance; especially in Deuteronomy this term qahal is used, as the one called the day of the promulgation of the Law, Dt 4, 10; 5, 22; 9, 10; 10, 4; 18, 16; in Dt 23, 2-9, it is said who can be admitted to Yahweh’s assembly; and the other voice, †˜edah, Israel as a community, the people, in many cases without further specification, that is, Israel as a whole. In the exodus, the community of Israel, the people, is constituted, and in the celebration of the first Passover there are the two voices, qahal and †˜edah, cultic community and people, Ex 12, 3-6.
In the NT the coming of Christ, the Messiah, who was crucified, died and rose again, glorified and seated at the right hand of God the Father, determined the institution of his I. The I. in the NT, as in the OT, is also convocation, community, but it has a Christian meaning, that is, it refers both to the universal I. and to the particular or local churches as well as to the meetings of the faithful believers, Acts 9, 31; 15, 41; 16, 5; Rm 16, 5 and 16; 1 Co 1, 2; 2 Co 1, 1. This I., Ekklesía, different from the synagogue, something exclusive to the Jews and considered the sole repository of the promises of Abraham, is the same qahal of the A, T., convocation, but this call is universal, the †œI. of God† , as the Apostle likes to say, the I. of Christ, does not take into account the origin of the faithful, Acts 2, 39; Rm 9, 6-13; 16, 4; Ga 3, 6-9. Also the I. is the people of God, like that of the A.
T. all believers in Christ continue him, they are his heirs. The believer or the faithful is the one who has welcomed Jesus into his life and this is a gift of the Holy Spirit, a consequence of conversion and baptism, and that leads to salvation, Acts 2, 38; Ga 5, 22. That is to say, that the I. is a messianic and eschatological community, that is how the term I. is taken in Mt 16, 18, when Jesus says to Simon: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my YO.† ; Matthew refers to the messianic community together with the reference to the Kingdom of heaven, Mt 4, 17, that is, an eschatological community that begins on earth with an organized congregation, with Peter as head instituted by Jesus. The I. formed by those who welcome Jesus, are his brothers insofar as they fulfill the will of the Father, this spiritual kinship, and are, therefore, brothers among themselves, Mt 12, 46-50; Mark 3, 31-35; Lk 8, 19-21; born of God, children of the same Father, Jn 1, 12-13; whence the I. is a community of brothers, 1 Pet 5, 9. In the Acts of the Apostles, the I. is formed by the “followers of the Way”, the community of believers, Acts 9, 2; 18, 25; 19, 9; 22, 4; 24, 14; Jesus himself called himself the way, he teaches us the path to reach the Father, Jn 8, 12; 14, 6.
Saint Paul uses the simile of the body when speaking of the I. Christians united by baptism with the dead and risen Christ are members of his body and from him as from his life-giving head they receive new life.
All Christians are members of the same body of Christ, each in his own way, some are apostles, others receive different charisms, that is, the I. is an organic unit whose head is Christ; the plurality of members form a single body, Christ is the unifying principle of the different Christians, the members of the body of him, of the I. of him; and the I. is the presence of Christ on earth insofar as he prolongs his ministry, 1 Cor 12, 12-30; the I., then, is a community that depends on Christ, who is its visible head, and in which at the same time there is an interdependence among its members, “for growth and building in love”, Eph 4, 15- 16.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
The English word derives from gr. kuriakos (belonging to the Lord), but also derives from another Gr. word, ekklesia (hence “ecclesiastical”), denoting an assembly. It is used in its general sense in Act 19:32 but had already been applied in the LXX as an equivalent for the OT congregation (compare Act 7:38) and in this sense it was adopted to describe the new gathering or congregation of disciples of Jesus.
In the Gospels, the term is found only in Mat 16:18 and 18:17. This scarcity can perhaps be explained by the fact that both vv. they seem to contemplate a situation that would follow the earthly ministry of Christ.
However, the vv. they show that Christ has this reconstitution in view, that the church thus reconstituted will rest on apostolic confession, and that it will undertake the ministry of reconciliation.
When we return to Acts the situation changes. The redemptive work has been accomplished and the NT church can have its birthday on Pentecost. The term is now regularly used to describe local groups of believers. Thus, we read of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 5:11), in Antioch (Acts 13:1) and in Caesarea (Acts 18:22). At the same time, the word is used of all believers (possibly Act 9:31). From the beginning the church has had both a local and a general meaning, denoting both the individual assembly and the world community.
This double usage is also seen in Paul. He addresses his letters to specific churches (eg, 1Co 1:2; 1Th 1:1). Indeed, he sometimes appears to regionalize more by referring to specific groups within the local community as churches, as if he were sending greetings to congregations within a city (eg, Rom 16:5). However, Paul also further develops the concept of a church consisting of all believers in all local churches (1Co 10:32; Col 1:18; 1Ti 3:15; especially Ephesians). The other NT books mostly give us examples of local usage (eg, 3Jo 1:9; Rev 1:4; Rev 2:1).
The church is not primarily a human structure such as a political, social, or economic organism. It is basically the church of Jesus Christ (Mat 16:18), of the living God (1Ti 3:15). It is a building of which Jesus Christ is the main cornerstone or foundation (Eph 2:20-22), the fellowship of saints or people of God (1Pe 2:9), the bride of Christ (Eph 5:25-26) and the body of Christ, being the head and the believers the members (Rom 12:5; 1Co 12:12-13; Eph 4:4, Eph 4:12, Eph 4:15-17). Like the body, it is the fullness of Christ who fills all in all (Eph 1:23).
The church receives its life…