Alan Knox writes great posts about the church. He recently wrote two posts (Post 1 and Post 2) about the definition of church, and here is an excerpt from one of them:
Unfortunately, because of the many definitions of the modern term “church,” the meaning of the word when we read it in the New Testament is often muddled. Some of that ambiguity has arisen because the English term “church” did not originate from the Greek term ekklesia that it translates in the New Testament. (For more information, see my post “The ekklesia and the kuriakon.”)
The Greek term ekklesia did not and could not carry all of the definitions of the English term “church.” Instead, the term ekklesia always referred to an assembly of people. (For more information, see my posts “The ekklesia of Josephus” and “The ekklesia in context.”) In the instances that interest me, the term ekklesia refer to an assembly of God’s people.
In some cases, the term ekklesia refers to all of God’s people which he has “assembled” or “gathered” out of the world. In other cases – most cases – the term refers to actual gatherings of God’s people, often designated by geography or location. Interestingly, in this latter case, the term ekklesia does seem to refer to subset of a larger ekklesia (i.e. the “church” in someone’s house as a subset of the “church” in a city). However, these subsets are never set against one another; they remain part of the larger ekklesia.
I have written some about this myself (Post 1 and Post 2), and noted the following:
It is important to note that “church” is not exactly a translation of the Greek ekklēsia. The term “church” actually is derived from the German Kirche, which in turn comes from the Greek adjective kuriakon, “belonging to the Lord” (cf. 1 Cor 11:20) or possibly the Latin circus. In the early history of the church, when the New Testament was getting translated from Greek into Latin, there was no clear equivalent in Latin for ekklēsia, and so various terms were proposed. Tertullian used curia (“court”) while Augustine famously wrote of the Civitas Dei (“City of God”).
One surprisingly common term used by various Greek writers was thiasos (“party”), which generally referred to a troop of revelers marching through the city streets with dance and song, often in honor of Bacchus, the god of drunkenness. The point is that many early writers did not know how to translate or describe the term ekklēsia, but the terms they proposed offer tantalizing clues as to how the church functioned and was viewed during its early years.
Are you glad that our Latin forefathers went with “church” or would have preferred one of the others: court, party, City of God, or maybe even Circus? Sometimes I think church is a circus.
Maybe as the church goes through upheavals in modern times, we should search for a new term. Rather than qualifying the term “church” (as in Institutional Church, House Church, Simple Church, Missional Church, Organic Church), we should just use a different word altogether.
I have written more on this in my book, Skeleton Church.
I like “party.” That’s what we usually do when we get together; we party… with plenty of food.
Of course, all of these words, even “circus”, had different meanings then. That’s what makes this so difficult. When we read Scripture, we read our current definitions into Scripture. Often, we come away with something completely different (and perhaps opposite) of what the authors would have intended.
So, how do we help one another move away from reading Scripture like that?
-Alan
I like “party” too, and you are right about “circus.” It doesn’t mean today what it referred to back then.
That is a good question about Scripture. I suppose this is part of the reason we have different translations, and also why we need teachers who understand Greek, Hebrew, and cultural backgrounds. But then that causes people to think they cannot understand Scripture unless they know all that, and it becomes a vicious cycle.
I wish they just left the word Ekklesia alone like the word Christ and did not try to change it. I think it cuased alot of confussion today. Church just has too many meanings to it like Rome is a ekklesia not a church (I see the word church as a biulding like the word oikos). Our English word “church” is derived from the Greek word kuriakon, which means “belonging to a lord.” But of itself, kuriakon has absolutely no religious connotation. It simply meant “the lord or master of a property.” It is never used in the Bible in reference to the body of Jesus Christ (the church).
Read more: http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/CGG/ID/5582/Kuriakon.htm#ixzz1tHkCbINB
John,
Yes, maybe it would have been better to leave it alone… But then, if they had, probably the word “ekklesia” would have just as much baggage today as does the word “church.”
Could someone please show me from the Bible where it says a pagan holiday can be redeemed or has been redeemed?
I can’t find any example!! Or even where a pagan holiday was redeemed by redeemed people!
It sounds good but is this what we are taught from the Word – to Christianize evil and draw non believers to it?
Or are we taught to bring those who are lost to the Messiah who is “the Truth”?
The Word says that He came to redeem people and that we believers are to redeem the time “because the days are evil”.
If a person is redeemed then why would they want to celebrate their Savior’s birthday on a pagan holiday?
Is this how He taught us to reach the lost?
Are we not to be the salt of the earth, causing the lost to thirst for what we have in Him.
Is what we have in Him not sufficient or do we need to have more then what He has planned for us?
Many places in the Bible it states that lying is a sin and yet we tell our children that this is “Jesus’s” Birthday and that Santa(SATAN) Clause is real and is omnipresent, and omniscient and brings gifts!! If it is all about “Jesus”, then why is it not all about “Jesus”??
I guess its ok because it is fun, right!!! No!!!
I believe in Grace 100%. If someone is born again then they are forgiven and grace is given to enable us to walk in HIS ways!! With that forgiveness comes responsibility. We can miss out on what He has planned for us here and now.
If I am mistaken please show me FROM THE Word not by making statements to make it all sound good.
Are we just to swallow everything and not know why we believe what we believe?
I know this is a very touchy subject, but If I am wrong in thinking that His Word is still good for the 21st century then please help me to see what I am not seeing.
I celebrated Christmas for 42 years so I know this is not easy. But it is a very important subject for everyone who is a Believer in the Messiah and something that we definitely need to be sure of as the Creator’s children.
All occurrences of redeem/redeemed in New Testament:
Luke 1:68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and REDEEMED His people,
Luke 24:21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to REDEEM Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.
Galatians 3:13 Christ has REDEEMED us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),
Galatians 4:5 to REDEEM those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Eph 5:15 -16 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, REDEEMING the time, because the days are evil.
Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, REDEEMING the time.
Titus 2:14 who gave Himself for us, that He might REDEEM us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
1 Peter 1:18 knowing that you were not REDEEMED with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have REDEEMED us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
Revelation 14:3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were REDEEMED from the earth.
Revelation 14:4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were REDEEMED from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
You are 100% right about this subject and many others which is taking place in the western world. many churches today are celebrating halloween and they don’t see nothing wrong with it, putting bunnies and plastics eggs as the main face of Easter. Christians today are accepting everything in the name of Love. I believe in loving your neighbor as well because it’s the duty of every Christian to love a fellow man, but not telling someone the truth is not love to me. where is Jesus in all of this? I am sure the heart of our King is breaking seeing what is happening in His church. We need to change our ways, approach to God’s Church and the laws that he gave us to govern His HOUSE.
You are 100% right about this subject and many others which is taking place in the western world. many churches today are celebrating halloween and they don’t see nothing wrong with it, putting bunnies and plastics eggs as the main face of Easter. Christians today are accepting everything in the name of Love. I believe in loving your neighbor as well because it’s the duty of every Christian to love a fellow man, but not telling someone the truth is not love to me. where is Jesus in all of this? I am sure the heart of our King is breaking seeing what is happening in His church. We need to change our ways, approach to God’s Church and the laws that he gave us to govern His HOUSE.