◄ 1577. ekklésia ►
Lexicon ekklésia: Church, assembly, congregation Original Word: ἐκκλησία Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: ekklésia Pronunciation: ek-klay-see'-ah Phonetic Spelling: (ek-klay-see'-ah) Definition: Church, assembly, congregation Meaning: an assembly, congregation, church; the Church, the whole body of Christian believers. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance assembly, church. From a compound of ek and a derivative of kaleo; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both) -- assembly, church. see GREEK ek see GREEK kaleo HELPS Word-studies 1577 ekklēsía(from 1537 /ek, "out from and to" and 2564 /kaléō, "to call") – properly, people called out from the world and to God, the outcome being the Church (the mystical body of Christ) – i.e. the universal (total) body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom. [The English word "church" comes from the Greek word kyriakos, "belonging to the Lord" (kyrios). 1577 /ekklēsía ("church") is the root of the terms "ecclesiology" and "ecclesiastical."] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin from ek and kaleó Definition an assembly, a (religious) congregation NASB Translation assembly (3), church (74), churches (35), congregation (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1577: ἐκκλησία ἐκκλησία, ἐκκλεσιας, ἡ (from ἔκκλητος called out or forth, and this from ἐκκαλέω); properly, a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place; an assembly; so used 1. among the Greeks from Thucydides (cf. Herodotus 3, 142) down, an assembly of the people convened at the public place of council for the purpose of deliberating: Acts 19:39. 2. in the Sept. often equivalent to קָהָל, the assembly of the Israelites, Judges 21:8; 1 Chronicles 29:1, etc., especially when gathered for sacred purposes, Deuteronomy 31:30 (Deuteronomy 32:1); Joshua 8:35 (Joshua 9:8), etc.; in the N. T. thus in Acts 7:38; Hebrews 2:12. 3. any gathering or throng of men assembled by chance or tumultuously: Acts 19:32, 41. 4. in the Christian sense, a. an assembly of Christians gathered for worship: ἐν ἐκκλησία, in the religious meeting, 1 Corinthians 14:19, 35; ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις, 1 Corinthians 14:34; συνέρχεσθαι ἐν ἐκκλησία, 1 Corinthians 11:18; cf. Winers Grammar, § 50, 4a. b. a company of Christians, or of those who, hoping for eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs according to regulations prescribed for the body for order's sake; aa. those who anywhere, in city or village, constitute such a company and are united into one body: Acts 5:11; Acts 8:3; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 6:4; Philippians 4:15; 3 John 1:6 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 122 (116)); with specification of place, Acts 8:1; Acts 11:22; Romans 16:1; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 6:4; Revelation 2:1, 8, etc.; Θεσσαλονικέων, 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; Λαοδικέων, Colossians 4:16; with the genitive of the possessor, τοῦ Θεοῦ (equivalent to יְהוָה קֲהַל, Numbers 16:3; Numbers 20:4), 1 Corinthians 11:22; and mention of the place, 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1. Plural, αἱ ἐκκλησίαι: Acts 15:41; 1 Corinthians 7:17; 2 Corinthians 8:19; Revelation 1:4; Revelation 3:6, etc.; with τοῦ Θεοῦ added, 1 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Romans 16:16; with mention of the place, as τῆς Ἀσίας, Γαλατίας, etc.: 1 Corinthians 16:1, 19; 2 Corinthians 8:1; Galatians 1:2; τῆς Ἰουδαίας ταῖς ἐν Χριστῷ, joined to Christ (see ἐν, I. 6b.), i. e. Christian assemblies, in contrast with those of the Jews, Galatians 1:22; ἐκκλησίαι τῶν ἐθνῶν, gathered from the Gentiles, Romans 16:4; τῶν ἁγίων, composed of the saints, 1 Corinthians 14:33. ἡ ἐκκλησία κατ' οἶκον τίνος, the church in one's house, i. e. the company of Christians belonging to a person's family; others less aptly understand the phrase of the Christians accustomed to meet for worship in the house of someone (for as appears from 1 Corinthians 14:23, the whole Corinthian church was accustomed to assemble in one and the same place; (but see Lightfoot on Colossians 4:15)): Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1:2. The name ἡ ἐκκλησία is used even by Christ while on earth of the company of his adherents in any city or village: Matthew 18:17. bb. the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth; collectively, all who worship and honor God and Christ in whatever place they may be: Matthew 16:18 (where perhaps the Evangelist employs τήν ἐκκλησίαν although Christ may have said τήν βασιλείαν μου); 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 5:23ff,27,29,32; Philippians 3:6; Colossians 1:18, 24; with the genitive of the possessor: τοῦ κυρίου, Acts 20:28 (R Tr marginal reading WH τοῦ Θεοῦ); τοῦ Θεοῦ, Galatians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Timothy 3:15. cc. the name is transferred to the assembly of faithful Christians already dead and received into heaven: Hebrews 12:23 (on this passage see in ἀπογράφω, b. and πρωτότοκος, at the end). (In general, see Trench, § 1, and B. D. under the word , especially American edition; and for patristic usage Sophocles Lexicon, under the word.) Topical Lexicon Word Origin: Derived from the Greek preposition "ἐκ" (ek), meaning "out of," and the verb "καλέω" (kaleo), meaning "to call." Thus, it literally means "called out" or "assembly." Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Hebrew equivalent often associated with ἐκκλησία is קָהָל (qahal), Strong's Hebrew 6951, which also means assembly or congregation. This term is used in the Old Testament to describe the gathering of the Israelites, particularly in a religious or communal context. Usage: The word ἐκκλησία appears frequently in the New Testament, where it is used to describe both local gatherings of Christians and the universal body of believers. It is employed in various contexts, including the assembly of Israelites, the Christian church as a whole, and specific local congregations. Context: The term ἐκκλησία is a significant concept in the New Testament, reflecting the early Christian understanding of community and identity. It is used over 100 times, predominantly in the writings of Paul and the Acts of the Apostles. The word conveys the idea of a group of people who are "called out" from the world to belong to God, forming a distinct community centered on faith in Jesus Christ. In the Gospels, Jesus uses the term ἐκκλησία in Matthew 16:18, where He declares, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." This passage highlights the foundational role of the church in God's redemptive plan. The Book of Acts provides numerous examples of the early church's formation and growth, illustrating the communal and missional aspects of the ἐκκλησία. Acts 2:47 describes the early believers, stating, "praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Paul's epistles further elaborate on the theological and practical dimensions of the ἐκκλησία. In Ephesians 1:22-23, Paul writes, "And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." Here, the church is depicted as the body of Christ, emphasizing unity and diversity among believers. The concept of ἐκκλησία also encompasses the idea of a holy and sanctified community, as seen in 1 Corinthians 1:2: "To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours." Overall, ἐκκλησία is a multifaceted term that captures the essence of the Christian community as a divinely called and spiritually united body, tasked with worship, fellowship, and the mission of spreading the Gospel. Forms and Transliterations εκκλησια εκκλησία ἐκκλησία ἐκκλησίᾳ εκκλησιαι εκκλησίαι ἐκκλησίαι εκκλησιαις εκκλησίαις ἐκκλησίαις εκκλησιαν εκκλησίαν ἐκκλησίαν εκκλησιας εκκλησιάς εκκλησίας ἐκκλησίας εκκλησίασατε εκκλησίασον εκκλησιαστής εκκλησιαστού εκκλησιων εκκλησιών ἐκκλησιῶν ekklesia ekklesía ekklēsia ekklēsía ekklesiai ekklesíai ekklesíāi ekklēsiai ekklēsíai ekklēsíāi ekklesiais ekklesíais ekklēsiais ekklēsíais ekklesian ekklesían ekklēsian ekklēsían ekklesias ekklesías ekklēsias ekklēsías ekklesion ekklesiôn ekklēsiōn ekklēsiō̂n Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts Englishman's Concordance Matthew 16:18 N-AFS GRK: μου τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ πύλαι NAS: I will build My church; and the gates KJV: I will build my church; and the gates INT: my church and [the] gates Matthew 18:17 N-DFS GRK: εἰπὲ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐὰν δὲ NAS: to them, tell it to the church; and if KJV: tell [it] unto the church: but INT: tell [it] to the church if moreover Matthew 18:17 N-GFS GRK: καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας παρακούσῃ ἔστω NAS: even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile KJV: he neglect to hear the church, let him be INT: also the church he fail to listen to let him be Acts 5:11 N-AFS GRK: ὅλην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ ἐπὶ NAS: over the whole church, and over all KJV: upon all the church, and upon INT: all the church and upon Acts 7:38 N-DFS GRK: ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐν τῇ NAS: This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness KJV: in the church in INT: in the congregation in the Acts 8:1 N-AFS GRK: ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τὴν ἐν NAS: against the church in Jerusalem, KJV: against the church which INT: against the church which [was] in Acts 8:3 N-AFS GRK: ἐλυμαίνετο τὴν ἐκκλησίαν κατὰ τοὺς NAS: [began] ravaging the church, entering KJV: he made havock of the church, entering into INT: was destroying the church by the Acts 9:31 N-NFS GRK: μὲν οὖν ἐκκλησία καθ' ὅλης NAS: So the church throughout all KJV: Then had the churches rest throughout INT: indeed then churches throughout all Acts 11:22 N-GFS GRK: ὦτα τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς οὔσης NAS: the ears of the church at Jerusalem, KJV: the ears of the church which INT: ears of the church which was Acts 11:26 N-DFS GRK: ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ καὶ διδάξαι NAS: they met with the church and taught KJV: with the church, and INT: in the church and taught Acts 12:1 N-GFS GRK: ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας NAS: belonged to the church in order to mistreat KJV: certain of the church. INT: of the church Acts 12:5 N-GFS GRK: ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας πρὸς τὸν NAS: fervently by the church to God. KJV: without ceasing of the church unto God INT: by the church to Acts 13:1 N-AFS GRK: τὴν οὖσαν ἐκκλησίαν προφῆται καὶ NAS: there were at Antioch, in the church that was [there], prophets KJV: there were in the church that was at INT: the being church prophets and Acts 14:23 N-AFS GRK: αὐτοῖς κατ' ἐκκλησίαν πρεσβυτέρους προσευξάμενοι NAS: for them in every church, having prayed KJV: in every church, and had prayed INT: for them in every church elders having prayed Acts 14:27 N-AFS GRK: συναγαγόντες τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἀνήγγελλον ὅσα NAS: and gathered the church together, KJV: had gathered the church together, INT: having gathered together the church they declared all that Acts 15:3 N-GFS GRK: ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας διήρχοντο τήν NAS: being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through KJV: by the church, they passed through INT: by the church passed through Acts 15:4 N-GFS GRK: ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ τῶν NAS: they were received by the church and the apostles KJV: of the church, and INT: by the church and the Acts 15:22 N-DFS GRK: ὅλῃ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐκλεξαμένους ἄνδρας NAS: with the whole church, to choose KJV: with the whole church, to send chosen INT: all the church having chosen men Acts 15:41 N-AFP GRK: ἐπιστηρίζων τὰς ἐκκλησίας NAS: strengthening the churches. KJV: Cilicia, confirming the churches. INT: strengthening the churches Acts 16:5 N-NFP GRK: μὲν οὖν ἐκκλησίαι ἐστερεοῦντο τῇ NAS: So the churches were being strengthened KJV: were the churches established INT: indeed Therefore churches were strengthened in the Acts 18:22 N-AFS GRK: ἀσπασάμενος τὴν ἐκκλησίαν κατέβη εἰς NAS: up and greeted the church, and went down KJV: saluted the church, he went down INT: having greeted the church he went down to Acts 19:32 N-NFS GRK: γὰρ ἡ ἐκκλησία συνκεχυμένη καὶ NAS: thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion KJV: for the assembly was INT: indeed the church confused and Acts 19:39 N-DFS GRK: τῇ ἐννόμῳ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐπιλυθήσεται NAS: in the lawful assembly. KJV: in a lawful assembly. INT: the lawful assembly it will be solved Acts 19:41 N-AFS GRK: ἀπέλυσεν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν NAS: this he dismissed the assembly. KJV: spoken, he dismissed the assembly. INT: he dismissed the assembly Acts 20:17 N-GFS GRK: πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας NAS: to him the elders of the church. KJV: and called the elders of the church. INT: elders of the church Strong's Greek 1577 114 Occurrences ἐκκλησίᾳ — 33 Occ. ἐκκλησίαι — 7 Occ. ἐκκλησίαις — 18 Occ. ἐκκλησίαν — 20 Occ. ἐκκλησίας — 29 Occ. ἐκκλησιῶν — 7 Occ.