Greek Word Studies 

Advanced Level

Lesson 1

Lesson Title:  The Ekklesia of God

 

Text:  Matthew 16:18  ‘And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’

 

Introduction:  Literal meaning of ‘ekklesia’.

Ekklesia comes from two Greek words – ‘ek’ meaning out and ‘kaleo’ to call.

Ekklesia literally means ‘called out’.

But the meaning of ekklesia goes beyond the literal meaning of the word as those who are 'called out'. 

 

The ekklesia were not only called out.

The ekklesia was an assembly of citizens who came together to make important decisions.

The ekklesia refers to a company of citizens who are called out for the purpose of coming together, an assembly.

 

The example of marriage.

A marriage is the joining together of two individuals not just leaving the mother and father. 

The New Testament ekklesia are those who are joined to Christ in one body. 

Just as a bride and her husband become one so the ekklesia is one body in Christ.

 

 

Introductory illustration:  The Ekklesia in Athenian democracy  (see notes on Athenian Democracy)

Ekklesia:  Governing body - supreme 'assembly': 

All male citizens over 18 years of age could be part of the ekklesia.

Met in amphitheatre in Pnyx which could hold 6000,

Met minimum 40 times a year (4 times a month).

Each citizen had the right to speak.

They came together to decide all matters concerning the state.

Majority vote decided issues of war and peace, treaties, finance, legislation, public works, all government activity.

Supreme in all legislative.

Plato hated Athenian democracy because it meant legislation was made by amateurs.

 

 

Main Points

1.  Equality and Freedom

Ephesians 5:31-32  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.’

The two words that were associated with Athenian democracy were Equality and Freedom

 

There can never be real Equality or Freedom outside of the ekklesia of God.

 

Equality

Athenian democracy did not have equality for all.

Athenian democracy did not recognise the equality of slaves, barbarians or women.

No slaves, barbarians or women could be on the ekklesia.

Only in Christ all barriers are broken down, Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11.

 

Freedom

Athenian democracy could not provide freedom for all.

Although all citizens were free to vote they had to obey the will of the majority.

Freedom can only happen when everyone has the same will and this will is obeyed.

It is impossible outside of Christ

But in Christ

The body of Christ has one will because the life and mind of Christ is in His body.

 

The world cannot produce equality and freedom.

Example communism.

George Orwell (1903-1950) expressed the failure of communism to produce equality by the words in Animal Farm 'All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others'.

Jean Jacque Rousseau (1712-1778) believed that 'man is born free but everywhere in chains'.

As a Christian we know that man is not born free but is in bondage to sin. 

But the words of Jean Jacque Rousseau can easily be applied to the ekklesia of God.

The ekklesia is born free in Christ but the body of Christ is everywhere in chains.

Galatians 5:1 'Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has set us free.'

 

 

Equality and Freedom comes through the unity of the Holy Spirit

The ekklesia is one body united in Christ.

A people united in Christ

 

The ekklesia grows in the unity of the body of Christ.

A body is not united through organisation.

A body is united by life 

Organisation will bring bondage when it seeks to control the body of Christ.

When Paul wrote 'follow me as I follow Christ' (1 Cor.11:1) he was not starting an organisation.

He was showing the Corinthians how to live the Christian life by example.

 

The ekklesia is not an institution

William Tyndale’s (c.1493 -1536) dispute with Thomas More (1478-1535).

Tyndale translated Ekklesia as congregation

More stated that Ekklesia should be translated Church

Tyndale’s argument was that Church conveyed the meaning of an institution but this is not what the word means.

It means people who are called together.

 

The word congregation used by Tyndale conveyed the meaning of a company of people coming together.  

But it does not express the other meaning of Ekklesia of being called out.

The New Testament Ekklesia are those who called by God to come out of the world to come together into the family of God.

The King James Version translators went against Tyndale in this instance and chose to translate Ekklesia as Church.

 

A 'party spirit' will bring the ekklesia into bondage.

A party spirit seeks to divide the body of Christ into factions.

A party spirit is a work of the flesh.

1)  Seeking to win followers

2)  Cause divisions

3)  Using scripture to promote ‘one’s own opinion’.

 

Galatians 5:20.

'strife',  eritheiai (party spirit, rivalry)

Faction -  is the fruit of jealousy.  Derived from erithos 'a hireling' it is not strife but it means seeking to win followers.

'seditions',  dichostasiai (standing apart)

dicha 'asunder' and stasis 'a standing' - di indicates division.

Cf. Romans 16:17 'mark those who cause divisions and turn away'.

'heresies',  aireseis (choosing opinions)

A choosing - A self willed opinion, which is substituted for submission to the power of truth, and leads to division and the formation of sects. 

A division and the formation of a party or sect in contrast to the uniting power of 'the truth'.

 

 

2.  Freedom can only be experienced through truth and unity of mind.

John 8:31-32  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

 

Freedom requires people to be united in truth – how we live.

The ekklesia knows freedom through abiding (continuously living) in the words of Christ.

We will know the truth when we live in the truth.  Jesus said ‘If ye continue in my word, …you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free’

Freedom comes out of discipleship.

Being the disciple of Christ means being one with Christ by letting His words abide in us.

John 15:7    If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

 

Freedom requires people to be united in mind – how we think.

The ekklesia knows freedom through having one mind - the mind of Christ.

Freedom is lost when the ekklesia does not walk in the mind of Christ.                

Philippians 2:5 'Let this mind be in you'.

Humility and Love.

Freedom within a community requires everyone having the same will and the same mind. Anything less than this is a compromised freedom, for instance where the wishes of a majority take percedence over a minority.

Having the same mind can only be experienced through the life of Christ in us.

If we follow the plans of self appointed leaders it will bring us into bondage.

The Holy Spirit will lead the church into the freedom of new life in Christ where we are one with Christ, and one with each other.  

 

 

3.  The ekklesia is 'Christ's great possession'

 

The love of Christ for His ekklesia.

Ephesians 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

 

John 3:16 There was no greater love than this.

Ephesians 3:19 His love is beyond knowledge.


We love Him because He first loved us. John 4:19  ‘We love him, because he first loved us.’

Romans 5:8  ‘But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’

The love of Christ for His Church was due to the grace of God and nothing else.

He loved us when we were  ‘yet sinners’.

 

 

The love of the ekklesia for Christ

Paul wrote ‘the love of Christ compels us’  2 Corinthians 5:14.

Paul meant it was the love of Christ that motivated and held everything together in His ministry.

Jesus taught Peter the same thing when He said to Peter ‘If you love me, feed my sheep’ John 21.

 

Love for Christ will be seen in our love for one another  Ephesians 1:15 'Faith in Christ, love one for another'

The love of Christ in the ekklesia will reveal the beauty of Jesus.

 

Hebrews 12:2 ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’

We are to look to Jesus – ‘the author and the completer of our faith.’

He endured the cross because of the joy of redeeming His people.

The Greek word for looking is aphoran which literally means ‘looking away from’.

It means to look away from the world in order to look to Christ.

In Hebrews 11 we see a people of faith who looked away from the world and looked unto Jesus.

Hebrews 11:10 Abraham 'looked for a city',

Hebrews 11:13 Descendants of Abraham 'looked for a country'

Hebrews 11:24-26 Moses refused to be called the son of Pharoah’s daughter - 'he looked to the reward'.

The Ekklesia are those who have been called out of this world to inherit another kingdom.

 

Summary:

The ekklesia of God has been called out of the world to be gathered together in the body of Christ.

Only in the ekklesia can true freedom and equality be known.

1.  Equality and Freedom come through the unity of the body of Christ

2.  Equality and Freedom can only be known in Christ it is both unity in truth and unity in mind.

3.  The ekklesia is Christ’s own possession.  The love of Christ is revealed through His great love for the ekklesia.  The love of the ekklesia for Christ is seen in love one for another.

 

 

Back to Index