CHURCH Old English CHIRCHE, Germanic KIRCHE, from Greek KURIOKON, or KURIAKOS: of a lord [possessive tense]; from KURIOS: lord. |
ECCLESIA Greek EKKLESIA: the called-out (those summoned); from EKKALEIN: to call out, summon: (EX: out + KALEIN: to call). |
This same verse (Acts 19:23-41,) illustrates some of the differences between the Greek words kuriakon (church) and ekklesia (ecclesia). It can be seen that a church referred originally to a lord's possession (a place of worship), while
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Point of Interest
The Greek word ekklesia is used 115 times in the New Testament, and in most modern bibles it is always translated as "church" (except in Acts 19:32, 39,and 41, where it is properly translated as "assembly." |
SHEEP
The word sheep appears in both the Old and New Scriptures. Many times this term is used to describe a certain group of people (Israel). For example, see Psalms 79:13 , Psalms 95:7, Jeremiah 50:6 & 17, Ezekiel 34:31, Hebrews 13:20, and chapter 10 of John. |
More Ecclesias and Saints Verse 2 of Galatians 1:1-6 indicates Paul is writing to the ecclesia in Galatia. In verse 4 Paul says to this group of people, "Who [Jesus] gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver [select] us from this present evil world..." (referring to Babylonian system). Verse 6 indicates they had been "called into the grace of Christ." Here we see the members of the ecclesia in Galatia being selected from (out of) the Babylonian-slave system (man's centralized government) and "called" into the freedom of Christ. |
Brethren
The word "brethren" is translated from the Greek word adelphos (#80 in Strong's Concordance), meaning "a brother" literally or figuratively. The New Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon explains that this word can refer to a biological brother; someone having the same national ancestor, belonging to the same people, or country-man; a fellow-believer, united to another by the bond of affection (as in Christians). The context of a particular Scripture verse determines which meaning applies. |