What is Church?

Consider what is meant when we talk about "church." Is church...a building?...a place for worship services?...a religious non-profit organization?...a denomination?...a set of beliefs? Does a church have a certain structure?...offer certain activities?...meet on selected days?...perform specific rituals?

In some sense, the answer is yes to the above questions. However, are the current understandings of the word reflective of the use of “church” in Scripture?

Word Background

The word that English bibles frequently translate “church” in the New Testament is the Greek word ekklēsía (GK ἐκκλησία; ek-klay-see´-ah). In the Greco-Roman world of the first century, ekklēsía was commonly used for a regularly summoned legislative body or assembly, or simply a gathering of people for a purpose. In the New Testament, Acts 19:32, 19:39, and 19:41 reflect this use of the wholly secular term.

The term ekklēsía is not, however, limited to this use alone in Scripture. Both the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (Septuagint or LXX), as well as the New Testament (which for the most part was written in Greek), adopt ekklēsía for their own purposes.

Old Testament

In the LXX, ekklēsía occurs about 100 times. The term is used in the secular way as meaning “assembly,” in the sense of “assembling” or of people “assembled or gathered.” Frequently either the term is qualified to indicate the type of assembly, or the context makes it plain as to what is in view; the people of God (sometimes stated as the people of Israel).

Examples of such usage include (but are not limited to) Deuteronomy 31:30, Judges 20:2, 1 Kings 17:47, and 2 Kings 8:14.

New Testament

In the New Testament, ekklēsía occurs about 114 times. The term appears only twice in the Gospels (Matthew 16:18; 18:17) but frequently in the Book of Acts and the letters of Paul, as well as most of the other NT books; almost 20% of the uses occur in the Revelation of John. Depending on the English translation, the majority of the time ekklēsía is translated “church,” but may also be translated “congregation” or “assembly.”

The NT uses vary considerably, but most have an underlying theme. As mentioned already, Acts 19:32 (et. al.) uses the word in a secular way. Elsewhere, the term refers to an assembly for worship (1 Cor 11:18), or a group of Christians living in a particular locality (Acts 5:11; Phil 4:15). Other uses include Christians gathering in a home (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19), and even as the global (for that time) community of Christians (Matt 16:18; Eph 1:22).

In the NT, as in the Hebrew Bible, the use of ekklēsía is sometimes qualified. The qualifications “of God” (1 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:13) or “of Christ” (Rom 16:16), or even a combination of the two (1 Thess 1:1), give a distinctively Christian meaning to the otherwise common and secular Greco-Roman term.

The NT further amplifies this wide understanding of ekklēsía through a variety of concepts and images. The Apostle Paul speaks of the ekklēsía as “the body of the Christ” (1 Cor 12:27; Eph 4:12) with the Christ as the head of “the body” (Col 1:18). Other images include the ekklēsía as the “temple of God” (1 Cor 3:17) where the Spirit of God Spirit lives (1 Cor 3:16), as the “Bride of the Christ” (Rev 19:7), and as the “people of God” (1 Pet 2:9).

Additional Clarification

Before moving back to the original question, an additional clarification is needed on a misunderstanding of the etymology of ekklēsía. The root of ekklēsía (ékklētos, which is from ekkaléō) indicates a “calling” or “summoning.” However, there is likely no basis for the idea that ekklēsía was meant to reflect a people “called out” of the world (or out of humankind). More likely, as hostility grew between Non-Christian Jews and early Christians (many of whom were Jews) the NT authors selected ekklēsía as an alternative to synagogue, the common term used by the Jews for their own assembly.

The Question

Now, apply this information to the original question: What is church?

The simplest and most straightforward meaning is that “church” describes a Christian community, congregation, or assembly - in either the local or the universal (global) meaning. Importantly, the assembly or gathering is purposeful - meaning there is a reason for the assembly. Scripture, in different places, shows the purposes for gathering are related to faith in the Christ, and might include (but are not limited to) worship, prayer, teaching, fellowship, discipline, evangelism, or helping others.

The close identity of the Christ and the ekklēsía in the NT reflects an understanding of the nature of faith as becoming one with a community. In such a picture, faith in isolation is an impossibility; to be a follower of the Christ is to be but a part of a greater whole. An individual cannot "be the church" since by definition a church is an assembly or gathering.

This communal aspect carries into the global nature as well as the local nature of the church. A local ekklēsía is not (or should not be) independent of other faithful ekklēsía. Churches are expected to cooperate with one another for the work of the kingdom of God (e.g. Acts 15:1–35; Rom 15:24-28; 2 Cor 8–9; Phil 1:15–18, 4:14–15).

Conclusion

Language is always in a state of flux, as words take on new or additional meanings. Not too long ago a “friend” was a close or personal companion. However, the internet has not only expanded the meaning of the noun, but has even turned “friend” into a verb.

The same is true with “church”; over time, this word has taken on additional meanings. These additional meanings are valid in so far as they reflect common understandings. However, when these understandings set expectations or parameters, they can, and do create a false set of “rules” as to what a “church” looks like. Understanding the way "church" is used in Scripture serves to place later uses in perspective.

Church is not about buildings, structure, or particular events or activities. Church is followers of the Christ gathering as a community with the purpose of being like Christ through worship, prayer, teaching or other activities that are reflective of the Christ's character.