“Church”—Most Christians Don’t Know the Original Meaning
In Revelation 2:12, Jesus said, “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos.…”
Before proceeding further into this text, let’s look at the word “church” in this verse. The Greek word ekklesia—translated “church”—has a very rich and significant meaning as it pertains to the local church, far richer than is understood by the Church at large today. (See A Light in the Darkness: Volume One for a more in-depth discussion on this subject.)
First, it must be noted that nearly every word in the New Testament was borrowed from a secular source. When the books of the New Testament were written, the Church was in its infancy, and there was no established reserve of Christian terminology. Consequently, most words and concepts found in the New Testament were taken from secular sources in order to make spiritual points.
The apostle Paul, who was raised in a wealthy, prestigious home in the city of Tarsus, later became the primary writer of the New Testament epistles. Paul had received a marvelous education, and when it came to language and literature, he was brilliant. In fact, this may be one of the main reasons God chose him to author so much of the New Testament. When it was time for Paul to pen his timeless epistles, the Holy Spirit reached deep into the apostle’s vast repertoire of language, literature, and history and used his knowledge to convey incredible spiritual truths. Because there was no established Christian vocabulary at the time, it had to be created. And since Greek was the foremost language of the First Century, the extensive Greek vocabulary was the perfect source from which to draw.
Some may ask why God didn’t use Hebrew to compose the vocabulary of the New Testament—and this is a valid question. However, when one considers the environment in which the First Century Church took root, the answer becomes clear.
The fact is, Greek was the common language of the day. As a result of the conquests of Alexander the Great and his generals who succeeded him, Greek became the first international language. For the very first time in human history, a large swath of the civilized world could speak and read a single form of verbal and written communication.
Consider how English is read and spoken around the world today, and it will help you understand the role that the Greek language played in the First Century. It was spoken almost everywhere in the Roman Empire, irrespective of the native dialects that might be used in the privacy of one’s home. Even highly educated Jewish scholars of Alexandria, men who were very advanced in Hebrew studies, spoke Greek in their daily lives. In fact, Jewish scholars of Alexandria translated the Old Testament into Greek in the Third Century BC, a translation called the Septuagint.
Scholars generally agree that Paul’s words in Galatians 4:4, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son…,” was most likely a reference to this unprecedented event in time when the Gospel could be preached in a single language and so many people would be able to understand it, regard- less of their ethnic identity. Prior to this time, spreading the Gospel would have been much more difficult, to say the least, because no single, unifying tongue existed to unite much of mankind. The task of learning every language to reach every group would have been impossible for any preacher. But precisely when the Roman Empire was finally united in one language—in the fullness of time—God sent forth His Son. By using the Greek language, which was known far and wide, almost everyone in the far-flung empire could hear and understand the Gospel and then choose to accept or reject it.
The fact is that if the New Testament had been written in Hebrew, its message would have never penetrated the worldwide audience Jesus came to redeem. The use of Hebrew would have limited the directly from the Old Testament, but the overwhelming majority of words and images in the New Testament are borrowed from the Greek world. One clear example of a secular word that became vital to the language of the New Testament is the word “church.” Prior to its Christian adaptation, this word was completely secular in origin. However, when used by the Holy Spirit in a spiritual context, it becomes a powerful title that reveals God’s true intent and purpose for the Body of Christ. Therefore, we must ask, “What was the original source of the word ‘church’? And why did the Holy Spirit deliberately use this particular word to describe the Christian community?”
What Did the Word “Church” Mean to a First Century Audience?
The term that the Holy Spirit chose to describe the newly emerging Christian community was the word ekklesia. This word is a compound of the Greek words ek and kaleo. The word ek conveys the idea of an exit or a separation, and the word kaleo means to beckon, to call, to invite, or to summon. When these two words are joined, they form the word ekklesia, which describes those who are called and separated to a prestigious assembly.
Some of the earliest examples of the word ekklesia are found in writings about Athens, where it is used to denote a prestigious public assembly of Athenian citizens who regularly met for sessions to discuss civil matters on a hill called the Pnyx that overlooked the city. At these meetings, the distinguished citizens of Athens determined laws, debated public policy, formulated new policies, argued and ruled in judicial matters, elected the chief magistrates of the land, decided who should be banished, and so on. To be called out from society and invited to participate in this public service was a great honor. In fact, it was so noble and prestigious that only those who held full citizenship were even eligible to participate.
The ekklesia had different levels of leadership. A specially elected council (boule) within the ekklesia determined which issues would be brought before the main body of people (demos) at the next public meeting. It is very clear how these terms may have influenced the development of the local church. A local church is composed of a greater body of people (demos), whereas the leadership of the church, sometimes referred to as elders, acted in a similar capacity as the council (boule) did in the Athenian ekklesia. Noting that the word “church” is taken from this very assembly that gathered so often in Athens, we shouldn’t be surprised that the structures of the Athenian ekklesia and that of a New Testament church are strikingly similar.
Above: In ancient Athens, a public assembly of citizens (ekklesia) regularly met on a hill called the Pnyx to discuss civil matters. This secular assembly held important parallels to the Christian local church.
Order was important to the Athenians, so a person was designated who officially gave oversight to the meetings of the ekklesia. This individual was called a kerux and was responsible for making official proclamations during the proceedings. He was also the person charged with accurately delivering the messages that had been entrusted to him by the council or government. Regardless of the crowd’s response, he was not to be swayed into changing or mitigating the message that had been entrusted to him. Again, we find a word from the Greek world that was borrowed and taken into New Testament thinking—for the word kerux became the New Testament word for a preacher or one who proclaims the Word of God. When Paul admonished Timothy to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2), the word “preach” comes from a form of the Greek word kerux. Paul knew the historical context of this word and didn’t use it haphazardly. He was urging Timothy as the leader—the kerux—of the Ephesian congregation to speak on behalf of Christ, to accurately represent Him, and to faithfully deliver Christ’s message, regardless of his listeners’ reaction to it. Paul’s use of the word kerux to describe a pastor’s position clearly reveals that a minister doesn’t have the right to mitigate truth or to change a message to satisfy his listeners. Regardless of the people’s response, the pastor or preacher must ensure that the Lord’s message is clearly heard and that the truth entrusted to him by the Lord Jesus Christ is accurately and fully delivered.
The reason the Holy Spirit chose the word ekklesia to describe God’s people becomes more and more evident as one studies this subject. Used in this context, the New Testament meaning of ekklesia is clear: The local church is a body of individuals who have been called out, called forth, and separated for the purposes of God. The church is God’s assembly in every city—composed of people who have been saved and called out to make eternal decisions that will affect the very atmosphere of their local region. A church is to be led by a pastor (kerux) who works hand in hand with eldership (boule) to serve the larger congregation (demos). Furthermore, God never intended for the local church to be simply a quiet, hidden body of believers. Rather, He intends for a church to be His voice and ruling power in each community—a special assembly comprised of people who have been called out to make eternal decisions that will impact the atmosphere of their local environment for God.
Therefore, when Christ used the word ekklesia to address the church in Pergamum, He was conveying an incredibly important message right from the start: God’s plan for the Pergamene congregation was not that they hide and cower in fear, but rather that they rise to a position of power and influence in the place where God had called them. The church of Pergamum was intended to be a brilliant beacon of light in the midst of that dark and troubled city.
At the time Jesus imparted these words to John, the believers in Pergamum were suffering terribly for their faith as a direct consequence of Domitian’s demented rule. Church meetings had to be conducted in secret because swift retribution would be brought upon them if their actions were ever made known. Yet despite the fact that these believers were suffering immensely and forced to meet in secret, Christ still acknowledged them for who they were—His ekklesia, called out from the pagan world and separated to exercise spiritual power over the bleak and seemingly hopeless atmosphere that surrounded them. Regardless of how dark and oppressive the situation seemed to be or how much these believers struggled, it didn’t change Jesus’ view of them. They were His precious, appointed ekklesia in the city of Pergamum.
