INDEX TO ALL NINE SECTIONS
ON THIS PAGE Part I - Ekklesia
"Church"An Unacceptable Translation of Ekklesia When Was The Ekklesia Established?
Or when were people first "called out" and what were they called out of? As We Understand The Term Where Did The English Word 'church' Come From? The Latin Vulgate and The Tyndale Translation
Some exceptions to the self serving translations
Part I - Reinventing The Church System
Man Got Carried Away by A Sense of His Own Importance
With a Little Help From A Roman Emperor Protecting The Reinvented Church System
James VI and The KJV What 'Priesthood of Believers'?
"Church"... An Unacceptable Translation of Ekklesia
In our time the word "church" has taken on a variety of different but related meanings. For example we refer to the "church" as
A building for Christian worship. (I'm going to church this evening) A particular Christian denomination (He was raised in the Presbyterian Church) A service conducted in a house of worship. (Don't be late for church) The clerical profession (He considered the church as a possible career)
However, none of these definitions are Biblically accurate. In virtually every case the English word church was translated from the Greek ekklesia - a compound word made up of ek, a preposition that means out of, or out from, and a derivative of the verb kaleo - to call or call forth. In other words, ekklesia is a noun that means "called out" - used of a regularly convened assembly such as the ancient Greek political assemblies or a select civil body that was summoned for a particular purpose. Because ekklesia only refers to people not a building or organization it should never have been translated into the English 'church' rather than the accurate "assembly" or "congregation". With few exceptions most modern versions, doing their part to perpetuate man-made organizations, render ekklesia as "church" but only when they believed this was a fitting translation. Note: Some may argue that in today's world the word 'church' does refer to a body of believers. However, most Christians assume "church" means the organization run by ordained clergy who conduct religious ceremonies in brick and mortar buildings. In fact, should the buildings disappear to morrow most Christians would bemoan the loss of their "church".
For example, ekklesia occurs over one hundred times in the NASB and is virtually always translated 'church' except in Acts 19:32, 39, 41. These verses describe an angry mob of silversmiths and other craftsmen who viewed Paul as a threat to their trade because their livelihood depended on the statues of goddesses that they made and sold. Because a rioting mob could not possibly be described as a 'church' the translators rightly rendered ekklesia as "assembly". (The KJV used "the people" twice and "assembly" once. The only other time ekklesia was correctly translated was in two verses in which the word "church" would have made little sense, as both refer to a 'pre-church' time. (The KJV made no such distinction translating ekklesia into 'church' in both verses.) "This is the one who was in the congregation (Gr. ekklesia) in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you. (Acts 7:38 NASB) saying, "I will proclaim your name to my brethren, in the midst of the congregation (Gr. ekklesia) I will sing your praise." (Hebrews 2:12 NASB) (Hebrews 2:12 is a direct quote of Psalm 22:22).
When Was The Ekklesia Established?
Or When Were People First "Called Out" and What Were They Called Out Of?
It is only the context that tells us when someone is "called out" what they are called out from. In keeping with the Bible's overriding theme of righteous living believers or holiness are "called out" or called to be separate from the world - one of the two Biblical definitions of "Holiness".
See What Is Holiness? Many believe that the church was born in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost when three thousand people believed and were saved. Not exactly! The verse in Acts says three thousand souls were "added". So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41 NASB)
Just as when someone is "called out" they have to be called out from something, when someone is "added" they have to be added to something. So what was it that these three thousand people were added to? Acts 1:13-15 tells us that after Jesus' ascension a number of disciples returned to Jerusalem and "along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers" continually devoting themselves to prayer. According to verse 15 there were as many as one hundred and twenty people gathering together. When one hundred and twenty baptized believers gather together to pray they (the people) cannot be called anything other than an "church". The three thousand new converts were added to an already existing church. Jesus Called Out His "Church"
And that already existing church consisted of believers who were all called out by the Lord Himself who called them out from the Jewish system of religion to be His disciples. He called them out to be separate from the community that surrounded them and to be the first to proclaim the the good news of the Kingdom He came to earth to proclaim. Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He *said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. (Matthew 4:18-22 NASB) The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow Me." (John 1:43 NASB)
See What Was Jesus' Primary Message? (It wasn't love as so many believe) For three years both before and after His resurrection Jesus' ekklesia walked with Him and were taught by Him. They observed the Lord's Supper with Him and were commissioned by Him to take the Gospel to the world. When He commanded His ekklesia to wait in Jerusalem it was only to be equipped to do the job they had already been commissioned to do. In other words, The church wasn't founded but empowered on Pentecost. Jesus' use of ekklesia in Matthew 18 supports the fact that the church was already in existence. It would not make sense for Jesus to instruct His disciples on to how to discipline a member of a church that didn't yet exist . "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that By the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church (ekklesia); and if he refuses to listen even to the church (ekklesia), let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17 NASB)
The question then is if the Greek ekklesia is an assembly or gathering of people and doesn't mean "church" as we understand the term where did the word 'church' come from?
Origin of The English Word "Church"
The Greek word Kuriakos (belonging to the Lord) is a derivative of Kurios (master, sovereign, Lord etc.), and is only used twice in the New Testament.
Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's (Gk. kuriakos) Supper, (1 Corinthians 11:20 NASB) Also see Revelation 1:10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's (Gk. kuriakos) day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, (Revelation 1:10 NASB)
Although the path gets quite convoluted suffice to say that over a considerable length of time Kuriakos morphed into the Old English cirice (unrelated to the Greek goddess of the same name). The following is an excerpt from an answered question on Tomorrow's World and well worth reading. The ultimate source is probably the early Christian Greek phrase kyri(a)kon (doma), "the Lord's (house)"... church is akin to the Dutch kerk, the German Kirche, the Old Norse kirkja, and the Scottisk kirk. All these came from Greek via Germanic. But these words (like their original Greek source) meant the place of assembly, rather than the assembly itself as the biblical ekklesia does. [01] Kirk became the informal name for the Church of Scotland and is still in use today. Eventually cirice evolved into the modern English church gradually including not just the place but also the ceremonies conducted there and the people who conducted those ceremonies. In other words, the word "church" is an acceptable translation for the Greek word kuriakos. However, not by any stretch of the imagination is it an acceptable translation for ekklesia. But, although few and far between, there were a few exceptions to the self serving translations.
The Latin Vulgate and The Tyndale Translation
The Latin Vulgate, that became the standard version of the Bible used by Catholics for over a thousand years, was a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible commissioned by Pope Damasus I and translated by a scholar named Jerome. However, apart from the priests and scholars the vast majority of people could neither read nor understand Latin that had become the language of the church. They certainly did not have access to a Bible. Therefore the fact that Jerome retained the word ekklesia in the New Testament probably meant nothing to most people.
However, two subsequent events conspired to put a readable Bible into the hands of the common man. 1) Around 1439, Gutenberg became the first European to use movable type printing that led to the proliferation of printing presses in Europe. 2) In the 16th century William Tyndale, who wanted "a boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scriptures" than the clergy, became the first person to directly translate all of the New Testament (and half the old) from the original Hebrew and Greek texts into English. The new printing methods allowed his work to be widely distributed.
This Bible that was now available in the vernacular or everyday language spoken by the people, held views which were considered heretical, and could therefore, become a very large threat to the Roman Catholic church. For example Tyndale "wrote eloquently in favor of the view that salvation is a gift of God, freely bestowed, and not a response to any good act on the part of the receiver. His views are expressed in numerous pamphlets, and in the introductions to and commentaries on various books of the Bible that accompanied his translations". [02] What is however, of importance to this article is the fact that Tyndale correctly used the word congregation instead of church to translate ekklesia thus emphasizing that the church was not an organization run by the "clergy" but made up and defined by believers. Additionally, Tyndale translated the Greek word presbuteros into "elder", instead of "priest", which stripped away the Scriptural basis for a priesthood that was distinct from ordinary believers. [03]
Is it any wonder then that Tyndale was burned at the stake?
Part II - Reinventing The Church System
Man Got Carried Away by A Sense of His Own Importance ...
What is truly amazing is how soon changes in the church came about. In fact, at about the same time John was penning Revelation on Patmos forces in the church were already reverting back to the Old Testament priesthood. Then, as the first century gave way to the second and the second meandered it's way into the third, the church became an increasingly inflexible institution governed by an elite hierarchy. Slowly but inexorably moving away from dependency on the Holy Spirit, various leaders sought to establish their authority by claiming that they were the successors to the apostles therefore what they taught was correct. In time, it was taken for granted that they were the only ones who could correctly interpret the Bible, and hear what the Spirit was saying. (Some comments by early church leaders in Footnote I) They got away with it simply because we tend to have a herd mentality (The Lord didn't call us sheep without reason). Which means all too many of us will follow church leaders who seem to have authority rarely asking whether that authority is God-given or self assumed. Apparently it is possible to fool most of the people all of the time. Modern day Apostles Or Deluded Impostors
Although not a single soul alive today meets ANY of the Biblical qualifications of a true apostle, yet, there are an astonishing number of men who not only claim the title of "apostle", but believe they get their authority directly from God. Many of them they hold that they are equal or even superior to the New Testament Apostles.
With a Little Help From A Roman Emperor
Constantine and The Powers Accorded The Clergy
The emperor Constantine (306 to 337 AD.) gave the "bishops" of the church power that was never part of the New Testament blueprint. In fact, he converted the church of Jesus Christ into a powerful entity which can be a very heady position to be in. According to the historian Alexander Vasiliev, considered the foremost authority on Byzantine history and culture...
Under Constantine "very important privileges were given the episcopal courts". Not only were the churches exempt from taxation, but anyone could entrust his property to the church, which "thereby acquired the right of inheritance". However, more significantly, "Christian communities were recognized as legal juridical entities". "Any man had the right to carry a civil suit to the episcopal court even after proceedings in that suit had already been started in the civil court". Towards the end of Constantine's reign "the authority of the episcopal courts was even further enlarged. Among other things... the decision of a bishop had to be accepted as final and sanctioned by civil judges. [04]
As pointed out by Allan Turner (All Emphasis Added) (Article is well worth reading in its entirety) After his "conversion" in A.D. 312, the Roman emperor, Constantine, appointed bishops as civil magistrates throughout the Roman empire. He also organized the various churches into dioceses along the pattern of Roman regional districts. Furthermore, he consistently used the terms "clerical" and "cleric" to designate a privileged class. [05]
The end result is that the church turned into an organization defined by the building and the hierarchy - almost the exact opposite of what God originally put in place.
Protecting The Reinvented Church System
Sadly, the pattern established by the early Catholic church was continued and embellished over the next few centuries with the clergy taking to themselves more and more power, eventually establishing themselves in literal palaces (St. Peter's Basilica was constructed between 1506 and 1626).
Having built up this vast and powerful organization, they also had to protect it, and one of the ways they chose to do this was by appearing to give this man-made structure Biblical sanction. And what better way to do this than by ensuring that Greek word ekklesia was translated not as the far more accurate "assembly" or "congregation", but into the English "church"- a word that conjures up images of an organization run by the "clergy". This made the NT appear to support the ecclesiastical structure of the traditional church (an ordained clergy, government by a bishop etc.). Tragically the Church of England, following in the footsteps of the church they had just broken away from, did everything in their power to ensure that their traditional structure was unscathed - a structure that was almost completely Catholic in form. This went hand in hand with the political maneuvering of the various successors of Henry the 8th of England, and the battles for dominance and control that took place between the Catholics and Protestants, before and during the reformation. However, it was during the reign of James VI that the most far reaching change took place.
James VI and The KJV
In 1603 the British throne went to James VI of Scotland, the son of Mary Queen of Scots the great grand-daughter of Henry VII.
Prior to King James ascending to the throne the Scriptures used in England were the Latin Vulgate (Jerome's late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible) and the Douay–Rheims Bible - a translation of the Latin Vulgate into English made by members of a Catholic seminary in Douai, France. As mentioned earlier, Jerome retained the word ekklesia in the New Testament, rendering it as the Latin ecclesia. However, the Douay–Rheims translators changed the Vulgate's ecclesia into the English "church". One has to suspect, but obviously cannot prove, that this was done in order to uphold what had become church tradition. Then at the Hampton Court Conference of 1604, king James authorized a new translation of approved books of the Bible. David Daniell, Professor Emeritus of English at University College London says that although no official record has survived, a list published in Bishop Gilbert Burnet's History Of The Reformation of 1715 clarified the division of work among the "six companies" that undertook the translation... "two each in Oxford, Cambridge and Westminister". [06] However, fifteen general rules were advanced before the translators began their work. The third rule is of special interest here. It said, "The old Ecclesiastical Words to be kept, viz. the Word Church not to to be translated Congregation" [07].
The word "church" rather than the Biblically correct "assembly" or "congregation" would reflect the traditional structure of the Church of England including it's beliefs about ordained clergy. In other words, the preservation of the structure and traditions of the church took precedence over Biblical truth.
'Priesthood of Believers'?
According to Theopedia, the three great principles of the reformation were Sola Scriptura (by Scripture alone), Sola Fide (by faith alone), closely followed by the priesthood of all believers. They emphasized that all believers are a "holy priesthood" and, as believers, we all have direct access to God through Christ, therefore there is no necessity for an earthly mediator. [08]
Unfortunately, this priesthood of all believers had few practical implications in the structure of the church. The responsibility for leading the church was never put into the hands of the lay person and the great divide continued. The seminary system, usually attended by only those who intended to pursue a career in "the ministry", further emphasized the division. Many Protestant denominations have ordained clergy - ordination being the ceremony of consecration to the ministry. In other words, the pastor replaced the priest.... and it was business as usual.
Footnote I
(Also See The Absolute (And Unbiblical) Power of The Bishops HERE
Clement of Rome was a leading member of the church in Rome in the late 1st century and possibly the third or fourth pope. His letter to the church at Corinth (1 Clement) dating to around the turn of the first century is one of the oldest surviving Christian documents apart from the New Testament. It was written to settle a situation in the Corinthian church in which certain older presbyters had been deposed by younger ones. In chapter 44 Clement asserted the authority of the presbyters as rulers of the church on the grounds that they had been appointed by the Apostles. Our apostles also knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and there would be strife on account of the office of the episcopate. For this reason, therefore, inasmuch as they had obtained a perfect fore-knowledge of this, they appointed those [ministers] already mentioned, and afterwards gave instructions, that when these should fall asleep, other approved men should succeed them in their ministry. We are of opinion, therefore, that those appointed by them. [09] Ignatius of Antioch who died in Rome between 98 and 117 took it several steps further. In one of the seven letters considered to be authentic, he wrote (All Emphasis Added) See that ye all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize or to celebrate a love-feast; but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God, so that everything that is done may be secure and valid. [10] your honourable presbytery, which is worthy of God, is attuned to the bishop, even as its strings to a lyre (chapter 4:1) .... Let us therefore be careful not to resist the bishop, that by our submission we may give ourselves to God (chapter 5:3) .... And in proportion as a man seeth that his bishop is silent, let him fear him the more. For every one whom the Master of the household sendeth to be steward over His own house, we ought so to receive as Him that sent him. Plainly therefore we ought to regard the bishop as the Lord Himself (chapter 6:1). [11] As therefore the Lord does nothing without the Father, for says He, "I can of mine own self do nothing," so do ye, neither presbyter, nor deacon, nor layman, do anything without the bishop. Nor let anything appear commendable to you which is destitute of his approval. For every such thing is sinful, and opposed [to the will of] God. [12]
Tertullian(c. 160 – c. 225 AD), who eventually joined the Montanists, was a prolific early Christian author from Carthage in the Roman province of Africa. By this time the presbyters and deacons had become subject to the bishops although in the New Testament the presbyters and bishops were the same thing - the elders of the church. See Chapter 5. He wrote (All Emphasis Added) For concluding our brief subject, it remains to put you in mind also of the due observance of giving and receiving baptism. Of giving it, the chief priest (who is the bishop) has the right: in the next place, the presbyters and deacons, yet not without the bishop's authority, on account of the honour of the Church, which being preserved, peace is preserved. Beside these, even laymen have the right; for what is equally received can be equally given. Unless bishops, or priests, or deacons, be on the spot, other disciples are called i.e. to the work. The word of the Lord ought not to be hidden by any: in like manner, too, baptism, which is equally God's property, can be administered by all. But how much more is the rule of reverence and modesty incumbent on laymen — seeing that these powers belong to their superiors — lest they assume to themselves the specific function of the bishop! Emulation of the episcopal office is the mother of schisms. [13] {PLACE IN TEXT}
End Notes
[01] https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2012/may-june/questions-and-answers
[02] Biographical sketch written by James E. Kiefer. http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/260.html [03] Carter Lindberg. The European Reformations. Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (July 14, 2009). Pg 299. [04] Alexander Aleksandrovich Vasiliev. History of the Byzantine Empire: 324-1453. University of Wisconsin Press; 2, Second English Edition edition (April 15, 1958) Pg. 53 [05] Allan Turner The Church Without Laity (Part 1). http://allanturner.com/magazine/archives/rm1105/ClergyLaity01.html [06] David Daniell. The Bible in English: Its History and Influence Pg. 439. Yale University Press (September 1, 2003) Pg. 436 [07] Dr. Laurence M. Vance A Brief History of the King James Bible. http://www.av1611.org/kjv/kjvhist.html [08] http://www.theopedia.com/Protestant_Reformation [09] Early Christian Writings.. Letter of Clement to the Corinthians. http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/1clement-roberts.html [10] Ignatius of Antioch. Letter to the Smyrnaeans. Chapter VIII.-Let Nothing Be Done Without the Bishop. Early Christian Writings http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-smyrnaeans-longer.html [11] Ignatius of Antioch. Letter to the Ephesians. Lightfoot & Harmer, 1891 translation.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-ephesians-lightfoot.html [12] Ignatius of Antioch. Letter to the Magnesians. Chapter VII.-Do Nothing Without the Bishop and Presbyters. http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-magnesians-longer.html [13] Chapter XVII.—Of the Power of Conferring Baptism. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.vi.iii.xvii.html
Continue On To Chapter II - Where The Early Church Met
We are so accustomed to 'doing church' in buildings that virtually have no other function that we forget that the early church (ekklesia) met exclusively in people's homes. In support of this, there is a distinct lack of evidence for formal public church buildings before Constantine made public Christian worship legal. HERE
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