Many people ask the question of what the true “church” is when reading the Scriptures, during which they encounter the word “church” translated from the Greek word “ekklesia.” Christianity has given this word a false definition and meaning – namely, a description that is inconsistent with TRUTH. For it is NOT a denomination, organization, institution or building. Much less is it all in one. It is forbidden to add or subtract anything from the meaning of a term used in the Scriptures. This is called falsification. Truth must be conveyed according to the definition that the Word of YHWH gives. The Word explains and interprets itself, and most importantly, it reveals the testimonies of the lives of people who have shown how they live and put it into practice. I would add that mixing falsehood with truth is a trap and deception in people who seemingly hear something from the Word of YHWH, but not knowing the fullness of the Truth do not know how to separate the Truth and only the Truth from its mixture with falsehood (e.g. tradition or church dogma, etc.).
And what indeed is “εκκλησια” phon. ekklesia is – as a term, what does it mean in the texts of Scripture? We will also answer questions about how else the Scriptures define synonyms for the word translated as “church” in the Polish/English-language translations.
Is εκκλησια [ekklesia] a New Testament term?
It means “assembly,” “convocation,” or “gathering.” The etymology of the Greek word is “of the called,” “of the convened.” It is not a religious or spiritual word but a colloquial one, as it was used in the world of politics, economy and everyday life. In the New Testament it is used perhaps 4 times in a different sense from Yahusha’s assembly: 3 times in the context of the assembly in Ephesus, convened by the goldsmith Demetrius, and once in Stephen’s speech in the context of Yahsrael.
The Greek etymology of the word “ekklesia” itself, makes no sense, since it is a Hebrew word translated, into Greek, and that word is “kehal.” In the Greek Septuagint, the translation of the Old Covenant writings into Greek, it is “kehal” that is most often translated as “ekklesia” – in rare cases the word “edah”, which is most often the Greek “synagoge” (derived from the word “to gather”)).
In the Septuagint, the word “kehal” was a popular term for the assembly of a particular people. The congregation of Yahsrael (Israel) was very often called this – hence Stephen’s use of the word “ekklesia” in this context in relation to Yahsrael.
However, very interesting is the word “synagoge” (which need not and should not always mean a Jewish synagogue) that James uses in his letter: “For if a man should come into your assembly (“synagōgēn“)…”.
The first translations of the New Covenant writings in England were made by the eminent expert in the original languages, William Tyndale, and he translated “ekklesia” as literally “called out ones” (“those who are called out “), or as “congregation”.
The later most popular King James Bible translation largely used Tyndal’s work, but the King himself imposed (under threat of abandoning the translation) that they use, some words such as: “church”, baptist, or bishop, which are not literal and faithful translations, but biased, religious i.e. Christian deception.
In Poland, unfortunately, the translators of the Gdansk Bible (nor the earlier Brest Bible) chose not to translate words such as baptism into immersion, Christ into Anointed or Messiah, church into congregation. The translators of the Warsaw Bible, on the other hand, created a very strange mixture by translating “ekklesia” often as “congregation” (a.k.a. assembly, and they also use the word in the context of Yahshrael) and sometimes as “church” under the influence of Christian teachings.
The Greek word ekklesia refers to a group of people called and gathered in one place for a specific purpose.
The Renewed Covenant (the so-called New Testament) primarily refers to this as the gathering of YHWH’s people, those who come together as citizens of Yahuah’s Kingdom (Eph. 2:19) to worship YHWH.
The term ekklesia can refer to a local community of believers, or church (Matthew 18:17; Acts 15:4), or refer to a congregation (Matthew 16:18; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 2:21-22).
Ekklesia – is the people of YHWH (1 Cor. 1:2; 10:32; 1 Pet. 2:4-10), a gathering of people who believe in the Messiah and are redeemed through His death (1 Pet. 1:18-19). It is a pilgrim people, no longer belonging to this world (Heb 13:12-14). Its most important task is to constantly remain in a direct, living and personal relationship with Yahuah (1 Peter 2:5).
Congregation – are people called out (Gr. ekkaleo) from the world and incorporated into Yahuah’s Kingdom. Born of the Spirit through the Word, we are implanted in the Father and His House, for that is when Yahuah becomes our Father (2 Cor. 6:16-18).
The ekklesia is the temple of Yahuah, the temple of the Spirit
(1 Cor 3,16; 2 Cor 6,14-7,1; Epf 2,11-22; 1P 2,4-10).
This requires its separation from injustice and immorality. The congregation is the Body of the Messiah (1 Corinthians 6:15; 10:16-17; 12:12-27). The comparison to the human body indicates that there is no true congregation without the living connection of its members to the Head of that Body, who is Yahusha the Messiah.
(Epf 1,22; 4,15; 5,23; Col 1,18).
The congregation is Yahusha’s bride (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:22-27; Rev. 19:7-9). The metaphor of marriage emphasizes the body’s devotion and faithfulness to Yahusha, as well as the love and close relationship between the Bridegroom and the Bride.
The congregation is a spiritual community, Gr. koinonia (2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1). This means that the Spirit of YHWH resides in it (Luke 11:13; John 7:37,39; 20:22), there is unity of the Spirit (Eph. 4:4), immersion in the Spirit of YHWH is experienced.
(Acts 1:5; 2:4; 8:14-17; 10:44; 19:1-7). People in this community should show love and care for each other (John 13:34-35).
The congregation is a spiritual ministry (Gr. diakonia) performed by people who exercise supernatural gifts (Gr. charismata) given by the Spirit of YHWH (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 1:7; 12:4-11.28-31; Eph. 4:11). The community is engaged in a spiritual struggle with sin and Satan. In the power of the Holy Spirit it fights with the sword of the Spirit – the Word of YHWH (Eph. 6:17). The Holy Spirit brings life, liberates people from Satan’s dominion and defeats all evil (Acts 26:18; Ephesians 6:10-18; Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 1:16; 2:16; 19:15.21).
The congregation is the pillar and support of the truth (1 Tim 3:15). The congregation must be the support of TRUTH, to guard it, to defend it against perversion and false teachers (Phil 1:16; Jude 3).
Congregation – is a people with hope. This hope centers around Yahusha’s return for His people (Jn 14:3; 1 Tim 6:14; 2 Tim 4:8; Tit 2:13; Heb 9:28).
Yahusha’s congregation is all true believers united by Yahusha’s faith. It consists of local communities, or assemblies, whose members are both sin-conquering believers (Revelation 2:11.17.26) and those who consider themselves believers when in fact they are liars (Revelation 2:2), deviants (Revelation 2:5), spiritually dead people (Revelation 3:1) and indifferent to the affairs of YHWH (Revelation 3:16).
KOINONIA – from the Greek: Community = Union of unity
There are a number of words in the New Testament that contain the concept of community. The most important of these is the word koinonia. In classical Greek it meant an association or partnership. The Greeks used it to describe a community of people. Koinonia also means a community of goals. In later Greek, koinonia appears as the opposite of pleonexia – greed, which characterizes a person seizing everything for himself. Koinonia expresses the attitude of a person who shares generously with others, as opposed to a selfish attitude, focused only on taking.
In colloquial Greek, the word koinonia had three distinct meanings.
(a) It usually meant a commercial partnership. In one papyrus text, we read that someone states that he has no koinonia, no joint business, with his brother.
(b) It was used in reference to marriage. Two people enter into marriage in order to have a “koinonia of life,” that is, to have everything in common in life.
(c) Refers to man’s relationship to YHWH. (E.g., Epictetus expressed religion as striving to have koinonia with Zeus.) Thus, in everyday Greek, koinonia expressed a strong and close relationship.
In the Renewed Covenant (the so-called New Testament), the word koinonia occurs 19 times. Analyzing the context of the word, we see how much encompassing fellowship characterizes the lives of the anointed people:
Koinonia – is sharing friendship and being in the company of other people (Acts 2:42; 2 Cor. 6:14). It is interesting to note that this friendship is based on shared knowledge (1 Jn. 1:3). Only those who are friends of Yahusha can truly live in friendship with each other.
Koinonia – is sharing with those who are less poor. Three times Paul uses this word in connection with the money he collected in the congregations for the poor in Jerusalem (Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 9:13; Heb. 13:16). Thus, fellowship has a practical dimension.
Koinonia – means “fellowship in the gospel” (Phil. 1:5). Paul thanks the Philippians for their partnership in the work of evangelization.
The life of Yahusha’s community is also koinonia in service. A person, anointed by the Spirit, is never an isolated individual. He is one among many believers.
In the life of Yahsrael there is a koinonia (fellowship) of the Spirit of YHWH.
(2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1). Everyone lives in the presence, guidance and helpful care of the Holy Spirit.
Everyone also experiences koinonia with the Messiah (1 Cor. 1:9). This fellowship is expressed especially during the Lord’s Supper
(1 Cor. 10:16). The cup and bread are the most important koinonia with the body and blood of the Messiah. In this covenant they have the unity of blood and flesh. And consequently, this communion with the Messiah also gives the anointed the privilege of sharing in His suffering (Phil. 3:10). A member of the congregation finds his joy in sharing not only. in the glory, but also in Yahusha’s suffering.
The life of the born again people is distinguished by koinonia with Father YHWH (1 Jn. 1:3). However, one must be aware that this fellowship is ethically conditioned, as it is not for those who have chosen to walk in the way of darkness i.e. in sin (1 Jn. 1:6).
Koinonia is thanks to the Father, who unites by His Spirit all the anointed ones with His Son, Yahusha, and with the entire congregation of Yahsrael.
The Congregation, the Dwelling and the Tabernacle of YHWH are the anointed of the Spirit from the beginning, still from Adam and Eve:
James. 4:5
“Or do you think that in vain the Scriptures say: “Jealously He desires to have only for Himself the spirit, to whom He has given a dwelling in us?” The quote is from the Old Testament Scriptures, meaning destined to be the tabernacle and home of YHWH.
Ephesians 2:18-22
“For through him we have access to the Father, one and all in one Spirit.
So you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of YHWH, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, whose cornerstone is Yahusha Messiah Himself, on whom the whole building firmly cemented grows into a tabernacle holy in YHWH, On whom also you are being built together into the habitation of YHWH in the Spirit.”
A separate article or video will explain to you the unity between the congregation of YHWH’s people and the implanted newborn Gentiles and the described congregation of the renewed covenant.
