What Is the Church - Part 1 (How Did We Get Here?)

A Historical Word Study: “Church” (From Hebrew to English)

1. Hebrew Roots – Qahal (קָהָל) and Edah (עֵדָה)

In the Hebrew Bible, two main words express the idea of a gathered people:

• Qahal (קָהָל) – “assembly,” “congregation”
• First used in Deuteronomy 4:10 to describe the people assembled at Mount Sinai.
• It refers to a divinely summoned gathering, especially for worship, war, or covenant.
• Often translated as ekklesia in the Septuagint (Greek OT).
• Edah (עֵדָה) – “community,” often used synonymously with qahal but slightly more descriptive of a group identity, such as the congregation of Israel.

2. Greek Translation – Ekklesia (ἐκκλησία)

When the Hebrew scriptures were translated into Greek (the Septuagint, ~3rd–2nd century BC), qahal was rendered as:

• Ekklesia (ἐκκλησία) – “called-out ones” or “assembly”
• From ek (out) + kaleo (to call)
• A secular Greek term used for political gatherings or city assemblies, later adopted for the community of believers in Christ.
• Jesus uses it in Matthew 16:18: “Upon this rock I will build my ekklesia.”

In the New Testament, ekklesia appears over 100 times and always refers to the gathered body of believers—either universally or locally.

3. Latin Transition – Ecclesia

As Christianity spread into the Roman Empire, the Greek ekklesia was transliterated into Latin as:

• Ecclesia
• Carried over the same meaning: the body of believers or the Christian assembly.
• Used in early church writings (e.g., Jerome's Vulgate, 4th century AD).

4. Germanic Influence – Kirika/Kirche

The English word “church” does not derive from ekklesia directly but rather through the Germanic adaptation of another Greek word:

• Greek: Kyriakon (κυριακόν) – “belonging to the Lord”
• From kyrios (Lord), as in “the Lord’s house” (kyriakon doma).
• This word began to refer to a building used for Christian worship.

This term passed into:

• Old High German: Kirihha
• Middle High German: Kirche
• Old English: Cirice or Cyrice
• Modern English: Church

So while ekklesia referred to the people, kyriakon referred to the place/building. Over time, "church" in English absorbed both meanings.

5. Theological Implications

This word development affects our understanding of “church”:

• Biblical Use: Ekklesia = people of God gathered in Christ.
• Later Use: Church = people and place; often shifted toward institutional and architectural emphasis.
• Reformers’ Concern: Many Reformers (e.g., William Tyndale) avoided using “church” to translate ekklesia, preferring “congregation” to emphasize the people, not the building or institution.

Conclusion

The English word “church” has a complicated linguistic journey that combines two major biblical themes:

1. The People – Ekklesia: the gathered, called-out followers of Jesus.
2. The Place – Kyriakon: the space belonging to the Lord for worship.

Understanding this history helps us return to the biblical vision of the church—not primarily as a building or institution, but as a community of called-out people living under the lordship of Jesus.