Biblical Lexicon

ἐκκλησί-α G1577

N-GFP | 114× in 2 senses

Assembly, congregation -- most often the Christian church (local or universal); also any gathered assembly including Israel's wilderness congregation.

Ekklesia, rooted in the Greek civic assembly of 'called-out' citizens, became the New Testament's defining term for the community of believers. In 105 of its 114 occurrences it denotes the Christian church -- from local house congregations (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19) to Paul's vision of Christ's universal body (Eph 1:22-23; Col 1:18). Spanish 'iglesia,' French 'eglise,' and German 'Gemeinde' all derive from or closely track this specialized Christian usage. Yet nine passages preserve the older, non-technical sense: Stephen calls Israel in the desert 'the ekklesia in the wilderness' (Acts 7:38), and the Ephesian town clerk dismisses the riotous crowd to be settled in 'the lawful assembly' (Acts 19:39). Jesus' use in Matthew 16:18 and 18:17 stands at the threshold between these senses.

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Senses

1. [split] church, Christian congregation or community — The Christian church as a community of believers (105x), encompassing both local congregations and the universal body of Christ. Paul addresses letters to specific city churches (1 Cor 1:2; 1 Thess 1:1) while also speaking of Christ as head of 'the church' as a cosmic reality (Eph 5:23-25). Acts traces the early church's growth from Jerusalem (Acts 5:11; 8:1) to communities across the Mediterranean. Spanish 'iglesia,' French 'eglise,' and German 'Gemeinde' all became standard ecclesiastical vocabulary directly from this usage, showing how the word shaped Christian identity across cultures. 0×

PROPERTIES_RELATIONS › Nature, Class, Example › Geography and Space

AR["الكَنِيسَةِ", "الْكَنِيسَةِ", "جَمَاعَةَ", "جَمَاعَةُ", "جَمَاعَةِ", "كَنيسَةً", "كَنيسَةٍ", "كَنيسَةَ", "كَنيسَةِ", "كَنِيسَةَ", "كَنِيسَةِ"]·ben["মণ্ডলী", "মণ্ডলীকে", "মণ্ডলীতে", "মণ্ডলীর", "মন্ডলীর"]·DE["Gemeinde"]·EN["assembly", "church"]·FR["église"]·heb["בּוֹחֲרִים", "הַ-קְהִלָּה", "הַקְּהִילָּה", "הַקְּהִלָּה", "קְהִילָּה", "קְהִלַּת", "קְהִלָּה"]·HI["कलीसिया", "कलीसिया-की", "कलीसिया-के", "कलीसिया-को", "सब-पर"]·ID["jemaat", "jemaat,"]·IT["chiesa"]·jav["pasamuwan", "pasamuwan,", "pasamuwan.", "pasamuwanipun,"]·KO["교회", "교회-는", "교회-를", "교회-에", "교회-에게", "교회-위-에", "교회-의", "교회를", "교회에", "교회에-의해", "교회에서", "교회와", "교회의"]·PT["igreja", "igreja,", "igreja."]·RU["церкви", "церкви.", "церквям", "церковь", "церковью"]·ES["asamblea", "iglesia"]·SW["kanisa", "kanisa,", "kanisa.", "la-kanisa"]·TR["Tanrı'nın", "her", "kilise", "kilisede", "kiliseden", "kilisenin", "kilisesini", "kiliseye", "kiliseyi", "kiliseyle"]·urd["کلیسیا", "کلیسیا-کو"]

Acts 5:11, Acts 8:1, Acts 8:3, Acts 9:31, Acts 11:22, Acts 11:26, Acts 12:1, Acts 12:5, Acts 13:1, Acts 14:23, Acts 14:27, Acts 15:3 (+38 more)

1. local church, congregation — Split from sense 66715. Criteria: Specific local assembly meeting in a city or house; addressees of Paul's letters ('the church in Corinth', 'house churches'); plural 'churches' of a region 87×

Acts 5:11, Acts 8:1, Acts 8:3, Acts 9:31, Acts 11:22, Acts 11:26, Acts 12:1, Acts 12:5, Acts 13:1, Acts 14:23, Acts 14:27, Acts 15:3 (+38 more)

2. assembly, gathered congregation (non-technical or OT sense) — A general assembly or gathered congregation without specifically Christian reference (9x). Stephen's speech in Acts 7:38 uses it for Israel assembled at Sinai -- 'the ekklesia in the wilderness' -- recalling the LXX rendering of Hebrew qahal. The Ephesian silversmith episode (Acts 19:32, 39, 41) deploys it in its original civic sense for a public assembly, both riotous and lawful. French 'assemblee' and Spanish 'asamblea' distinguish this from 'eglise/iglesia,' while German retains 'Gemeinde' for both. Matthew 16:18 and 18:17, where Jesus himself coins its use, may intentionally bridge the OT congregation concept with the emerging community of disciples. 9×

PROPERTIES_RELATIONS › Nature, Class, Example › Geography and Space

AR["الكَنيسَةِ", "الكَنِيسَةَ", "الكَنِيسَةِ", "الْجَمْعَ", "الْجَمْعُ", "الْمَجْمَعِ", "جَمَاعَةِ", "كَنِيسَتِي"]·ben["মণ্ডলী", "মণ্ডলীকে", "মণ্ডলীতে", "মণ্ডলীতে!", "মণ্ডলীর", "সভা", "সভায়"]·DE["Gemeinde"]·EN["assembly", "of-assembly"]·FR["assemblée", "église"]·heb["אֲסֵפָה", "הַקְּהִלָּה", "קְהִלָּה", "קָהָל"]·HI["कअलेएसिय", "कअलेएसिय-को", "कलीसिया", "कलीसिया-के", "सभा", "सभा-को"]·ID["jemaat", "jemaat!", "kumpulan", "sidang"]·IT["chiesa", "ekklesia", "ekklesian", "ekklesias"]·jav["kempalan", "pasamuwan", "pasamuwan!", "pasamuwan,"]·KO["교회", "교회-도", "교회-에", "교회-에서", "교회를", "집회가", "집회를", "집회에서", "회중의"]·PT["assembleia", "assembleia.", "congregação", "da-assembleia", "igreja"]·RU["Церковь", "собрание", "собрание.", "собрании", "церкви", "церкви!"]·ES["asamblea"]·SW["kanisa", "kanisa!", "kusanyiko", "mkutano"]·TR["kilisede-", "kilisemi", "kiliseye", "kiliseyi", "toplantı", "toplantıda", "toplantının", "toplantıyı", "toplulukta"]·urd["جماعت", "جماعت-کے", "مجلس", "کلیسیا", "کلیسیا-کو", "کلیسیا-کی"]

Matt 16:18, Matt 18:17, Matt 18:17, Acts 7:38, Acts 19:32, Acts 19:39, Acts 19:41, 1 Cor 6:4, Heb 2:12

2. universal church, body of Christ — Split from sense 66715. Criteria: The church as cosmic reality with Christ as head (Eph 5:23-25); singular abstract 'the church' without local specification; theological/ecclesiological statements about the church's nature 18×

AR["الكَنيسَةَ", "الكَنيسَةُ", "الكَنيسَةِ", "كَنيسَةَ", "كَنيسَةُ", "كَنيسَةِ", "كَنِيسَة"]·ben["মণ্ডলী", "মণ্ডলী-র", "মণ্ডলীকে", "মণ্ডলীতে", "মণ্ডলীতে:", "মণ্ডলীর", "সভায়"]·DE["Gemeinde"]·EN["assembly", "church", "to-assembly"]·FR["assemblée", "église"]·heb["הַקְּהִלָּה", "קְהִלַּת", "קְהִלָּה", "קְהִלָּה;"]·HI["कअलिइसियअ", "कलिसिअ", "कलिसिअ;", "कलीसिया", "कलीसिया-को", "सभा-में"]·ID["jemaat", "jemaat,", "jemaat--", "jemaat.", "jemaat:"]·IT["chiesa"]·jav["-pasamuwan", "pasamuwan", "pasamuwan,", "pasamuwan-", "pasamuwan.", "pasamuwan:"]·KO["교회", "교회-가", "교회-를", "교회-의", "교회가", "교회를", "교회를,", "교회를;", "교회에", "교회에게,", "교회에게-도", "교회의", "모임-에"]·PT["de-igreja", "igreja", "igreja,", "igreja--", "igreja.", "igreja:"]·RU["Церковь", "церкви", "церкви -", "церкви,", "церкви.", "церкви:", "церковь", "церковь,", "церковь:"]·ES["a-iglesia", "asamblea", "iglesia"]·SW["kanisa", "la-kanisa"]·TR["-nin-", "kilise", "kilisede", "kilisenin", "kilisesi", "kiliseye", "kiliseyi", "o-", "topluluğuna", "yüzünden-"]·urd["کلیسیا", "کلیسیا-کا", "کلیسیا-کو"]

1 Cor 10:32, 1 Cor 12:28, 1 Cor 15:9, Gal 1:13, Eph 1:22, Eph 3:10, Eph 3:21, Eph 5:23, Eph 5:24, Eph 5:25, Eph 5:27, Eph 5:29 (+6 more)

BDB / Lexicon Reference

ἐκκλησί-α, ἡ, (ἔκκλητος) assembly duly summoned, less general than σύλλογος, Refs 5th c.BC+; applied to the Homeric Assemblies, Refs 4th c.BC+; to the Samian Assembly, Refs 5th c.BC+; to the Spartan, Refs 5th c.BC+; to the meeting of the Amphictyons at Delphi, Refs 4th c.BC+; at Athens, ἐ. κύριαι, opposed to σύγκλητοι, Arist.Refs 2nd c.AD+; κυρία ἐ., at Amorgos, Refs; ἐ. συναγείρειν, συνάγειν,…