The Church’s Beginning

Jesus’ use of the term ἐκκλησἱα (ekklesia, congregation or church) is without reference in Matt 16:18; 18:17. He doesn’t ever mention what or who his church is; that gets developed later in the New Testament. When we look for how Jesus might have understood the term, we have to keep in mind that he was familiar with the Greek Old Testament, it was the King James of the day. ¹Ugh, now I have to deal with that. I don’t mean that the King James is the one, true Bible but that it is the Bible we are culturally familiar with. Most people who know the Lord’s Prayer know it in King James English. On a side note, both the Greek Old Testament and the original edition of the King James included the Apocrypha, extra-Biblical books rejected by the Church. Well, except Rome but you can just add that to their errors. In it, the congregation of Israel is the ἐκκλησἱα. It can be assumed that this is what Jesus had in mind, but not without modification. He is the Messiah and King of Israel so Israel that is faithful to him is his ἐκκλησἱα.

So let’s see what the New Testament has to say about the ἐκκλησἱα when it refers to Israel and keep in mind that ἐκκλησἱα now refers to the Church which includes believing Jews and Gentiles. ²Simply looking at it linguistically, the word ἐκκλησἱα in the context of people in relation to God is His people. As I said in the previous paragraph, the coming of Christ modulates the meaning. In the Old Testament, it was those of Israel who feared the Lord. At the time of Christ, it was those who allied themselves with him rather than showing him apathy or hatred. After Jesus it is those who have faith in Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile. According to Acts 7:38, then, the Church didn’t begin at Pentecost but in the Exodus since ἐκκλησἱα is the word for ‘congregation’ there. What happened at Pentecost and in Paul’s ministry was not the creation of the Church but the spread of the Church.

The other New Testament reference to Israel as the ἐκκλησἱα ties together faithful Israel and the Church even more explicitly. The context there is those “he [Jesus] is not ashamed to call…brothers” (Heb 2:11b). It is those “who are sanctified” (2:11a). In the context of the New Testament, that would be the Church, but it is significant that the author of Hebrews cites Ps 22:22 where David is speaking of the congregation of Israel, specifically those who fear Yahweh (Ps 22:23a). These are those who Jesus calls ‘brother’ and whom he sanctifies.