UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

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ἐκκλησία

MainId: 001589000000000

Version: 0

HasAramaic: False

InLXX: True

AlphaPos: ε

StrongCodes: G1577

BaseForms:

BaseFormID: 001589001000000
PartsOfSpeech: noun, f.
Inflections:
1. Lemma: ἐκκλησία
  BaseFormIndex: 1
  Realizations: -ας
RelatedLemmas: {'Word': 'καλέω', 'Meanings': []}
LEXMeanings:
1. LEXID: 001589001001000
  LEXIsBiblicalTerm: M
  LEXEntryCode: 11.32
  LEXIndent: 0
  LEXDomains: Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes
  LEXSubDomains: Socio-Religious
  LEXSenses:
  1. LanguageCode: en
    LastEdited: 2022-11-29 16:55:40
    DefinitionShort: a congregation of Christians, implying interacting membership
    Glosses: ['congregation', 'church']
    Comments: Though some persons have tried to see in the term ἐκκλησία a more or less literal meaning of ‘called-out ones,’ this type of etymologizing is not warranted either by the meaning of ἐκκλησία in NT times or even by its earlier usage. The term ἐκκλησία was in common usage for several hundred years before the Christian era and was used to refer to an assembly of persons constituted by well-defined membership. In general Greek usage it was normally a socio-political entity based upon citizenship in a city-state (see {L:ἐκκλησία}[c], {D:11.78}) and in this sense is parallel to {L:δῆμος} ({D:11.78}). For the NT, however, it is important to understand the meaning of ἐκκλησία[a] as ‘an assembly of God’s people.’|In the rendering of ἐκκλησία[a] a translator must beware of using a term which refers primarily to a building rather than to a congregation of believers. In many contexts ἐκκλησία[a] may be readily rendered as ‘gathering of believers’ or ‘group of those who trust in Christ.’ Sometimes, as in {S:04600100200004}, it is possible to translate ‘Paul writes to the believers in Christ who live in Corinth.’ Such a translation does, however, omit a significant element in the term ἐκκλησία[a], in that the sense of corporate unity is not specified.
  LEXReferences: MAT 18:17, MAT 18:17, ACTs 5:11, ACTs 8:1, ACTs 8:3, ACTs 11:22, ACTs 11:26, ACTs 12:5, ACTs 13:1, ACTs 14:23, ACTs 14:27, ACTs 15:3, ACTs 15:4, ACTs 15:22, ACTs 15:41, ACTs 16:5, ACTs 18:22, ACTs 20:17, ACTs 20:28, ROM 16:1, ROM 16:4, ROM 16:5, ROM 16:16, ROM 16:23, 1COR 1:2, 1COR 4:17, 1COR 6:4, 1COR 7:17, 1COR 11:16, 1COR 14:4, 1COR 14:5, 1COR 14:12, 1COR 14:19, 1COR 14:23, 1COR 14:28, 1COR 14:33, 1COR 14:34, 1COR 14:35, 1COR 16:1, 1COR 16:19, 1COR 16:19, 2COR 1:1, 2COR 8:1, 2COR 8:18, 2COR 8:19, 2COR 8:23, 2COR 8:24, 2COR 11:8, 2COR 11:28, 2COR 12:13, GAL 1:2, GAL 1:22, PHP 4:15, COL 4:15, COL 4:16, 1TH 1:1, 1TH 2:14, 2TH 1:1, 2TH 1:4, 1TIM 5:16, PHM 1:2, HEB 12:23, YAC 5:14, 3YHN 1:6, 3YHN 1:9, 3YHN 1:10, REV 1:4, REV 1:11, REV 1:20, REV 1:20, REV 2:1, REV 2:7, REV 2:8, REV 2:11, REV 2:12, REV 2:17, REV 2:18, REV 2:23, REV 2:29, REV 3:1, REV 3:6, REV 3:7, REV 3:13, REV 3:14, REV 3:22, REV 22:16
2. LEXID: 001589001002000
  LEXIsBiblicalTerm: M
  LEXEntryCode: 11.33
  LEXIndent: 0
  LEXDomains: Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes
  LEXSubDomains: Socio-Religious
  LEXSenses:
  1. LanguageCode: en
    LastEdited: 2022-11-29 16:55:40
    DefinitionShort: the totality of congregations of Christians
    Glosses: church
  LEXReferences: MAT 16:18, ACTs 9:31, ACTs 12:1, 1COR 6:4, 1COR 10:32, 1COR 11:22, 1COR 12:28, 1COR 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, EPH 5:32, PHP 3:6, COL 1:18, COL 1:24, 1TIM 3:5, 1TIM 3:15, HEB 12:23
3. LEXID: 001589001003000
  LEXIsBiblicalTerm: Y
  LEXEntryCode: 11.78
  LEXIndent: 0
  LEXDomains: Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes
  LEXSubDomains: Socio-Political
  LEXSenses:
  1. LanguageCode: en
    LastEdited: 2022-11-29 16:55:40
    DefinitionShort: a group of citizens assembled for socio-political activities
    Glosses: ['assembly', 'gathering']
    Comments: It is possible that in ἐκκλησία[c] there is somewhat more focus upon the people being together as a legal assembly, while in the case of δῆμος the emphasis is merely upon a meeting of citizens. But in the NT one cannot distinguish clearly between the meanings of these two words.|ἐκκλησία[c] and δῆμος may be rendered in some languages as ‘a meeting of the people who belonged to that place’ or ‘… who were inhabitants of that town’ or ‘… whose homes were in that town.’
  LEXReferences: ACTs 7:38, ACTs 19:32, ACTs 19:39, ACTs 19:40, 1COR 11:18, HEB 2:12, HEB 12:23