11.22.2007

Does Scripture speak of a Chrurch?

My g-grandfather came to the USA with the name Kyriakos, and passed on a tradition about its meaning and origin. The use of the name Kyriakos dates back to the first Olympics around the late 700 BC. It means "the lord's" and has been in use before Shaliakh Shaul's (Apostles Paul) arrival to Lesvos where my Greek ancestors are from.

So, let us trace the etymology of the word "church" , and then hopefully it will be cleared up. Many assume that it derives from the Greek word ekklesia, but this is not true. The English word "church" descends from an Old English word cirice, akin to an Old High German word, kirihha. However as it would be, both words derive from a Late Greek word, kuriakon, which comes from the Greek kuriakos, the possessive form of the word kurios, the term for "lord." Kuriakos simply means "lord's," showing possession, or "belonging to the lord". It can mean anything that belongs to the Lord.

The Greek translation of the Aramaic original only has two occurrences of this word:
I Corinthians 11:20 (Lord's supper) and Revelation 1:10 (Lord's day). Neither of the two contain any reference to "church." Instead, we see the word ekklesia appear numerous times. Ekklesia does not mean "belonging to the lord,". The translators used ekklesia because they had a more specific meaning in mind.

The word ekklesia by itself conveys little theological meaning. Leaving it open to use without basic shift in meaning, whether it by believers or unbelievers. Bible dictionaries and lexicons agree that ekklesia means "called out," which implies an assembly of people. It lacks any implication to anything either secular or spiritual. The context in which it appears must always supply the specific reason one is called out or assembled.

So, it is safe to say that ekklesia usage designates a particular communal reality. Its describes anything that might be happening within a community that requires an assembly. This assembly could be social, governmental, or religious. It could be legal or illegal.

With all the different churches Baptist, Anglican, Presbyterian, Catholic, Methodist, Pentecostal, etc. etc. etc. All the denominations say that they are the Lord's, and that poses the confusion for many.

It should also be noted that kuriakos does not appear at all in the Tanakh (Hebrew/Aramaic nor LXX).
.
.
.
.Blessed is YHWH Elohim.
.Yo'el Rei