Word study · lex.G1577
ἐκκλησία ekklēsia
assembly · congregation · church
Team definition
A noun for an assembly, from the verb “call out.” In classical use it is a civic assembly regularly convened. In the Greek Old Testament it often renders the assembly or congregation of Israel. In the NT it names a company of Christians: a gathering for worship, a local community (Rom 16:1, the assembly in Cenchreae), a house gathering (Rom 16:5), assemblies of a wider area, or the company as a whole. Rom 16:16 has “the churches of Christ.” These are lexical ranges. They do not settle later definitions of church office.
NT occurrences (SBLGNT, via TAGNT) · 111
Matt 16:18Matt 18:17Acts 5:11Acts 7:38Acts 8:1Acts 8:3Acts 9:31Acts 11:22Acts 11:26Acts 12:1Acts 12:5Acts 13:1Acts 14:23Acts 14:27Acts 15:3Acts 15:4Acts 15:22Acts 15:41Acts 16:5Acts 18:22Acts 19:32Acts 19:39Acts 19:40Acts 20:17Acts 20:28Rom 16:1Rom 16:4Rom 16:5Rom 16:16Rom 16:231 Cor 1:21 Cor 4:171 Cor 6:41 Cor 7:171 Cor 10:321 Cor 11:161 Cor 11:181 Cor 11:221 Cor 12:281 Cor 14:41 Cor 14:51 Cor 14:121 Cor 14:191 Cor 14:231 Cor 14:281 Cor 14:331 Cor 14:341 Cor 14:351 Cor 15:91 Cor 16:11 Cor 16:192 Cor 1:12 Cor 8:12 Cor 8:182 Cor 8:192 Cor 8:232 Cor 8:242 Cor 11:82 Cor 11:282 Cor 12:13Gal 1:2Gal 1:13Gal 1:22Eph 1:22Eph 3:10Eph 3:21Eph 5:23Eph 5:24Eph 5:25Eph 5:27Eph 5:29Eph 5:32Phil 3:6Phil 4:15Col 1:18Col 1:24Col 4:15Col 4:161 Thess 1:11 Thess 2:142 Thess 1:12 Thess 1:41 Tim 3:51 Tim 3:151 Tim 5:16Phlm 1:2Heb 2:12Heb 12:23Jas 5:143 John 1:63 John 1:93 John 1:10Rev 1:4Rev 1:11Rev 1:20Rev 2:1Rev 2:7Rev 2:8Rev 2:11Rev 2:12Rev 2:17Rev 2:18Rev 2:23Rev 2:29Rev 3:1Rev 3:6Rev 3:7Rev 3:13Rev 3:14Rev 3:22Rev 22:16
Senses
1. a convened assembly Acts 19:32, Acts 19:39
2. a local or house congregation Rom 16:1, Rom 16:5, 1 Cor 16:19
3. assemblies collectively, or the company as a whole Rom 16:16, Matt 16:18, Eph 1:22
See also
Abbott-Smith public domain s.v. ἐκκλησία (G1577)
Dodson CC0 1.0 G1577
Occurrences: STEP Bible TAGNT (CC BY 4.0) keyed to SBLGNT words.
Related notes
διάκονος and προστάτις (16:1–2) Rom 16:1; Rom 16:2
Greetings, Junia, and ἐπίσημοι (16:3–16) Rom 16:3; Rom 16:4; Rom 16:5; Rom 16:6; Rom 16:7; Rom 16:8; Rom 16:9; Rom 16:10; Rom 16:11; Rom 16:12; Rom 16:13; Rom 16:14; Rom 16:15; Rom 16:16