Ekkl¯esia is a Greek word which occurs over one hundred times in the New Testament. It is usually translated ‘church’ or ‘churches’.

The word comes from two words:
ek (‘out of’) and kale¯o (‘called’).

Ecclesia can refer to groups of believers in specific locations 1 or to believers as a whole 2. It is also used of Israel in the wilderness 3.

To avoid confusion with the way the word ‘church’ is used, Christadelphians usually use the word ‘ecclesia’ to describe a group of people who regularly meet together.

The ecclesia and the promises
The Greek word ekkl¯esia is used 4 to translate the Hebrew word qahal (‘congregation’) in a quotation from the Psalms 5. So qahal is an Old Testament word for ecclesia. The first occurrence of qahal is in Genesis where it is translated ‘multitude’ 6. So, the ecclesia has its roots in the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Later on in Genesis, Jacob set up a stone as a pillar and called it “God’s house” 7 . Paul alludes to this in writing to Timothy, when he likens the ecclesia to a house and a pillar 8.

The ecclesia and Christ
The ecclesia is likened to a body, with Christ as the head 9. Just as a body has many different parts, each with its own function, so the ecclesia is made up of many 'brethren and sisters' of Christ, each with their own role 10. As parts of this body, brethren and sisters should avoid schisms (divisions), and “care one for another” 11.

The ecclesia is also likened to a bride with Christ as the bridegroom 12 :

• The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the ecclesia.
• Wives should be subject to their husbands, just as the ecclesia is subject to Christ.
• Christ loves the ecclesia as a husband should love his wife; such is his love that he gave himself for the ecclesia.
• The bride is to be cleansed by “the washing of water by the word”

and so the Word of God should play a central part in the life of an ecclesia.

Ecclesial life
A central aspect of ecclesial life is remembering the sacrifice of Christ by breaking bread and drinking wine at a weekly meeting 13.

This meeting is also an appropriate time for exhortation 14 and for collections to be taken 15 .

Another Old Testament word which matches with ekkl¯esia is the Hebrew word miqra. This word is made up of the Hebrew words for ‘out’ and ‘called’ 16 . Strong’s Concordance defines it as meaning ‘something called out’. It is translated ‘convocation’ 17 or ‘assemblies’ 18 . In Nehemiah 8 v 8 miqra is better translated ‘in convocation’ or ‘in assembly’ 19 .

This assembly provides an example of the kind of things an ecclesia should do when it meets together:

• gather together as one (v. 1)
• read the Word of God (v. 3)
• worship God (v. 6)
• expound the Word (v. 7)
• teach (v. 9)
• have joy in understanding the Word (v. 12).

Revelation chapters 1 to 3 also provide instruction and warning about ecclesial life. The ecclesias mentioned there varied in their spiritual health. For example:

• The Ephesians were commended for their works, labour, patience, refusal to bear evil, and their hatred of things which Christ hated, although they had left their “first love” 20.
• The Laodiceans were rebuked for being materially rich but spiritually “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” 21