11/28/2025

Samuel Clifford

 

Introduction

 

Concerning the doctrines of dispensationalism and fulfillment theology there is a large divide between both sides on the timeline of the church. When did the church start? For the classical dispensationalist, the church started in Acts 2 with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers. Other non-classical dispensationalists interpret the start of the church past Acts 2, yet those interpretations from the Mid-Acts and Hyper Dispensationalists are not the subject of this study, even though some of the scripture and commentary provided casts doubt on those interpretations as well. For fulfillment or covenant theology, though, there is a widely held view that the church can be found very far back in the Old Testament with Israel and that Israel was the Church in its earlier form. There are many arguments to consider for both sides, but for this study, the topic will be on the term “Ekklesia” and its appearance throughout scripture. 

 

The Term Ekklesia

 

Ekklesia is a Greek word and is defined as “a congregation or called-out assembly.” In the New Testament, ekklesia is translated as church. In the Greek Old Testament (LXX) the word ekklesia is translated as assembly. However, some covenant theologians see the word ekklesia in the Old Testament and translated as church and then furthermore characterize the term church in these passages as the Body of Christ. However, it will be shown that ekklesia does not always mean the Body of Christ and that there are many times in scripture where ekklesia is used for a different group of people.

 

Ekklesia in the Old Testament

 

Deuteronomy 31:30

 

“And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.”( Deuteronomy 31:30 KJV)

 

“Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were complete.” (Deuteronomy 31:30 NASB)

 

Deuteronomy 31 is Moses’ final words to Israel and he prepares Israel for their continuation without him. Moses at this point is 120 years old and is telling the Israelites that he will not be crossing the Jordan river with them. Joshua is appointed as the new leader and Moses tells them that God will go before them and defeat their enemies. At the end of Deuteronomy Moses finishes writing the law and then introduces the Song of Moses to the assembly (ekklesia). So, in this passage Moses is speaking to the ekklesia or assembly of Israel. This confirms that the term ekklesia can be used for the Israelites assembly but it does not necessarily mean that Israel was the original/proto-church.

 

Judges 20:2

 

“And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.” (Judges 20:2 KJV)

 

“And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, took their places in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand men on foot who drew the sword.” (Judges 20:2 NASB)

 

Judges 20:2 serves a similar purpose in this study as Deuteronomy 31:30 did. It simply shows that the assembly of Israel can be called an ekklesia or “church.” Judges 20:2 describes the moment when all the tribes of Israel united at Mizpah, assembling 400,000 armed men to address a shocking crime committed in Gibeah, a town of the tribe of Benjamin. This verse reinforces the idea that ekklesia is simply an assembly and not the entire Body of Christ. All of Israel wasn’t at Mizpah which shows that ekklesia doesn’t require the entirety of a group but just an assembly of a people. 

 

Ekklesia in the New Testament

 

Matthew 16:18

 

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church (ekklesia); and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18 KJV)

 

“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church (ekklesia); and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” (Matthew 16:18 NASB)

 

Matthew 16:18 is the first passage of the New Testament in which ekklesia appears and it serves as a good refutation of the idea that Israel was the proto-Church or Body of Christ. Much discussion could be given as to what Jesus meant by “rock.” That is an article for another time. The insight of this verse into this discussion does not require a set interpretation of the rock. Instead, the phrase “I will build my church” is the part of the passage which provides the most insight into this discussion. Jesus’ statement that He will build His church contradicts a belief that the church already existed in the Old Testament. Jesus did not say “I will continue to add to something that is already in existence.” That phrase would fit a view that Israel was the proto-church and was simply reformed by Jesus after the Resurrection. Instead, Jesus’ phrase that He will build His church shows it was not already in existence. Matthew 16:18 fully rejects the idea that Israel was the proto-church. 

 

Acts 19:39

 

“But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly (ekklesia).” (Acts 19:39 KJV)

 

“But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly (ekklesia).” (Acts 19:39 NASB)

 

Acts 19:39 is an example of a group of people that aren’t Israelites or the Holy Spirit indwelled Body of Christ and thus the verse severs the connection that the ekklesia must mean a saved group of people who belong to God or Christ and instead just means “assembly.”

 

At this point in Acts, Paul has begun to focus his ministry on taking the gospel to Rome and Luke recorded some of the events that led up to his arrival. Acts 19:23-41 recounts the riot in Ephesus that was caused by opposition to Paul’s ministry. Paul had been preaching in Ephesus, a major city in Asia Minor, for about two years. This ministry led many people to abandon idol worship and therefore it threatened the local economy that was tied to the temple of Artemis. Demetrius, a silversmith, stirred up other craftsman and told them that Paul was endangering their trade and the honor of Artemis. The crowd became enraged, shouting “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” and assembling  in the theater. Confusion reigned, with most not even knowing why they were assembled. Interestingly, this assembly in Acts 19:32 is also referred to as ekklesia and the ekklesia consists of some pagans, which shows the term ekklesia isn’t just the Body of Christ. 

 

Acts 19:39 comes in the middle of the riot at Ephesus. At this point the city clerk had intervened to calm the chaos. The clerk told Demetrius and others that if they had a complaint against Paul’s ministry and Christians then they should handle it the legal way through court. The court is the “lawful assembly (ekklesia).” This verse is important because it uses the term ekklesia to refer to a court. This court obviously wasn’t the Body of Christ or Israelites but just a regular court that deals in law at Ephesus. Therefore, the notion that “ekklesia” must refer to the Body of Christ does not fit within its use in this verse. 

 

Colossians 1:18

 

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” (Colossians 1:18 KJV)

 

“He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” (Colossians 1:18 NASB)

 

Colossians 1:18 shows that ekklesia can refer to the Body of Christ (cf. Eph. 1:22-23). Christ is the head of the church who is a body. This is the universal body of believers that are unified under one authority (Jesus). Christ’s resurrection is the foundation of this body as Christ conquered death and believers new life and baptism in the Holy Spirit is the source of this gathering. 

 

Conclusion

 

There are many other verses that use the term “ekklesia” to refer to an assembly. However, the verses provide are sufficient to show that ekklesia just means assembly and can sometimes refer to the Body of Christ and other times may refer to just regular gatherings of people, military gatherings, riots, and court gatherings. This also serves as a guide for people to use when they come across the terms church, assembly, or ekklesia of Greek when reading the scriptures. Context is key when it comes to many terms in the Bible.