Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 Brothers and sisters – ἀδελφοί
- Chapter 3 The believers
- Chapter 4 The saints – οἱ ἅγιοι
- Chapter 5 The assembly – ἡ ἐκκλησία
- Chapter 6 Disciples – μαθηταί
- Chapter 7 The Way – ἡ ὁδός
- Chapter 8 ‘Christian’ – Χριστιανός
- Chapter 9 Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Selected author index
- Subject index
- Index of texts
- References
Chapter 5 - The assembly – ἡ ἐκκλησία
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 December 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 Brothers and sisters – ἀδελφοί
- Chapter 3 The believers
- Chapter 4 The saints – οἱ ἅγιοι
- Chapter 5 The assembly – ἡ ἐκκλησία
- Chapter 6 Disciples – μαθηταί
- Chapter 7 The Way – ἡ ὁδός
- Chapter 8 ‘Christian’ – Χριστιανός
- Chapter 9 Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Selected author index
- Subject index
- Index of texts
- References
Summary
Introduction
The term ἐκκλησία means ‘assembly’, ‘gathering’, or ‘community’, and is used 114 times in the NT. It has the following distribution: Matthew: 3; Acts: 23; Paul: 50; Ephesians: 9; Pastorals: 3; Hebrew: 2; James: 1; 3 John: 3; Revelation: 20. The usage of the term is thus reasonably widespread and it is quite prevalent in some books although there are also some notable exceptions.
Here I will be looking at the use of ἐκκλησία as a self-designation, rather than giving a full discussion of ‘the assembly in the New Testament’. Why did the early ‘Christians’ call themselves ἐκκλησία and what is the significance of this? It should of course be noted that although the actual term ἐκκλησία is not found in Mark (for example), the concept implied by the term is closely related to what Mark says about the community gathered around Jesus. But my focus is on the actual language the early Christians used as self-designations, and so I will not go beyond the usage of ἐκκλησία here.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Self-designations and Group Identity in the New Testament , pp. 164 - 207Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011