New Testament Theology: Ecclesiology

New Testament Theology - Introductory Glossaries
by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D. and students of Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles

Biblical Ecclesiology
by Parker Sandoval

In the earliest NT writings, the letters of Paul, "church" refers to small local communities of people who have come to believe that Jesus is the Christ; Paul uses various human, agricultural, and architectural images and analogies to explain what the church is and how it should function. The word "church" appears rarely in the Gospels, only three times in Matthew! Later NT writings use "church" to refer to all Christians throughout the world as a unified whole, the one "Body of Christ." Other NT letters refer to the community of believers with several other titles, some adapted from images used in the OT for the people of Israel: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,God's own people" (1 Pet 2:9a).

Church - Like the German word "Kirche" or Dutch "Kerk," the English word "church" etymologically derives from the Greek word kuriakon (kyriakon), meaning "belonging to the Lord" (at first, "the Lord's people" or "the Lord's community," and only later "the Lord's house"). The equivalent words in Spanish (iglesia), French (eglise), and Latin (ecclesia), and the related English adjective "ecclesial" all derive from the Greek ekklhsia (ekklesia = "assembly, congregation, gathering"; derived from the preposition ek, "out of," and the verb kalew, "to call"). Thus, an "ecclesial" community is literally a group of people "called out" of their homes to "congregate" (gather together) so that they can pray and worship together as one.

Originally, ekklesia was a secular term, referring to any gathering or "calling forth" of people to deal with political or juridical matters. In the NT, it designates the community of Christian disciples who gathered at least weekly for common liturgy and prayer. The word "church" is used 114 times in the NT, but only three times in the Gospels, each time in Matthew (16:18; twice in 18:17). "Church" is used 62 times in the letters attributed to Paul, most often to denote the local Christian community or clusters of them (Rom 16:4; 1 Cor 1:2, 14:33; 2 Cor 8:18; Gal 1:2; 1 Thess 1:1), or occasionally to refer to the whole church (Gal 1:13; 1 Cor 12:28) in a universal, cosmic sense (Col 1:24; Eph 5:29).

Synagogue - Gk sunagwgh (synagoge = "assembly, congregation"; derived from the preposition sun, "with, together," and the verb agw, "to lead, gather"). In the Septuagint, it usually refers to a local assembly of Jews, although it is also used for the "gathering" of the waters of creation (Gen 1:9). Whether the NT refers to synagoge as the Sabbath place of gathering or the assembly of people remains ambiguous. Synagoge, though, consistently designates a Jewish assembly, whereas the Christian community of believers is referred to as an ekklesia.

Temple / Sanctuary - Gk ieron (hieron = "temple area, holy grounds"; 74x in NT) and naoV (naos = "temple building, sanctuary"; 45x in NT). Whereas hieron designates the totality of the holy space, naos refers to the sanctuary within the Temple area where the deity resides. In the NT, "temple" generally referring to the building in Jerusalem. The church, as the locus of the abiding presence of the Spirit, is described as God's field and God's building (1 Cor 3:9; 1 Pet 2:5). Paul uses "Temple of God" as a metaphor for the Christian community in that they are the sanctuary where the Spirit dwells (1 Cor 3:16-17; 2 Cor 6:16).

People of God - Gk laoV tou qeou (laos tou theou). In the OT, the Hebrews are chosen by God to belong to him (Deut 7:6; 14:2); thus the descendants of Israel are called the People of God (Exod 19:5; Isa 43:20-21; Hos 2:23). In the NT, Luke uses the term to identify Israel (2:10, 32; Acts 4:10). Later, it includes both Israel and the Gentiles (Acts 15:14; Rom 9:24). God reconciles Israel to the nations in common faith in Jesus. Twice, the People of God is designated by eqnoV (ethnos), both times implying the Christian community (Matt 21:43; 1 Pet 2:9-10).

Community/ Communion - Gk koinwnia (koinonia = "placed in common"), related to koinwnew ("to share") and koinwnoV ("partner"). Koinonia refers to a relationship of fellowship among believers based on participation in Christ (Phil 3:10; 1 Pet 4:13) and sharing common life in the Spirit (2 Cor 13:13; Phil 2:1) by way of baptism (1 Cor 12:13) and the Eucharist (1 Cor 10:16-17). In addition, this communion is demonstrated by sharing goods in common use (Acts 2:44; 4:32; Gal 6:6). Paul's ministry to support the poor financially in the Jerusalem church is a sign of this communion (Rom 12:13; 15:25).

Body of Christ - Gk swma tou Cristou (soma tou Christou). The "Body of Christ" is a prominent Pauline metaphor for the church (1 Cor 12:27), as a community of different members with different gifts and ministries (Rom 12:4-5; 1 Cor 12:4-7) united in the same Spirit by baptism (12:13) and the Eucharist (10:17). Colossians and Ephesians employ the same metaphor, but add that Christ is the head of the body (Col 2:19; Eph 4:15-16).

Saints - Gk agioi (hagioi = "holy ones, those set apart"). In the NT, all Christians are called "saints" (Acts 9:13, 32). Paul commonly addresses the Christian community as "saints" (Rom 1:7; 12:13; Phil 4:22), especially that in Jerusalem (15:25; 1 Cor 16:1). Revelation uses the term for Christian martyrs (17:6), while later Christian tradition restricts the term to denote outstanding Christians publicly recognized for their exemplary lives.

Brothers and Sisters - Gk adelfoV (adelphos = "brother"); adelfh (adelphe = "sister"). In most modern NT translations, the plural adelphoi is no longer rendered as "brothers" but as the more inclusive "brothers and sisters" when appropriate. Christians are called adelphoi in the NT about 160 times. Jesus affirms that any who do the will of the Father are his brother or sister (Matt 12:50; Mark 3:35; Luke 8:21). Paul, addressing his fellow Christians, insists that members of the Christian family must love one another (Rom 12:10; 1 Thess 4:9-10).

Slave / Servant - Gk douloV (doulos = "slave"; although translated more loosely as "servant" in many Bibles). Since Christians belong to only one master, namely God (Matt 6:24), "slave" metaphorically describes their relationship with God. Just as Jesus became a "slave" (Phil 2:7) his followers must also be slaves or servants of others (Matt 20:27; Gal 5:13). Paul often calls himself a "slave of Christ" in that he is at the disposition of Christ, his master (Rom 1:1; Gal 1:10; Phil 1:1).

This page was written by Parker Sandoval, and later expanded by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.