1 post tagged “etymology”

Donuts at Church?

The word "church" has an interesting history. Miriam Webster traces the roots of the modern English word to the Middle English chirche, which ultimately comes into the English language from kyrios ("lord, master") in the Greek term for "house of the Lord."

But words are tricky things because the word which is translated with the English word "church" in the Greek New Testament is the word ekklesia, which means "those who are called out." The word ekklesia is much more like the word synagogue, which means "gathered together."

Whether the English word "church" is the best term to describe what the New Testament calls the Ekklesia is a moot point. But in an age of deconstruction of meaning, its worth reexamining what these terms suggest. True enough: etymology isn't everything. But it can illustrate where we need to change our thinking.

For example, a building, or an event, strictly speaking, are not "church." It is the people at the building, not the building itself, which is "the church." It is the people at the event, and not the "event itself" which is comprises the church.Taken all together, I like what one colleague has said: "We are called to be the church, not go to church."

I wonder: how many non-church people get that idea? How would they say Christians are doing at 'being the church'? How many Christians get this idea? How would they rate themselves?