A simple description of the word Church.

In this session, the word "church" is defined as it is found in the Bible. Church refers to either a local company of believers or the Universal Church called in the Bible as "the church which is his body."

The meaning of the word "church"

The translation of church from Greek comes from ‘ekklesia’ - lit. out-calling. (ek = out, klesis = a calling).

In 112 occasions, the word ekklesia could be translated simply ‘assembly’. (Acts 19:32,39, 41 are the exceptions). The word ‘church’ is not used very often in Gospel Hall assemblies because modern day use of the word church can refer to (1) a building or (2) an organization that is made up of member congregations that has adopted a denominational name to distinguish it from other organizations. Neither of these two definitions fit the meaning of ekklesia.

Two meanings of ekklesia

Universal Church

The Church which is His Body (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18).

This refers to every believer who has been saved from the day of Pentecost to the day of the Rapture. See Acts 15:14 and Ephesians 3:10-11.

Local Church

An assembly of believers who meet in a geographic locality (1 Cor 1:1,2 etc.)

‘Church’ is never meant as a building (Romans 16:5; Acts 8:3; Acts 11:22)
‘Church’ is never meant as an organization .