I believe that words are important.\u00a0 If we all have different definitions of a word, confusion will undoubtedly enter into our conversations.\u00a0 Unless both parties in a conversation have the same idea of the meaning of the words in that conversation, there is no chance at having full clarity.<\/p>\n
Over the course of time, the meanings of words can change because of various reasons.\u00a0 Every now and then, I add words to my “Christian Dictionary” category on this blog when I feel like there is some value to be had by getting a clear definition of a word as it is used in the Bible.<\/p>\n
This post is about the English word “church.”\u00a0 In order to give a full view of what this word means, I would like to do this in a few steps.<\/p>\n
First, I would like to give a brief history of how the word “church” came into the English language, because it is very fascinating.<\/p>\n
Next, I would like to look at the Greek word in the Bible that is most often translated “church.”\u00a0 When we look at that Greek word in historical context, we can see some profound truths.<\/p>\n
Finally, I would like to sum up what I believe to be the application and result of combining all this information together.<\/p>\n
All that being said…let us begin.<\/p>\n
In the Bible, the followers of Jesus often call him by the title “Lord.”\u00a0 The Greek word that is translated as “lord” is the word KURIOS.\u00a0 It means lord, master, head of a house, head of an estate, etc.\u00a0 If you are considered to be a KURIOS, then you are in charge of something, or you are the ruler or the governing authority over something.\u00a0 In the case of Jesus, his followers (like me) consider him to be the lord, master, and head of all things.\u00a0 Jesus is the supreme lord, the supreme KURIOS.<\/p>\n
In English, if we want to make a word possessive, we often add an apostrophe and and “s” to the end.\u00a0 In this example, if something belongs to a lord, then we can say that things is the lord’s.\u00a0 We had an apostrophe “s” to the end of lord to show possession.<\/p>\n
If we wanted to do that to the Greek word KURIOS, we don’t add the apostrophe.\u00a0 Instead, the word becomes KURIAKON.\u00a0 That word means “belonging to the lord” or “of the lord” or “the lord’s.”\u00a0 For example, in the phrase “the Lord’s supper” in 1 Corinthians 11:20, the word KURIAKON is used.<\/p>\n
So to summarize:<\/p>\n
KURIOS = Lord<\/p>\n
KURIAKON = The Lord’s<\/p>\n
So, the Christians called Jesus Lord, or KURIOS.<\/p>\n
The world, looking at Christians, saw individuals that held an allegiance to an invisible being they called KURIOS…Jesus.\u00a0 The Christians acted as if this invisible Lord\/KURIOS was always with them, could hear them, could guide them, and so on.\u00a0 And so the world called the Christians “the Lord’s people” aka the KURIAKON.\u00a0 They called them “the lord’s” or “the people that belong to the lord.”<\/p>\n
It came to be that the title “KURIAKON” meant “The Lord’s” or “The people that belong to the Lord” or “The Christians.”<\/p>\n
Etymology is the study of words, and how they evolved or came into being.\u00a0 The etymology of the word church tells us the following:<\/p>\n
Over time, KURIAKON became<\/p>\n
So the English word “church” comes from a word that means “people that belong to the Lord”\u00a0 or “the Lord’s people.”\u00a0 The church is the Lord’s people.<\/p>\n
The church is not a place, a denomination, a business, or a corporation.\u00a0 The church is people that belong to the Lord.\u00a0 That is what the word church means.<\/p>\n
(I would also like to add that “church” not a verb either.\u00a0 We do not “church” people.\u00a0 People cannot be “churched” or “unchurched.”)<\/em><\/p>\n In the English Bible, the word “church” is often used to translate a different word from the Greek…the word EKKLESIA.<\/p>\nGoverning Assembly<\/h2>\n