From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Fri Jan 19 2001 - 06:19:27 EST
At 2:37 AM -0500 1/19/01, QashishaD@aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 18/01/01 11:24:24 AM, nstublen@gmx.net writes:
>
>>Can
>>anyone shed any light on why Acts 9:31 should contain the singular EKKLHSIA
>>versus the plural EKKLHSIAI? (I hope that transliteration is correct.)
>
>Neal, the Biblical and early Church reality was that there was only ONE
>Church, sometimes spoken of as being "churches" in different locales, but not
>as being a pluralities of churches. To speak of "churches" would be like
>speaking of "bodies of Christ," just not a Biblical concept.
The view expressed here strikes me as a theological assertion or judgment
rather than an understanding based upon actual usage of the word in the
Greek New Testament. My own impression (and this is something we have been
discussing sporadically on B-Greek for quite some time now) is rather that,
FAR more often than not, the word EKKLHSIA is actually used in the NT to
refer to a congregation than to any universal body. Here's Louw & Nida on
the subject (I've retained the verse rfcs but omitted the Greek text of
them):
1.32 EKKLHSIA, AS f: a congregation of Christians, implying interacting
membership - 'congregation, church.' – 'to the church of God which is in
Corinth' 1Cor 1:2; aÓspa¿zontai uJma×ß aiš v 'all the churches of Christ
greet you' Ro 16:16.
Though some persons have tried to see in the term EKKLHSIA, AS a
more or less literal meaning of 'called-out ones,' this type of
etymologizing is not warranted either by the meaning of EKKLHSIA, AS in NT
times or even by its earlier usage. The term EKKLHSIA, AS was in common
usage for several hundred years before the Christian era and was used to
refer to an assembly of persons constituted by well-defined membership. In
general Greek usage it was normally a socio-political entity based upon
citizenship in a city-state (see EKKLHSIA c , 11.78) and in this sense is
parallel to DHMOS (11.78). For the NT, however, it is important to
understand the meaning of EKKLHSIA a as 'an assembly of God's people.'
In the rendering ofEKKLHSIA a a translator must beware of using a
term which refers primarily to a building rather than to a congregation of
believers. In many contexts EKKLHSIA a may be readily rendered as
'gathering of believers' or 'group of those who trust in Christ.'
Sometimes, as in 1Cor 1:2, it is possible to translate 'Paul writes to the
believers in Christ who live in Corinth.' Such a translation does, however,
omit a significant element in the term EKKLHSIA a , in that the sense of
corporate unity is not specified.
11.33 EKKLHSIA, AS f: the totality of congregations of Christians -
'church.' 'you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church' Mt
16:18.
11.78 EKKLHSIA, AS c , f; DHMOS, OU m: a group of citizens assembled for
socio-political activities - 'assembly, gathering.'
EKKLHSIA c Ú 'it will have to be settled in the legal assembly' Ac 19:39.
DHMOS Ú – 'but Alexander Š wanted to make a speech before the assembly of
the citizens' Ac 19:33.
It is possible that in EKKLHSIA c there is somewhat more focus
upon the people being together as a legal assembly, while in the case of
DHMOS the emphasis is merely upon a meeting of citizens. But in the NT one
cannot distinguish clearly between the meanings of these two words.
EKKLHSIA c and DHMOS may be rendered in some languages as 'a
meeting of the people who belonged to that place' or 'Š who were
inhabitants of that town' or 'Š whose homes were in that town.'
--
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
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