Baptist History Homepage

The Church: A Critique of the Universal Church Theory
By Roger W. Maslin

APPENDIX

     The following outline is offered in explanation of every use of ekklesia in the New Testament.


I.  Secular Uses (4).

Acts 7:38 - The Jewish assembly in the wilderness. Acts 19:32, 39, 41 - The Greek assembly.

II. Singular Uses - Location Indicated (17).

Acts 8:1 - at Jerusalem Acts 11:22 - in Jerusalem Acts l3:l - at Antioch Rom. 16:l - at Cenchera Rom. 16:5 - in their house I Cor. 1:2 - in their house I Cor. 16:19 - at Corinth II Cor. 1:l - at Corinth Col. 4:13 - in his house Philemon 2 - in thy house Rev. 2:1 - in Ephesus (R.V.) Rev. 2:8 - in Smyrna Rev. 2:12 - in Pergamos Rev. 2:18 - in Thyatira Rev. 3:1 - in Sardis Rev. 3:7 - in Philadelphia Rev. 3:14 - in Laodicea (R.V.)

III. Singular Uses - Location indicated in context (24)

Acts 11:26 - assembled themselves with the church - Antioch. Acts 14:27 - gathered the church together - Antioch (Acts 14:26).


[p. 136]

Acts 15:3 - brought on their way by the church - Antioch (Acts 14:26, 15:3 Acts 18:22 - saluted the church - Caesarea. Acts 20:17 - called the elders of the church - Ephesus. Acts 20:28 - to feed the church of God - Ephesus (Acts 20:17). Rom. 16:23 - of the whole church - assembly that met in home of Gaius. I Cor. 6:4 - least esteemed in the church - Corinth. I Cor. 10:32 - nor to the church of God - Corinth. I Cor. 11:18 - when ye come together in the church - Corinth. I Cor. 11:22 - despise ye the church of God - Corinth. I Cor. 14:4 - edifieth the church - Corinth. I Cor. 14:5 - that the church may receive - Corinth. I Cor. 14:12 - to the edifying of the church - Corinth. I Cor. 14:19 - in the church - Corinth. I Cor. 14:23 - the whole church be come together - Corinth. I Cor. 14:28 - in the church - Corinth. I Cor. 14:33 - in the church - Corinth. Col. 4:16 - in the church - Laodicea. I Thess. 1:1 - unto the church - Theassalonica. II Thess. 1:1 - unto the church - Theassalonica. III John 6 - before the church) v.1. probably III John 9 - unto the church ) the church in III John 10 - casteth them out) Gaius house of the church. (Rom 16:23)

IV. Singular uae distinguished by "every or "no." (3)

Acts 14:23 - ordained elders in every church. I Cor. 4:17 - I teach everywhere in every church. Phil 4:15 - no church communicated with me.


[p. 137]

V. Original asembly in Jerusalem (11).

Acts 5:11 Acts 15:22 Acts 8:3 I Cor. 15:9 Acts 9:31 Gal. 1:13 Acta 12:1 Phil. 3:6 Acts 12:5 Heb 2:12 Acts 15:4

VI. Plural Uses (35)

Acts 15:41 Gal. 1:2 Acts 16:5 Gal. 1:22 Rom. 16:4 I Thess. 2:14 Rom. 16:16 II Thess. 1:4 I Cor. 7:17 Rev. 1:4 I Cor. 11:16 Rev. 1:11 I Cor. 14:33 Rev. l:20a I Cor. 14:34 Rev. l:20b I Cor. 16:l Rev. 2:7 I Cor. 16:19 Rev. 2:11 II Cor. 8:1 Rev. 2:17 II Cor. 8:18 Rev. 2:23 II Cor. 8:19 Rev. 2:29 II Cor. 8:23 Rev. 3:6 II Cor. 8:24 Rev. 3:13 II Cor. 11:8 Rev. 3:22 II Cor. 11:28 Rev. 22:16 II Cor. 12:13

VII. Generic usage in the sense of an Institution (20).

Matt. 16:18 I will build my church. Matt. 18:17a tell it unto the church. Matt. 18:17b if he neglect to hear these church. I Cor. 12:28 God hath set some in the church. Eph. 1:22 head over all things to the church. Eph. 3:10 might be known by the church. Eph. 3:21 glory in the church. Eph. 5:23 Christ is the head of the church. Eph. 5:24 as the church is subject. Eph. 5:25 as Christ also loved the church. Eph. 5:27 present it to himself a glorious church. Eph. 5:29 even as the Lord the church.


[p. 138]

Eph. 5:32 concerning Christ and the church. Col. 1:18 the head of the body, the church. Col. 1:24 which is the church. I Tim. 3:5 take care of the church of God. I Tim. 5:16 the let not the church be charged I Tim. 3:15 the church of the living God. Heb. 12:23 and church of th« first-born. James 5:14 call for the elders of the church.

VIII. Uses omitted by the Revised Version (2).

Acts 2:47 - the Lord added to the church (at Jerusalem). I Pet. 5:13 The church that is at Babylon.

     The King James version has 116 uses of ecclesia while the Revised Version treats only 114 of these as reliable. The total number of 117 as given by some writers is probably due to the inclusion of "robbers of churches" in Acts 19:37. Here, however, the word is not ekklesia, but hierosulos which means "temple robbers." In none of these 116 instances it is nec­essary to make ekklesia mean something different. Its recongnized meaning of a local assembly, in some sense, makes plain the precise idea of Christ and His inspired apostles.
==========

Bibliography
Table of Contents



Baptist History Homepage