REGARDING THE MEANING OF ΕΚΚΛΕΣΙΑ (eng. “Church”)
For me, the word "church" / εκκλησια has taken on a deeper meaning as I consider a "Church" as a part of an eternal plan of a loving God. The word most often used for “church” in the New Testament Greek is εκκλησια. It is a compound word made up of the work used for a “calling”, an “invitation”, a “naming” (distinguishing one thing from another thing), καλεω and the Greek word for “out”, εκ.. It was used also for an assembly of people. (e.g. a town meeting)
I believe that this word, in its’ most broadest religious contextual sense is that it represents those individuals who have accepted the invitation God extends to all individuals toward faith and moral/social progression. In the narrower Christian context I believe it represents those who have accepted the more narrow invitation God, at some point, extends to all individuals toward faith in Jesus Christ and in the adoption and mastering of moral and social laws Jesus wants us to live. I do not think one needs to have a perfectly correct understanding of any doctrine in order to be part of those who are in the process of assembling and learning what it is that Jesus expects of them and then learning to do what Jesus expects of them. Thus, I do not expect members of this group to be in agreement on all things (though that is an ultimate goal). The Εκκλησια, is, as I view it, a part of an eternal “process” of planting and gathering “good fruit” who respond to the invitation towards moral/social “improvement”. I think this may have been what Origen meant when he defined evil as “the refusal to progress.” This is simply a base model for me and I am very willing and wanting to modify it as I find better data.
Historically, the concept of εκκλεσια as a reference to a process of “inviting” towards specific moral and social principles, was seen as a process that had ALWAYS existed in heaven before the creation of the earth. Thus the writer of 2nd Clement taught : Quote: “the books and the Apostles declare that the church not only exists now, but has been in existence from the Beginning. (2 cl 14:3).”
The process of organizing and gathering towards certain principles has ALWAYS existec, but He says it was “revealed [restored] in the last days”, thus the one on the earth is only a copy of the original “spiritual” organization . This is why the early christians claimed that a form of christianity was the original religion. : quote: “Christianity did not believe in Judaism, but judaism in christianity” (Ign to Magnesians 10:3).
Speaking in this same context and from a christian world view, Ignatius taught the Christians of his era : Quote: “We also love the prophets because they anticipated the gospel in their preaching and set their hope on him; because they also believed in him” (Ign to Phillipians 5:2).
In Hermas’ vision he is speaking to an angel regarding the vision wherein the church was represented as “an elderly woman” (he is speaking to an angel who is explaining the vision). Quote: “Who do you think the elderly woman..was.... “The Church” he replied. I said to him “Why, then, is she elderly?” “Because,” he said, “she was created before all things; therefore she is elderly, and for her sake the world was formed.” (Her 8:1) That is, the world exists for the education of and organization of and then the gathering of individuals around certain principles. (the book of Hermas is in early 4th century Sinaiticus New Testaments).
Thus, for me, the word "εκκλεσια" is not simply a "congregation" but also a process of "calling out" and gathering of individuals towards specific moral and social principles that are designed to prepare and enable them to ultimately live in a social heaven in joy and harmony for ever.
Clear
ειειακειω
would be "for the Lords", not "of the Lord". That would be kyríou (κυρίου
