The Church?

In the New Testament, the Greek word "ekkiesia" (G1577) appears about 118 times. The word literally refers to a purposeful gathering, thus any group of people assembled for some purpose can be referred to as an "ekkiesia." However, the word is used to identify a unique assembly of people, those "called out" of darkness and transferred into His kingdom.

The fly in the buttermilk, is that our local professing Christian assemblies are comprised of both "wheat" (those actually born anew) and "tares" (those claiming or believing wrongly that they have been born anew).

Is it possible to discern which group is most probably in view and use three distinctive words to identify which group is being referenced?

Lets look at one and see:

Acts of the Apostles 7:38 (NASB)
“This is the one who was in the "assembly" in the wilderness together with the angel who spoke to him at length on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to you.​

Here our word refers to a purposeful gathering in the Old Testament, thus not a gathering of only those born anew or those rightly or wrongly claiming to be born anew. However, our English word "assembly" is also used to translate another Greek word, so it is not distinctive as one of the meanings of G1577.

We see this "group assembled for a purpose" usage also at Acts 19:32, 39 and 41. And we see the other Greek word (G1218) translated as assembly at Acts of the Apostles 19:30 and 33.

Any suggestions on how to better translate "ekkiesia" boldly, plainly and clearly?

 

Hi Dave G, no one was born anew before Christ physically died, as the new birth is the New Covenant in His blood. That is why those you listed had to wait in Abraham's bosom until after Christ died.

But you prove my point, with ambiguity different things can be thought to be the same thing.

 

In searching for three distinctive English words to translate "ekkeisia" a corresponding issue arises, not using those words to translate other Greek words. Lets look at "assembly" for illustration.

At Luke 23:1, the NASB translates "plethos" (G4128) as assembly. However, when the context refers to a group or body of people, "multitude" could be used.

At Acts of the Apostles 19:30 the NASB translates "demos" (G1218) as assembly. However, "heathen" could be used.

At Hebrews 12:23, the NASB translates "panegries" (G3831) as "general assembly". However "all the gathered" could be used.

With these alternate choices made where these words are translated assembly, then only "ekkiesia" would be translated as assembly in the NASB.

This does not solve the puzzle but does move us closer to clarity.