[In the original Appendix, B. H. Carroll provides a comprehensive overview on how the term ecclesia is used in a wide range of literature (Classic Use, Septuagint, Apocrypha, Old and New Testaments). As the object of uploading Carroll’s overview of the church is to provide a simple examination into the subject, the editor has included only the references found in the New Testament. If you wish to read Carroll’s booklet in full, you may easily find it available with a simple Google search.

The reader is encouraged to examine the 118 references to ecclesia in the New Testament, as it will easily be discovered that they fall into one of three categories—(1) Abstract/Generic; (2) Particular, Local Congregations; (3) Prospective, a Future Congregation when Christ Returns (but even this will be a visible and local congregation, or church).]

NEW TESTAMENT USAGE OF ECCLESIA

Matthew

16:18 – “I will build my church.”
18:17 – “Tell (it) unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church.”

Acts

2:47 – “the Lord added to the church daily.”
5:11 – “fear came upon all the church.”
7:38 – “he, that was in the church.”
8:1 – “the church which was at Jerusalem.”
8:3 – “He made havoc of the church.”
9:31 – “Then had the churches rest.”
11:22 – “the church which was in Jerusalem.”
11:26 – “assembled themselves with the church.”
12:1 – “to vex certain of the church”
12:5 – “without ceasing of the church unto God.”
18:1 – “Now there were in the church.”
14:23 – “elders in every church, and had”
14:27 – “had gathered the church together.”
15:2 – “on their way by the church.”
15:4 – ” they were received of the church.”
15:22 – “elders, with the whole church.”
15:41 – “confirming the churches.”
16:5 – “so were the churches established.”
18:22 – “gone up, and saluted the church.”
19:32 – “for the assembly was confused.”
19:39 – “determined in a lawful assembly.”
19:41 – “thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.”
20:17 – “called the elders of the church.”
20:28 – “to feed the church of God.”

Romans

16:1 – “is a servant of the church.”
16:4 – “all the churches of the Gentiles.”
16:5 – “the church that is in their house.”
16:28 – “mine host, and of the whole church.”
16:16 – “The churches of Christ salute you.

1 Corinthians

1:2 – “Unto the church of God which.”
4:17 – 1 teach everywhere in every church.”
6:4 – “least esteemed in the church.”
7:17 – “so ordain I in all churches.”
10:32 – “nor to the church of God.”
11:16 – “neither the churches of God.”
11:18 – “come together in the church.”
11:22 – “or despise ye the church of God.”
12:28 – “God hath set some in the church.”
14:4 – “that prophesieth edifieth the church.”
14:5 – “the church may receive edifying.”
14:12 – “to the edifying of the church.”
14:19 – “in the church I had rather speak.”
14:28 – “The whole church be come together.”
14:28 – “keep silence in the church.”
14:33 – “as in all churches of the saints.”
14:34 -“keep silence in the churches.”
14:35 – “for women to speak in the church.”
15:9 – “I persecuted the church of God.”
16:1 – “to the churches of Galatia.”
16:19 – “The churches of Asia salute you.” – “with the church that is in their house.”

2 Corinthians

1:1 – “unto the church of God which.”
8:1 – “on the churches of Macedonia.”
8:18 – “gospel throughout all the churches.”
8:19 – “was also chosen of the churches.”
8:23 – “the messengers of the churches.”
8:24 – “to them, and before the churches.”
11:8 – “I robbed other churches, taking.”
11:28 – “the care of the churches.”
12:13 – “were inferior to the churches.”

Galatians

1:2 – “unto the churches of Galatia.”
1:13 – “I persecuted the church of God.”
1:22 – “unto the churches of Judea.”

Ephesians

1:22 – “gave him (to be) the head over all (things) to the church.”
3:10 – “might be known by the church.”
3:21 – “glory in the church by Christ Jesus.”
5:23 – “Christ is the head of the church.”
5:24 – “the church is subject unto Christ.”
5:25 – “as Christ also loved the church.”
5:27 – “to himself a glorious church.”
5:29 – “even as the Lord the church.”
5:32 – “concerning Christ and the church.”

Philippians

3:6 – “Concerning zeal, persecuting the church.”
4:15 – “no church communicated with me.”

Colossians

1:18 – “the head of the body, the church.”
1:24 – “body’s sake, which is the church.”
4:15 – “the church which is in the house.”
4:16 – “in the church of the Laodiceans.”

1 Thessalonians

1:1 – “unto the church of the Thessalonians.”
2:14 – “followers of the churches of God.”

2 Thessalonians

1:1 – “unto the churches of the Thessalonians.
1:4 – “in you in the churches of God.”

1 Timothy

3:5 – “take care of the church of God.”
3:15 – “the church of the living God.”
5:16 – “let not the church be charged.”

Philemon

1:2 – “to the church in thy house.”

Hebrews

2:12 – “in the midst of the church.”
12:23 – “assembly and church of the first-born.”

James

5:14 – “call for the elders of the church.”

3 John

1:6 – “thy charity before the church.”
1:9 – “I wrote unto the church.”
1:10 – “castest (them) out of the church.”

Revelation

1:4 – “John to the seven churches.”
1:11 – “unto the seven churches which.”
1:20 – “the angels of the seven churches.”- “are the seven churches.”
2:1 – “the angel of the church of Ephesus.”
2:7 – “the Spirit said unto the churches.”
2:8 – “the angel of the church in Smyrna.”
2:11 – “the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
2:12 – “to the angel of the church in Pergamos.
2:17 – “the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
2:18 – “the angel of the church in Thyatira.”
2:23 – “all the churches shall know.”
2:29 – “the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
3:1 – “angel of the church in Sardis.”
3:6 – “the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
3:7 – “to the angel of the church in.”
3:13 – “the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
3:14 – “the angel of the church of the Laodiceans.
22:16 – “these things in the churches.”

REMARK ON THE NEW TESTAMENT USAGE

Only four of these passages present any difficulty in either classification or exposition, namely: Acts 9:31; Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18, 24, and those with “flock” in John 10:16, and “house” in 1 Peter 2:5.