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Ekklesia is the exact word that Christ spoke that is recorded in Matthew 16:18. He said "on this rock I will build My ekklesia and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." It is translated as "church" in most bibles however that word does not derive from ekklesia but "kyridakon". According to the English Dictionary, kyridakon is a late Greek word meaning religious meeting place that was first translated into Old English as circe. It was then translated into Middle English as chirche where we received the word church. 1556 is the first recorded use of the word church by a Presbyterian follower of John Calvin, Theodore Beza. The following year the Geneva Bible was published by Beza's friend William Wittingham and he used the word church. Of the 115 times that ekklesia is found in the New Testament, only 3 times is it currently translated as assembly. William Tyndale translated ekklesia as congregation but that was unacceptable to the denominational hierarchy of the day. Congregation, convocation and assembly are closer to the true meaning. Ekklesia is a compound Greek word of ek and kaleo. Ek means out of, from or a point of origin and kaleo means to call, summons, or proclaim. The word was used as far back as 5th century B.C. when calling out the competent, full citizens of a polis to hear a case, make a decision, appoint leaders, give council or muster the army.

Christ is recorded as quoting scripture from the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Law and Prophets. He chose ekklesia instead of synagogue or temple to emphasize the purpose-driven nature of our assembling together. A group of competent, full citizens of the Kingdom is the ekklesia that Christ is building. Our gatherings are for rejoicing in what Yahweh is doing and has done but the impact is far more significant. Just as Noah brought the judgment of Yahweh by his obedience and faith in spite of the sin and moral degradation around him, so we are bringing judgment to our spheres of influence and areas of responsibility today. We are a people that are bringing the government of God to our bodies, relationships, families, finances, speech, thoughts, actions, and habits. Yahweh has come to recover that which was lost. What has been lost to Him is the "kosmos"--His created order. What has been lost to you is just as important to the Father but only through our obedience to His word can He fulfill the recovery process in us. Kingdom Order can sound restrictive but the rewards are obvious and substantial. The purpose of the ekklesia is not to condemn but to reveal Yahweh's love, mercy, compassion, justice, wisdom and judgment through normal human beings like you and me. One life at a time living one day at a time by one word of Yahweh at a time.
Count me in! How about you?