Richard Aberdeen
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- Jun 4, 2026
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The Greek "ekklesia", mistranslated as 'church' in modern bibles, means "assembly" or "called out ones" for a specific purpose. This was a term applied to a Greek political assembly and appears to have been deliberately chosen by Jesus himself. In the New Testament, this term always refers to people, the human followers of Jesus.
The correct translation from the Greek is not 'church', an ambiguous Old Saxon word of uncertain etymology. The Greek "ekklesia" does not refer to either a religion, a religious building or a religious organization. It is inexcusable that modern Christians use 'church' instead of a term that Jesus specifically chose and also, use 'church' to very wrongly refer to a building, religion or religious organization. This has caused much confusion for centuries for no rational reason at all.
"Ekklesia" was the name given to the political assembly of the City of Athens and was probably also used elsewhere in reference to a socio-political gathering to discuss problems and solutions of a particular city or town. The Psalms (Psalm 22) use the term "assembly" to refer to gatherings of the Hebrew people and for both of these reasons, this may be why Jesus chose "assembly" to refer to his followers. The term "ekklesia" would have been familiar to his early followers as meaning "assembly" of people.
This term underscores the champion of the common people secular intent of the "good news" for sinners message of the New Testament. The more we study the words and deeds of Jesus, the more we realize the perfection of the teaching of Jesus. And the more we begin to see how corrupted and false modern Christianity truly is. The term "ekklesia" had no religious connotation in the time of Jesus, while the word 'church' was non-existent.
Paul, in both Ephesians Chapter 1 and elsewhere throughout his letters, makes it very clear that Jesus is the head and, his followers are themselves his "body". There is no pope, preacher, pontiff or prelate, no scientist, educator, self-help guru or anyone else who has any standing, position or authority over us. As we find explicitly stated in Romans 2:11, in regards to all of humanity: "For there is no partiality with God."
There is one high priest and one teacher, head and authority over all, who is Jesus: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Messiah Jesus" Galatians 3:28.
The fact that we are all equal without partiality before God, is so important to Paul that he not only definitively underscores it in Romans (see above), he repeats it yet a third time in similar fashion in Colossians 3:11. Those who believe ". . . have put on the new man/woman who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him/her, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Messiah is all and in all."
I Peter 2:9-10 says: "But you are a chosen lineage, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." ALL people who ask Jesus to forgive them and save them from their sins are ALL part of the same "royal priesthood" before God. In Jesus there is no brother or sister who is above another.
Suffice it to say, based on Colossians 3:21-23 and the rest of Paul's letters, he would be utterly appalled by what today is known as Christianity, which does not remotely represent either Jesus or Paul or the rest of his early followers:
"Therefore, if you died with Messiah from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations; do not touch, do not taste, do not handle, which all concern things which perish with the using, according to the commandments and teachings of people? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."
And consider this from Galatians 4:9-11: "But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years? I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain." Note how both these passages in Colossians and Galatians agree with what both Paul and Steven say in Acts, that God "does not live in temples made with hands." Acts 17:24 -- Acts 7:48.
In Search of the Real Jesus
www.FreedomTracks.com/revolution.html
The correct translation from the Greek is not 'church', an ambiguous Old Saxon word of uncertain etymology. The Greek "ekklesia" does not refer to either a religion, a religious building or a religious organization. It is inexcusable that modern Christians use 'church' instead of a term that Jesus specifically chose and also, use 'church' to very wrongly refer to a building, religion or religious organization. This has caused much confusion for centuries for no rational reason at all.
"Ekklesia" was the name given to the political assembly of the City of Athens and was probably also used elsewhere in reference to a socio-political gathering to discuss problems and solutions of a particular city or town. The Psalms (Psalm 22) use the term "assembly" to refer to gatherings of the Hebrew people and for both of these reasons, this may be why Jesus chose "assembly" to refer to his followers. The term "ekklesia" would have been familiar to his early followers as meaning "assembly" of people.
This term underscores the champion of the common people secular intent of the "good news" for sinners message of the New Testament. The more we study the words and deeds of Jesus, the more we realize the perfection of the teaching of Jesus. And the more we begin to see how corrupted and false modern Christianity truly is. The term "ekklesia" had no religious connotation in the time of Jesus, while the word 'church' was non-existent.
Paul, in both Ephesians Chapter 1 and elsewhere throughout his letters, makes it very clear that Jesus is the head and, his followers are themselves his "body". There is no pope, preacher, pontiff or prelate, no scientist, educator, self-help guru or anyone else who has any standing, position or authority over us. As we find explicitly stated in Romans 2:11, in regards to all of humanity: "For there is no partiality with God."
There is one high priest and one teacher, head and authority over all, who is Jesus: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Messiah Jesus" Galatians 3:28.
The fact that we are all equal without partiality before God, is so important to Paul that he not only definitively underscores it in Romans (see above), he repeats it yet a third time in similar fashion in Colossians 3:11. Those who believe ". . . have put on the new man/woman who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him/her, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Messiah is all and in all."
I Peter 2:9-10 says: "But you are a chosen lineage, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." ALL people who ask Jesus to forgive them and save them from their sins are ALL part of the same "royal priesthood" before God. In Jesus there is no brother or sister who is above another.
Suffice it to say, based on Colossians 3:21-23 and the rest of Paul's letters, he would be utterly appalled by what today is known as Christianity, which does not remotely represent either Jesus or Paul or the rest of his early followers:
"Therefore, if you died with Messiah from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations; do not touch, do not taste, do not handle, which all concern things which perish with the using, according to the commandments and teachings of people? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."
And consider this from Galatians 4:9-11: "But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years? I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain." Note how both these passages in Colossians and Galatians agree with what both Paul and Steven say in Acts, that God "does not live in temples made with hands." Acts 17:24 -- Acts 7:48.
In Search of the Real Jesus
www.FreedomTracks.com/revolution.html
