Assembly of God

The term “assembly” or ‘ekklésia’ is derived from the Assembly of Yahweh gathered for worship as recorded in the Hebrew Bible.

New Testament references to the “assembly” or “church” are based on the language of Israel when the nation was assembled before Yahweh for worship. The Greek noun translated this way is ‘ekklésia’, meaning “assembly, congregation, convocation.”

In secular Greek, ‘ekklésia’ (εκκλησια) could refer to an “assembly” of citizens gathered to conduct matters of state. However, that is not the sense found in the Greek Bible. This term occurs twice in the four gospel accounts, and both times it is found on the lips of Jesus. Thus, its original application to congregations of disciples can be traced to Christ (Strong’s Concordance - #G1577 - Matthew 16:18, 18:17).

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The term ‘ekklésia’ occurs over one hundred times in the Greek New Testament. Most often it is applied to congregations of believers. The Apostle Paul’s usage of it is the most distinctive and instructive for the followers of Jesus.

Firstly, Paul employs both the singular and plural numbers when using ‘ekklésia’ for local groups of believers. However, the Apostle does so with discrimination. When referring to a local congregation, he uses the singular form or the “assembly in Corinth,” for example - (1 Corinthians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:1).

Secondly, Paul uses the plural form when referring to multiple groups of believers and congregations collectively. For example, to the Corinthians he wrote that God is not “a God of confusion, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.” To the believers in Rome, he remarked that “all the assemblies of Christ salute you” – (1 Corinthians 14:33, Romans 16:16, 1 Thessalonians 2:14).

This does not mean each city church was independent of the others, and certainly not that each maintained distinct doctrinal traditions and practices. Individual congregations represented the “church of Jesus Christ” assembled for worship in their respective location.

Paul described the local congregation as the “Assembly of God,” singular, and collectively, he labeled all his congregations the “Assemblies of God,” plural - (1 Corinthians 1:2, 10:32, 11:16, 1 Thessalonians 2:14).

Paul’s usage reflects the Hebrew Bible and its descriptions of the “Assembly of Israel” gathered for worship before the Tabernacle in the wilderness. Several times, the nation gathered thusly before the Tabernacle was called the “Assembly of Yahweh,” the ‘qahal Yahweh’ in the Hebrew language - (Exodus 12:6, Leviticus 16:17, Deuteronomy 23:1-2).

CONDUCT IN THE ASSEMBLY

The ancient prohibition against Israelites in an “unclean” state participating in the “Assembly of Yahweh” is echoed in several of Paul’s declarations about proper and improper behavior in the Church. For example:

• (1 Corinthians 11:22) – “What! Have you not houses for your eating and drinking? Or the assembly of God do you despise and put to shame those who have nothing? What am I to say to you? Shall I praise you? In this, I praise you not.”

• (1 Corinthians 14:34) – “As for the women, in the assemblies let them be silent, for it is not permitted them to be speaking; but let them be in submission, even as the law declares.”

• (1 Timothy 3:15) – “But if I should tarry that you may know how it behooves you in a house of God to behave, the which is an assembly of a living God, a pillar and basement of the truth.”

Rather than ritual impurities, Paul was concerned with conduct in the “Assembly of God.” Immorality was unacceptable among believers gathered for worship.

Thus, the “church” or “Assembly” is not a building or the designation for a sect or denomination. It is the local Assembly of saints gathered before the Lord for worship, the place where God’s presence dwells among His New Covenant people.

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SEE ALSO:

• Sons of God - (Returning to the custodianship of the Law would mean rebuilding the wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles)

• Rebuilding Walls - (Insisting on a Torah-observant lifestyle will result in the restoration of the old social barriers and distinctions between Jew and Gentile)

• One New Man - (By his death and resurrection, Jesus formed one covenant community - One New Man - based on faith in him, not ethnicity or nationality – Ephesians 2:11-22)

• Un en Jésus-Christ - (Par sa Mort et sa Résurrection, Jésus a formé une nouvelle communauté d'alliance - Un Nouvel Homme - basée sur la foi en lui - Éphésiens 2: 11-22)