Ekklesia

Matthew 16:18 (NASB)

Upon this rock I will build My Church.

The Greek word that our brother Matthew uses for "Church" in this verse is "Ekklesia" (ἐκκλησία), which means fellowship. The "Ek" in that word means out, while "Kaleo" means called. In other words, "Ekklesia" means called-out assembly or a fellowship of believers called out of this world. Notice that the word does not refer to a physical building, structure, or organization. That came later as the Apostle Paul laid out the power structure in a Church (1 Cor 12:28, 1 Timothy 3, etc.). Even in the book of Revelation, the Lord uses the same word ἐκκλησία to call out His Church. God's intention had always been for the Church to be a close-knit fellowship of believers, not the commercial conglomerate it has become today. The bigger, the more sophisticated, and the wealthier the Church becomes, the farther it seems to fall away from the central tenet of ἐκκλησία or simple, uncomplicated fellowship of believers who gather to sing hymns, songs of praise, and praise God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. May the Lord restore His modern Church to the simplicity of ἐκκλησία it had two thousand years ago. Amen.