What does "church" mean?
Introduction. The word church is from the Greek word ekklesia. Ekklesia is not a religious word as originally used among the Greeks. Ekklesia is a compound word meaning "ek, out of, and klesis, a calling" (W.E. Vine, vol. 1 pg. 83). The word is used in its basic secular sense in Acts 19: 32, 39, and 41 as an assembly of people (a.k.a. a called out group).
The Holy Spirit spiritually used the word "church". The first time ekklesia is used in the spiritual sense (translated "church") is in Matthew 16: 18, where Jesus promised to build His church. Applied spiritually, ekklesia suggests the called out of - that is, the saved who are called out of the world (John 17). Depending on the context, "church" is used to denote either all the saved without any particular geographic designation (Matt. 16: 18) or of the saved in one or more particular geographic areas (1 Cor. 1: 2). When used universally to denote all the saved, the term is always used in the singular. In the local sense it can be either singular (a local congregation) or plural (multiple local congregations). Hence, Paul wrote, "... The churches of Christ salute you" (Rom. 16: 16).
Locally, "church" is applied to an assembly of God's people, the saved who have banded together to worship God and work together as a group (1 Cor. 14: 19; Acts 14: 23). When fully organized, the local church has elders (bishops) and deacons (Phil. 1: 1; 1 Tim. 3: 1-13).
How "church" is not used. Out of the 115 times "church" is used in the Greek New Testament, it never refers to the building in which the church meets. "Church" is also never used to denote denominations (a.k.a. the Baptist church, the Lutheran church, the Catholic church). While it is true that denominations as we now know them did not exist in the First Century, the Bible doesn't apply "church" to unauthorized religious groups such as the Nicolaitanes, etc. (Rev. 2: 6, cf. vs. 1).
The Holy Spirit spiritually used the word "church". The first time ekklesia is used in the spiritual sense (translated "church") is in Matthew 16: 18, where Jesus promised to build His church. Applied spiritually, ekklesia suggests the called out of - that is, the saved who are called out of the world (John 17). Depending on the context, "church" is used to denote either all the saved without any particular geographic designation (Matt. 16: 18) or of the saved in one or more particular geographic areas (1 Cor. 1: 2). When used universally to denote all the saved, the term is always used in the singular. In the local sense it can be either singular (a local congregation) or plural (multiple local congregations). Hence, Paul wrote, "... The churches of Christ salute you" (Rom. 16: 16).
Locally, "church" is applied to an assembly of God's people, the saved who have banded together to worship God and work together as a group (1 Cor. 14: 19; Acts 14: 23). When fully organized, the local church has elders (bishops) and deacons (Phil. 1: 1; 1 Tim. 3: 1-13).
How "church" is not used. Out of the 115 times "church" is used in the Greek New Testament, it never refers to the building in which the church meets. "Church" is also never used to denote denominations (a.k.a. the Baptist church, the Lutheran church, the Catholic church). While it is true that denominations as we now know them did not exist in the First Century, the Bible doesn't apply "church" to unauthorized religious groups such as the Nicolaitanes, etc. (Rev. 2: 6, cf. vs. 1).