It is quite common these days to buy something that says "Assembly Required" on the box. Some see this as an enjoyable challenge, while others view it as a necessary evil! The process of assembly can go very smoothly if instructions are followed AND, very importantly, if all the parts are present. However, it can also be very frustrating if there are no instructions or if there are parts missing.

Spiritually, we too "require assembly". However, when most Christians think of "assembly", instead of thinking of God putting people together, they almost immediately think of assembling themselves together by attending a church meeting of some description. Assembly, in a church or religious context, is usually assembling in a structure made by man, for man, led by man, and instigated by man. And attending regularly is a requirement (whether voiced or not!) that is imposed on all those who are part of these structures.

In contrast to that, the assembly of God's people are being gathered and assembled together into an unseen structure, unseen company, and unseen family by our unseen Father - what is spiritual and heavenly is not immediately visible to the earthly. It is very important that all the parts for this assembling are present and accounted for. Every single person/part is essential for this assembly. And there is a Greek word in the New Testament that means "assembly". This word is: "ekklesia".

The Greek word "ekklesia" is mistranslated as "church" in most English Bibles. Several years ago I wrote about leaving the word "church" (see Leaving Church). However, I felt at the time that simply replacing the word "church" with the word "ekklesia" was not ideal for a number of reasons:

On a recent trip to Samoa we saw these churches/ekalesiae everywhere:

There were so many churches/ekalesiae in Samoa, even on the remote island that we were on. They were quite large, ornate buildings in stark contrast to the thatched fales/houses that were often without walls. It was clear that these buildings are important to the people and therefore lots of money is spent on them. As my son wrote, "Fales (Samoan thatched houses) and elaborate churches. That was about all the buildings you would see. Lots of churches, and even more fales. Tourism was a miniscule business compared to religion it appeared…"

Whether we like it or not, the Greek word "ekklesia" is tainted with religion and with the business of religion. Instead of being translated, the word was transliterated into Latin as "ecclesia" and from there became an ecclesiastical word, associated with religion and the church. And although the word "ekklesia" is the Greek translation of the original Hebrew word "qahal", "ekklesia" is translated in most English Bibles as "church" even though the original word "qahal" is not once translated as "church" in the Old Testament. Instead "qahal" is translated as congregation, assembly and company.

In William Tyndale's translation of the Bible into English he translated the word "ekklesia" as "congregation" even though there were churches around when Tyndale was alive. William Tyndale did use the word "church" twice in his translation; in relation to pagans and their places of worship. This is what he wrote (in old English): "Then Iupiters Preste which dwelt before their cite brought oxe and garlondes vnto the churche porche and wolde have done sacrifise with the people." (Acts 14:13 in modern English reads, "And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds"). The second instance was: "For ye have brought hyther these me whiche are nether robbers of churches nor yet despisers of youre goddes." (Acts 19:37 now reads, "For you have brought here these men, who are neither robbers of temples, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess").

Tyndale completed his translation in 1525 (86 years before the King James version) and he associated a church with idolatry and pagan religions (some of us would say that is still the case). Not once did Tyndale interpret either "qahal" or "ekklesia" as a building or as "church".

Called Out

Many of us believe that this word "ekklesia" means "called out ones". It is true that the word "ekklesia" is a composite noun made up of two Greek words: "ek" meaning "out of" or "away from", and "kaleo" meaning "called", and as a result, many conclude that "ekklesia" means "called out ones". However, I've had a niggling sense for some time that this was not entirely correct; language is more complicated than simply seeing the root words and thinking that is what a composite word means. Just as composite nouns in English cannot be broken apart but instead make up a new word with a new meaning, so it is in the Greek.

The meaning of a composite word is changed from the individual parts of the word, into a new composite word with a new meaning and definition. Some assembly is required in order to become a new word! You cannot take apart the new word. For instance, we can't take the word "outcome" in English and take it to mean "come out" - the composite word does not mean that. In the same way we can't take "ekklesia" - out called - and say that it means "called out" because it did not mean that in the Greek, so it is rather disingenuous for us to suggest that it did.

The words ek and kaleo were used separately in Greek, but the composite word ekklesia meant a gathering of people called together for a purpose. It was not a religious word, it was an every day word used in ancient Greece; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesia_(ancient_Athens). The closest words we have in English for "ekklesia" are assembly, gathering, company.

In 1889 a Greek scholar wrote the following:

If we say that "ekklesia" means "called out ones", it loses some of its emphasis because it is not just a matter of being called out (although that is a very important aspect) but it is also vital to recognize that we are called into being gathered together. We are not called out to be individual "ones" isolated and alone; we are called out to be together in a heavenly company and community that is being assembled and gathered together in Christ.

At this point you may be remembering the "not forsaking assembling together" verse. This verse is usually completely misunderstood and is often misused for trying to convince people that attending church meetings is essential and Biblical: "Let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up to love and helpful deeds, not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together as is the habit of some people, but admonishing, warning, urging and encouraging one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching" (Heb. 10:24,25 TAB).

Firstly, the word commonly translated as "church" is not even in this verse, even though some Bibles would have us believe that it is. For instance The Living Bible interprets this verse as: "Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do..." But that is nothing like what the original Greek says.

The Greek word used in this verse for "assemble together" is not "ekklesia", but "episynagoge". This word means "gathering together in one place", "gathered with others already assembled", "a complete collection". The word is used only in one other verse in the Bible: "concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him" (2 Thess. 2:1). We need to see that Christ IS the one Place where we are gathered together with those who are already assembled - both in the context of 2 Thessalonians, AND in the context of Hebrews 10!

If, as many people do, you take those verses in Hebrews to apply to a literal, physical assembly or church meeting, then how is it possible for us all to be physically episynogoge - gathered together in one place - when we are scattered all over the world? The answer is that it is very clearly NOT speaking physically, but spiritually: we ARE being gathered and assembled together in One Place: CHRIST! This is not about attending a place physically here on earth, but being gathered in One Place (Christ) spiritually. This is the "new and living Way" that the writer of Hebrews had just mentioned.

Remember how "ekklesia" is made of two Greek words: ek and kaleo, this word is also made of two words: para (near, beside) and kaleo. The first meaning of the word is "to call to your side, to summons". The secondary meaning is "to call upon in entreaty, comfort, and instruction". Remember that the author of the book to the Hebrews was challenging everything that the Hebrews had known and believed was right in their religion and was instead emphasising the spiritual and not the physical; just reading chapter 9 brings all that is in chapter 10 into this spiritual context. In that context, it makes sense that this verse could be interpreted as: "We are not abandoning our being gathered together in one Place (Christ) even as is the custom and rite of some (in their institutions and religions here on earth) but instead we're calling one another alongside us (with Christ in the heavenly places) and encouraging others even more as we see the Day approaching".

So, all those who are being assembled together in Jesus Christ in the heavenlies, regardless of whether they go to any meetings on earth or not, are the ones who are truly "not forsaking the assembly"!