The Hitchhiker’s Guide (18): Church on Purpose

Greet also the church that meets at their house.  Greet my dear friend Epenetus, Romans 16:5a NIV

Church –  [The following introduction to our idea of “church” was written many, many years ago when At God’s Table was just beginning.  Now, two decades later, we are about to discover something else concerning the purpose of the “assembly.”  But first, a reminder.]

Something’s missing.  That seems to be the general consensus of a large number of those who attend church regularly.  We’re not quite sure what it is, but we know that our expectations are often greater than the actual delivery.  We want that mysterious something – desperately – and so we travel from congregation to congregation, searching, hoping, waiting for the final spiritual enlightenment that will tell us, “You’re home.”  What is most discouraging in this quest is the picture painted of the early church in the book of Acts.  It seems more vibrant, more filled with the Spirit, more apostolic.  Miracles accompany its proclamation.  Power and deep humility attend its leaders.  “Why can’t we have that?”   “What’s wrong with us?”

When people don’t know what to do, they do what they know.  Like good believers, we go back to the planning table and come up with another program, another series of sermons or another revival meeting.  We see change, but it doesn’t last.  And back we go again.  Maybe there’s another way.

We could start by noticing some important connections in the words (where else?).  First, the Greek word here is ekklēsía.  You undoubtedly know that.  But did you know that the word ekklēsía is never used in the gospels (except in Matthew 16:18 and 18:17).  You might think that this only means that Yeshua and the disciples used the word “synagogue,” but you would be wrong.  The only place where the early believers used the word synagoge (which is also a Greek term) is in James 2:2.  Now, this should make us pause.  If Yeshua rarely uses the word ekklēsía, and the disciples do not use the word synagoge, then how are we supposed to understand what the “church” is?

Let’s add two more crucial facts.  The Tanakh uses two different words for the religious gathering of God.  They are almost interchangeable – almost, but not quite.  The first is qāhāl.  This word means “to assemble” and is used for nearly any kind of gathering, even gatherings in rebellion against God.  However, in connection with Israel, it describes especially the assembly for religious purposes such as the giving of the Law (see Deuteronomy 9:10).  There is another Hebrew word, ‘edah, which also generally means “assembly” and is often translated “congregation.”  But, while qehillah(assembly) can be translated by both Greek words, ekklēsía and synagoge, ‘edah is never translated as ekklēsía.  Only synagoge translates both qehillah and ‘edah.  That means that ekklēsía can be an assembly, but it can never be a congregation (in Hebrew).  Only a synagoge can be both an assembly and a congregation.

I know that this seems confusing, but hang in there.  Something’s happening, and you don’t want to miss it.  There is a clue here that the modern church lost along the way.

Hebrew culture used qāhāl for a very important concept: gathering to accept the covenant.  Qāhāl is a word that carries the idea of calling by appointment to a particular purpose of God.  This is an event, not a place!  It is focused on God’s purpose, not our participation.  However, when it comes to “congregation,” the word is almost always ‘edah.  123 times this word is found in the Torah.  It is related to the verb “to appoint.”  It is all about the unity of those appointed, not about the individuals gathered.  It is not bound to a special place or time.  It is always about a special people appointed as one unified whole before God.

Isn’t it interesting that ekklēsía, the word that we usually take to mean “church” is never connected to this Hebrew idea of perfect unity in appointment and purpose?  Something’s happening.  Can you feel it?

Qehillah focuses on the event of experience with God.  ‘Edah focuses on the unity of the whole people God appoints.  ekklēsía, the Greek word translated “church” is never ‘edah, only qehillah but synagoge can be both qehillah and ‘edah.

What can we conclude?  Please remember that the doctrine of the church is not going to be concluded in just a short look at the words.  We can only point in the direction since there is so much more to consider, but we can say at least this much.  It appears as though the Hebrew idea behind ekklēsía is about a “happening,” an event, not a place.  A “church” is a gathering event called by God for His purposes.  It doesn’t appear to be a routine meeting in a particular place with a set agenda.  Remember that the verb qāhāl is first found in the idea of gathering soldiers for war.  It is the purpose that precipitates the gathering, not the other way around.  “Church,” from a Hebrew perspective, is all about why we come together, not about where we come together.

Recently I read a comment by a man who was distraught because he didn’t seem able to plant a new church in his community.  You can see how his thinking has been affected by the idea that church is a place.  Maybe we should have church rather than go to church.  How much more might we accomplish for the Kingdom if we began to think of “church” as an event rather than a building?

But there is more.  When we point in this direction, we realize that there is an element in the Hebrew idea that is not present in the Greek word ekklēsía.  ‘Edah – the unity of the gathered assembly – is never picked up by the word ekklēsía.  The event of church does not mean unity.  The event is focused on the reason for the event, namely, the call of God.  We gather because God calls us to gather, and we gather because He has something to tell us and something for us to do.  But that is not the same as being in unity.  It is the word synagoge that enables us to communicate the idea of a single, unified whole.  If we are going to experience ‘edah, our gathering cannot focus on the individuals in the group.  It must focus on the whole group all together.  Does this give you a clue about Paul’s comments on sharing the single mind of Christ or Yeshua’s comments on unity?

The “church” is a unity, a single body (remember Paul’s language) where every individual fades into the whole, integrated unit; where no single member is any more valuable than any other and where every member is vital to the functioning of the whole.  ‘Edah is a body without hierarchy, without “professionals,” without status-seekers and without individual glorification.  It is the one assembly, doing what God commands.  And this brings us back to Mesillat Yesharim.  The purpose of “church” is not worship.  The purpose of the assembly is transformation.

“Instead of undergoing the transformation that leads to the true path of uprightness on the way toward God, we substitute worship of an external projection that does not require a change in our very being.”[1]  Without transformation, there is no qehillah, no ‘edah, no ekklēsía.  There’s only religion—and that’s not nearly enough.

Step 18: Assemble on purpose.  Transform.

Topical Index:  church, ekklēsía, ‘edah, qehillah, worship, Romans 16:5

[1] Ira F. Stone, in Moses Hayyim Luzzatto, Mesillat Yesharim: The Path of the Upright, p. 133.