We propose a meaning for the word ekklesia that is consistently applied to both universal and local contexts.   The word ἐκκλησία, when applied to God’s people, was never intended to describe a physical meeting.  This is not an unusual use of words used by New Testament writers.   The word shepherd, for example, referred to a literal sheepherder.   Yet, no one would think that God wants literal sheepherders to oversee souls.  In the same way, Jesus’ promise to “build the church” (ἐκκλησία) and Paul’s description of Jesus “purchasing the church” does not describe a physical gathering together of people that is to be built or purchased with money.   Instead, people are described as being “the ekklesia” because they are gathered into one body and enrolled by God in His heavenly ledger.   While there are those who deny that the word is used to refer to a classification of persons, Luke records, “And the Lord added the ones being saved together” (Acts 2:47).  Luke does not use the word, “church” here but the collective thought is still expressed.  The “being saved ones” describes that particular class of people, not an organization called “the church” that people must get into in order to be saved or to which one must join to do the work of God.   This harmonizes with Peter’s description of the people of God wherein he writes, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).   Some refer to the “distributive” use of the word church in an effort to make sense of some passages.   Recognizing its use in this way admits that the activity of Christians at work describes the “ekklesia” at work.  However, rather than find another way the word is used, it is precisely this idea and this idea alone that defines the people of God.     It may never have been used in this way before in the culture of that day, but it appears in Scripture to refer simply to the people of God.  As ancient Israel was called out of Egypt, so his people are called from darkness into light.

The Greek word, ἐκκλησία, describes a relationship of individual people to the heavenly Father.   This fundamental definition is true whether applied universally or locally.  When it is used to define the same classification of people living in a specific area and at a specific time in history, it will refer to the “ekklesia at …..”.   Yet, we need not change the meaning of the word to describe both a relationship of saved people and a local organization.   The word still refers to the people of God except that a certain location is associated with it.  For example, the “church at Philippi” refers to the “called out” ones living at Philippi.   The churches of Galatia referred to saints living in cities of Galatia.  Neither in the universal or local sense does the word describe an organization.   How can one logically conclude that one refers to a spiritual relationship in Christ and the other refers to a local church organization through which individual saints’ work and worship?   We are not advocating that Philippians 1:1 describes a community of believers who may or may not interact and come together.   Certainly, they did.   Rather, we are advocating that their common faith and brotherhood form a networking of individuals who share their lives in ways similar to individuals of a physical family who meet the needs of others.   Seeing that the church is a spiritual relationship, the needs are primarily spiritual, but physical needs are met for the fatherless, widows, sick, etc.   We object to the use of the word to describe a corporate organization/institution through which individuals must work.  Denominations are structured in this way, but not what Jesus built.

Among autonomous local governments, they consider the local church organization as being the only organization ordained by God through which saints (the ekklesia) may work.   In other words, Christians (in the distributive sense) must work through the local church organization.  For that reason and the sake of clarity, we will add the word “organization” to “local church” to distinguish it from the work of individual saints who live in a given location.  The Bible does address brethren as living in the same town and is referred to as the “ekklesia” in that place.   Yet, this does not necessarily infer that brethren formed themselves into an organization through which they may work.  This is a premise that remains unproven.   We wish to distinguish the “ekklesia” from the “institutional corporate church” or a “church organization” to which individuals must be identified and through which the thought of “collective action” is performed.

The following words will now be used to clarify our thoughts and distinguish terms that are often confusing.

1. “Saint” – A saved individual unit saved by the blood of Christ and set apart for God’s exclusive purpose. Example: A cow set apart for man’s purpose.
2. “Church” – A collectivity of saved individuals. These individuals are saints by calling. They may operate alone as when teaching, doing good, sharing the gospel, or singing praises to God.   Or, they may do these things together.  They do not have to be together to do any of these things.  They naturally do them because that is what saints do.   Example: A herd is a collectivity of cows.  A cow can be grazing in a field by itself or chewing its cud all alone under an oak tree.  It does not need to be in the herd for it to do either of these things.   Or, it may be grazing alongside of other cattle and chewing cud among a dozen other cows.  They are not doing anything different than they would be doing if they were alone.   Each cow is doing what cows do whether alone or in the herd.  Being cows, they all do the same things that identify them as cows.    Cows do not fly as it does not become their nature.
3. “Local Church Organization” – A group of saints that form themselves into an organization/congregation requiring the division of management, and labor and involving the building or purchase of a “church building” in which to have regular meetings for worship and to expedite the work of overseers. Included is a “church treasury” as an operating account under the supervision of an eldership. Example: Cattle holding pens in a coral or meat packing company
4. “Local Church” – A group of saints living within the same local area who are involved in the daily lives of brothers and sisters in households. Example: A herd on the same ranch.
5. “Churches” – A plurality of groups or pockets of saints like the “churches of Galatia” and the “churches of Christ” (Romans 16:16). Example: Plurality of ranches like the ranches of West Texas.