The English Word “Church”
The word translated "church" in the Post 15th Century English Bibles is “ekklesia”. This word is the Greek words “kaleo” (to call), with the prefix “ek” (out). Thus, the word means "the called out ones." HOWEVER, the English word "church" does not come from “ekklesia” but from the word “kuriakon”, which means "dedicated to the Lord." – The word “Churche” did begin to make its way into later 16th Century Old English Bibles such as the Bishop’s Bible of 1568 and Geneva Bible of 1587.
Examples were the word ‘ekklesia’ was translated into a proper way:
And there came a greate feare ouer the whole congregacion, and ouer all the that herde it.
And great feare came on all the congregacion and on as many as hearde it.
“Congregation” or “Assembly” are the proper choices for the Greek word “ekklesia”, and a number of translations for several years have used a proper translation, instead of that for “kuriakon”. Even though the word didn’t appear in English Bibles, as “churche” until the 16th Century, it is said it’s use, perhaps somewhat, goes back to at least the 10th Century. If this is so, there needs to be some evidence to support it was used this early, to get an idea when the churchian religion began, though assuredly, some evolvement from earlier gatherings & meetings.
It is said that there are 19 passages showing assembly / congregation gathering / meetings at home, but perhaps not so obvious in the text as 1 Corinthians 16:9, Romans 16:5, Colossians 4:15, and Philemon 1:2 is.
https://reformedwiki.com/verses/house-churches-
So the so-called “Church Age” uttered in the Western World if we stick to that term, really isn't all that old. The More fitting term, and older, would be the “Post-Constantinian Age”, or even "Christo-Pagan Age", as those adherents, and those in the “Pre-Constantinian” (4th Century CE, Julian Calendar), times that congregated or studied at home, could be no farther apart. The Good News (pun intended) is that there is always that narrow path of us that get saved from those camps, and even convert within them (somebody always starts somewhere!)
#Congregation #Assembly #Knesset #Ekklesia #Kuriakon #Circus #Church