ekklēsia

What it means

From "to call out": a gathering of people called together. In everyday Greek it was a city's citizen assembly. The Greek Old Testament used it for Israel's assembly before God, which is the background Jesus' first hearers would hear. Matthew uses it only twice, here and in 18:17, and none of the other three Gospels uses it at all.

Range of meaning

• Citizen assemblyA city's gathering of free citizens.
• Israel's assemblyGod's gathered people in the Greek Old Testament.
• A local gatheringA particular congregation.
• The churchAll followers of Jesus.

In Matthew

• Chapter 16

  The first of only two times Matthew uses the word (16:18).

• Chapter 18

  "Tell it to the church" (18:17), the second and last time Matthew uses the word.