Do you know what the word ecclesia means? I'll give you a hint. It's an old greek word, and it's one that Jesus' friends used a lot after He went back to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to be their helper.
Tell me some crazy guesses, and we'll see if anyone gets close.
Well, those are some pretty interesting guesses. You guys are very creative. But, the word ecclesia just means 'gathering.' Back before Jesus, it meant a gathering of citizens, a gathering of the people who belonged to that city or to that country. When people who belonged to a certain place got together, they called it ecclesia.
Jesus' followers took over that word, and they used it to talk about a gathering of the people who belonged to the Kingdom of God. Now, who are the people who belong to the Kingdom of God?
Exactly. Christians, or people who follow Jesus, people who help to tell God's story. Ecclesia came to mean a gathering of Christians. Gathering means to get together, so, what might be an English word for Christians all getting together?
You're right. Jesus' first followers used the word ecclesia. We use the word church. Church is God's people getting together. Church is Jesus' followers gathering in one place. That seems pretty simple. It is simple, but it is also important in a couple of ways...
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