Nel nome del Padre, e del Figlio,

e dello Spirito Santo. Amen.

Padre nostro che sei nei cieli,

sia santificato il tuo Nome,
venga il tuo Regno,
sia fatta la tua Volontà
come in cielo così in terra.
Dacci oggi il nostro pane quotidiano,
e rimetti a noi i nostri debiti
come noi li rimettiamo ai nostri debitori,
e non ci indurre in tentazione,
ma liberaci dal Male. Amen
Theology 130
Community of Disciples

Prof. Arniel M. Iway, Ph.D.

 Definitions
• Etymology
• Essential
• Funtional
• Normative – contextual
• historical
Etymology
of
CHURCH -
EKKLESIA
 CHURCH
from the German
word “Kirche, kirk”
which means what
belongs to the lord
The
Lord
 kirche
from the Greek
word “kyriake”
which means
house of God
Alexander the great
 kyriake
from the Roman
word “ Kyriakon”
which means
house of the
master
Julius Ceasar
 “Church”
The English word
church is derived from
the Latin word
“ecclesia”
which means assembly,
community
ubuntu
 EKKLESIA

It is a Greek word,
which is derived
from the Hebrew
word “QAHAL
JAWEH”
 QAHAL JAWEH

Three-fold
meaning: these
three meanings
are inseparable
1. the act of assembling…
2. The assembled community itself
3.The total community
of the people of God
 QAHAL JAWEH in Christian
usage

a. the liturgical assembly

(1 Cor 11:18; 14: 19, 28, 34, 35),
b. the local community
(1 Cor 1:2; 16:1),
c. the whole universal community
of believers
(1 Cor 15:9; Gal. 1:13; Phil
3:6).
The word “church by
this time”, meant
“religious gathering”
or “meeting”
“religious gathering”
“religious gathering”
The word “church by this
time”, meant “religious
gathering” or “meeting.”

The early Christians used to

meet for common prayer and
to break bread in private
houses and at the temple.
Break bread......
Sunday or the first day
of the Jewish week
came to be considered
as the chief day of
their communal
celebration because
this is the day when
Christ resurrected from
the dead.
 To the early Christians it
means:
• read psalms;
• sang hymns;
• shared recollection of
Christ words and deeds;
• and celebration of the
Lord’s Supper;
• at a communal meal.
Such practices were
recorded in the
book of Acts 2:42 - 47
These included strong
faith shown in…
Church

(German) Kirche, kirk

What belongs to the Lord

(Greek) Kyriake
House of god

(Roman) Kyriakon
House of the Master
Church
(Latin) Ecclesia
Assembly, community

(Hebrew) Qahal Jaweh

- Act of assembling
- The assembled community
- Total community