The Living, Called‑Out People of God
By Rich Amick
Revision Note (2026): This study has been updated to clarify the distinction between the New Testament term ekklesia and the historical origin of the English word church, which derives from the Greek kyriakon (“belonging to the Lord”).
The word that occurs in the Greek translation of Matthew 16:18—ekklesia (ἐκκλησία)—carries a meaning far deeper than our modern word “church.” In everyday Greek, ekklesia referred to citizens called out for a purpose. Formed from ek (“out of”) and kaleō (“to call”), it described a gathered people, not a building, hierarchy, or institution.
Ekklesia = “called‑out assembly”
Kyriakon = “belonging to the Lord” (source of the English word church)
Although the New Testament consistently uses ekklesia to describe God’s gathered people, our English word church does not come from ekklesia. Instead, it derives from the Greek term kyriakon (κυριακόν), meaning “belonging to the Lord” or “the Lord’s house.”1 Through Germanic and Old English forms (kirika, cirice), kyriakon eventually became the English word church. Thus, while ekklesia emphasizes a called‑out people, the historical English term emphasizes the place associated with the Lord. The concepts converge in Christian theology, but the words themselves share no etymological connection.
Table of Contents
- The Called‑Out People of God
- A People Formed by Grace, Not Human Merit
- Why “Organism” Best Describes the Ekklesia
- Grace Shapes the Life of the Body
- The Heart of Jesus’ Promise
The Called‑Out People of God
Where Jesus says, “I will build My ekklesia,” the translators applied an ordinary Greek word to a new kind of community: people called out by God from darkness into His light (1 Peter 2:9), called out from the world (2 Corinthians 6:17), and called into fellowship with His Son (1 Corinthians 1:9). The church is a “body of called‑out people.” The term ekklesia was used in the Septuagint for Israel’s assembly in the wilderness (Acts 7:38), and in the New Testament it is applied to the New Covenant community of believers—both Jew and Gentile—as the continuation of God’s redeemed people. The New Testament uses ekklesia for both local gatherings (Acts 11:26; 1 Corinthians 1:2) and the universal body of believers (Ephesians 1:22–23).
A People Formed by Grace, Not Human Merit
This called‑out identity is rooted in the gospel itself. The ekklesia is not a community formed by human achievement, moral performance, or works of law. Scripture is emphatic:
- We are saved by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8–9).
- We are justified by faith apart from works of the law (Romans 3:28).
- God saved us “not because of works done by us in righteousness but according to His mercy” (Titus 3:5).
- Abraham was counted righteous before the law existed, demonstrating salvation by faith (Romans 4:1–5).
The ekklesia is therefore a people created by God’s call and sustained by God’s grace. Our identity is not earned; it is received. Our standing is not achieved; it is given. Our life together flows from faith in Christ, not from human systems or religious performance.
Why “Organism” Best Describes the Ekklesia
Not an Institution
Institutions are built on rules, traditions, and structures. But the ekklesia is not defined by impersonal frameworks. It is defined by people who have been made alive in Christ.
Not a Corporation
A corporation is a legal entity with liability protections, ownership shares, and often a profit motive. None of this reflects the New Testament’s portrayal of the church.
Not Primarily an Organization
Organizations involve human-designed roles, programs, and hierarchies. While churches may use organizational tools, these are not inherent to the meaning of ekklesia.
A Living, Spirit‑Empowered Organism
The New Testament consistently describes the ekklesia as the body of Christ—a living, interconnected organism animated by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Ephesians 4:15–16; Colossians 1:18, 24). Christ is the Head. Believers are members joined together. The life of the body flows from Him.
This organism grows, matures, and builds itself up in love. It reproduces through disciple-making. It is relational, dynamic, and Spirit-led—not mechanical or bureaucratic. Believers are “living stones” being built into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5), and together they form a dwelling place for God by the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19–22).
Grace Shapes the Life of the Body
Because the ekklesia is created by grace, it also grows by grace:
- We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
- We stand in grace (Romans 5:2).
- We are strengthened by grace (Hebrews 13:9).
- Christ dwells in our hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17).
The life of the church is not sustained by human effort but by the ongoing work of Christ and the Spirit. The same grace that saves us also shapes us, unites us, and empowers us to love one another.
The Heart of Jesus’ Promise
When Jesus promised to build His ekklesia, He was not envisioning a hierarchy, a legal entity, or a religious institution. He was promising to form a living, breathing community of people called out by God, saved by grace through faith, and united to Him as His body.
The church is, at its core, an organism infused with divine life—Christ’s life—expressed through His people.
Footnotes
1 The term kyriakon (“belonging to the Lord”) appears in early Christian usage to describe the Lord’s house and is the linguistic root of the English word church, though it is not used in the New Testament to denote the people of God.
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