EKKLHSIA

Cindy Smith cms at dragon.com
Sun Jan 14 13:54:43 EST 2001


>From:	MX%"a_b_thomas at yahoo.com"  "Alan B. Thomas" 14-JAN-2001 10:52:51.75
>To:	MX%"b-greek at franklin.oit.unc.edu"
>Subj:	[b-greek] Re: EKKLHSIA

>Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2001 07:50:17 -0800 (PST)
>From: "Alan B. Thomas" <a_b_thomas at yahoo.com>
>Subject: [b-greek] Re: EKKLHSIA
>To: Biblical Greek <b-greek at franklin.oit.unc.edu>

>> > It was natural for Jesus to transfer this word to
>> the Church, God's new
>> > congregation.
 
>> I agree with Harold's response, which addresses the
>> appropriateness of
>> EKKLHSIA's use. Still, the question remains why it
>> was chosen over the
>> alternative word, SUNAGWGH.

>D.W.

>Could it be because SUNAGWGH was almost universally
>thought of as a Jewish word, while EKKLHSIA enjoyed a
>universal, non-Jewish connotation of a gathering of
>people united by membership?

>I would think that in the first century, SUNAGWGH
>would bring to mind a Jewish worship place, while
>EKKLHSIA would bring to mind a picture of a gathered
>people, regardless of their national affiliation.

>Since the new church was not a "Jewish" thing,
>EKKLHSIA to me seems like the likely choice. Having
>said that, I do think that SUNAGWGH could have been
>used, since the church was not opposed to using Jewish
>terminology. But in the dominant Greco-Roman world, I
>think EKKLHSIA did not carry any "baggage."

I do not believe that the word SUNAGWGH was automatically associated 
with a Jewish place of worship.  Indeed, SUNAGWGH often referred to 
Roman and Greek gatherings of various kinds, including pagan 
gatherings of worship.  This is why the New Testament often, 
especially in Acts, uses the phrase TAN SUNAGWGHN TWN IOUDAIWN 
(Jewish synagogue) to distinguish it from other types of synagogues.  
Sometimes just the word synagogue is used when it is clear from the 
context that a Jewish synagogue is meant.

>Alan B. Thomas

>"Just think how fast lightning would be
>if it didn't zigzag."



Cindy Smith				   Spawn of a Jewish Carpenter
GO AGAINST THE FLOW! \\ _\\\_     _///_ // A Real Live Catholic in Georgia
cms at dragon.com       >IXOYE=('> <`)=  _<<  "Delay not your conversion  
cms at romancatholic.org//  ///       \\\  \\   to the LORD, Put it not off 
cms at 5sc.net				     from day to day" Ecclus/Sira 5:8



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