[B-Greek] Ekklesia and Caesar

George F Somsel gfsomsel at juno.com
Sun Dec 18 02:58:45 EST 2005


On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 21:17:47 -0600 Jimmy Doyle <jimmy at liquidthinking.org>
writes:
> As some of you may know, Christian pop-author/pastor Robb Bell is 
> teaching
> that Caesar used the term ekklesia to refer to cities that pledged 
> their
> allegiance to him, and that Jesus' (and Paul's) use of the term 
> ekklesia was
> itself an afront to the political power of Rome.  Bell has said this 
> several
> times, and now it appears in his book Velvet Elvis.  In the book he 
> gives
> reference for the first time to this claim as found in Ethelbert
> Stauffer's Christ
> and Caesar.  The book is out of print and I can't find any other 
> references
> supporting this claim.  Does anyone else know anything about this or 
> where I
> could find other sources to back this claim?
> 
> It drives me crazy that I'm hearing this all over as people copy 
> Bell's
> material for use in the pulpit and teaching when it may not be 
> historically
> valid.  It makes a good sermon about the political nature of the 
> Christian
> community...but is it factual?
_______________

Personally, I have no knowledge regarding what any pop author may be
writing regarding this since I studiously avoid popular authors.  LSJ has
the following entry under EKKLHSIA 
 
EKKLHSIA hH, Thess.? EKKLEISSIA BCH?59.38 (Crannon), (EKKLHTOS) assembly
duly summoned, less general than SULLOGOS, Th.?2.22, Pl.?Grg.?456b,
etc.?; applied to the Homeric Assemblies, Arist.?Pol.?1285a11; to the
Samian Assembly, Hdt.?3.142; to the Spartan, Th.?1.87; to the meeting of
the Amphictyons at Delphi, Aeschin.?3.124; at Athens, E. KURIAI opp.?
SUGKLHTOI, Arist.?Ath.?43.4; KURIA E.., at Amorgos, IG?12(7).237.46; E.
SUNAGEIREIN, SUNAGEIN, SULLEGEIN AQROIZEIN, call an assembly, Hdt.?3.142,
Th.?2.60, 8.97, X.?HG?1.6.8; E. POIEIN Ar.?Eq.?746, Th.?1.139, al.?; E.
POIEIN TINI Ar.?Ach.?169; DIDONAI TINI Plb.?4.34.6; E. GIGNETAI an
assembly is held, Th.?6.8; KATASTASHS E. Id.?1.31; HN E. TOIS STRATHGOIS
And.?1.2; E. DIALUEIN, ANASTHSAI dissolve it, Th.?8.69 (Pass.?),
X.?HG?2.4.42; AFIENAI Plu.?TG?16; E. ANEBLHQH was adjourned, Th.?5.45; E.
PERI TINOS Ar.?Av.?1030, etc.?
2. = Lat.? Comitia, E. LOXPIS, FRATRIKH, = Comitia Centuriata, Curiata,
D.H.?4.20.
3. = YHFISMA, ANAGIGNWSKAMENHS E. Philostr.?VS?2.1.11.
II. in Lxx?, the Jewish congregation, De.?31.30, al.?
2. in NT?, the Church, as a body of Christians, Ev.Matt.?16.18,
1?Ep.Cor.?11.22; hH KAT' OIKON TINO E. 
Ep.Rom.?16.5; as a building, Cod.Just.?1.1.5 Intr.?, etc.?, SEG?33.1272
(Palestine, vi a.d.).

Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., Jones, H. S., & McKenzie, R. (1996). A
Greek-English lexicon. "With a revised supplement, 1996." (Rev. and augm.
throughout) (509). Oxford; New York: Clarendon Press; Oxford University
Press.
  
george
gfsomsel
___________


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