Overview of Ekklēsia
Introduction
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus tells Peter, “…I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” For many readers, the word “church” immediately evokes images of buildings, denominations, or institutions. Yet the meaning of the word Jesus actually used is far richer and far older than later Christian usage. To understand what Jesus meant, we must examine the Greek term itself and trace its usage across the Bible, especially its roots in the Old Testament.
Historical Use
The word translated “church” in Matthew 16:18 is the Greek noun ἐκκλησία (ekklesia). Etymologically, it comes from ek meaning “out” and kaleō meaning “to call.” So literally, “the called-out ones”. In classical Greek, ekklesia referred to an assembly of people called together, especially a civic gathering summoned for deliberation, not necessarily a religious gathering. In the Greek New Testament, ekklesia never refers to a building. It always refers to people assembled or identified as a community. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says He will build His ekklesia, indicating a gathered people belonging to Him, not a physical structure.
Crucially, ekklesia did not originate with Christianity. It is the primary word used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, to translate the Hebrew word קָהָל (qahal), meaning assembly or congregation. It is frequently used of Israel gathered before the Lord (Deut. 9:10, 31:30). For example, in Deuteronomy, Israel gathered before the Lord at Mt. Sinai is called the ekklesia. It is used in terms of covenant renewal ceremonies, public worship, and moments of national accountability. Therefore, the term Jesus uses already invokes the idea of God’s covenant assembly.
Use in the New Testament
In the New Testament, it is only present in the gospels twice (Matthew 16:18 and Matthew 18:17), but it is used throughout Acts and the Epistles to describe local congregations and the universal people of God. Paul frequently speaks of the ekklesia as the body of Christ, emphasizing unity, holiness, and divine calling.
In Acts, ekklesia can even be used in a non-religious sense. In Acts 19, the word describes a civic assembly in Ephesus, demonstrating again that the term itself simply means an assembled group. Context determines its theological weight.
Other representative examples:
Romans 16:5 – “the church in their house.”
1 Corinthians 12:28 – God appoints leaders in the church.
Ephesians 5:25 – “Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her.”
1 Thessalonians 1:1 – “the church of the Thessalonians.”
Primary Interpretation
When Jesus says, “I will build my ekklesia,” He is deliberately invoking Old Testament covenant language through the use of ekklesia; however, the grammar of οἰκοδομήσω (“I will build”) indicates a future action initiated directly by Christ, not inherited from existing institutions. The phrase “my ekklesia” is also striking. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the assembly belongs to Yahweh. Here, Jesus claims ownership of the covenant assembly, an implicit but powerful assertion of His divine authority.
Jesus is declaring that He Himself will gather and establish the people of God. He signals that He is forming a new-covenant community gathered around Himself, the Messiah. It is both continuous with the OT qahal (the assembly of God’s people) and transformed by the new covenant inaugurated in His death and resurrection.
This also explains why the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. The ekklesia is not a fragile human institution. It is the divinely gathered people of God, secured by the authority of the Messiah. Jesus is presenting Himself as the true Shepherd and covenant head who forms, protects, and preserves the people of God.
Thus, the church is:
Called out by Christ
Built by Christ
Belonging to Christ (“My church”)
Grounded on the confession of His identity
Other Views
Some traditions emphasize Matthew 16:18 as the institutional founding of the Church, seeing ekklesia as pointing forward to structured ecclesial authority. This view is especially prominent in Roman Catholic theology, which connects the passage closely to Petrine authority. The Church is the visible, hierarchical institution founded on Peter himself. They point to the wordplay between Πέτρος (Peter) and πέτρα (rock), seeing apostolic succession grounded here.
Others, particularly in Protestant traditions, stress that ekklesia primarily denotes a spiritual community defined by faith and confession rather than institutional continuity. They emphasize that the word itself places the focus on people rather than hierarchy.
Scholars across traditions largely agree, however, that the term is deeply rooted in Old Testament assembly language and cannot be reduced to a later concept of church buildings or denominations.
Closing Thought
The word translated “church” in Matthew 16:18 is a word saturated with covenant meaning long before Jesus ever spoke it. By using this term, Jesus declares that He is gathering the true people of God, fulfilling Israel’s story and securing its future. The church, then, is not primarily a place or an institution, but a people called out by God. Understanding this reshapes how we view Christian identity, community, and mission. We are not merely attendees. We are the assembly Christ Himself is building, and the powers of death will not overcome it.