Ekklesia: Greek City-States
By Dr. Patti Amsden
By Dr. Patti Amsden
Around the 7th Century B.C., Greek culture gave birth to the practice of local geographical areas being governed by a body of citizens comprised from the territory being governed. These territories, often referred to as city-states, had specific borders and were ruled by a constitution. When the local governing body was assembled to oversee and administrate the affairs of the city-state, the gathering was called an ekklesia. This form of governance continued to influence areas in the days of Roman occupation.
Acts 19 tells the story of the Apostle Paul’s influence in Ephesus. For two years, Paul preached in the synagogue (vs. 8), in the school of Tyrannus (vs. 9), and to all who lived in that part of Asia (vs. 10). God did special miracles through Paul (vs. 11), and the understanding of God’s Word grew and the influence of the gospel increased (vs. 20). As a result of the many conversions, many people began to forsake their idolatrous practices.
Local merchants who made and sold silver shrines of the goddess Diana began to notice the diminished sales (vs. 23-27). These craftsmen, under the influence of a silversmith named Demetrius, incited an uprising; and the protestors captured two of Paul’s companions – Gaius and Aristarchus. The town’s people assembled (ekklesia) in a local theater. A great deal of anger and confusion threated the safety of Paul’s co-workers, and the fervor of the citizens escalated. Eventually, a town clerk appeased the people, sought to reason with the crowd, and admonished them to not take any rash action. He stated, “For you have brought fothr these men, which are neither robbers of churches nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. Wherefore, if Demetrius and the craftsmen which are with him have a matter against any man, the law is open and there are deputies; let them accuse one another. But if you want anything else, it must be determined in a legal assembly (ekklesia).” (vs. 37-39)
The town clerk suggested resolution of the issues by appealing to the local ekklesia, the local governing assembly of the city-state. This story implies, among many other truths, that the practice of city-state ekklesia governance that had begun in Greek culture was still in practice in the days of Jesus and the early church.
In Matthew 16: 18 when Jesus told his disciples that He would build His church or His ekklesia, He chose a name that might have caused his listeners to think about the Greek city-states. Jesus was not indicating that He would discard the years of covenantal history and practices that God had established through the nation of Israel. Jesus was not indicating that He would throw off an old, ineffective order and replace it with a Greek, secular model. As has been previously discussed in this series of articles, Jesus was connecting the assignment that was on Moses’ called out to the assignment that He was placing on His called out. Yet, nonetheless, His listeners would have doubtless connected the term ekklesia with the current-day governance style of Greek city-states.
Perhaps Jesus did not intend for his listeners to make a correlation. Perhaps He did. Perhaps the development of the Greek ekklesia was the providential guidance of the Heavenly Father, and that these assemblies were operating in history at just the right era to serve as a point of reference or an earthly example of a called out governing assembly. Whatever was in the mind and heart of Jesus, His term for His covenantal ambassadors was ekklesia. His disciples then and His disciples throughout history are called out and assembled in local areas to conduct kingdom business for a designated territory and by means of our constitution, which is God’s Word. More about local governance will be discussed in the next article.
Acts 19 tells the story of the Apostle Paul’s influence in Ephesus. For two years, Paul preached in the synagogue (vs. 8), in the school of Tyrannus (vs. 9), and to all who lived in that part of Asia (vs. 10). God did special miracles through Paul (vs. 11), and the understanding of God’s Word grew and the influence of the gospel increased (vs. 20). As a result of the many conversions, many people began to forsake their idolatrous practices.
Local merchants who made and sold silver shrines of the goddess Diana began to notice the diminished sales (vs. 23-27). These craftsmen, under the influence of a silversmith named Demetrius, incited an uprising; and the protestors captured two of Paul’s companions – Gaius and Aristarchus. The town’s people assembled (ekklesia) in a local theater. A great deal of anger and confusion threated the safety of Paul’s co-workers, and the fervor of the citizens escalated. Eventually, a town clerk appeased the people, sought to reason with the crowd, and admonished them to not take any rash action. He stated, “For you have brought fothr these men, which are neither robbers of churches nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. Wherefore, if Demetrius and the craftsmen which are with him have a matter against any man, the law is open and there are deputies; let them accuse one another. But if you want anything else, it must be determined in a legal assembly (ekklesia).” (vs. 37-39)
The town clerk suggested resolution of the issues by appealing to the local ekklesia, the local governing assembly of the city-state. This story implies, among many other truths, that the practice of city-state ekklesia governance that had begun in Greek culture was still in practice in the days of Jesus and the early church.
In Matthew 16: 18 when Jesus told his disciples that He would build His church or His ekklesia, He chose a name that might have caused his listeners to think about the Greek city-states. Jesus was not indicating that He would discard the years of covenantal history and practices that God had established through the nation of Israel. Jesus was not indicating that He would throw off an old, ineffective order and replace it with a Greek, secular model. As has been previously discussed in this series of articles, Jesus was connecting the assignment that was on Moses’ called out to the assignment that He was placing on His called out. Yet, nonetheless, His listeners would have doubtless connected the term ekklesia with the current-day governance style of Greek city-states.
Perhaps Jesus did not intend for his listeners to make a correlation. Perhaps He did. Perhaps the development of the Greek ekklesia was the providential guidance of the Heavenly Father, and that these assemblies were operating in history at just the right era to serve as a point of reference or an earthly example of a called out governing assembly. Whatever was in the mind and heart of Jesus, His term for His covenantal ambassadors was ekklesia. His disciples then and His disciples throughout history are called out and assembled in local areas to conduct kingdom business for a designated territory and by means of our constitution, which is God’s Word. More about local governance will be discussed in the next article.
