Who do we think we are?

We are the ‘Church’

In common usage, the word Church has come to mean the authorities in the Church or the teaching authority of the Church, what we call the Magisterium.  So, when we say or read such phrases as “The Church teaches…”, it is the official Church which is meant by the word.

Even though so common, this meaning of the word is not original and is not what is meant by Church when the word comes up in the Scriptures. 

The original Hebrew word which church translates is ‘qahal’.  This is the word which is used in the Old Testament to designate Israel, the People of God.  It means those chosen by God to belong to him in a particular way; not chosen against other peoples but ultimately for other peoples.

In the Greek language of the New Testament, the word used to translate the Hebrew ‘qahal’ is ‘ekklesia’ which similarly means those called aside to particularly belong to God.  The Latin for this Greek word is ‘ecclesia’ from which so many words we use are derived: ecclesial, ecclesiastical etc.  It is this word which is translated by our word ‘Church’.

When we come across, the word ‘church’ or ‘churches’ in the New Testament, this is the meaning which that word has.  The Church is the gathered disciples of Christ, not just those who hold positions of authority.  We together are indeed the Church.

The word applies to the gathered community of faith.  As last week’s contribution to this series said in answer to the question, ‘Who do we think we are?’, We are a We!  We are a group which Christ gathers to himself to be his in a more intense way, to be his in a way which relates to him in hearing and responding to his word and in entering into communion with him in the Eucharist.

We will go on over the next few weeks to look at the images which the New Testament gives us of what the Church is, that is, of what we are.  These images are rich in content and take us inside this group of human beings who belong to Christ.

By Fr Frank O’Loughlin

Published: 13 September 2024