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History and Etymology for church as found in Merriam-Webster dictionary

Steve of America’s Mountain Time, and one of our SimpleChurch Jesus Zoom Sunday gatherers, sent this helpful Merriam-Webster comment to me about the word church.

History and Etymology for church

Noun, Adjective, and Verb

Middle English chirche, from Old English cirice, ultimately from Late Greek kyriakon, from Greek, neuter of kyriakos of the lord, from kyrios lord…

Thanks, Steve!

Now that I know the English word “church” has Greek roots and means “of the Lord,” I like it more.

Albeit, the English word “church” is a replacement word. The New Testament Greek text for “church” is ekklēsía, which literally means—“called out” [ones].

Some believers call their Jesus gathering the ekklēsía. Others call it the gathering which in Greek is sunago the Greek root of synagogue. (Okay. Okay…I’ll stop! I like this stuff!)

Blue Letter Bible on kyriakon

John Parker

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Your additional comments are very welcome. Thank you.