Church
The English word “church” does not translate the Greek ekklesia — it derives from kyriakos, a pagan term for a building belonging to a lord. The Greek ekklesia — the called-out ones — was used by NT writers to describe both the NT body and Israel in the wilderness (Acts 7:38), connecting directly to the Hebrew qahal, the assembled congregation, which the Septuagint most commonly renders as ekklesia. A spiritual organism, not a building or institution. Synonyms: ekklesia, ecclesia, called-out ones, assembly, congregation, kyriakos, qahal, edah.