What Did “Ecclesia” Mean in the New Testament? Church, Synagogue & the People of God

In this clip from Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright answers a question about one of the most important New Testament words for Christian life: ecclesia, often translated “church.”
Steve Pattinson from New Zealand asks what ecclesia meant in its original context, and how it compares to modern ideas of church in the West. Tom explains that in the first century, ecclesia referred to “called-out” communities—often overlapping with synagogue life—centered on Scripture, prayer, and the shared identity of God’s people.
The discussion explores how early Christian communities did not see themselves as starting something entirely new, but as Israel’s Messiah-shaped renewal movement within the wider story of God’s people. Tom also reflects on how Paul uses ecclesia both for local gatherings and for the universal people of God united in Christ.
Along the way, he critiques modern consumerist views of church as a weekly religious event or personal hobby, and instead presents a richer biblical vision: the church as a living, unified, and diverse family formed around Jesus the Messiah.

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