Synagogues, Churches, & Ekklesias

For suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring, dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in.
(James 2:2 HCSB ©®)

James wrote, “…suppose a man comes into your synagogue…” The various translations vary regarding what they think should be in our minds as we read it in English: meeting and assembly are most popular. Complete Jewish Bible and most literal translations say synagogue. Very liberal paraphrases, like The Message and New Century Version, say church.

I’m guessing that some of the disagreement stems from the idea that followers of Jesus were usually thrown out of synagogues. They didn’t leave and start their own synagogues – they gathered as ekklesias. Churches, having been created by Constantine of Rome and James 1 of England, were modern synagogues. Ekklesias, by a great contrast, were gatherings of people to do government business.

Paul always started in synagogues when he went to a new town. He always finished in ekklesias.