The word “church” supposedly derives from the Greek “ekklesia” and means the “all-encompassing, universal” church within the framework of Catholicism. At least, that’s the explanation offered by the Church of Rome. But with this, the religious dictators are merely sweeping the true nature of the word under the rug. Another Greek word seems far more likely to be the origin.
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Interpretation of the Roman Church
The word “church” comes from the word “ekklesia,” a variation of the Greek word meaning community or church. This is according to the “Catholic presumption”:
“The term ‘Ekklesia Kata Holos’ is a Greek expression that literally means ‘the assembly according to the whole’ or ‘the universal communion’. This concept forms the core of the identity of the Catholic Church, whose name derives from precisely this root: ‘catholic’, which means universal.” And, “The term ‘ekklesia’ first appears in the New Testament and receives its full meaning there in Christ. Jesus establishes the Church as a visible and spiritual community rooted in his person and mission.” (Source).
The usual stuff from Rome
The term “Ekklesia Kata Holos” appears in the New Testament in Acts 9:31 (corresponding passage in bold):
“Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.“
This alone clearly demonstrates the self-aggrandizement inherent in the Roman Catholic Church. What exactly does it say? “Thus the communities had peace throughout all…” what? “…Judaea and Galilee and Samaria.” What does the Roman Catholic Church interpret this as meaning “the assembly according to the whole.” And from this, this institution, in its self-understanding, derives the universal whole and thus “Catholic.” This, according to the interpretation, is also the concept contained in this Greek expression. But, objectively speaking, it’s completely fabricated.
What Ekklesia really means
There is another problem with the interpretation of the term “Ekklesia.” It does not mean the universal, all-encompassing church, but rather the “called-out” or the “set apart.” In the context of the New Testament, this refers to separation from this world. It is therefore not surprising that this is also connected to the statement in Matthew 16:18, in which Peter is supposedly the rock (Greek “petra”), although the Greek word is clearly “petros,” meaning stone or part of the rock. Jesus Christ himself is the rock, the foundation of his church (Info).
Exclusion, or separation, is the declared enemy of the Roman Catholic Church. Individualism is even “the most dangerous of all viruses,” according to Pope Francis. Thus, “separation” is completely contrary to Roman Catholic philosophy, according to “ecclesia,” because ecclesia demands not only separation from the world, but also from any heresy that might infiltrate even the young community of Jesus Christ.
The Catholic explanation of the word “Ekklesia” is thus one of the countless symptoms of a doctrine of the adversary that is completely contrary to the Gospel and, as usual, fits seamlessly into the “nature of this Church” (Info).
“Kirke” would be a suggestion.
A far more likely origin for the word “church” also comes from Greek, specifically from its polytheistic mythology. In these tales, a figure named “Kirke” (Κίρκη) appears. She is described as a sorceress, the daughter of the sun god Helios, and the daughter of the Oceanid Perse. Homer, the author of the Odyssey, refers to Kirke as a goddess.
Kirek lives on an island, and Odysseus and his men, fleeing the Laestrygonians, nearly suffer shipwreck and reach this island as a lifeline. Kirek offers them shelter and invites the crew into her home. Odysseus remains on the ship. She also offers them food, but this food is poisoned with a magic herb. Odysseus and his men are transformed into pigs. Kirek imprisons them all. It is also interesting to note that one of Circe’s sons was named “Latinus.”
Kirke was also capable of making people immortal. On another occasion, she transformed her beloved Picus, who did not reciprocate her love, into a woodpecker, and she transformed her rival Scylla into a sea monster.
Variation of the name Kirke
The Romans were intensely interested in Hellenistic “wisdom,” its philosophies, and mythologies. Emperor Julius Caesar, for example, drew inspiration from Alexandria (Egypt) before developing the Julian calendar. The pantheon of Roman gods also shows parallels to Greek mythology—a legacy passed down from Babylon. The Romans were also familiar with Kirke, but couldn’t make sense of the “K” and changed her name to “Circe.”
Circe, in turn, proved unwieldy for later and other languages and cultures. Circe became Zirze in German, while Circe was retained in English. This “Zirze” also laid the foundation for the German word “bezirzen,” meaning to charm or seduce. Even today, in some regions of the world, the word “Kirke” is used to mean “church,” such as in Scotland. Just recently, US Vice President JD Vance surprisingly noted in a “popular” speech that the family name of Charlie Kirk, the murdered Christian martyr, actually means “church.”
The word Kirke is much closer to the word church than the Greek word Ekklesia, which is used by the Roman Catholic Church and Kirke is more like the nature of a false, seductive, poisonous and therefore deadly sorceress than the actual meaning of the word “Ekklesia” (separation, coming forth).
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Matthew 7:15
Bible verses from King James Version (1611)>
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