(_e_) Besides these two significations of the term “church,” there are properly in the New Testament no others. The word ἐκκλησία is indeed used in Acts 7:38; 19:32, 39; Heb. 2:12, to designate a popular assembly; but since this is a secular use of the term, it does not here concern us. In certain passages, as for example Acts 9:31 (ἐκκλησία, sing., א A B C), 1 Cor. 12:28, Phil. 3:6, and 1 Tim. 3:15, ἐκκλησία appears to be used either as a generic or as a collective term, to denote simply the body of independent local churches existing in a given region or at a given epoch. But since there is no evidence that these churches were bound together in any outward organization, this use of the term ἐκκλησία cannot be regarded as adding any new sense to those of “the universal church” and “the local church” already mentioned. _Acts 7:38_—“_the church_ [marg. ‘_congregation_’] _in the wilderness_” = the whole body of the people of Israel; _19:32_—“_the assembly was in confusion_”—the tumultuous mob in the theatre at Ephesus; _39_—“_the regular assembly_”; _9:31_—“_So the church throughout all Judæa and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being edified_”; _1 Cor. 12:28_—“_And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers_”; _Phil. 3:6_—“_as touching zeal, persecuting the church_”; _1 Tim. 3:15_—“_that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth._” In the original use of the word ἐκκλησία, as a popular assembly, there was doubtless an allusion to the derivation from ἐκ and καλέω, to call out by herald. Some have held that the N. T. term contains an allusion to the fact that the members of Christ’s church are called, chosen, elected by God. This, however, is more than doubtful. In common use, the term had lost its etymological meaning, and signified merely an assembly, however gathered or summoned. The church was never so large that it could not assemble. The church of Jerusalem gathered for the choice of deacons (_Acts 6:2, 5_), and the church of Antioch gathered to hear Paul’s account of his missionary journey (_Acts 14:27_).