“And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout

men, out of every nation under heaven.” Acts 2:5

Π ε τ ε ρ , ϑ α µ ε σ , ϑ ο η ν ,
Α ν δ ρ ε ω, Πη ι λ ι π , Τ η ο
µ α σ , Β α ρ τ η ο λ ο µ ε ω, Μ
α τ τ η ε ω , ϑ α µ ε σ (β ε ν
Α λ π η α ε υ σ ), Σ ι µ ο ν (ζ ε
λ ο τ ε σ ), ϑ υ δ α σ (ν ο τ Ι
σ χ α ρ ι ο τ ), Μ α ρ ψ , Σ α λ ο
µ ε , ϑ ο α ν ν α , Μ α ρ ψ (Μ α
γ δ α λ ε ν ε ), Μ α τ τ η ι α σ ,
ϑ ο σ ε π η (Β α ρ σ α β α σ ), Μ
α ρ ψ α ν δ Χλ ε ο π α σ , ϑ ο
Peter, James, John, Andrew,
Philip, Thomas,
Bartholomew, Matthew,
James (ben Alphaeus), Simon
(zelotes), Judas (not
Iscariot), Mary, Salome,
Joanna, Mary (Magdalene),
Matthias, Joseph (Barsabas),
Mary and Cleopas, Joseph (of
Arimathea), Susanna, John
Acts 1:15 “ the number of names together were
about an hundred and twenty.”

Acts 2:41 “ the same day there were added unto

them about three thousand.”

Acts 2:47 “ and the Lord added to the ecclesia

daily such as should be saved.”

Acts 4:4 “… many which heard the word believed,

and the number of the men was about five
thousand.”
Acts 5:14 “… and believers were the more added to
the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.”

Acts 6:1 “… in those days, when the number of the

disciples was multiplied …”

Acts 6:7 “… and the word of God increased; and

the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied
greatly; and a great company of the priests were
obedient to the faith.”
Acts 9:31 “ then had the ecclesias rest.. and were
edified; and…were multiplied.”

Acts 21:20 “… Thou (Paul) seest brother, how

many thousands of Jews there are which believe;
and they are all zealous of the law…,
the multitude must needs come together: for they
will hear that thou art come.”
Acts 3:11 “all the
people ran together
unto them in the
porch that is called
Solomons.”

Acts 5:12 :and they

were all with one
accord in
Solomon’s porch.”
“And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout
men, out of every nation under heaven.” Acts 2:5
 Acts 2:5
“And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews,
devout men, out of every nation under heaven.”
 Acts 2:5
“And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews,
devout men, out of every nation under heaven.”
“And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men,
out of every nation under heaven.” Acts 2:5
 Acts 1:3
“To whom also he (Jesus) showed himself alive after his
passion (suffering) by many infallible proofs, being seen of
them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to
the kingdom of God.”
The veil had been rent
Mark 15:38
-it was evident that the
glory of God was not in
the Most Holy Place of
Herod’s Temple.

The true ark with the

mercy seat , the glory of
God, was now revealed.
 “These all
continued with one accord ...”

HOMOTHUMADON “of one accord”

- with the same … intensity, fervour, passion
- to breathe heavily
continued = to give constant attention to
- to be earnest, persevere
- RSV = “devoted themselves”
“God hath set forth [Gk ‘protithemi’] (to expose / pushed
forward) Christ Jesus to be a propitiation (mercy seat)
through faith in his blood.” Rom 3:25

- gives believers boldness ( speaking openly/ plainly…

having confidence ) to enter into the holiest Heb 10:19.
 “...and thou shalt make a
mercy seat of pure gold …and
thou shalt make two
cherubims of gold (beaten out
of one piece Exod 37:7) …
even of the mercy seat shall
ye make the cherubims on the
two ends thereof … and their
faces shall look one to another
(“every man to his brother”)
 “…and their faces shall
look one to another
(“every man to his
brother”)
towards the mercy seat
shall the faces of the
cherubims be.”
The Cherubim
MAN LION
NF SJ
(idealists) (guardians)

FEEL DO
THINK MAKE
EAGLE OX

NT SP
(rationalists) (artisans)
 “And the glory which thou gavest me
I have given them;
that they may be one,
even as we are one:
I in them, and thou in me,
that they may be made perfect in one.”
John 17:22-23
 “ And they were all with
one accord in one place …
And all that believed were
together, and had all things
in common: and sold their
possessions and goods, and
parted them to all men, as
every man had need. And
they, continuing daily with
 “ And they were
all with one
accord in one
place …And all
“...and thou shalt make a that believed
mercy seat of pure gold
…and thou shalt make were together,
two cherubims of gold and had all things
(beaten out of one piece in common: and
Exod 37:7) … even of the
mercy seat shall ye make sold their
the cherubims on the two possessions and
ends thereof … and their goods, and parted
faces shall look one to
another (“every man to them to all men,
his brother”) towards the as every man had
Adverb HOMOTHUMADON (Gk:
ο µ ο θ ν υ α δ ο ν ):
“of one accord”
occurs 11 times(from homos, same; thumos, mind),
in N.T.,
10 times in Acts
Acts 1:14; 2:46; 4;24; 5:12; 7:57; 8:6; 12:20;
15;25; 18:12; 19:29.

and the other in Rom 15:6, where, for A.V., “with

one mind”, the R.V. has “with one accord”, as
throughout Acts.
Vine’s Expository Dictionary.
 many faces …

but one
heart/mind
 “Now the God of
patience and consolation
grant you to be
likeminded one toward
another according to
Christ Jesus:
HOMOTHUMADON (Gk: ο µ ο θ ν υ α δ ο ν ) :
“of one accord” (from homos, same; thumos, mind /passion),
That ye may with
one mind and with
one mouth glorify
God, even the
Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6
 “And the Lord added to
the church
daily such as should be saved.”
Acts 2:47
 ‘ek’ : “out of”
‘kaleo’ : “called”

“And the Lord added to

the ecclesia
daily such as should be saved.”
Acts 2:47
Ekklesia is a Greek word which occurs over 100 times in N.T.
It is usually translated “church” or “churches”.
The word comes from two words;
‘ek’ : “out of” and ‘kaleo’ : “called”
The two words occur separately in the following quotation:
“Out of Egypt have I called My son” Matt 2:15
The ecclesia is a group of people who have
been ‘called out”. Acts 15:14
“…God at first did visit the Gentiles, to take
out of them a people for His name.”

Usually the word is used of the believers in Christ

who have been called out from the world to be a
people for their God, but
it is also used of Israel in the wilderness Acts7:38

and of the “assembly” of Diana worshippers in

Ephesus who gathered at the theatre Acts 19:32
 Christ’s view of the organization of believers,
after his ascension:
“And I say also unto thee,
‘That thou art Peter, and upon this rock
I will build my ekklesia;
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”…”
Matthew 16:18
“And if he shall neglect to hear them,
tell it unto the ekklesia;
but if he neglect to hear the ekklesia,
let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”
Matthew 18:17
Two Hebrew words are used in the Old Testament to denote
the gathering together of Israel.

One is ‘edhah’ (from a root meaning gathering), translated in

the R.V. “congregation”, and in the Greek Septuagint by the
word ‘sunagoge’ (a bringing together).

The other word is ‘qahal’ (from a root = to call or summon),

translated in R.V. “assembly”, and in the Septuagint
“ecclesia”. The resemblance of ‘qahal’ to the Greek ‘kaleo’ =
call, no doubt suggested its translation by ‘ecclesia’ (from
‘kaleo’) = an assembly summoned by calling.
 The original idea of ‘qahal’ was
that of the society of Israel
when met together in the assembly,
to which they were summoned
by trumpet.
 The original idea of ‘qahal’ was
that of the society of Israel
when met together in the assembly,
to which they were summoned
by trumpet.
 As ‘qahal’ had been the assembly of
Israel summoned to meet God before the
door of the tabernacle,

so ‘ekklesia’ was the term used for the

political assembly of the citizens of a
Greek city-state – not just a collection of
its inhabitants, but a proper assembly of
fully qualified citizens, summoned to
meet to decide matters of state.
 The ecclesial community is not man’s idea;
it is not a Christadelphian idea;
it is God’s idea .
“For as the (human) body is one, and hath many members,
and all the members of that one body, being many, are one
body: so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body, whether
we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free…”
1Cor 12:12-13
Baptism is more than the individual being baptised into
fellowship with the Father and the Son; it is inclusion into a
community of believers established by God; we are all
baptised into one body.
God’s deliberate choice
God’s design is a deliberate choice on His part.
There are many alternatives to the concept of one
community of believers ….
The individual believer could continue in his or
her former associations.
Believers could be divided into different groups
following their favourite teachers.

Disciples of Christ could be divided into groups along

ethnic, social and economic lines.

t none of these are God’s desi

“And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout
men, out of every nation under heaven.” Acts 2:5
The Church ('ekklesia')...The Body of Christ
Arena for Spiritual Develop

“And the Lord added to the ecclesia

daily such as should be saved.”
Acts 2:47
Arena for Spiritual Develop

One of the reasons for ecclesias, is to enhance the

growth of spiritual attributes which are required for
those who will rule the world in righteousness with
our Lord Jesus Christ.
rena for Spiritual Develo

The personal characteristics needed

by the rulers of the world to come,
are most readily developed
in the circumstances of ecclesial life.
Arena for Spiritual Develop

It is also clear that some of the most

difficult aspects of ecclesial life are the
best for our spiritual development.

This is not accidenta

rena for Spiritual Develo

It is clear that the ecclesial system is

not designed to maximise
administrative efficiency.
That is not its objective.
* V42…”and they continued steadfastly in the
apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking
of bread, and in prayers.”

* They enter as priests into the holy place (with

lampstand, shewbread and altar of incense) and
steadfastly look on the glory of God/mercy seat
that is now there.
•V42 “and they continued steadfastly in the apostles’
– Objects of Ecclesial Work
The objects of ecclesial operations are two-fold:
1. – the edification (or refreshment, encouragement,
strengthening, or building up) of its individual
constituents in the faith – “the edifying of itself in
love” Eph 4:1; and
2. - the exhibition of the light of truth to “those that are
without”.
In this two-fold capacity, the ecclesia is “the pillar (that
which upholds) and ground (that which gives
standing room) of the truth” 1Tim 3:15.
These two objects will always be carefully pursued by
enlightened and earnest men. Neither is to be lost
sight of, and neither sacrificed to the other…
A right condition of things gives both an equal place.
A right condition of things…

gives both an equal place.

A right condition of things…

gives both an equal place.