Why do they call it church?

Answer 1

The English word 'church' can mean a building used for Christian worship, or it can mean the congregation, the collective body of Christian worshippers, either globally or those that regularly meet together for worship in/at a particular location or in a particular country.

The word 'church' stems from the Greek word kyriakon* (= of the Lord), and was applied to a group of people 'of the Lord', and to a building 'of the Lord.'

The Greek word kyriakon became kyriake, which became kirk in Northern England and Scotland; cerkovin Russia; and criky in Old Church Slavonic.

The Old English word written cirice (meaning "church") seems to have been the English version/spelling of kyrikae.And the word cirice evolved into the word with which we are more familiar: 'church.'

Evidence that the word 'church' originally meant 'congregation' (body of worshippers) can be found in the references to a 'church in a house' in these Bible verses:

• "Likewise greet the church that is in their house." -Romans 16:5 (KJV, 1611)
• "Salute the brethren which are in Laodicia, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house." -1 Thess 4:15 (KJV)

(See also Matthew 18:17; Acts 5:11; 14:27; 20:28; 1 Cor 15:23; 2 Cor 16:19; Col 1:18)

FOOTNOTE

*kyrios is Greek for lord or ruler.

Answer 2

The word "church" in the Greek is ekklesia, which means "called out". Christians are a called out people by God to follow Jesus Christ and so not only are we "called out", but we call our buildings were we meet "church".