The Ancient Roots of the Term “Ekklesia”
The Greek word ekklesia (ἐκκλησία) literally means “a calling out” or “assembly,” derived from ek (“out of”) and kaleo (“to call”). In classical Greek usage, particularly in ancient city-states like Athens (as early as the 7th century BC under Draco and formalized under Solon in 594 BC), the ekklesia referred to the popular assembly of citizens summoned from their homes into a public place for deliberation and governance.
This assembly was the cornerstone of Athenian democracy:
- Open to all qualified male citizens (regardless of class after Solon’s reforms).
- Responsible for major decisions: declaring war, setting military strategy, electing officials (such as strategoi and magistrates), legislating laws, and holding public servants accountable.
- Typically involved 6,000 or more participants from a citizen population of 30,000–60,000, meeting regularly (initially monthly, later three or four times per month) on the Pnyx hill or in the Theatre of Dionysus.
- Agendas were prepared by the Boule (council), with voting by show of hands or other methods; attendance was sometimes enforced to ensure participation.
The ekklesia embodied the principle that free citizens, called together, held sovereign authority over public affairs—deliberating, judging, and acting for the common good of the polis (city-state). It was a lawful, convened gathering of the people exercising self-governance, distinct from smaller councils or courts.
Biblical Usage in the New Testament (KJV)
In the Greek New Testament, ekklesia appears 114–118 times (depending on textual variants), translated primarily as “church” but also as “assembly” in certain contexts (e.g., Acts 19:32, 39–41). The term retains its classical sense of a called-out assembly or gathering, but is applied to the community of believers.
Key biblical applications include:
- A general lawful assembly — As in Acts 19:39, referring to a convened gathering of citizens to discuss legal matters.
- The assembly of Israel — Stephen describes the people of Israel as “the church [ekklesia] in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38), echoing the Hebrew qahal (assembly or congregation) from the Old Testament, translated as ekklesia in the Septuagint (LXX).
- The Christian assembly — Most often, it denotes the called-out community of believers in Christ, whether:
- Local gatherings of Christians in a city or household (e.g., “the church of God which is at Corinth” – 1 Corinthians 1:2; Romans 16:5).
- The universal body of believers (e.g., Matthew 16:18 – “I will build my church”; Ephesians 1:22–23 – Christ as head over all things to the church).
- The heavenly assembly of the faithful (Hebrews 12:23).
This usage emphasizes a people summoned by God out of the world for worship, mutual edification, discipline, and mission—living under divine principles while engaging in orderly, communal governance (e.g., Matthew 18:17 for resolving disputes within the assembly).
Connection to American Common Law and Lawful Assembly Traditions
The ancient ekklesia model influenced Western ideas of self-governance, citizen participation, and assemblies as the foundation of lawful authority. Early American colonists, drawing from English common law (itself rooted in biblical and classical traditions), formed local assemblies, town meetings, and county courts where free people gathered to deliberate, resolve disputes, and oversee justice—mirroring the deliberative, participatory nature of the ekklesia.
Foundational American documents reinforce this heritage:
- The Declaration of Independence affirms government by consent of the governed.
- The Northwest Ordinance (1787, reaffirmed 1 Stat. 50) promotes education and orderly settlement through local structures, echoing the call to assemble for public welfare.
- Common law principles, including trial by jury and grand juries, preserve citizen involvement in justice—paralleling the ekklesia’s role in oversight and decision-making.
The San Bernardino county Jural Society – Settled on the Land as the De Jure County Assembly
In the 21st century, the San Bernardino county Jural Society has peacefully settled on the land and soil of San Bernardino county as the de jure county assembly. We stand in our proper political status as living men and women on the land and soil jurisdiction of California state, exercising our inherent right to lawful self-governance in accordance with the original American republican form preserved in the foundational documents.
Inspired by the historical ekklesia as a called-out assembly of the people for deliberation and the common good, we:
- Maintain the continuity and presence of the lawful assembly on the land
- Hold formal meetings dedicated to the study and preservation of American common law principles and historical governance structures
- Uphold the distinctions between land and soil jurisdiction (for living people under common law) and other forms
- Preserve knowledge regarding the four pillars of county government on the land: the General Assembly, the Jural Assembly (people’s courts), the County Militia, and elected/appointed officers such as the sheriff on the land, justices of the peace, coroner, and recorder
Our activities remain strictly educational, voluntary, and peaceful. We do not conduct active grand jury investigations, trial proceedings, or official county business transactions. Our focus is on education, historical preservation, and community building among those who choose to stand on the land and soil in honor.
We operate in full peace and transparency, adhering to the timeless maxim of justice: “Do no harm, cause no loss, and accept no fraud.”
This historical context of the ekklesia underscores our commitment to the enduring ideal: that informed citizens, peacefully assembled on the land as the de jure authority, form the rightful foundation of lawful self-governance in San Bernardino county.