The New Covenant Wasn’t Thought About in English

Many terms in the New Covenant (Testament) are Hebrew concepts rendered into Greek and then translated into English. In that process, it’s easy to lose the original meaning-especially when we skip translating the Greek and simply adopt it as an English loanword, detached from its context. Take the word “church,” for example.

Church or ekklesia (ἐκκλησία) in Greek

The common term Church or ekklesia (ἐκκλησία) in Greek has little to hint at in English. Now if your read that ekklesia means “A regularly summoned assembly of citizens of a nation with authority over civic decisions” that has meaning and begins to paint a picture. What if you followed it up with Apostle?

Apostle or apostolos (ἀπόστολος ) in Greek

Apostle or Evangelist which is another loanword from Greek that has little meaning in English makes more sense if you read that it means “A delegate, envoy, or messenger sent on behalf of someone with authority, typically a King”. Evangelist is one sent with good news. A picture is starting to turn into a mural.

Covenant (בְּרִית/berît or διαθήκη/diathēkē) in Greek & Hebrew

A covenant is a formal agreement or solemn promise between two or more parties to do or refrain from doing something. In Hebrew the word בְּרִית/berît means an agreement/covenant that is often cut with sacrifice. In Greek διαθήκη/diathēkē is largely a “disposition” or “arrangement,” especially in the sense of a will/testament or legal disposition of property. This was chosen possibly not because it was a perfect word match for berit but more due to the Septuagint already using it and it not having the connotation that συνθήκη (synthēkē) brings which is a contract between equals who negotiate terms together. Diathēkē had the unilateral legal disposition of a father to a child.

Amen (אָמֵן) in Hebrew

Amen (אָמֵן) is a declaration that something is firm, faithful, true, and trustworthy, affirming its reliability and validity as established truth. The word derives from the Hebrew root א־מ־ן (ʾ-m-n), which conveys firmness, stability, and faithfulness. It is the root of Emunah (אֱמוּנָה) which is the noun expressing faithfulness, trustworthiness, and steadfast reliability, often translated as “faith,” though it implies lived fidelity (faith and works) rather than mere simple belief.

Amen was traditionally spoken in response to a declaration by Yahweh or His authorized agents, functioning as an affirmation that the words spoken were firm, true, and trustworthy. In the Gospels, Yeshua uniquely places amen at the beginning of his statements, a striking departure from Jewish convention, thereby signaling that his words carry divine authority and should be received as the faithful speech of Yahweh Himself.

Angel (ἄγγελος, angelo) in Greek

This is a loanword from the Greek that we have taken without change and use as if the word Angel is understandable as an everday word and not a unique title. It simply means messenger, like in Hebrew מַלְאָךְ (malʾākh) means messenger. Your Fedex or Amazon delivery person is an Angel of a sort just not from God. God’s messengers are not the same as they are often depicted in pop culture.

Hallelujah (הַלְלוּ־יָהּ, Hal-lu-yah) in Hebrew

Hallelujah is a phrase that gets repeated but simply means “Praise Yah” Yah being short for Yahweh.

Christ (Χριστός, Christos) in Greek

Christ is the Transliteration of the Greek for “Anointed One,” equivalent to Hebrew Messiah, there were many Christs/Messiah but only one would forgive sins and be the New Moses.

Multiple Christian words in Greek

Multiple words we take for granted and as loanwords from Greek point to the nation-state message that is the Kingdom of Heaven.

πολίτευμα (políteuma) – Citizenship

“Our citizenship is in heaven…”-Philippians 3:20

πρεσβευτής (presbeutēs), – Ambassador

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
-2 Corinthians 5:20