The truth of this article is to show how politics changed the meaning of church in the King James Version of the Bible. This article in no way, challenges the veracity of any other part of the KJV Bible.
The following is a quick history leading up to King James’ creation of the KJV Bible in England. In 1517 Martin Luther, then a professor of moral theology at the University of Wittenberg, Germany launched the Protestant Reformation and the birth of Protestantism. The Anglican Church, founded by King Henry VIII, broke from the Catholic Church primarily due to his desire to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon in the 1530’s. Catherine was a devout Catholic who refused to accept the annulment, was banished from court, and lived in isolation until her death in 1536. King James immediate predecessor on the throne, was Queen Elizabeth I, who sought religious stability after the turmoil of her predecessors’ reigns (Edward VI and Mary I). She firmly established Protestantism in England.
When King James I became King of England and Ireland in 1603, following the death of Queen Elizabeth I the people were hearing the State approved ‘Bishops Bible’ published in 1568 when they went to church, and were reading another version when at home. While the state version was used by the Anglican Church the most popular version among Protestant reformers, the Puritans and Separatist was the Geneva Bible first published in 1560 using Tyndale’s New Testament. This was further translated by a group of Calvinist exiles after their escape from England during the bloody reign of Elizabeth’s half-sister, Mary I, between 1553 to 1558.
For King James the Geneva Bible posed big political problems, since it contained many annotations questioning not only his headship over the Anglican Church but the bishop’s power over the people. Then in 1604, when a Puritan scholar proposed the creation of a new translation of the Bible at a meeting at a religious conference at Hampton Court, King James surprised him by agreeing.
King James’ plan was to create a new version of the Bible with his name on it. His motive was not about giving people freedom of religion; it was about maintaining religious control over the people of England and recognizing himself as the head of the English church. This was his way to gain the people’s allegiance by giving them what they wanted; a Bible in their own language, while securing for himself absolute control over England’s religion through the state-run Church. (Note: The King or Queen of England today are still the head of the State Church.)
King James gave translators 15 rules they had to abide by.[1]
Rule 1. The ordinary Bible read in the Church, commonly called the ‘Bishops Bible’, to be followed, and as little altered as the Truth of the original will permit. (Using the ‘Bishops Bible’ meant this was not going to be a new translation, but a revision. The purpose was to assert ecclesiastical, Church, control, standardize Anglican worship, and provide a less contentious climate (eliminate the reading of the Geneva bible).
Rule 3. The Old Ecclesiastical Words is to be kept, namely the word Church would not to be translated as a Congregation, or assembly, etc. (The root word of “ecclesiastical” remarkedly is “ecclesiastic,” which is derived from the Greek word “ekklesiastikos,” which relates to an assembly. James wanted to keep England’s non-biblical religious structure intact. Note: The Catholics also defined church as a state, institutional hierarchy, not as Ecclesia.)
Noted changes between the Tyndale -Geneva and KJV
In the Tyndale – Geneva Bibles Matthew 16:18 records Jesus saying – “Upon this rock I will build my congregation, or Ecclesia.” This Greek word Ecclesia (ἐκκλησία) means a kingdom government encompassing the community of believers and carries out the mission of Christ, as ambassadors of heaven. It is significant its Jesus who spoke the first occurrence of the word (Ecclesia) in the New Testament.[2]
In the KJV version Matthew 16:18 reads – “Upon this rock I will build my church.” The old English ‘Bishops Bible’ evokes institutional hierarchy, centralized authority and ties salvation to state-controlled worship. This supports King James goal to suppress congregationalism and reinforce his episcopal power, over the bishops running the Anglican Church.
Rule 4. When a Word hath divers Significations, that to be kept which hath been most commonly used by the most of the Ancient Fathers, being agreeable to the Propriety of the Place, and the Analogy of the Faith. (This is directly related to #3 and reinforces keeping the definition of church as in the ‘Bishops Bible’. Another minor change was the meaning of ‘supreme love’ in Greek, was changed to ‘Charity’.)
Rule 6. No Marginal Notes at all to be affixed, but only for the explanation of the Hebrew or Greek Words, which cannot without some circumlocution, so briefly and fitly be expressed in the Text. (This Rule mandated no study notes in the margins of the new KJV revision. The Geneva Bible, the most popular English translation of the time, had many marginal notations, some of which King James knew challenged his royal authority. The Geneva Bible plainly revealed Kings are not Sovereign over Christ’s Church no more than the Catholic Pope.)
Rule 3 and Rule 6 were the main motivations of the new KJV revision. By changing key terms—such as “congregation and assembly” to “church,” the KJV translators, under King James explicit instructions, crafted a Bible that bolstered the ecclesiastical (Church) authority, reinforced hierarchical governance, and subtly changed the meaning of supreme love to charity so they could encourage financial contributions, tithes to the state church.
Other political Changes: Geneva Bible (1560) vs. King James Version (1611).
Hebrews 13:17 “Obey them that have the oversight of you…” versus “Obey them that have the rule over you…” The KJV’s “rule” reinforced obedience to authority—civil and ecclesiastical. Acts 2:47 “…and the Lord added to the congregation daily…” versus “…and the Lord added to the church daily…” Again, “church” supports the institutional model over (Ecclesia) local autonomy. Exodus 1:19 (Marginal note, Geneva) Notes praise the Hebrew midwives for disobeying Pharaoh. No such note in KJV. The Geneva margin supported lawful resistance to tyranny—James forbade such notes. 2 Chronicles 15:16 (Geneva note) Notes justified deposing a queen for idolatry. KJV omitted notes entirely. James feared this could justify rebellion against monarchs.
This proves parts of the KJV were not a new translation but a political tool designed to control the faithful and secure the state church dominance. This political influence in the KJV was the reason the puritans escaped England to America in 1620.
The true definition of Ecclesia when Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 “…upon this rock I will build my Ecclesia” is not a synagogue, not a temple, and definitely not the concept of today’s church. Ecclesia was a loaded word and wasn’t a religious word in ancient Greek. In Roman societies, Ecclesia was a governing assembly.[3] This was a group of citizens called out to rule, legislate and carry authority on behalf of the kingdom they represented. This was Christ’s vision of the Church He built. In Apostle Paul’s Letters: He uses Ecclesia extensively, referring to the body of Christ as a governing assembly of believers. Martin Luther’s definition of Ecclesia was a community or assembly of believers in Christ, not a building or an institution.
What follows is over 400 years of history where the KJV definition of church was used and accepted by many religions. Here is today’s uncomfortable truth, the political corruption of King James created a version of the Bible that changed the true translation of the word, church. One hundred and fourteen times in the Greek New Testament[4] the word Ecclesia shows up. But in the King James Version, one hundred- and eleven-times Ecclesia is translated as a religious institution. However, when you get to Acts 19 in the KJV something odd happens. Three times the word Ecclesia appears (Acts 19: 32, 39, 41), and the Greek term Ecclesia is translated correctly as a government assembly. This shows the translators knew the correct definition but falsely replaced Ecclesia with church in the rest of the New Testament under the orders of King James.
Most pastors today have been taught this false doctrine created by King James, which was designed to keep believers tame, dependent, silent and controllable inside the house of worship where salvation is tied to this church. Somehow many American churches have bought this lie, hook line and sinker. When today’s Church leaders know, that Jesus didn’t die to start a religion. Jesus didn’t say, “I will build my building.” He said, “I will build my Ecclesia—and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Jesus was using a word loaded with political and spiritual power—Ecclesia. His meaning would be a spiritual umbrella over the community, country and everything else created by man. He launched a kingdom government under the power of the Holy Spirit. Christians are commissioned to go out and to “have (spiritual dominion through Christ) over … every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:26 -Acts 1:8).
The truth is, the church as we know it has been misrepresented, even hijacked—from its very foundation. What Jesus promised to build was never meant to be a place to simply attend. It was always meant to be something far greater: a movement, a governing force, a called-out assembly empowered to change the world. This is not today’s church where most are taught to be a passive audience designed to sit, listen, and be comforted. Disciples are not biblically called to attend, tithe and serve an established religion. The Ecclesia Church was to be a powerful, active body with authority to legislate, to decide, and to lead the community, the country, and the world.
Jesus defined Ecclesia as outward and upward having no manmade guardrails. He quoted Isaiah 61 in Luke 4:18 to define His church. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” Then the Apostle Paul told the leaders of Christ’s Ecclesia how to operate. “…Christ Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12).
How does the true definition of Ecclesia change today’s church? Many of today’s churches are focused over 80% inward as they invite people to church to be saved, tithe, and serve the church. Many Churches resemble an infirmary combined with a museum, where the clergy care for the sick and show people what God did for them in the past. Disciples are in a ‘Race for Life’ and Christ is the driver, the Holy Spirit is the pit crew, and the disciples of Christ are God’s vehicle. Who gets the trophy, the car, the pit crew or the driver? Disciples should glorify the driver and feel privileged to be used as Christ’s vehicle to boldly race without guard rails bringing grace and truth to the world. Now in this Ecclesia, every position Christ gave, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are focused on “equipping the saints for the work of ministry” as the governing body of Christ.
How does today’s church change to honor biblical truth? We change the same way, a man who is a polygamist discovers the biblical truth. Reading the biblical truth, the Holy Spirit compels him to change by making the righteous stand to be blameless with great joy. He brings his families together, reveals the truth and does the hard and courageous work of adjusting his family’s future activities to glorify Christ.
However, there is a cowardly way and this is to continue living and supporting the lie. Today’s Church leadership has to make the hard and courageous choice to be identified as those who contend earnestly for the faith or those who have crept in unnoticed marked for condemnation (Jude 3-4).
This is a Prophetic Call: Today, is the appointed time for America’s Church to alter their course to be Christ’s true church, and make heaven crowded through the Holy Spirit of truth. It is time for those who want to truly partner with Christ to alter their inward focus to going out as Christ’s governing body to encompass our communities and our country with Christ’s truth. This is the time to be salt and light by focusing on doing and speaking the word of truth into the darkness of humankind as Christ’s Ecclesia. Standing, speaking, governing, and reforming our communities and country to awaken them by carrying out our mission for Christ, as ambassadors of heaven. Amen
David Howard, Foxhole Ministry, October, 2025
[1]https://petergoeman.com/15-rules-behind-the-making-of-the-kjv/
[2] https://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/16-18.htm
[3] https://janethasty.wordpress.com/2025/05/15/rediscovering-the-ecclesia/
[4] Greek New Testament.