# Is “Church” in the Bible?

> Yes. “Church” is in the Bible. It appears 74 times in the Lumin Translation and 80 times in the King James Bible.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/church
By Andrew Kittridge · October 28, 2026

Church first appears in Matthew 16:18. The Greek word, ekklesia, means an assembly: people called together, not a building.

- Lumin Translation: 74, first in Matthew 16:18
- King James Version: 80, first in Matthew 16:18

## Where it appears

73 verses in 17 books (Old Testament 0, New Testament 74).

> And I also tell you this: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prove stronger than it.
>
> — [Matthew 16:18](https://www.lumin.faith/read/matthew/16#18) (Lumin Translation)

> If they refuse to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
>
> — [Matthew 18:17](https://www.lumin.faith/read/matthew/18#17) (Lumin Translation)

> Great fear came over the whole church and over all who heard about these things.
>
> — [Acts 5:11](https://www.lumin.faith/read/acts/5#11) (Lumin Translation)

> Saul approved of his execution. On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.
>
> — [Acts 8:1](https://www.lumin.faith/read/acts/8#1) (Lumin Translation)

> But Saul was trying to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
>
> — [Acts 8:3](https://www.lumin.faith/read/acts/8#3) (Lumin Translation)

## Common questions

### Is “Church” in the Bible?

Yes. “Church” is in the Bible. It appears 74 times in the Lumin Translation and 80 times in the King James Bible. Church first appears in Matthew 16:18. The Greek word, ekklesia, means an assembly: people called together, not a building.

### How many times is “Church” in the Bible?

Church appears 74 times in the Lumin Translation and 80 times in the King James Bible. Counts are of exact word forms.

### Where is “Church” first mentioned in the Bible?

In the Lumin Translation, church first appears in Matthew 16:18: “And I also tell you this: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prove stronger than it.”

## More

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- [Is “God works in mysterious ways” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/god-works-in-mysterious-ways.md)
- [Is “Be in the world but not of the world” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/be-in-the-world-but-not-of-the-world.md)
- [Is “To err is human, to forgive divine” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/to-err-is-human-to-forgive-divine.md)
- [Is “God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/god-gives-his-hardest-battles-to-his-strongest-soldiers.md)
- [Check any word or a whole song](https://www.lumin.faith/bible-verse-checker)