# Assembly ## Ignatius Catholic Study Bible *Assembly* ([[james-02#^james-02-2|Jas 2:2]]) - *Synagōgē* (Gk.): can refer to a \"gathering\" of people or to a building used as a \"synagogue\". The word is used 56 times in the NT; it is also commonly found in the Greek OT, where it often refers to the assembled \"congregation\" of Israel ([[numbers-16#^numbers-16-3|Num 16:3]]; [[joshua-22#^joshua-22-16|Josh 22:16]]; [[psalm-74#^psalm-74-2|Ps 74:2]]). Though the word is never wholly disconnected from gatherings of people, by NT times the term can also refer to the physical structure where religious gatherings took place. Synagogues in this sense were built both in Israel ([[luke-07#^luke-07-5|Lk 7:5]]) and in the Diaspora ([[acts-of-the-apostles-13#^acts-of-the-apostles-13-14|Acts 13:14]]; [[acts-of-the-apostles-17#^acts-of-the-apostles-17-17|17:17]]). These were houses of Jewis). These were houses of Jewis). These were houses of Jewis). These were houses of Jewish worship and instruction in the Scriptures ([[matthew-06#^matthew-06-5|Mt 6:5]]; [[luke-04#^luke-04-16|Lk 4:16]]; [[acts-of-the-apostles-15#^acts-of-the-apostles-15-21|Acts 15:21]]), as well as places of judicial deliberation and discipline ([[matthew-10#^matthew-10-17|Mt 10:17]]; [[matthew-23#^matthew-23-34|23:34]]; ; [[luke-12#^luke-12-11|Lk 12:11]]). The use of the word in [[james-02#^james-02-2|Jas 2:2]] is ambiguous. It may to refer to a synagogue building as the *place* where early believers assembled, either as a church community or as a Jewish Christian presence alongside non-believing Jews ([[acts-of-the-apostles-09#^acts-of-the-apostles-09-2|Acts 9:2]]). Or, too, it may refer to a congregation of *people* gathered for worship and prayer but without direct reference to the physical location as such. In any case, language traditional to Judaism is here employed with reference to Christian believers. ### Sources [[20-james-commentary#^mo65f8|Assembly — word study]]