Is the ekklesia a Household (of God)? Reassessing the Notion of oἶ[kappa]o[final sigma] [theta][epsilon]ou in 1 Tim 3.15

1 Timothy defines the ekklesia as the oἶ[kappa]o[final sigma] [theta][epsilon]ou. This has led to the conclusion that the Pastoral Epistles regard the ekklesia as an enlarged oikos, where the roles of the officials and the norms regulating the behaviour of its members reproduce the relationships of the patriarchal household. However, oἶ[kappa]o[final sigma] [theta][epsilon]ou is not a household properly speaking. Ekklesia is a term with political connotations, and thus the community acquires a public dimension. In addition, oikos is used metaphorically, for a larger community. In this, the definition reflects the ancient custom of describing larger communities (the cosmos, the polis, or an association) through the metaphor of the oikos. The ekklesia is therefore a public, quasi-cosmic space, whose laws and structures receive divine legitimation. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]