“CHURCH”
AS THE EKKLESIA/ekklesia
Introduction
Greek:
ekklesia comes from two words: “kaleo” meaning to call, and “ek” meaning
out from; to call out from; to call or summon; to call forth; to assemble
together; to call out a gathering; gathering; assembly; congregation.
The
word ekklesia is used in reference to the whole Body of Christ(Matt. 16:18)
but most often is used as a specific local expression of the whole Body in a
city/ town(Acts 13:1). Acts
8:3 implies that the scattered ekklesia can also mean an unassembled
assembly.
The
KJV translators used an old English word, “kirk”, defined as a building
for public worship. Kirk is
derived from the Greek word kuriakos meaning “belonging to the Lord” as in I
Corinthians 11:20; Revelation 1:10 and thus
the term kirk was defined as “the Lord’s house”.
This word was used by the translators because the word “kirk/church”
had already become known as a “place of worship” rather than simply, “to
call out from”.
Note:
Different Greek words: Church(ekklesia); Temple(hiaron); Synagogue (sunagoge);
Assembly(ginomai); Congregation(sunagoge), Gathering(sunago). Main Body
1.
The Lord has been building
His ekklesia for over 2,000 years!(Matt. 16:15-19) “I will build my ekklesia.”
(I Tim. 3:15) “Household of God which is the ekklesia.”
2.
The Lord is building His
ekklesia with “living stones”!(I Pet. 2:5) “Ye also, as lively
stones, are built up as a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to
offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” .”
3.
The Lord is building the
ekklesia from a “Remnant”!(Rom. 11:5) “Even so then at this present
time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.”
4.
The ekklesia is a
“Family” not an institution!(Eph. 3:15) “The Father of our Jesus
Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.”
5.
The ekklesia is
“Relational” and not structured! (John 13:34-35)”A new commandment
I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also
love one another. By this shall all
men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” “Oneanothering”:
kind, serve, submit, honor, forgive, bear, comfort, encourage, confess, pray,
greet, fellowship, etc.
6.
The ekklesia is “God’s
people” and not a Temple! “We are the Church!” (I Jhn.4:12)“God
dwelleth in us.”(Matt. 21:12) “Jesus cleansed the temple.” (Matt.
24:1)“And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things?
Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon
another, that shall not be thrown down.”(Titus AD 70) (Acts 7:48-50)“The
most high dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me?
saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
Hath not my hand made all these things?” (John 4:20-24) “Our fathers
worshipped in this mountain; and ye say that in Jerusalem is the
place where men ought to worship. Jesus
saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in
this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship
the Father is spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to
worship him. God is Spirit:
and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.”
(Matt. 27:50-51) “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice,
yielded up the ghost. And, behold,
the veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to the
bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;” (Acts 3:11)
“All the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s
greatly wondering.” (Acts 5:12) “And they were all with one accord in
Solomon’s porch.”
7.
The ekklesia is a Body not
a Building! (Rom. 12:5) “So we,
being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members of one another.” (Synagogue:
The only reference to synagogue in the O.T. is Ps. 74:8“They have burnt
up all the synagogues(Hebrew=moed meaning an appointed place of
meeting)of God in the land.” This
is an incorrect translation since synagogues did not exist during David’s
time. Synagogues did not exist
until the Inter-Biblical Times (400 years)between the O.T. and N.T. during the
Macabees’ rebellion. We have
erroneously patterned churches after the synagogue which has no
Biblical basis.
8.
The ekklesia is a living
“Organism” not an organization!(Eph. 2:20-22) “Ye are built upon
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the
chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth
unto an holy temple of the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an
habitation of God through the Spirit.”
9.
The ekklesia is the
“Bride of Christ”! (II
Cor.11:2) “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have
espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to
Christ.” (Rev. 21:2, 9)“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”
10. The ekklesia is to advance the kingdom of God! Proclaim the “gospel of the kingdom”! (Matt.24:14)“And this gospel
of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all
nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matt. 6:10, 13, 33)“Thy kingdom
come. For thine is the kingdom.
Seek first the kingdom of God.”
(Matt.25:34)“Then shall the King say unto them on his right
hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world:”(Matt.26:29)“I will not drink
henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with
you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Lk.1:33)“Of his kingdom there
shall be no end.” (Lk.22:29-30)“I appoint unto you a kingdom,
as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my
kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Rev.11:15)“The
kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His
Christ: and He shall reign for ever and ever.”
11. What did the ekklesia look like in the New Testament? Jesus/Disciples-
“Sharing life of Christ” (Matt.10:1-42; 10-53; 18:1-35); Apostles/ekklesia- “Sharing life of
Christ”(Acts 2:41-47); ekklesia at Jerusalem(Acts 2:41-47);
ekklesia at Antioch(Acts 11:19-26;13:1-4); ekklesia at Ephesus(Acts
19:1-10).
12. How did the ekklesia express the “life of Christ” in their
gatherings?( Acts 20:7; I Cor. 11 and 14)?
13. How did the ekklesia express the “life of Christ” in their daily
relationships?(“One anothering” as John 13:34-35; 15:12, 17)
14. How and when did the ekklesia change historically over the past 2000
years? i.e. buildings; clergy/laity; hierarchy; secular/religious; communion;
music; pulpit; the Reformation: doctrine and structure(theology &
ecclesiology/orthodoxy & orthopraxy); other various reforms; Restoration to
New Testament ekklesia.
15. What is the simplest definition of the ekklesia today?(Matt. 18:17-20)
“Two or three gathered(sunago=to lead together; literally, having been
led together) together in my Name.” (Heb. 10:25) “Not forsaking(eqkataleipo=to
utterly abandon as a permanent state) the assembling of ourselves (episunagoge
= gathering to together) as the manner(ethos=custom, habit) of some is;
but exhorting(parakaleo=to call to ones side)one another: and so much the more,
as ye see the day approaching.”
16. How does the Lord see His ekklesia today?(i.e., ekklesia in the city/town)
17. What is the Lord saying to us today in regard to His ekklesia?
Unity-(Jesus Prayer: John 17) “Positional/Experiential”; Pools; Hewn
stones; Apostolic; Prophetic; “Continue being one” as translated in the
Greek in John 17.
CONCLUSION What should our response be
in lieu of these things? Just as the Bereans did, we should also search the
Scriptures to see if these things be so, and if so, be obedient to the Lord!
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