What is the Church in the way Jesus meant it?

Have you ever wondered what church really is?

Have you ever considered what Jesus really meant when He described His glorious system designed to bring heaven to earth?

In Jesus' day, when a group of Roman citizens as small as two or three gathered anywhere, it constituted an ekklesia (church or assembly) inheriting Rome's authority, even when geography separated it from the capital.  When Jesus describes the power entrusted to us from 'his' heavenly kingdom, He hijacks this same idea by saying: "where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there, I am with you".

As such “I will build my ekklesia (church)" wasn't something Jesus established under the earthly kingdom of Rome, a denomination, a religious leadership structure, a man or a church building!  On the contrary, Jesus founded His ekklesia to sit under a spiritual kingdom, with the authority to bind and release heaven on earth!

If this is true, how have we ended up here?

Like Chinese whispers over the years, the idea of church (ekklesia) has been distorted.

When the Bible was first translated into English, William Tyndale used the word ekklesia, which is its correct meaning. King James, was displeased with the translation being available to ordinary folks, as it challenged his sovereign rule. He convinced scholars to produce a new version of the Bible that became known as the King James Authorized Version and set directives to prohibit the translation of the Greek word "ekklesia", as it went counter to the Anglican Church's form of government. Instead, the word "church" was used. To make matters worse, the word "church" was understood to mean a building with its clergy and hierarchical leadership structure which couldn't be further from the truth!
 
Once the Bible version bearing his name was published, it became the "Authorized" Version. The breadth and width of the British Empire turned it into the most used version in the English-speaking world, and it became a major influence on Bible translations into other languages.

Just as Rome brought its Kingdom culture to the Western world church (ekklesia) was created to bring God's heavenly Kingdom to earth!

The Roman ekklesia would gather its people for electing magistrates, military strategy and even war! In the same way, the function of the church is to gather and plan how we can bring heaven to our neighbourhoods, streets and cities. In the correct context, we are summoned to church for the purpose of co-labouring with Christ to love, serve, and heal the broken, hurting, and hopeless in our communities.

The notion that Church is gathering on Sunday to sing or listen to a sermon isn't correct. It doesn't have anything to do with Christ's ekklesia (Church) or the Roman idea it was modelled on. In fact, the prophet Isaiah reminds us that our cycles of weekly meetings aren't what God wants.

Instead, we are invited to:

Church (ekklesia) in the way Jesus meant it, isn't a religious building or weekly meetings! Jesus was referring to something entirely different. He was referring to a company of called-out ones, a governing executive with the POWER & AUTHORITY OF HEAVEN! He was talking about YOU!

Ref:
Title:  Ekklesia: Rediscovering God's Instrument for Global Transformation
Author:  Dr Ed Silvoso  
Chapter A Fuller Understanding of the Gates of Hades
Pages: 78-81
Binding type: Digital
Paperback URL: https://www.eden.co.uk/christian-books/understanding-the-faith/prophecy-and-eschatology/ekklesia/