Chapter 4 Leaving Church Becoming Ekklesia HOW EKKLESIA BECAME CHURCH
Jesus never said He would build a church!
FACT: Jesus said He would build an ekklesia - not church. The word 'church' is a mistranslation of the Greek word ekklesia (pronounced eh klah see ah). Many Christians believe that ekklesia and church are the same - THEY ARE NOT! The Greek word translated to 'church' is kyriakon.
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FACT: The basic definition of ekklesia comes from a combination of two root words: ek, meaning out from and kaleo, which means to call. Ekklesia simply means to be called out. However....
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FACT: The people in Jesus' day understood the ekklesia to be a ruling council. Historically, the ekklesia was a governing council that was called out to establish policies, legislate, confer or deny citizenship, and elect officials. The ekklesia had ruling powers. This is what Jesus is building.
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The Ekklesia is... |
an assembly of called out believers, committed to the Kingdom Mandate; who gather one or more times each week under the Headship of Jesus Christ; who are submitted to each other in love; who support each other’s on-going work of being and making disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ; who edify, exhort and comfort one another; who submit and relate to elders, ministry gifts and apostolic leaders; who participate in planting and supporting new assemblies of believers to do the same with their prayers, time, finances, and material resources.
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