The Church or a Government?
- kmlemen
- Aug 15, 2024
- 6 min read
It’s August 15th which means it’s time for another issue of The Overflow – and this one is specifically for my CHURCH people! (By the way, that should be all of you – hang in to find out why.)
There is a scene in the Bible I’ve been ruminating on quite a bit over the last month. I think it may have started when I was watching it play out onscreen in The Chosen but it’s the moment where Jesus asks His disciples in Caesarea Philippi who people say He is, and then asks them who they say He is. If you’re familiar with the story found in Matt 16, you likely remember that it’s our friend, Peter, who responds correctly and receives his new name. In this pivotal moment, he declares, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” This was significant as Simon Peter was a Jew who knew his people were waiting for the promised Messiah – and for the first time, He acknowledges that it was Jesus.
We then see Jesus say something that changes everything – it’s something that should humble, excite, and inspire us as the gravity of it sets in.
Jesus replies in Matt 16:18-19, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
I remember Eating the Word on these verses a few years ago and being in awe as I discovered that the word he used to name Peter, meaning “rock” (“Petros”) at a deeper level meant a detached stone – a smaller rock or pebble that could be found along a path. But the next word “rock” (Petra) that Jesus uses when saying, “and on this rock I will build my church”, is actually a different form of the word that means “a large solid mass of connected rock”.
Do you see it? Peter, a single small pebble, gave the critical confession (declaring Jesus as the Messiah) that would become the rock, the solid mass of connected rock, that the church would be built upon. Jesus is making all parts clear in this – The acknowledgement that He is Messiah is the foundation on which HE builds the church. And how He builds it is by connecting all of the singular/small stones that declare Him Lord. Collectively, that’s all of us as His Church – we the body, with Him as the head.
So, as I remembered all of that – I decided to dive more into studying the ‘Church’ – this collective entity that we were told by Jesus Himself that the gates of hell would not prevail against. And you guys – what started to be revealed to me is something I believe is crucial for us to operate in the design He intended for the Church. I was already aware that the word we use for ‘church’ is translated from the original Greek word, “ekklésia” in the Bible which means “an assembly, gathering, or congregation; people called out from the world and to God, the outcome being the Church – i.e. the universal (total) body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom”. This made sense to me, but it wasn’t until I started looking into the history of the word “ekklesia” that I began to understand just how big the implications are that Jesus chose this term to define His people.
Bear with me here because I know this is a lot of ‘heavy teach’ for one sit down, but the use of this word is huge! As I investigated more, I discovered that as Jesus framed the church in this way, His disciples would’ve been familiar with the word. And what was surprising but important to find out, is that there are historical, political, and judicial implications. The church was designed for much more than religion.
You see, the word ekklesia first came on the scene in ancient Athens, where it was used in a political context used to describe a privileged assembly that would create laws, make governmental decisions, decide key judicial affairs, and proclaim state verdicts. Every Athenian citizen, despite class or status, was invited to attend meetings and participate in this ruling body while delegates were identified to take seats in the distinguished assembly. The Athenian ekklesia was considered the most prestigious group of people in the land, and it was a great privilege and honor to participate in its ruling body. The decisions it made affected every aspect of public and private life. It was also intolerable for any divisive factions to form within it. What happened over time, however, is that people became accustomed to privilege and honor and eventually citizens began to take for granted their right to participate in the assembly’s meetings, so it became less effective as attendance dropped and many only attended when they were pressured to do so… any of this sounding familiar?
Ok, let’s take it a step further where we really see the concept in action as the Romans overran the Greek empire and took the ekklesia model and modified it to set up their government. Ever wonder how the Roman Empire grew to what it was? (Come on, men, apparently you think about this a couple times a week, right?!) Well, it was this idea of the “called out” assembly of citizens that would become the powerhouse structure of the Roman Senate. The individuals that made it up were hand-picked by the emperor (or king). This ekklesia was the arm of government that would help administer the policies of Rome. Their job was to ensure the policies and procedures from the emperor that passed down to them through the governors were enacted and enforced in their jurisdictions. This is how Caesar developed such a powerful empire and government! Essentially, the ekklesia received the mind, thoughts, desires, passions and intents of the emperor and made them legislation… to echo the same question as before, any of this sounding familiar?
So, this word “ekklesia” that Jesus used was a governmental/political term, not a religious one. And it would have been familiar to the people of Jesus’ day as they saw it in action regularly in everyday Roman government. Therefore, Jesus was not inventing a new concept when he said, “I will build my ekklesia (church)”, but he was using a familiar concept and reframing it to show how we are to understand how the church would be designed to operate.
I could go on for pages as I think I’m just beginning scratch the surface on this topic, but to keep it digestible and give you something to chew on – I will leave you with this: Now knowing the original concept of ekklesia and Jesus’ choice to use it to describe what would become His church, what would it look like if we (the church) actually operated similarly – going to meet with the King (the Lord) to understand his passions, desires, thoughts and intents and then go out into the world to enact them? What would happen if we consistently took the time to get the mind of Christ and then carried it with us into the world? Well, my friends, I believe that is how we see the Kingdom come to earth. And if you’re not convinced, look at what topic Jesus talked about most – as you dig into those red letters you are going to see that it was the Kingdom of God He constantly preached. This was the Good News He carried with Him and announced everywhere He went.
Just imagine if the Church operated as designed – if our ekklesia enacted God’s desires and operated as His government on earth. He wants the Kingdom of Heaven to influence and manage things down here. And the amazing thing is, He chose you to be a part of the assembly that makes this possible! Maybe even more amazing, but for another time, He even promises to give us the keys to the Kingdom to do it.
I pray that as you learn about ekklesia and the implications this word should have on us as the church, that you grow in your understanding of why God intentionally designed it this way and how He desires you to play a part in the chosen assembly that announces and brings the Kingdom to earth.
Lastly, as found in every newsletter, I also want to share some content that has benefited me this month. I hope it spurs you on in your faith walk too - links below:
Signing off, and as I do, I ask you to again remember this truth: your life and what you do with it matters. The world needs you, and as you follow and remain in Jesus, you WILL bear fruit!
Much Love,
Kellie
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