The Ekklesia
- Apostle Dr. Premla Mahadevan
- Feb 21, 2024
- 18 min read
Updated: May 13, 2024
Understanding the Ekklesia and its Role
Biblical interpretation of the Ekklesia and its role.
Importance of church membership and the necessity of belonging to one church.
Role of members/saints and spiritual leaders.
Selection of the right church.
Ark Church DNA: the blueprint given by God.
Importance of understanding membership and its purpose.
Defined order, structure, and boundaries of the ministry.
Emphasis on reverence to God, church leadership, members (Ark Family), and visitors (Ark Friends).
Ekklesia refers to the belief that the church should function in a biblical manner, as many people today are navigating the church in an unbiblical manner, leading to incorrect expectations.
Jesus met with his disciples near Caesarea-Philippi and asked about their identification with him.
Peter confessed Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of God," and the Lord blessed his apostle and declared that upon this truth, he would build his church.
The Greek term for “church” is ekklesia (found 114 times in the New Testament). In the New Testament context, the word is employed in four senses:
It represents the body of Christ worldwide, over which the Lord functions as head (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22; 1 Timothy 3:15).
The expression can refer to God’s people in a given region (Acts 9:31).
Frequently, it depicted a local congregation of Christians (1 Corinthians 1:2; Revelation 1:11).
It could also signify a group of the Lord’s people assembled for worship (1 Corinthians 14:34-35).
The church is a group of people, not a building, and is made up of all believers in Jesus. Local churches are smaller gatherings of the worldwide church, often meeting in a church building. However, the ultimate purpose of the church is the people, not the building.
Secondly, the church is "called out." Jesus said we are to be as salt and light in the world (Matthew 5:13–16)
1 Peter 2:9–11 says, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul."
The church is meant to be distinct from the world and point to the truth of God. It is important to love people as God does, share His invitation to salvation, and pray for them to join His church. The church has a role to go out into the community, regions, and nations. It is not just about personal spiritual needs, but also about helping the church grow, winning souls, and contributing financially, gifts, time, and effort. The leader's job is to feed the people spiritually, prepare sermons, counsel, and pray for them, which takes time, especially prayer time behind the scenes. It is essential for the church to be a place where people can trust and be nourished spiritually.
Hebrews 10:23–25 is encouragement for each of us who belongs to the Ekklesia of God: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
As a child of God, it is evident that one must belong to an Eklessia.
The Role of the Church/Ekklesia
The church is to teach biblical doctrine so we can be grounded in our faith. a) Ephesians 4:14 tells us, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.” b) The church is to be a place of fellowship, where Christians can be devoted to one another and honor one another (Romans 12:10), instruct one another (Romans 15:14), be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32), encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11), and most importantly, love one another (1 John 3:11).
The church is to be a place where believers can observe the Lord’s Supper, remembering Christ’s death and shed blood on our behalf (1 Corinthians 11:23–26). a) The concept of “breaking bread” (Acts 2:42) also carries the idea of having meals together. This is another example of the church promoting fellowship. The final purpose of the church, according to Acts 2:42, is prayer. b) The church is to be a place that promotes prayer, teaches prayer, and practices prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 encourages us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Another commission given to the church is proclaiming the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8). a) The church is called to be faithful in sharing the gospel through word and deed. b) The church is to be a “lighthouse” in the community, pointing people towards our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. c) The church is to both promote the gospel and prepare its members to proclaim the gospel (1 Peter 3:15).
Some final purposes of the church are given in James 1:27: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” a) The church is to be about the business of ministering to those in need. This includes not only sharing the gospel but also providing for physical needs (food, clothing, shelter) as necessary and appropriate. b) The church is also to equip believers in Christ with the tools they need to overcome sin and remain free from the pollution of the world. This is done through biblical teaching and Christian fellowship.
Another purpose of the church is to provide spiritual covering to its members. a) A spiritual covering is a spiritual force field that helps bring in good things (blessings) and keep out bad things (protection). Life and power are provided by those anointings of Christ that flow through apostles, directly or indirectly. Under genuine covering, spiritual power is flowing and is at work because something appointed by Christ is in place. b) God is our first covering, and the next order is the spiritual covering that he has assigned to us here on earth (spiritual leaders). c) The covering of Christ is vested in certain men (i.e., specific individuals). God has always done things this way, and there are many Scriptural examples: Eg. Adam was a covering for the entire human race and when he fell, we all fell. Abraham was a covering to us and because of his standing as the Father of Faith, we are children of Abraham and we inherit blessing because of him. Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles and a Father to us all. We have inherited much good and blessing because of Paul. The Bible has many examples of men whose lives were a covering to others and through them God was able to bless and protect His people. ~ Genesis 2:17 - “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” ~ Genesis 2:25 - “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” Eg. In churches where there is an anointed leader and unity amongst the supporting leadership, there is always a certain level of covering and protection. This kind of leadership which seeks to follow Christ and work together always provides a good place for people to grow in Christ, to serve, to be blessed and to find what God has planned. ~ The church will only be responsible to provide this spiritual covering to its committed members and not to its visitors and to other church’s members. It is very important that this biblical order is observed and practiced in the right manner.
Covering was present from the beginning, with God acting as Adam's covering.
To fully receive Christ's blessings, we need to have relationships appointed by Christ that provide protection.
Our lives are influenced by those who are over us in the Lord, regardless of our preferences. In churches with anointed leaders and unity among supporting leaders, there is a level of covering and protection.
This leadership, which seeks to follow Christ and work together, provides a good place for people to grow in Christ, serve, be blessed, and find what God has planned.
We are told that our leadership is our cover. They have spiritual authority in the church. We are to be subject to them. Hebrews 13:17, obey means to "submit to authority." Paul is telling the church to submit to and be persuaded by the Word of God being preached by those left in authority.
They have the charge of persuading you to do good works according to the knowledge given to them through Christ. It is through the preaching of the Word that they watch for your souls. And they must give an account to make sure what they preach is right.
Remember that it brings them joy when the Word of God is obeyed, and they are grieved when it is not. Hebrews 13:17: “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you.”
Ephesians 4:11–12: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
1 Samuel 15:22–23: “… Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is iniquity and idolatry.”
So this brings us to the topic of submission—submitting to the leaders that God has placed over our lives. The Bible talks about this. Romans 13:1-3,5: “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.”
Biblical submission involves prioritizing others over oneself, often resulting in rebellious attitudes towards God's laws and kingdom. Christians often struggle with submitting to authority figures, but through the Holy Spirit's regeneration, they possess a renewed conscience and mind, guiding them to obey. If they don't obey, the Holy Spirit prompts them to repent, raising awareness of the need for submission.
What submission is not.
Many Christians feel uncomfortable with the concept of submission, which they view as oppressive due to attacks on the Biblical idea. They often point to Paul's passage in Ephesians, "Wives submit to your own husbands," as sexist and justifying husbands' mistreatment or abuse of their wives. However, this view is not the Biblical understanding of submission. The passage depicts the perfect relationship between husband and wife, as Paul writes in Ephesians 5:24, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."
By navigating the covenant relationship with the ekklesia, Christians can foster right relationships with God and others, not unhealthy control and dictatorship. Apostolic covering, which is the covering of Christ, is provided by God to His people through apostles. This covering brings grace, blessing, protection, accountability, and belonging to God's people. To benefit from the covering of Christ, Christians must have hearts given to their leaders, which is a choice to serve and care for their leaders. When the heart is given, and the relationship is in the right order, the channel of blessing can flow. This applies to all believers, not just ministries and ministers.
So, to summarise the purpose of the church, Paul gave an excellent illustration to the believers in Corinth. The church is God’s hands, mouth, and feet in this world—the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12–27). We are to be doing the things that Jesus Christ would do if He were here physically on earth. The church is to be “Christian,” “Christ-like,” and Christ-following.
Why Church Membership Matters
Although the Bible doesn’t explicitly command church membership, there are 7 ways the call to church membership is evident in Scripture:
The majority of letters in the New Testament were written “to the church.” The letters to the churches in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:2), Galatia (Galatians 1:2), Philippi (Philippians 1:1), and Rome (Romans 1:7) were written to specific groups and addressed accordingly. They could have been written without addressees or simply "to those who are called by God," without mentioning the locale. Even letters written to individuals, like Timothy and Titus, were addressed to church leaders. It is evident that the Holy Spirit knew that believers would be found within the church when addressing believers.
The offices of leadership show church membership is assumed. The first deacons were chosen from within the church body, known by the congregation and possessing specific qualifications. Leaders, pastors, and elders of the church had specific responsibilities, including caring for widows and the sick and having charge over the congregation (1 Thessalonians 5:12). Members were to submit to these leaders (Hebrews 13:17) and honor them as such (1 Timothy 5:17), provided there were members of each local church. This system was only applicable if there were members of each local church.
Letters of membership were often sent when a member of one church travelled to another. We see this explicitly in Acts 18:27, when Apollos went from the church in Ephesus to the church in Achaia, and in Colossians 4:10, when Mark went to the church in Colossae. And we see Paul reference this in his question to the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 3:1).
Jesus taught church discipline in the context of church membership. In Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus teaches church discipline, where a sinner is either restored or removed from the church. This process is only applicable if the person is a member of a local church. Without membership, the removal would be difficult and the erring brother would not agree to go through the process.
Church membership cultivates spiritual growth for the individual. Joining a local church is crucial for individuals to grow in faith in Christ. It signifies their identification with God's teachings and the role His Word plays in their lives. The church is where individuals exercise their spiritual gifts, which are also given to the local assembly. The benefits of church membership extend beyond individual growth, benefiting the local assembly as a whole. The gifts given to the individual are also beneficial to the local assembly, as seen in 1 Corinthians 12:12-24.
We can be overly independent. In the West, we are free spirits and critical thinkers who run with ideas. However, membership in society implies that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, not just one of three hundred individuals. This raises questions about who is running with us and if we are all in the same direction. ~ Church membership keeps us accountable. ~ To contribute to and build a local assembly. Joining a church involves offering ourselves to one another for encouragement, correction, and service, placing ourselves under leaders' authority and submitting to their authority (Hebrews 13:7). It is a commitment to help others grow in godliness, urging others to do the same.
Why belong to only one church?
Church attendance and membership are essential for Christians to unite with a local body of believers, following the model of the local church in Acts 2:41-42. These early Christians devoted themselves to the apostles' teachings, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer (Acts 2:46-47). They also came together to minister to one another the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which distributes those gifts to His people to edify and build up one another in the faith (Ephesians 4:7-13).
However, many people "church hop" to more than one local body, hoping to find one that meets their needs or provides everything they think they should be getting from a church. This line of thinking is problematic as it gives the impression that Christians are not committed to the believers or the leadership in any one church, which is a poor witness to others. Additionally, church hopping can open doors to a vagabond spirit, which is spiritually impoverished and void of spiritual life.
The word vagabond was first used in the Bible in Genesis 4:12 when God placed a curse upon Cain for killing his brother, Abel. The term refers to a person without a permanent home who drifts from place to place, leading an unsettled, carefree, worthless, irresponsible, or disreputable life. The word vagabond is often seen as beggars due to their irresponsible characters.
The vagabond spirit can be a generational curse, wandering aimlessly from church to church without bearing fruit. It can partner with a spirit of poverty to plunder and destroy the harvest in people's lives, breeding confusion, selfishness, lack of focus or clarity, depression, loneliness, hopelessness, financial bondage, suicidal thoughts, broken families, deception, addiction, darkness, sorrow, and grief.
Christians must learn to recognize, identify, and break free from this spirit to truly bear fruit in their lives. By focusing on one church and avoiding church hopping, Christians can effectively pray, fellowship, sit under teaching, and use their spiritual gifts with two or more groups of Christians at the same time.
The Role of Church Members, Saints, and Church Leaders
Healthy relationships are not spontaneous, but rather involve mutual responsibilities and understanding between all parties involved. This is true in marriages, families, and the local church. Healthy churches require both leaders and members to fulfill their responsibilities. Paul concludes his letter to a young church in a pagan city with practical counsel about their responsibilities in the local church. The final section, "Christian Community," or "How to be a gospel church," emphasizes the importance of relationships and responsibilities.
The church's responsibility towards its leaders is to know them, esteem them highly in love, and live in peace with one another. Leaders' responsibilities towards the church are to work hard, have charge over the church, and admonish the church. The church's responsibility towards one another is to minister sensitively and live lovingly. The main point of the entire section is that God will sanctify and inspire peace in His people, so they may be blameless at Christ's coming.
The local church and its leaders have mutual responsibilities in the Lord, and it is not the leader's responsibility to ensure the church functions well or finance the church's work. Instead, the leader is called to teach and preach the word of God and spiritually feed the flock.
We’ll look first at the responsibilities of church members and saints, and then at the responsibilities of church leaders.
The church is responsible for knowing its leaders, esteeming them in love, and living in peace with one another. The local church is only healthy when every member is functioning for the building up of the whole (Eph. 4:12-16).
Another way the New Testament pictures the church is as the family or household of God, which is being built together into His temple or dwelling place. Speaking to the Gentiles, who formerly were alienated from God’s people, but now in the church are on equal standing with Jewish believers, Paul wrote (Eph. 2:19–22): So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
The church is responsible for esteeming its leaders very highly in love. 1 Thess. 5:13: “Esteem them very highly in love because of their work.” The verb translated “esteem” means to think or consider. The adverb translated “very highly” is used in Ephesians 3:20, where Paul says that God is able to do “far more abundantly beyond” all we ask or think. So rather than gripe about church leaders (as we tend to complain about our political leaders), Paul says that the church should “hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work” (NIV). Their work is overseeing, guarding, and shepherding those whom Christ bought with His own blood (Acts 20:28). I assure you, it is not easy work!
The church is responsible for living in peace with one another. If you stir up dissension in the church by complaining or if you get into personal squabbles with other members of the church, you make the elders’ job much more difficult! As I just said, if there is a legitimate problem that needs to be addressed, please bring it to the attention of an elder! False doctrine or serious disobedience in the church need to be dealt with. But all too often, churches divide over selfish, petty matters. I’ve heard of churches that have divided because the announcements got moved from the middle of the service to the beginning or because the worship leaders use drums! As Paul commanded (Col. 3:15), “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” But, although Paul is primarily addressing church members in verses 12 and 13, embedded in his request are some of the responsibilities of church leaders. Again, this list is not comprehensive.
To be disciples: The Requirements of Discipleship In the gospel of Luke, we find the requirements of discipleship outlined by our Lord. “Now great multitudes were going along with Him, and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel as to whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms for peace. So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions” (Luke 14:25–33). From one perspective, discipleship centres on the issues of dependence and submission. Taken from another direction, we might say that discipleship entails a complete rearrangement of our priorities. To be a disciple of our Lord demands that He become the most important thing in our lives. This is what Luke sought to remind us of when he recorded the words of our Lord in the fourteenth chapter of his gospel. I’ll teach more on discipleship another day.
The role of spiritual leaders and why we need them
The statement "I love God but I'm not into organized religion" overlooks the orderly, structured, intentional, and organized nature of everything God does. The body, consisting of various systems like the nervous and skeletal systems, lives in an ecosystem on a planet moving through a solar system.
In fact, the Church is described as an organized body of believers: The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12, NLT)
The Church should not be too organized or structured, as it is necessary for its ministry projects to function on systems. However, people often resist accepting the Church as a system due to their dislike of God delegating authority to other human beings. The Bible teaches that spiritual leaders are given by God to guide us in our spiritual growth, not to control us. These leaders are accountable to God and have a responsibility to watch over our souls.
Christ gave the church gifts such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, who are responsible for equipping God's people to do his work and build up the church. Spiritual authority is a protective covering, not a controlling lid. To reach our full spiritual capacity, we must be rid of the unbiblical notion that we don't need each other. By obeying and following the guidance of spiritual leaders, we can grow in our spiritual capacity and contribute to the body of Christ (Hebrews 13:17 & Ephesians 4:11-12).
11 ways spiritual leaders are abused
Gossip and slander regarding leadership decisions.
Everyone’s emergency has to be their emergency. Some people expect the pastor to drop everything and come to their aid, irrespective of the circumstances of their leader’s life and family. When this continually happens, it is a form of shepherd abuse.
Constant violations of private and personal boundaries.
Leaders are often criticised for having nice things.
Leaders are criticised for taking time off to go on vacation.
Deception, dishonesty, dishonour, and pulling from them in the wrong way
How to choose the right church
Sentimentalism should never overrule the truth. Correct doctrine.
A five-fold ministry in operation
No bowing down to idols; no graven images or altars. Exodus 20:4-6, New King James Version (NKJV). “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.
The church should not be a product for consumption. People approach a prospective church like consumers: What kind of programmes does the church offer? What is the facility like? Does the pastor make me feel comfortable? How did the people make me feel? What people like and what they actually need are often radically different things. The church is established by Christ as a place to help the needy in their struggle against sin to receive mercy and forgiveness of sins through the message of the gospel.
The message should be believed, not followed.
The preaching of the Word should be central.
The church should love you enough to discipline you.
Prayer
Dear God, we come to you today, praying for the community of our church. We know that you have called us to be a light in the world, and we ask that you would bless and strengthen our community as we seek to fulfill that calling. Help us to be a source of love, hope, and encouragement to all those who come to our church. May we be a place of refuge and healing for those who are hurting, and a community of support and accountability for those who are seeking to grow in their faith. Please help us to be mindful of the needs of our community, and to be proactive in meeting those needs. May we be good stewards of the resources that you have given us, and use them in a way that furthers your kingdom and blesses those around us. In Jesus name, Amen.
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