The word found in Scripture that has been translated as "church" comes from the Greek word "ekklesia". Ekklesia is a compound word meaning "called out". One of the interesting things about this word is that when it's found in classical Greek it usually denotes an assembly of citizens summoned by the crier. Why is this important? It's important because we need to be able to view the Body of Christ as an assembly of the citizens of God's Kingdom that have been called out. Jesus Christ called us out so that we could be gathered together to form one Body under His reign and His headship.
What I love about the ekklesia that we see in Scripture is that there are many different expressions. You could travel to Philipi, Ephesus, Corinth, etc. and discover a variety of ekklesias. Different cultures, different personalities, and different "styles" of worship. The "church" was not a one-size fits all demonstration but rather a community that was allowed to be their own expression of Christ. Paul's letters to the believers were meant to help guide them in understanding this new community. They learned how to function together, minister to one another, tap into the life giving power of the Spirit, and be their expression of Christ.
One of the greatest dangers we face is that we tend to view Scripture from our own experience. In other words, when we read instructions to the church, it's far to easy to see them at face value rather than understand the historical and cultural context. If we do that then we will simply have a copy of an ekklesia rather than a true expression of the Body of Christ where we live today. Am I saying that Scripture doesn't guide us in our understanding? NO...what I am saying is that we learn the principles, seek the Spirit's guidance, and try to have a biblical expression where we live.
The diversity in God's Kingdom is amazing. When I travel abroad it's wonderful to see the different expressions. It's wonderful to see the communities of Christ followers as they learn to meet with one another, minister to one another, and express their heart for God. A religious mindset will never allow us to see anything outside of our own understanding/expression. We will constantly judge their actions, their worship, and the authenticity of their faith. I would encourage each of you to go back and read the book of Acts. Their was only two stipulations they placed upon the Gentile churches and they had nothing to do with being legalistic but rather they were things established for their own protection.
This understanding of the ekklesia is also important as we try to figure out who we are as a community. One of the challenges I saw when I came to PBC for instance was that we were a relatively young community of believers that had taken on a structure that was handed down to them. I often said that you could have taken that particular worship service, packaged it, and sent it to a thousand other churches and it would be acceptable. I just felt like we needed the worship service, the church structure, and the ministries that we offered to reflect who we were as a community of believers. This approach I believe is consistent with the book of Acts. It also celebrates the diversity of the Body of Christ.
When you read the book of Revelation you will discover people from every tribe, every tongue, and every nation gathered around the throne of God in worship. We need to hold that image in our hearts and recognize the validity of different churches around us. The Body of Christ is made up of many members. Those members have different expressions of Christ. They perform different functions. And the only way that we are going to be able to see Christ manifest among us is when we come together in the Unity of the Spirit.
Every follower of Christ has been called out of this world into a greater Kingdom. Jesus, as the Author & Finisher of our faith, has led us into a greater understanding of community. He has shown us the value He has placed upon His brothers and sisters. We were taught to live in community through the Apostles and early church. The ekklesia is the most beautiful expression that we can have of the diversity of God. The struggle that we must overcome is the struggle to make everyone just like us, every expression just like ours, and every function of the body just like our function. The Kingdom of God is greater than any denomination, any sect of Christianity, any worship "style", and any expression. May we learn to live as a community of believers that have been called out together.
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