Jesus’ Ekklesia

Jesus’ Ekklesia

by | Aug 9, 2021 | Bible, Simple Bible Truth

Jesus’ Ekklesia

Jesus’ Ekklesia

This blog is part one of a ten-part series on the church.  We will explore the church and the believers that make up the church, and how the local body should function biblically. I will list the passages of Scripture in the description below that I reference throughout this series.

Questions about the Ekklesia

Have you ever wondered if women should be pastors or elders? Or who can, or should, teach and manifest the other gifts given to the church? Or, what should a healthy church look like today?

There are many questions people ask today and we must seek our answers in Scripture, not according to traditions or what the “church” has evolved into, today.

The True Church – People

I would like to propose that we take a fresh look at the church from Scripture, the church as God’s people, compared to the organization that is has become today. Please be a Berean and search to see if what I am saying is true.

Unfortunately, most people today equate a “church” with a building, a denomination, or an organization. The church in Scripture is the people. There is a global church (ekklesia), that includes all believers all over the world and Christ is the head. Then there are many local churches/ekklesia, where Christ is still the head, but he has delegated headship to local leaders and gives them authority to “govern,” protect, and keep order in the specific body for the well-being of that “ekklesia.”

Gifts, Ministries, & Offices

We will take a look as we go as to who biblically has been called to these positions and what the qualifications are for this role in the church. We will also consider other aspects of church life in regards to gifts and ministries and believers in general because they are what makes up the church.

1577 ekklēsía(from 1537 /ek, “out from and to” and 2564 /kaléō, “to call”) – properly, people called out from the world and to God.

One Body, Many Parts

We are one body, yet there are parts of that body that meet in different places, like the church in Corinth, the churches in Asia, or the church that meets in Nympha’s house. And we know where two or three are gathered, the Lord is there (Matthew 18:20), even with the church that meets online!

In Christ Jesus we are all sons of God through faith and heirs of the Kingdom.  When we are baptized into Christ, we have clothed ourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for all are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:26-29).

Equality

In regards to worth, faith, and salvation, all believers are equal. Having appointed elders in local churches, or appointed leadership in a family, does not change that fact. Consider, during the millennial Kingdom, people will be appointed to different places of leadership and ministry. Will we be complaining then or fighting what will be instituted? Headship or leadership should not be taken as something negative or demeaning.

The First Will Be Last

We see from the discussion with James and John’s mother with Jesus, that the answer is simple, God has chosen some people for certain positions in the Kingdom, and for various Kingdom roles, so why would it be odd to have designated roles today to keep things running smoothly and to be as effective as possible?

Jesus’ disciples even argued over who was the greatest.  But Jesus told them if you want to be elevated, you must be willing to humble yourself to all. If you want to be first, you must be willing to be last and put other people first.  You are there to serve, not to rule over people.

Local Leadership

Not simply those using their gift of leadership in the church in various ways, but those that take on local leadership roles, have greater responsibility and will have to give an account as to how they served in the office they held.

The Bible, I believe, says that men are appointed to elder/overseer positions in the local churches (elder/overseer and deacon). I will discuss this further in subsequent videos, but it should not be on a “women’s rights” agenda to disprove for the sake of “equality.”

Leadership is Beneficial, But it Doesn’t Have to Be You

When you join a club or another organization, do you feel less of a member just because you are not serving as president over all the organization, or do you enjoy what they have to offer and contribute as you are able?

We all know that when people come together there tends to be differences, and having a peacemaker and leader is beneficial for all.

Jesus is the Head of the Ekklesia, But All Must Serve

So, to lay the foundation of the church we must recognize that even though God set Jesus up as the head of the church, and in local bodies positions of leadership for the benefit of the church, every member of the church is equal in worth and salvation, and every member is called to serve with his or her gifts.

In part two we will focus on the fact that God’s spirit is given to all believers, no matter their gender or position in the church, and will consider how God still instituted headship for the care and well-being of His people

Jesus Submits

Jesus Submits

by | Jun 9, 2020 | Simple Bible Truth

Jesus Submits

Jesus, the Son of God, Submits to His Father

Why would Jesus, the son of God, need to submit if he were equal to God or if he were God?  Jesus knew his place in relation to his Father.  As a result, he did not try to take more authority than was given to him.

Why did the Jesus Submit?

Jesus willingly submitted to his Father because his Father was a higher power and obviously had more authority.  He acknowledged this fact and knew his place.

Jesus only spoke and acted as God inspired him.  He humbly acknowledged that he could do nothing on his own.  Jesus repeatedly stated that he could do nothing on his own initiative, but spoke only those things as the Father taught him.  Again, Jesus emphatically confessed that he could do nothing without the Father.  (John 5:19,  8:28-30)

Authority from the Father

Jesus possessed nothing in and of himself.  He received his authority from the Father, from his God.  Jesus understood that the Father is the giver and him, the son, the receiver.  That authority Jesus received will ultimately be given back to the Father after the 1000-year reign.  (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)  (And an interesting side note, Jesus has the power to give authority to the church. Revelation 2:26)

Jesus had a Choice

Jesus willingly submitted to his Father.  He had a choice to obey or disobey, follow his own will, or his Father’s will.  This was not an easy choice, even for Jesus. 

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus wrestled with his own will to the point of sweating drops of blood (Luke 22:41-44).  But, in the end, Jesus chose to submit his own will (his desire to reconcile man to God in a different way), to the Father’s will.  He agreed to follow through with the Father’s plan and go to the cross.

Creator VS Created

Everyone understands that you cannot be the creator and the created.  A father creates a son, and without a father, a son does not come into existence.  Therefore, using the logical mind that God gave us, something created cannot be its own creator.

It is essential for Christians, followers of Christ, to understand who Jesus is and the different roles the Father and the Son have.

The Son Submits, Unlike God

The Father, who alone is God, submits to no one, not even to Jesus.  On the other hand, Jesus humbly and willingly submits to his Father, and his God. He acknowledges the Father as being superior and that he, Jesus, can do nothing without the Father.  Even after his resurrection, Jesus is still following his Father’s plan.

Can the Son be the Father?  Even trinitairians would say no.  This would make 3 gods.

So, can this same Jesus (the Son of God, Messiah), also be God?  The Bible states over and over again that there is only one being that is God, and that is the Father.  Jesus submitted to and accepted his role in God’s creation.  Why do professing Christians have such a hard time accepting what Jesus himself accepted?

Pre-existence

Pre-existence

by | May 9, 2020 | Simple Bible Truth

Pre-existence

Pre-Existence (Intro)

What does the Bible teach about pre-existence?  The first question we must ask ourselves is if a human being can pre-exist his existence.  Can a person have a beginning before they begin?

God has set certain rules, or laws, for this universe.  He did not set these parameters only to break them Himself or try to confuse His creation.  He created our brains and He did not intend for us to dismiss the obvious and simple concepts by saying, “it is a mystery,” or “you have to just believe blindly.”  In contrast, the Bible says that we can know and understand God by what has been made.  In addition, we can have greater understanding if we read the Bible since all that is written is for us so that we might believe.

Pre-Existence, Reincarnation, Or Miracle?

For this reason, unless you are Morman or believe in reincarnation, you should understand the Bible’s simple teaching about Jesus.

Jesus was miraculously created in the womb of Mary and started to exist AT THAT TIME.  He was created by God’s spirit, just as God created the world by His words.  Jesus had his beginning just like every other human being (except Adam and Eve), at conception.

The only difference, his conception was a miracle because there was no sperm.  Just like Adam and Eve did not have human parents, Jesus did not have a human father.  Adam and Eve were still human beings.  They were just miraculously created, and this did not take away from their humanity.

100% Human

God gave us the understanding as to what 100% means.  If you score 100% on a test, we all know that it means that you got them all right.  If there are 100 questions on an exam, you cannot score 110.  There are only 100 questions.

According to Merriam-Webster the definition of 100% is:  completely, entirely.  If to consider Jesus being 100% human, we understand that he is completely and entirely human and cannot be any percent anything else (before or after being human).  If he is truly 100% human, he cannot be any percent of anything else.  A person cannot be 100% human and 100% angel, God, or any other being  You have to be one or the other.

God’s Pre-Existent Plan

The only thing pre-existent with Jesus or any other human being is the plan God had for them before they came into existence.  The Bible says that God knew us before we were born.  This does not mean that we were with him before we were born.  He is God and He can know things before they happen.  This does not mean that He makes them happen before they happen.  He just knows they will.

Merriam-Webster defines something that is pre-existent as existing earlier or before.  So, if a person existed before they came into existence, that is an oxymoron!

Was Superman Human?

No.  Superman was not human, he was a Kryptonian, a fictional extraterrestrial race of humanoids.  Although he looked like a human, talked like a human and lived like a human, he was not a human being.  He could fly and humans cannot fly.  He was like humans in many ways, but he was not a human.

1 John Test Says No Pre-existence

We are told to test what we hear because there are many false prophets.  There is a spirit of truth and a spirit of error.  The spirit of error says that Jesus pre-existed, that is, he had an existence before he came into existence.  On the contrary, 1 John 4:2 tells us that Jesus was a human being (came in the flesh).

By this, you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.

The true Christ (Messiah) must be a human.  Since human beings do not exist before they come into existence, Jesus did not pre-exist.  If he were part God in any way (before his birth or after the resurrection) this would disqualify him as a human being.

Using the Mind God Gave Us

In order to understand the idea that Jesus pre-existed, one must lay aside the commonsense and understanding that God gave human beings.

God set this world in motion with certain rules and laws that govern everything.  He gave us a mind to understand who He is as Creator and who we are as His creation.  God is not a man (or even “man”) and man is not a God.

The Scriptures are simple if to read them with the mind and understanding that God gave us.  Fact:  There is a God.  He created the human race.  He chose one human from among many to be His Messiah to save the planet and mankind.  End of story.  Anything else is a myth.

Christmas

Christmas

by | Dec 23, 2019 | Bible, Simple Bible Truth

Christmas

Jesus, created by a Miracle of God, or Incarnation?

Christmas should be a reminder of Jesus’ humanity, and not some incarnation of God becoming man.  Jesus was miraculously conceived in his mother, just like Adam was miraculously made from dirt.  Both Adam and Jesus were called “sons of God,” and both were unique human beings miraculously created by God. (Luke 1:32; Luke 3:38)

Most of professing Christianity sounds ludicrous!  God did not become a baby, nor did Mary change God’s diapers; in fact, they didn’t even have diapers back then!  How can people believe that God, or a part of God, actually grew in Mary for nine months?  That sounds more like a Greek myth rather than a teaching from the Bible.  Seek God’s simple Bible truth.  It really is quite simple.

If to Celebrate Christmas, it Should Celebrate Jesus’ Humanity

In Luke 1:31-33 it says that an angel told Mary, “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, (MIRACLE) and you shall name Him Jesus. (Mary would conceive a child in her womb, not have a child put into her womb.)  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most-High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.”

Jesus was human and he had human ancestors through his mother Mary.  Romans 1:3 says that (Jesus was a) son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh.

Mary asked the angel in verse 34, “How can this be, since I am a virgin? (It could be ONLY because it was a MIRACLE!)  Again, we see that Jesus’ conception was a miracle.  

Luke 41-45 say that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  And she cried out with a loud voice (in her own language, not in some unknown tongue) and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

As Elizabeth stated, Mary was blessed because she chose to believe what the angel said.  Mary believed that God could and would do a miracle, even though it was physically impossible under her circumstances.

Giving Birth to Sons

Then in Luke 1:57, it tells us that the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son.

Luke 2:6-7 says in the same way, that while they were there, the days were completed for her (Mary) to give birth.  And she gave birth to her firstborn son.  Jesus’ birth was no different than the birth of John’s.   Both ladies gave birth to baby boys.

Elizabeth and Mary both gave birth to babies that were miraculously conceived, Mary’s conception was just a bit more miraculous.  They both had babies growing in their uteruses for nine months and then when the babies were done growing inside and it was time for them to come out, the mothers gave birth to human sons.

Baby Jesus

Jesus was a real baby, and I am sure he did baby things and acted like babies act.  Luke 2:40 & 52 tells us that, “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”  Jesus gained wisdom and knowledge as he grew.  He did not have it magically put into his brain.  He spent time in the Scriptures and talked about them with the rabbis (Luke 2:46-47).  God gave him wisdom and understanding as he faithfully did these things.

“Christmas” Miracle

So, why is this miracle not the center point of celebrating the birth of Jesus, that is if someone desires to celebrate that he was born?  Why do many Christians celebrate his birth, but not the miracle of his conception and the unique human being that God created in Mary, even when they know this fact? 

Most of the world celebrates Christmas and proclaims the birth of Jesus (and if you dig a little deeper you would see that it is not his birth, but the incarnation of God becoming a man that is really celebrated.)

People put up decorations in their homes and yard, stores and churches make elaborate decorations announcing the holiday.  Christmas is all over the television; and radio stations play Christmas music non-stop.  This goes on every year for a month or more. 

Christmas:  Tradition or Biblical?

Unfortunately, Christmas was never commanded, or even suggested in Scripture.  Jesus did not tell his disciples to commemorate his birth.  If Christians were so diligent in doing what he did command for a month out of every year, the nations would have heard the message of the kingdom long ago!

Can you imagine if Christians, for a month straight every year, advertised and promoted the miraculous conception and birth of a human messiah and the coming kingdom of God that he preached and promoted throughout his whole ministry, and even the forty days after his resurrection?! 

Even the angel focused on these things when he announced to Mary what her son would do.

“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:32-33).

Please consider these things prayerfully.  Do research.  Seek truth.  Love God, and obey Jesus and follow his example and commands.  If you believe in the human messiah Jesus, shine the true Light at this time as many people celebrate. They are already talking about Jesus.  Use this opportunity to share the human baby that grew into a man, that was anointed by God, and that will be coming again in the clouds and with great glory to inaugurate God’s kingdom rule over all the Earth.

Two Genealogies, Two Lineages Article