Modern Church Model vs New Testament Ekklesia Model
If you have a sacred building called a church, a salaried pastor, sermons, musical instruments, Sunday worship services, and tithing, then you are not following the New Testament model of the church. The primary function of the church is to teach one another so that the Kingdom of God may grow and multiply. The fundamental difference is that while the modern church gathers to worship God through songs, the New Testament Ekklesia gathered to teach and edify one another (1 Corinthians 14:26–32). While the modern church often grows through transfer growth and reproduction, the New Testament Ekklesia grew and multiplied through the transformation of the lost and the despised. Likewise, while traditional churches often have fee-paying members who come to receive blessings, the New Testament church consists of voluntary Royal Priests who equip worthy disciples to advance the Kingdom of God (Ephesians 4:11–12). One Another: The New Testament strongly emphasizes mutual relationships and activi...