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 activities. The Greek word “allelon” (“one another”) is used more than 100 times. In these passages, believers are commanded to actively minister to one another, such as:
- Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
- Comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
- Encourage and build up one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
- Stir up one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24)
- Pray for one another (James 5:16)
- Show hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
- Wait for one another before eating the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:20–23)
- Confess your sins to one another (James 5:16)
- Serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13)
- Wash one another’s feet (John 13:14)
New Testament prophecy does not primarily mean predicting the future, but teaching, encouraging, and comforting one another (1 Corinthians 14:3).
Even singing was meant for one another:
- “Teach and admonish one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).
- In the modern church, you mostly hear praise songs, but rarely hear teaching and admonition toward one another or about the Great Commission. There is an urgent need to rewrite our hymnbooks.
- Some activities in the gathering are vertical, such as prayer and praise, but most are horizontal — focused on building up one another.
Jesus said:
“I will build My Ekklesia, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
- A mature Ekklesia has trainers and trainees who equip disciples capable of tearing down the gates of Hades and advancing the Kingdom of God by spiritually transforming places where it has not yet reached.
- The goal of every Ekklesia should be to transform the spiritual atmosphere within its sphere of influence.

Comments
Post a Comment