I really enjoyed reading Leaving Church Becoming Ekklesia by Tim Kurtz. The author talks in depth about the true meaning of the word “Ekklesia” and how and why the word “church” ended up replacing it in the Bible. Concerning the word church, Tim writes… “We have embraced and perpetuated a culture around a single word. A word never spoken by Jesus.”
The meaty excerpt below is from Chapter 5: Six Characteristics of a Major Transition. It is sprinkled with prophetic seasoning.
And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God. Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? (1Samuel 9:27; 10:1)
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. (1Samuel 16:13-14)
Israel wanted a king. They wanted to operate and be structured like the nations around them. It was not God’s will for them, but He allowed them to have what they wanted. Their desire for a king was their rejection of God ruling over them (I Samuel 8:5-7).
First, notice that Samuel used a vial of oil to anoint Saul. A vial is essentially a shallow bowl or a flask. In either case, it is a man-made vessel. This typifies the kind of anointing Saul received. It was man-made. He was the people’s choice, not God’s. The people were taken in by Saul’s appearance (I Samuel 16:7).
Second, it is interesting that when Samuel anointed Saul, he said that God had chosen him to be captain, not king over God’s inheritance. Maybe this is just a play on words, but nevertheless, Samuel’s choice of words should be considered.
The Hebrew word nagiyd, translated as captain suggests that Samuel saw Saul as a commander in front of the people, not the king. Captains were usually under the command of the king. They had authority, but their authority was limited to the king or pharaoh’s orders. Isn’t it amazing that the people wanted a king, and Samuel declared Saul to be a captain? I question whether the Israelites would have known the difference.
Saul proved himself to be a dismal failure. He regularly disobeyed God, acquiesced to the whims of the people, and had jealous and irrational temper tantrums. Even in one of his most grievous times of disobedience, his main concern was that Samuel would make him look honorable in front of the elders (I Samuel 15:30).
God rejected Saul; even though he seemingly remained in power, he was rejected by God. Samuel was commissioned by God to anoint a replacement (I Samuel 16:1).
This transition point is critical for you to understand. Samuel anointed David with a horn of oil in the presence of his father and brothers (I Samuel 16:1, 13-14). The horn from a ram or bull represented a sacrificed life necessary to carry the anointing. David’s anointing for king, not captain, was not man-made. That is why what took place in the spirit realm must be understood. The Spirit of the Lord came upon David and simultaneously the same Spirit left Saul.
In the heart of God, Saul was rejected. Yet, he remained in the role of captain/king over the people. God orchestrated the anointing of a new king while Saul was seemingly still in power.
David, God’s choice, was not a ‘ready-made’ king, but rather a young shepherd boy who was not even considered qualified by his own father. This boy would spend several years in preparation for his role as king. Some estimate this process took thirteen years. Don’t lose sight of the fact that during David’s time of preparation, Saul was still in power.
The church to ekklesia is such a transition. God has shifted His attention to His desire to have a fully functioning priesthood of believers (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9). The system of church that has contained, constrained and restrained believers is coming to an end. It is the system that was put in place by man and has been allowed to flourish on its own strength for nearly 1,700 years. It is the institutional church. It is a carnal substitute of the ekklesia Jesus said He would build.
The institutional church is man-made and built on systems that use the Name of Jesus to glorify man. It is a system where iconic leaders are followed and where the larger the brick and mortar building is, the more successful they are considered. The institutional church is measured by how many people attend a meeting rather than how effectively they expand the Kingdom.
We are in a world of mega-churches and pop-culture preachers. They won’t be disappearing off the religious landscape soon. They appear to be strong, and their systems (according to worldly standards) appear to be successful. Those of us who are heralding a return to first century values and structure appear out of place. I believe we are like David. We have been anointed but must journey through our season of preparation until the day God fully restores and releases His Ekklesia.
In the meantime, has the Spirit of the Lord left the institutional church? I don’t have a Word from the Lord on this. However, I will clearly say that His focus is His people, not their systems. Implicit in this transitional period is that God will allow the man-made systems to fend for themselves.
In this critical time, we must be careful how we respond and interact with those in the institutional church system. Why? Because most of us were saved in that system. Many of us got our spiritual foundations in the institutional church system. Then God granted us the ability to see something fresh from His heart. We have been graced to see His Ekklesia built His way. What we see is a privilege, not a right. Like David, we must handle what God is showing us wisely. David knew he was anointed to be king, but he behaved himself and acted wisely around Saul, who was still in power (I Samuel 18:5,14,30).
I am at times disheartened by those who attack the people who are in institutional churches. The people in these systems are not the ‘bad guys’. They simply have not seen what God has shown some of us. Those who are attacked often entrench themselves deeper. David never attacked Saul, even though Saul sought to kill him. As far as David knew, God’s anointing was still on Saul and he had no right to attack it, even when he had the opportunity (I Samuel 24:1-7).
I don’t know what God will do with the institutional church system. All I know is that it is His desire to release an army of blood-washed believers into the earth who will turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6). In the meantime, don’t lose sight of the fact, that for the time being, the institutional church system will appear strong and intact. Hold fast, God’s time for His Ekklesia is soon (Habbakkuk 2:3; Galatians 4:1-2).
You can find out more about Tim Kurtz and The Ekklesia Center by going to https://theekklesiacenter.org/
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