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The following excerpt is from ONE Ekklesia: The Vision and Practice of God’s Eternal Purpose by Henry Hon. It is unfortunate that there is significant division among those who identify as followers of Christ. This book serves as a guide to fostering unity.

We find in 1 Corinthians 12-13 a continuing description of ekklesia and the functioning of all the members in the ekklesia (assembly). Many have read these two chapters out of context considering chapter 12 as a chapter supporting miraculous gifts and chapter 13 simply about love. But these two chapters are embedded between chapter 11 where Paul, on the one hand, clearly indicated in verse 18 the beginning of an ekklesia coming together and, on the other hand, chapter 14 is a continuation of the same ekklesia in action (1 Cor. 14:4, 12, 19, 23, 28, 33). Therefore, when these two chapters are read in the context of ekklesia, they become much more meaningful. Let us consider some excerpts from 1 Corinthians 12.

Now concerning spiritual (gifts), brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit (of all): …For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also (is) Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many…And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary…that there should be no schism in the body, but (that) the members should have the same care for one another….Now you are the Body of Christ, and members individually.
(1 Cor. 12:17, 12-14, 21-22, 25, 27)

A beautiful picture of diversity in unity of the Lord’s Body is seen in this chapter. All members have different gifts – each has the freedom to function according to their gift. The totality of what is expressed is not any specific gift or ministry, but the One Body of Christ. What an awesome description of the Body of Christ in action.

This chapter makes clear: there is diversity in the Body. Each member has their own gift, ministry, or activity. There needs to be mutual respect and acceptance of all other members. Paul used the analogy of the human body where each member is needed for the entire body to function: the eyes need the hands; the head needs the feet; and each part needs all the other parts.

Typically, there are conflicts between factions which are caused when a group of people view their faction to be superior, others can become envious of a faction, or individuals feel the pressure to adopt and conform to a specific faction. Among Christians, it seems it is so easy for factions to form around spiritual gifts or various Scriptural doctrines and practices. Those who speak in tongues can become a faction once they diminish those who do not speak in tongues or try to convert non-tongue speakers. The non-tongue speaking faction can likewise avoid those who speak in tongues and look down on those as being swayed by emotion or, even worse, delusional, etc.

The enlightenment seen in 1 Corinthians 12 demonstrates varied members are needed. Believers called into ekklesia need to honor every member; more so, someone who is considered to be unnecessary or unattractive. Which member is unnecessary is not unanimous; rather, depending on whose estimation; in a diverse environment, one person’s attractiveness to some can be unattractive to others. Whoever considers another member to be unnecessary, the person with such a consideration is charged to honor that “unnecessary” person as more necessary. How does one honor another person? By fellowshipping with that person. During ekklesia, especially during the meal period, honor can be given to ones considered unnecessary by intentionally extending oneself to fellowship with the “unnecessary” member.

All the members in the Body being one does not imply uniformity. In contrast with an ekklesia, a ministry or church is where members over time will conform to a similar doctrinal view or Christian tradition, making the members of a church uniform. However, in the assembly of the Lord, the diversity among individuals is accepted and honored. Therefore, when Paul speaks of the ekklesia being the Body of Christ, he made clear each member is still an individual. It takes maturity for a believer to be comfortable and confident of their identity in Christ, and simultaneously, honor and accept other believers who are different from themselves.

In any event, 1 Corinthians 12:3 sets forth the principle concerning gifts in the Body; no one can say Jesus is Lord unless by the Holy Spirit. Almost all gifts in the Body listed in 1 Corinthians 12 necessitates that a person be speaking. That is why there is a sharp contrast between those in the Body compared to those who are worshipping idols. Those who are led by idols are dumb or mute. Speaking is virtually nil in idol worship…aside, of course, from “vain repetitions.”

How true even today: visit various idolatrous religious temples – all worshippers are predominantly silent. Many pagan temples are eerily quiet. Indeed, some Christian churches can come under this influence of worshipping idols resulting in those going to such churches to be mute with nothing to say concerning Jesus. But in the assembly, everyone confesses Jesus is Lord. It is by this uplifting of Jesus as Lord that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are manifested.

The principle here is this: When a believer speaks forth Jesus as Lord, it confirms that member is doing so by the Holy Spirit. Simultaneously, there are many other gifts of the Spirit, be they in ministry, or activities in which a believer may be exercised. If they are of the Holy Spirit, then Jesus Christ is uplifted as Lord.

Every manifestation of the various gifts in the Body of Christ exalts Jesus Christ as Lord. There may be diversity of gifts, ministries, or activities, seen as manifestations of the Holy Spirit; if so, then Jesus Christ becomes the focus – He is uplifted. He is Lord! If a gift, ministry, or activity uplifts another person, thing, teaching or practice other than Jesus Himself as Lord, then it damages the Body of Christ. If it does not uplift Jesus Christ as Lord, then this means something else is being uplifted; if it is something else other than uplifting Christ as Lord, then it is foreign to the Body of Christ. In the Body of Christ, only Jesus Christ is Lord, only He is the center – only He is elevated to the highest position.

Factions are formed when various believers identify themselves with an emphasis on a given teaching, experience, or doctrinal system. Those in a faction are prone to uplift a thing or a spiritual gift higher than Jesus Christ. That is why there is a depreciation of others who do not uplift the same emphasis of the faction. The result of this is competition or jockeying for superiority with those uplifting something else. A faction, no matter how good, is gathered around some other item. It is driven – purposefully or inadvertently – by lifting these “things” above Jesus Christ. Only if everyone uplifts Jesus Christ as Lord will such factions be eliminated.

All the various people starting out from various backgrounds and divided in various factions are now all immersed (baptized) into Christ. Positionally, they are in Christ, they are One Body. Although they are still individual members with their own individual characteristics; they are One Body in Christ. They are not uniformly the same, but they are all drinking of one Spirit. This is the assembly: they are called out of various factions, whether natural or secular (slaves or free), or ethnic or religious (Jews and Greeks), to become One Body in Christ.

Though such distinctions are obvious; yet, instead of forming factions, they are now using their distinctiveness to serve one another – they refuse to be separated. Not everyone has the same gift; therefore, Paul used the metaphor of the human body in saying not all are eyes or ears. The One Body needs the eyes, the ears, the mouth, the feet, every part of the One Body (1 Cor. 12:14-27). The only way this can happen is when distinct believers recognize the reality they are all immersed in Christ – together they drink of the SAME Spirit. Jesus Christ is the only way; He is the only way whereby the building up of the One Body can take place.

To find out more about Henry Hon and One Body Life click here.

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The excerpt below is from Timothy Germain’s book Walking Amidst the Golden Candlesticks.

“Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof…” Ezekiel 43:10,11

God has opened the door of understanding to see clearly that the house men have been building is not according to his blueprint. He is giving us light through the Spirit of His Son, the blueprint of the house. The religious system is still blinding the minds of millions of churchgoers, not understanding the blueprint. The house that HE is building is seen in Christ. The Ekklesia is a revelation of Christ. When the assembly gathers, we each are members of his body. We each are ministering Christ to one another. We don’t come to worship, but to encourage and edify one another. The blueprint is Christ mediating HIMSELF through each member of the body.

There are two metaphors in the New Testament: Ekklesia is a body and a building. The building that the LORD is building are from living stones, those, we who have been regenerated by the Spirit. We, each as living stones, are to be built up together, into a habitation where God lives. In Christ we are the living stones of this spiritual house with Christ the corner stone.

“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:20- 22) “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5)

The Old Testament gives us spiritual pictures throughout its text, each one laden with spiritual meaning. The tabernacle that we see in the wilderness is a type of Christ. It was there that the priests ministered in the sanctuary. It was their job to offer up service for the people on behalf of God’s divine order. It was the priest who handled the holy things, and the high priest who passed judgment. We who are new creations in Christ are those priests, offering up spiritual sacrifices, which is our spiritual worship. There is no special class anymore as it was in the Old Testament. Each in Christ is a royal priest, and the only offering we have is the sacrifice of praise.

“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” Hebrews 13:15

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9,10

What has happened in the religious system called Christianity have created a special class of men who are regarded completely differently from everyone else. They called themselves THE MAN OF GOD. They are above everyone else. They have it all wrong. Leaders are not lords over God’s people but servants. Leaders lead but have no authority in and of themselves as said Jesus to the twelve.

“And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sits at meat, or he that serves? is not he that sits at meat? but I am among you as he that serves.” Luke 22:24-27

The apostle Peter repeats the same thing, addressing the elders who he himself was one.

“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” 1 Peter 5:1-4

Remember, brothers that Christ is your head, not another man, no matter what he may say otherwise. Don’t allow yourself to be deceived by this class of men who lord it over you.

“But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” 1 Corinthians 11:3

There was a movement called the Shepherding movement back in the early seventies, which gained adherents through the New Wine magazine. They were teaching a hierarchy of authority. The man at the top was your shepherd, and under him were his sheep. By submitting to him, they said, you were submitting to God. By not submitting to him, you were in rebellion to God. This went on for a number of years until the whole thing fell apart. Some of you reading this may remember the five men who started it. It was pioneered by five teachers: Charles Simpson, Bob Mumford, Derek Prince, Don Basham, and Ern Baxter, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Shepherding Movement emphasized and promoted: authority, submission, discipleship, commitment in covenant relationships, loyalty, pastoral care, and spiritual covering.

“The Shepherding movement arose out of a concern for the weak commitment, shallow community, and the general worldliness characteristic of many American churches. To solve these perceived issues, members in the house church were taught to have life-decisions “covered” by the house-group leader, elder, or pastor. Such decisions included where to live and work, whom to marry, or whether to see a doctor when someone was ill.” https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Shepherding_movement

There is no hierarchy in the body of Christ, and no man is your covering. It should be mutual submission to each other in humility with the scriptures, illuminated by the Spirit as our authority. The five fold ministry (Ephesians 4:11) has no authority in and of themselves. We each submit ourselves to God. As Jesus submitted himself to the Father, so we too follow his example.

The example of Shepherding seeking to control others by religious manipulation is played out century after century. When will it ever end? When will those who are called by His name follow the illumination of the Spirit to hear the voice of God and walk out their lives as fellow royal priests? We need Christ our life, revealing himself to us all, without any religious bondage. The veil must be removed from our eyes to see Christ clearly.

“Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:12-18

The premise of this book is that Christianity with all of its denominations, schisms, doctrines, and practices actually has been given over to spiritual Babylon. Saul in the Old Testament represents this departure from God’s leadership as king. Israel rejected their king and wanted a king like the other pagan nations.

Throughout history, this has happened repeatedly in what is called Christianity. Christ has been pushed out through their refusal to allow him to be head, to lead each member; to bring light through each part; to reveal himself through his body, with each part functioning. Formalism, performance, showmanship, programs, preaching, choirs, religious buildings, spectator gatherings, ego, pride, ambition, witchcraft, et all, has replaced the illumination of the Spirit of Christ.

Is the Spirit of the LORD moving through each member? Is Christ head of the body, as He is to be the one directing every part, mediating Himself? May God by His Spirit open your eyes to the distress we’re in, that has caused this matrix called Christianity.

This is Jonathan, find out more about Timothy by clicking here. There are good thoughts throughout, but the book needs a good edit. You can sign up for my bi-monthly newsletter below.

I believe one of the core Scriptures for understanding relational gatherings is 1 Corinthians 14:26. But what about the verse 37?

Timothy Germain has made available a free short PDF sharing his thoughts on 1 Corinthians 14:37. When you read what he has to say, it’s hard to ignore the implications.

Here is a teaser from the PDF. You can access the full teaching by clicking here.

The Institution Is in Rebellion to Apostolic Authority

This must be stated plainly: the institutional church model is not merely a different style of worship. It is in direct rebellion to apostolic authority.

Paul wrote by the authority of Christ. He said so explicitly in 1 Corinthians 14:37 – these are the commandments of the Lord. To replace the open participatory gathering with a clergy-run program is to reject the commandment of the Lord delivered through His apostle.

This is not a secondary issue. This is not a matter of preference or culture. Paul did not leave room for disagreement. Verse 38 settles it – if any man is ignorant of this, let him remain ignorant. There is no third option. You either acknowledge the commandment or you reject it.

Every denomination, every institutional church, every clergy system that silences the body and replaces Christ’s headship with human leadership is operating outside apostolic authority. It does not matter how large the building, how polished the sermon, how moving the worship set. If the body is not functioning, if every member is not free to contribute, if Christ is not the active Head of the assembly – it is not the ekklesia that Paul described and that Christ commanded.

The remnant sees this. The remnant is returning to it. Not to reform the institution – you cannot reform what was never apostolic to begin with. But to leave it behind entirely and return to the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ, gathering as His body, with every member active, every gift in operation, and Christ Himself presiding as Head.

You can read more about Timothy here.

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The excerpt below is an essay found in a book by Paul Rapoza entitled The Messiah, The Ekklesia and The Kingdom of God. The book is about 80 pages long and is filled with short essays, most of which focus on the Kingdom of God and His Ekklesia.

Rome was the first official denomination in Church history. If we miss that understanding then we will never truly understand what took place after that or what is about to happen on the earth.

The Church at Rome committed fornication with the kings of the earth (the Emperor of Rome) by taking what was intended to be, for all intents and purposes, an embassy or representation of the Kingdom of God. (Ekklesia) By doing so and identifying with the government of Rome they forfeited the status of an embassy in a sense. What was birthed by that unholy union was a hybrid “Church” that bore the DNA of the government of Rome and what became less and less a representation on earth ruled by Christ via the Holy Spirit.

You will take note that after a time, Rome was eventually called “The Holy Roman Empire” and the hybrid was then called “The Roman Catholic Church.” At that point, the transition of the fornication was complete and the hybrid “Church” grew exponentially in a physical sense but lost much of the spiritual nature of the Ekklesia. That hybrid “Church” no longer represented the Kingdom of God or Jesus as the Messiah or coming ruler of the whole earth. A part of that transition was that another “Christ” was formed of that hybrid was separated from the “Christ” that is the Messiah. Belief in Christ as the head of HIS Ekklesia and the coming Kingdom was replaced with “faith in the hybrid Church.” The concept of the believers being called to a common priesthood serving together among each other as the “Temple of the Holy Spirit” was replaced by the heathen Roman concept of “God” living in a building with a separate hierarchical priesthood separated from the “laity” or common class. Instead of the live interaction by the Spirit among all that was characteristic of the Ekklesia which was a type of forum, other than the separate class of priests, everyone else was merely an audience. A man became the “head” of the new hybrid “Church” as opposed to Christ being the head of His Body and by the Spirit ruling in the assembly.

When the various reformations took place, they separated from the hybrid but still retained the DNA of the mother “Church” to a degree and they also took on that nature and relationship with the governments of their countries. They committed fornication with their own kings of the earth that ruled them. They were the hybrid’s daughters who came out of her womb. Even today, men are following that pattern and partner with the governments of this world in creating an artificial “church corporation” that is wholly dependent upon the government for it’s very existence and identity. That identity serves as a mask to hide the true nature of any believers assembled under that identity.

Now that is not to say that were wasn’t a remnant of people who remained in godliness and loyalty to the Lord both inside and outside of those temporal organizations. The very definition of “Ekklesia” is “the called out assembly.” As long as believers remain spiritually “outside the walls of the city,” they remain in Christ and a functional part of the Ekklesia on the earth.

What we are slowly seeing today is the solidifying and separating of the Ekklesia (the believers faithful to Christ and called out from among the nations of this world) from those that are “faithful” to serve the idol of their organizations. The coming and severe persecutions around the world will largely be used by the Lord to accomplish His original purposes in “assembling” His Ekklesia together knit together solely by the Spirit. It will be the last witness of Christ upon the earth before the end of this age and His return. It is the blood of the faithful martyrs through which that faithful witness is presented to the people of this world and to powers and principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places. That cannot come about with a hybrid “Church” that owes its existence and loyalty to the kings (governments) of the world system that they rule. The Ekklesia that is separate from this world system and ordered from Heaven directly through Christ must rise up to take it’s heavenly ordained place in the plan of God to culminate this age and usher in the return and rule of Jesus Christ.

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A short, concise 45-page synopsis of church history, this book explores the significant role that meeting in small groups has played throughout the history of the church. Author Michael Albrecht also looks toward the future and considers how we must prepare, particularly if the West is exposed to persecution. A portion of his thoughts is included below.

After we have looked at the history, present-day situation, and future of the house church, we note that small, flexible gatherings of believers have always existed throughout history, despite often being marginalized and despised by the mainstream institutional churches of their day. These small fellowships have carried Christians through times of persecution and tribulation and were not to overcome by the enemy. Whilst there is a justification for larger public church gatherings, as God has been using the small and the large church during history, He has faithfully shown up where people genuinely met in His name. That’s where God’s true church is being found.

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt 18:20)

Small house gatherings despite being simple to establish, have specific dynamics that need to be adhered to, if they intend to become strong havens of teaching, worship, and discipleship. They will offer the ideal ground for future times of persecution, as they can be established everywhere even outdoors and easily disguised as family gatherings. Members have a high degree of relationship, which makes them strongholds of mutual support in times of crisis and suffering. They must remain outward focused for the Lord to achieve His Great Commission through them, even if public churches no longer operate or are being rendered unbiblical by a totalitarian government, as the Chinese example shows.

There are reservations in the population due to negative propaganda about house churches which have slowed down their natural growth and make us somehow ill prepared for coming times of persecution, but as history showed, in times of crisis faithful believers will quickly rediscover the benefits of home gatherings and will take hold of them to continue serving Christ in numerous ways.

It is difficult to say at this stage, whether the “church in the home” will become the new generally accepted “normal”, or whether believers will gravitate to some sort of “hybrid church”, or online fellowship model, as this depends on regional demographic factors and the intensity of future persecution. In rural areas the emergence of self-sufficient Christian communities following the example of the Amish or Hutterites would be conceivable.

During the Great Tribulation when mentioning the name of Christ alone will lead to the death penalty, there will be no other meeting place for believers than the “church in the home”.

God is pointing us not only to the New Testament example of the “church in the home” but reassures us that no matter our surrounding outward circumstances, He will protect His people as they meet in His name and calls to us as in:

“Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” (Rev 22:7)

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Great insight from prolific author David Emechete, especially if you have a prophetic or apostolic gift. Below is a reminder about true discipleship. You can find out more about David by clicking here.

In the first century, after Jesus died and rose again, the leaders of the Christian faith went out boldly, preaching the good news and winning many new believers. Yet, one thing they refused to do was to gather disciples for themselves. None of them had disciples. They never saw themselves as great teachers who deserved followers. They saw themselves simply as lowly servants. The early Christian leaders referred to those who believed not as their disciples, but as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Yes, the new believers were called disciples, but not of Peter, Paul, James, or any other leader – they were disciples of Jesus himself.

The early leaders understood something that we seem to have forgotten today: Jesus is alive. When He gave the Great Commission, He said, “make disciples of all nations,” baptise in His name, and teach to obey His commands. These new believers are to be disciples of Jesus Christ, not disciples of the ministers. Gathering disciples around oneself would be breaking away from the living Christ and starting a personal movement. This was unthinkable for the early Christian leaders. They knew they were not founders of a new religion, but witnesses of a living Lord. Paul, for instance, sharply rebuked the believers who began saying, “I am of Paul” or “I am of Apollos” in 1 Corinthians 1:12-13. He pointed them back to Christ, the only true leader of the Christian faith.

Jesus Himself gave a very clear instruction when He said, “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.” (Matt 23:8). In those days, it was disciples who called their teachers “Rabbi.” So, by telling them never to accept that title, Jesus was teaching them not to have disciples for themselves. They were to see every new believer not as their disciples or students to be ruled over, but as a brother or sister to walk with. This is exactly what the first Christian leaders did. They understood Jesus perfectly and obeyed His voice. They never allowed themselves to be called Rabbi, and they never claimed anyone as their disciple.

Sadly, today, many have abandoned this way. Some Christian leaders now proudly gather disciples for themselves, as though it is a badge of honour. Yet this is not the way of Christ. It is not the way of the first Christian community. We cannot claim to understand Jesus better than those who sat at His feet, ate with Him, and were personally taught by Him. These men, who received these instructions directly from Jesus, knew exactly what he meant. When He instructed them not to be called “Rabbi” they understood that he didn’t want them to have disciples, and they refused to have disciples. Every believer was a disciple of Jesus, not of any human leader. Jesus told them that he is their only teacher, and the apostles understood that he meant every new believer is to be Jesus’ disciple, not the disciple of the minister who led them to Christ.

In the true Christian faith, discipleship is not centred around a ministry or a single leader. Discipleship is something that happens within the Christian community as a whole. Jesus, being alive and present by His Spirit, discipled His people directly. Believers do not grow by blindly following a single human teacher. No single minister is meant to be responsible for a believer’s spiritual growth. As a minister, you are not the one discipling that believer, you are merely a vessel meant to play a part in Jesus’ discipling of that believer. The responsibility of that person’s spiritual growth is solely in the hands of Jesus. You are meant to simply play your part and leave the rest to Jesus.

One major way believers are to be discipled is by living together closely in Christian communities, observing one another’s lives. As they see Christ-like virtues displayed in their brothers and sisters – kindness, patience, forgiveness, love they are moved by the Spirit of God within them to recognise these virtues as true expressions of Christ’s nature. It is the Spirit of God who teaches believers which virtues are truly Christ-like. As they observe these virtues in the community, the Spirit bears witness within them, helping them know what to imitate. In this way, believers are discipled by Christ Himself, not by any one man or woman. They learn from living examples of Christ’s character shining through many different members of the community, not from the personality or teaching of a single ministry.

This is why the Neighbourhood-based Christian Community is very important. For true discipleship to happen, believers need to live closely together, observing Christ living in the life of each member. Discipleship is not about sitting under someone’s ministry, listening to their teachings week after week. True discipleship goes far deeper than simply hearing words spoken from a platform. It is about observing Christ-like virtues lived out in the daily realities of life. Believers need to see with their own eyes how love, patience, forgiveness, humility, kindness, and courage are practised in the small and big moments of everyday living. It is not enough to hear lessons about love; believers need to see love in action. It is not enough to hear sermons about forgiveness; they need to witness a brother or sister forgiving a wrong, even when it is painful.

Discipleship is not a classroom where people gather information; it is a living community where believers see the life of Christ expressed through real human lives.

This is why, in order to have true discipleship, we need the Neighbourhood-based Christian Community. It is within the closeness of living together, sharing life, and facing struggles side by side that believers truly grow. They do not grow merely by sitting under the ministry of one leader, no matter how gifted that leader may be. They grow by watching Christ being formed in the lives of those around them. In this way, Christ Himself is the one discipling them. His Spirit within them bears witness when they see something that is truly of Him. Their hearts recognise the beauty of His character displayed through the actions of their brothers and sisters. They are drawn to imitate these Christ-like virtues, not because they were ordered to, but because the Spirit of Christ inside them calls them to it.

Thus, discipleship in the Christian faith is a practical, living experience. It is not the work of a man’s ministry. Ministers are meant to play a role by carrying out their God-given ministries. No minister is meant to shoulder the responsibility of discipling a believer. True discipleship happens when believers can look around the community and see the character of Jesus being revealed in the way others treat each other, in the way they handle trials, in the way they remain faithful even when it costs them everything. This way, believers are not just taught the words of Christ; they are shown the life of Christ. And seeing that life, they are transformed into His likeness by the Spirit working within them.

True discipleship in the Christian faith is a living, breathing work of Christ within His people. I will say it again for the sake of emphasis: discipleship is not about one leader raising followers for himself. It is about Jesus raising a family for Himself. It is about believers encouraging, observing, learning from, and loving one another, all under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. No ministry has the right to claim the role of discipling believers. That role belongs to Jesus alone. He is the only true Master and teacher, and we are all brothers and sisters under His leadership.

Today, if we want to be faithful to Christ’s command, we must return to this simple and powerful truth. We must tear down the walls of personal empires built on gathering disciples for men. We must stop this genuine but misguided effort to shoulder the responsibility of discipling a fellow believer. If you truly want to see the restoration of true discipleship, then rejoin the living work of Christ in the Christian community. Seek the emergence of the Neighbourhood-based Christian Community. It is there, among brothers and sisters walking together in humility, that Christ Himself teaches, shapes, and raises His disciples for His glory.

David has a strong online presence. His books are available on Amazon, he shares regularly on Facebook at facebook.com/david.emechete, and his videos are available on Youtube.

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I just started reading What Is Neighbourhood-Based Christian Community? by David Emechete and found this in the preface. It reveals the heart of the author, and perhaps it will resonate with you as well.

The truth is difficult but necessary to face: the way we’ve been practising our Christian faith for centuries cannot continue. It brings shame to our King’s name. The world sees Christianity and mocks God. They mock our hypocrisy, our lack of unity, and our failure to be a positive force in the world. We are called to be an expression of God’s glory and wisdom, demonstrating His love, holiness, integrity, and higher civilization. Yet, here we are, there is little difference between us and the people of the world. In fact, in some instances the people of the world are better than us. Some of us may think we’re fine, the body of Christ is fine the way it is. But if see how things were originally meant to be, you will mourn because of the current state of the body of Christ.

Let me share a story from the Bible that perfectly captures what I’m trying to say:

“When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the Lord, just as King David had prescribed. With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord: ‘He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!” Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s Temple had been laid. But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy.” (Ezra 3:10-12)

This passage moves me deeply because it mirrors our situation today. Those who had never seen Solomon’s temple were celebrating, thinking the new foundation was magnificent. But the elders who remembered the original temple’s glory wept. They knew what had been lost. Similarly, when you truly understand how Christian faith was meant to be lived, you can’t help but weep at what we see today. Many of us think that what we have today is fine, some of us even celebrate it, but if only you can see the glory that God originally intended for His people. I’ve found myself crying – yes, actually crying – when I see fellow Christians behaving just like people who don’t know God, when I visit churches and find how much it is dominated by the flesh, when I watch religious leaders more interested in building their own empires than nurturing God’s people and Kingdom. I weep because I have glimpsed the Father’s heart and seen how gloriously He originally intended things to be. What we have today is far from it.

David has a strong online presence. His books are available on Amazon, he shares regularly on Facebook at facebook.com/david.emechete, and his videos are available on Youtube.

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Biblical Church Leadership by Beresford Job is a great resource for understanding the role of leadership in the organic church. I highly recommended his book and also recommend his many blogs on the subject. Links to his sites follow this short excerpt about being a doormat. Beresford explains more in his video link.

There is tremendous significance in the fact that, at the Last Supper (and first Lord’s Supper) Jesus washed the disciples feet and taught them to do the same. I don’t take this particular act as something to be replicated as a normative part of church life today, given that, unlike other things such as the Lord’s Supper and baptism, the apostles didn’t pass any such instruction on to the churches. But the symbolism remains, and we have seen again and again that church leadership is servant-hood, and nowhere is that better illustrated in scripture than in foot-washing example, and church leaders and elders have a special duty in such regard. From many years of experience, functioning as both an itinerant ministry and a local elder, I can confirm that a part of it is having people walk all over you and treating you like a doormat. Indeed, in the Old Testament, the elders sat in the gates of the city and determined who was allowed in, thereby being seen as the way into the city. I am not saying that elders get to decide who is or isn’t in the church, but given that biblical churches meet in homes, and that a church is an extended family, the picture is pretty clear. You don’t get into someone’s house except by walking over the doormat, and that is the function of the elders.

However, when people do “walk all over you,” it does get at least some of the dirt off of them. It goes all over you, of course, but at least it’s coming off them and giving them a chance to be honest about whatever the dirt is, and get cleansed from it in the Lord. Those who do walk all over you may or may not end up being honest about their dirt of course, but at least the elders are there giving them the chance, laying their lives down (just like you lay a doormat down) in order to try and get them to a better place. Spiritually the hardest thing about being an elder (and again, I speak from long experience) isn’t the actual being treated like a doormat, it’s keeping the “Welcome” written on it!

We can sum up the function of elders like this: It is the building of close and significant relationships, through personal example, teaching, prayer, and the giving of wise and godly advice, they build up (edify) those in the church so that they come into more and more maturity and stability in the Lord. This brings about a decrease in dependence on the function of elders. The fellowship needs them less and less, not more and more. Elders will encourage and enable our increased dependence on the Lord, and work to decrease any dependence we have upon them. They will seek to raise us up into whatever ministry and gifts God has given us, doing all they can, in both prayer for us and encouragement, to get us going in the right direction. Elders will not shut you down or, even worse, try to shut you up. Because they know full well they have merely a function, and are free of the sin of needing a position, biblical elders have nothing to protect. They are therefore not threatened by others in the church who are being used by the Lord in any particular way. Indeed, it is the very thing they are labouring for. Of course they will be wise enough to help us not do things un-biblically, or go beyond our spiritual maturity. They give the church protection and security from troublemakers, protecting and defending the right of the flock to grow in the Lord in a calm, peaceful, untroubled and safe environment. Troublemakers can be dealt with because no one has the right to jeopardise, infringe or compromise the biblical rights of others. Biblical elders are, in short, the defenders and guardians of your freedom in the Lord as a believer and not the limiters of it.

The conclusion is that eldership is functional and not positional. Any type of clergy/ laity divide is wrong, whether it is the dog-collared-funny-hat variety, or the trendy Pastors with their ripped jeans and “cool” tee-shirts. Both kinds are robbing the Lord’s people of their freedom to grow and mature in Him. Anyone coming into a biblical church gathering would have no way of knowing there even were elders, let alone who they actually are. Their default mode as elders is that they are invisible and take a back-seat. They only come forward to “grab the wheel” should it ever be come clearly necessary for them to do so. In over three decades as an elder in the church of which I am a part, I have only ever had to do such a handful of times. That, and that alone, is what church life should look like, with everyone moving in the Lord according to scripture.

You can check out Beresford Job at his website, his blog here or his YouTube channel.

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Many of us are aware of the great work Dr. Tom Wadsworth is doing. His popular YouTube videos, podcasts, and writings have made a significant impact on those seeking a better way to do life together. While his 300-page PhD dissertation may be more than most of us are ready to tackle, we are looking forward to seeing his research adapted into a book for a broader audience in early 2027.

Below is an excerpt from The Shift. In this short work Dr. Wadsworth examines the shift of Christian worship. All of Tom’s writings are available free of charge on his website tomwadsworth.com.

In the third century, several Christian writers such as Minucius Felix, Origen, and Arnobius repeated the common refrain that Christians have “no temples, no altars, no images.” Origen even affirmed that Christians “object to building altars, statues, and temples.” These patristic citations reveal the normative teaching about the temple as found in the first three centuries. Christians oppose temples, along with the worship, altars, sacrifices, and images that commonly accompany them. Since God now dwells in the human heart, Christians honor Him by living righteous and holy lives. But these texts do not represent the entirety of patristic thought in this period. At a very early stage, some writers introduced concepts that would begin to shift away from this normative view.

The shift between first-century terminology and fourth-century terminology is astonishing. “In its first centuries Christianity was a religion highly inhospitable to the idea of ‘holy places;’” says Robert Markus, “by the end of the fourth century it had become highly receptive.” Even as recently as Origen in the third century and Arnobius in 300, Christians proudly proclaimed that they had no temples, no altars, and no sacrifices, which are principles grounded in NT teaching. But with the transformation emboldened by the imperial support of Christianity, Eusebius reveals that (at least some) Christians embraced such temple concepts less than one hundred years after Origen and only twenty years after Arnobius.

Such terminology runs against the grain of NT teaching. Regarding the Lord’s Supper as a sacrifice is “a distinct break from the teaching of the apostles.” As I. Howard Marshall says, “Nothing in the NT suggests that the Lord’s Supper is to be seen in any way as an offering by us to God, and the practice of offering the elements to God reverses the whole direction of the atonement in which God himself offers his Son to die and gives to us the benefits of his passion.” In the NT, Christ’s sacrifice was accomplished “once for all” (Heb 9:27; 10:12). If Jesus’s sacrifice is viewed as inadequate so that it must be repeatedly offered, have we not, in the words of Heb 10:29, “spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant, and outraged the Spirit of grace”?

Beginning with this foundational idea that the Lord’s Supper is a sacrifice, the fourth-century church had fully resurrected the associated “temple worship” ideas of altars, priests, and temples. Do any of these four concepts have sin-remitting power? One might argue that these terms are only applied figuratively, with no intention of resurrecting a Christian sacrificial cult. However, in reality, if a table is called an altar, it will be viewed as a literal altar. If a minister is called a priest, he will be viewed as a literal priest. If a Christian building is called a “temple” or a “house of God,” it will be viewed as a literal house of God. Such terminology will lead each new generation of Christians to fail to see the great difference between the ἐκκλησία of the NT and the temple of the OT, if not the fundamental difference between Christianity and Judaism.

Free resource material from Dr. Tom Wadsworth at https://www.tomwadsworth.com/the-christian-assembly.

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Many of us are aware of the great work Dr. Tom Wadsworth is doing. His popular YouTube videos, podcasts, and writings have made a significant impact on those seeking a better way to do life together. While his 300-page PhD dissertation may be more than most of us are ready to tackle, we are looking forward to seeing his research adapted into a book for a broader audience in early 2027.

Below is an excerpt from The Origin of the Christian Assembly. In this article, adapted from the author’s 2022 doctoral dissertation, Dr. Wadsworth examines the origins of the structure of the ekklesia. All of Tom’s writings are available free of charge on his website tomwadsworth.com.

In summary, scholars have suggested several different sources that may have served as the origin(s) of the early (first-century) Christian assembly. The primary proposal with a long history of support is the synagogue. A few scholars reject the idea, but since Christianity emerged from Judaism, and early Christians were certainly familiar with synagogue meetings, most scholars believe that the synagogue is a credible source, even if it is only “an influence.” A small number of scholars have suggested the temple as the origin, but this proposal is plagued with significant problems that are related to the temple’s sacrificial cult and the Christians’ lack thereof.

In the last thirty years, two other theories have gained some support: voluntary associations and the banquet/symposium. If the temple and synagogue might be described as “religious” sources, these latest proposals might be described as “non-religious” sources that mirror some of the secular qualities of the early Christian assemblies. Associations and the banquet/symposium proposals have provided much food for thought, but at best, they merely offer interesting similarities to the Christian meeting.

Would the early Christians have relied on a secular or “worldly” convention as the definitive model for their meetings? Jesus said that He, His kingdom, and His disciples were “not of this world” (John 17:16; 18:36). Paul urged Christians to “not be conformed to this world” (Rom 12:2). James said that pure religion is “to keep oneself unstained by the world” (Jas 1:27) and that “friendship with the world is hostility toward God” (Jas 4:4). And John urged the faithful to “not love the world nor the things in the world” (1 John 2:15). Given these fundamental teachings from nascent Christianity, it is hard to conceive that the early church would have adopted a Graeco-Roman social convention as the model for the perpetual assembly of the faithful.

Whatever origins might be proposed, it is difficult, if not impossible, to identify a certain source that gave birth to the Christian gathering. Since the NT itself never speaks of a model assembly upon which the church gathering was based, scholars are left to speculate. And their speculation inevitably focuses on meetings that are “similar.” But as Ken Neller aptly noted, similarities do not necessarily indicate influence.

While scholars have intently searched for the origins of the Christian meeting, is it possible that there is no origin? Brunner sees the Christian assembly as “manifestly something radically new,” and Dunn says that the early home churches must have seemed “very odd” to the surrounding culture. Since Christianity was known for its new wine that needed fresh wineskins (Mark 2:22), its new covenant (Heb 9:15; 12:24), its new and living way (Heb 10:20), its new teaching (Acts 17:19), and its new song (Rev 5:9; 14:3), it is not a far-fetched idea that its gatherings might also be “new.” After all, the God who “makes all things new” (Rev 21:5) does not need to recycle and revamp some existing meeting tradition, whether from Jews or Greeks. The “newness” of Christianity does not negate the possibility that its meetings are patterned after some other meeting. But the “fresh wineskins” of the gospel should prompt – at least – the possibility that Christianity required no model.

Free resource material from Dr. Tom Wadsworth at https://www.tomwadsworth.com/the-christian-assembly.

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