What is church?
By Rob Wiltshire
A statement that has been thrown about in more recent times is, “You don’t go to church; you are the church.”
The heart behind this statement is to remove from people’s minds the idea that the ‘church’ is a building. You can understand why this statement is used when you think of the different ways we talk about church.
“I am going to church.”
“Were you at church on Sunday?”
“What’s happening at church this week?”
“We will catch up at church.”
Our language very much lends itself to the idea that the church is a fixed building or position. So, the statement “You don’t go to church; you are the church” is a deliberate attempt to re-orient our minds to the understanding that the church is not a building, its people!
As great a thought as this statement is, it has still left people somewhat confused regarding what ‘church’ is.
“Is the church just me?”
“Am I the church when I go to the store?”
“Am I the church when I’m doing the banking?”
Which begs the question. “Me, by myself, am I the church?”
In case you didn’t know, the bible wasn’t originally written in English — I know right, shock horror — it was written in Hebrew & Greek.
Anyone who has travelled to different countries will have experienced language barriers where not all words translate perfectly with the same full meaning. Church is one of these words.
The Greek word for church is Ekklesia. This is the word Jesus was using when he told Peter in Matthew 16:15-18, “on this rock I will build my church —ekklesia.”
Cool story bro, but what’s the point?
Ekklesia never meant ‘building,’ nor ‘singular person.’ Ekklesia/church is a gathering of people.
So when Jesus told Peter, “On this rock I will build my church.” He was saying; “On this rock I will build my gathering.”
But here is the very specific thing regarding ekklesia. This gathering wasn’t just any gathering. Meaning you wouldn’t call people all gathered together for a farmer’s market an ekklesia. This gathering was a group of people who all come together surrounding a common core belief, and all with the desire to propel a common vision forward.
So what’s the common core belief that makes up the modern-day church?
Matthew 16:15-18
Then Jesus asked them, “who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
How often do we miss what Jesus is saying here? Even though Peters name means ‘rock,’ the rock Jesus was referring too wasn’t Peter, it was the belief that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
So what makes up the church?
It’s a gathering of people around the belief that Jesus is the Son of the Living God.
And what is the common vision? Jesus outlines it in Matthew 28:19, where he encourages his followers to “Go and make disciples of all nations.”
What I find so fascinating about this is the church, only truly becomes the church when each person grabs the vision and does their all to actively propel that vision forward into the future.
You may not feel like it, but you play an active role in the church stepping into all it is God wants it to be.