Ecclesia, the Called-Out Congregation

“He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”” Matthew 16:15-19 ESV

Ecclesia is the Greek word Jesus uses in Matthew 16 when he said he would build his church on those who confess him as the Messiah. That the confessors would be his “called out ones.” The first century Jews were used to this terminology as in the Old Testament it was used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation for the Old Testament) for congregation or community of Israel when summoned for a definite purpose (i.e. 1 Kings 8:65). So, Jesus captures the word (His Word) and uses it for His new community of called out ones, the ecclesia called out for the purpose of following and worshipping the King of Kings!

So here we are brothers and sisters, who do you day Jesus is? The Messiah, the culmination of history? Yes! Confess Jesus and live! Confess Jesus and be part of the New Community today! Come from the four corners of the earth and live. Live! Live!!

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 ESV

“Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”” Ezekiel 37:9 ESV

Love ya,

Dave