Before I continue with part 4 of ‘An idol called the church’ I would like to make two points.

1/ Incorrect use of study material causes confusion.

One pastor commented on Part 3 of “an Idol called the Church”.

"You are saying that the Greek word ekklesia does not mean church, and is miss-translated. The Strong's reference (1577) to the word church uses both words: assembly and church. This reference is saying they are both the same."

“I have trusted the Strong's Concordance for many years, but here you are saying it is incorrect? Maybe you should take your Greek translation issues up with them as many pastors rely on its accuracy."

My answer:- May I humbly suggest rather, that those that use Strong's, use it correctly. The instructions on how to use Strong's (in the front of printed versions) say that the text before the :- is the meaning of the word. Text after the :- is how the King James Version translated it. (not what the word means).

So where it says :- Assembly, Church - this is stating just what the KJV uses, not the meaning

2/ Dismissing truth brings bondage

I can’t believe the amount of people including leaders emailing me that dismiss things because it just doesn’t fit their box. They have coloured glasses that they will not take off to see anything different. They dismiss things with a ‘but’. Statements like ‘what you say is true but ....’ I agree with what you say but .....’ They then justify why they are continuing in their error.

This is very dangerous because it is agreeing with and then dismissing a truth. It is dangerous because knowing the truth sets you free. Dismissing it brings bondage. It is like for example someone saying “I agree that the bible says adultery is wrong but people are only human and they really love each other” they dismiss the truth and go into bondage.

When people say things like “I agree with what you say ekklesia means but we will continue to  do ‘church’ our way because we love Jesus” - this is playing right into the hands of the idol.

It seems like people totally agree with this teaching or they vehemently oppose it.

I have had meetings cancelled in a way that is very un-Christlike to the opposite side of the coin - new invitations coming in ‘because of’ the teaching. From rude emails from so called ‘Christians’ to groups of ministries asking permission to re-print the articles.  I am amazed at the hornet’s nest that this has stirred up. Pastors condemning what I am saying, Leaders of movements telling others not to have anything to do with me and yet so many other pastors, leaders and others giving great endorsement and encouragement to me.

From my experience so far those that vehemently oppose this have the most to lose, have their own agenda or are simply misquoting what is being said.

I have said for years that revival is coming but it’s not through a church or an organization or a person even – it is a body revival where the body of Christ rises up in revival to go and continue to do in the world what Christ started to do in the world.

Where the body of Christ is unshackled from religious systems that offer no life because that life is sapped by the idol. People are going to be revived to relationship instead religion and this will be fostered by personal connection to the Vine instead of programs designed to keep people busy.

My advice to leaders – hold loosely what you have. The idol will bind you to property instead of people. Position instead of calling. Serve the Lord and His body, not the idol.

I know scores of pastors that are shackled to their system by church buildings where their denomination control them by owning the building or has some other control. I know some that have wrestled for years because they would lose possessions or position that finally said “I let go”. One pastor recently turned up on my doorstep and said how fulfilled he was now by being out of the bondage he was in for years. He said “I baptised 16 people last week  - I have never baptised that amount of people before – we have more people turning up and they are excited about Jesus”. He was genuinely free from the burdens he carried for years being shackled to the idol.

I am not saying we shouldn’t, as Christians, assemble together as a body in a building or a place – what I am saying is:-

Part 4 ‘An idol called the church’.

Ekklesia is not a building. (so why do we keep calling a building or organization a church)

Nowhere in the Bible is the PLACE where Christians meet referred to as a "church", nowhere.

Never does ekklesia refer to a BUILDING in which people gathered, for worship or for any other purpose, Never.

The ‘church’ building (or place of worship) is so connected with the idea of church that we unconsciously equate the two. (Frank Viola)

The idol called the church (where people worship the church rather than Christ) is actually rooted in ancient temple worship (this is still practised by most other religions on earth today)

Temple worship actually goes back to Judaism where that religion was centred on three things – the temple, the priesthood and the sacrifice. When Jesus came He ended all three.

Christianity started off as the only religion on the planet that had no sacred objects, sacred people and no sacred places – they had no sacred buildings for their worship.

Ekklesia is not a physical place it is an assembly of people.

In the New Testament it primarily refers to the spiritual Body of Christ on the earth. "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints [holy ones] for the work of service, to the building up of THE BODY OF CHRIST; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the true knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-13).

The Body of Christ is the true assembly of believers - the habitation of God as was the temple in the Old Testament.

Maybe we get our mindset of the church (building / organization) being the central part of our Western Christianity from the Old Testament where the temple was a dwelling place of God – but this is done away with in the New Testament.

If you don’t believe me when I say “the church (building / organization) being the central part of our Western Christianity” – try not ‘going to church’ for a while to see how you are labelled (backslidden, off track, not really functioning in the body come to mind – even rebellious)

The writer of Hebrews, in chapter 9, describes the Old Testament temple; its appearance and the activities of the Levite priests (vs. 1-8). He then compares it to the temple of Christ as follows:

" But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle [or sacred tent] not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building (Hebrews 9:11).

Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

A building is not the habitation of God anymore.

The true assembly of believers of God is not of this world but is a spiritual dwelling place for God.

In the Old Testament both the temple in the wilderness and Solomon's temple were filled with the Spirit of God, to the extent that the priests could not even stand to minister. In the Old Testament God actually dwelled in the temples made by men.

In the New Testament, under the new covenant instituted by Christ, God no longer will dwell in a physical temple. His house will be within His believers. We of the Body of Christ are His dwelling place forever.

Paul never refers to the ekklesia as a physical structure but as a dedicated group of disciples; a new race redeemed by the blood of Christ (Mounce's Expository Dictionary).

"And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice [chosen, elect] and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices

All sources agree that ‘ekklesia’ denotes not a physical structure but a living, eternal spiritual dwelling place. The Body is one but has various expressions and gifts given to each individual member, all for the purpose of the building up of the Body (see 1 Corinthians 12). Christ is the head of His body and the remainder of His true spiritual Body is filled with the elect ones, the Saints, the chosen including those who have gone on. The gifts of the Spirit are given to each member as the Lord sees fit. People don't "join" the Body as they do in a modern day church; they are placed there by the Lord.

Paul said:
"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints [holy ones] and are of God's household,

having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple [sanctuary] in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:20-22).

So the church building is no longer inhabited by God – it is not the house of God anymore, it is not sacred. But the body of Christ is now being built up as a dwelling place of God, the body of Christ is now the temple, and individuals are of the household of God.

Now, here is the clincher

2 Corinthians 6:16 What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

What agreement has a temple of God with idols? None. Repent and turn away from idols, repent and turn away from the idol called the church to Christ.

I am not saying turn away from assembling together as the assembly of believers in Christ but I am saying turn away from the idol called the church.

The glory doesn’t reside anymore in the building or organization.

Where God’s glory resides (from the temple -> Christ -> body of Christ).

Attributed most often to Rev. Sam Pascoe. It is a short version of the history of Christianity, and it goes like this: Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America (the west) and became an enterprise.