When Jesus arrived on the scene, he said he was going to build a church. Rather, he said he was going to build an “ecclesia,” which is the Greek word used in the Gospels that means a gathering of people, or a following or movement. 

This ecclesia Jesus wanted to build threatened the religious and political institutions of the time. The Jewish religious leaders felt like their power over the temples was being attacked. The Romans felt like this new faith subverted people’s loyalty to the empire. 

And, in a way, it did both of these things for the first 300 years of the ecclesia’s existence. But as history has shown, mankind has shaped the church into something that looks very similar to the institutions that Jesus sought to undermine and the barriers He sought to tear down.

Where the “church” comes from

Have you heard of William Tyndale? We’ll spare you the whole history lesson, but we want to highlight an important part of his story: William Tyndale was an English scholar who was burned to death at a stake by the church because he translated the Bible into English (the Bible was strictly in Latin only at the time).

The powers-that-be did this because this translation threatened their power. Only educated clergymen who could read Latin were able to teach about God. Now, anyone who could read the common language could learn about God and defy the teachings of the existing church.

Another part of the problem is that Tyndale used the word “ecclesia” as it was supposed to be understood: a movement, gathering or following. The institutions felt this was a threat to the religious system and removed their “sacred places of gathering.” So they took to using the word “church” instead, which was a German word for “sacred place.”

Today, when we think of the word “church,” we think of it in this lens. It is a sacred place. But Jesus came not to make a sacred place. He came to make a sacred people. He came to overhaul the systems of control and domination, not to remake them in His name. His church, His ecclesia, was to transcend nations, ethnicities and any other barrier we like to put up between ourselves and other people. 

This strips power and control from religious leaders and institutions, and it threatens them, even today. 

We think the church should look more like the ecclesia Jesus wants to build, not the systems of control we make to dominate people or create illusions of safety. We want the real movement that Jesus started, so we can start to see the world change into a better place.

Centerpoint Church is ready to walk with you on your faith journey

At Centerpoint, our community believes in purpose and passion, and we would love to walk with you on your journey in finding yours. We are currently going through a new sermon series titled “What Would Jesus Undo?” It’s all about what we imagine Jesus would want to undo in today’s church to rebuild it to better fit His image and His teachings. 

Do you feel like the church has lost its way and could use some restructuring? You’re not alone. We encourage you to listen to our series online and welcome you to come to one of our Sunday morning services in Valrico, Florida.