Church: Called-Out by Christ
- James Collazo
- Jun 14, 2021
- 8 min read
Updated: Nov 21
Introduction
Ecclesiology is the theological study of the church's identity and structure. The word comes from the Greek ekklēsia (G1577), meaning "called out" and translated as "assembly" or "congregation." As Christianity spread across the world, theologians began to describe the church as a hierarchy of bishops, priests, and deacons, with the people as its members. It is important to note that in the classical Greco-Roman world, the term ekklēsia did not mainly describe a religious meeting. Instead, it was a civic assembly, where citizens gathered to discuss public issues, vote, and make decisions for their city. When the New Testament writers used ekklēsia, they carried this civic meaning into the community of Jesus and his followers, showing that they form a public body with a shared mission and responsibility.
Ignatius of Antioch (c. AD 35–107) wrote, "Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be; as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic church" (Smyrnaeans 8). He taught that believers entirely belong to the church only when they submit to a bishop in worship, and that Christ works through the bishop as the people's mediator. In contrast, Luke used the word church in the Acts of the Apostles to describe the community of early followers of Jesus. He showed how Paul and Barnabas met with the church during the Council of Jerusalem, gathering with both the elders and the larger group of believers (Acts 15:3–5). In this sense, the church included the entire assembly—leaders and people together.
Old Testament Church
To understand the church, we must trace its origins. The translators of the Septuagint—the ancient Greek version of the Old Testament—used the word ekklēsia to describe Israel, showing that the idea of the church existed before the New Testament. They chose ekklēsia to translate the Hebrew word kahal (H6950 / H6951), which referred to Israel's most sacred assembly, not just a local synagogue. In its broader Greco-Roman context, the word ekklēsia had already carried the sense of a public assembly of citizens—a gathering summoned from the populace to act together. Thus, the translators' choice of ekklēsia to render kahal carries a layered background of "assembly" in both Greek and Hebrew.
The story of the church begins when God led Israel out of slavery in Egypt. God called Israel to become the nation through which he would restore creation. From the moment God told Abraham to leave Ur for Canaan, he set apart Abraham's descendants through Sarah according to his will. Later, Abraham's grandson Jacob wrestled with God and received a new name—Israel (H3478), meaning "one who strives for God." The nation that came from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob inherited this name, reflecting humanity's struggle to know God. King David and the apostle Paul both recognize this truth when they lament, "As it is written, 'There is no one righteous, not even one'" (Rom. 3:10; cf. Pss. 14:3, 53:3).
God called Israel to be different—a people after his own heart (cf. 1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22). When Jesus, God in human form, entered the world, he expanded Israel from a single nation in Judea to a community open to all people. Just as the Israelites escaped the oppression of Pharaoh, the church escapes the bondage of sin. The church's story reaches back to the Exodus, when God led his people out of slavery toward a Promised Land flowing with milk and honey (Exod. 3:8, 17, 13:3–5; Deut. 6:3).
Most importantly, the great kahal of Israel gathered at Mount Horeb after God instructed Moses, "Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children" (Deut. 4:10). At Mount Horeb, God revealed the Ten Commandments (Deut. 4:13). The Hebrew word kahal refers to this sacred assembly of Israel whenever the people gathered to worship or meet with God.
New Testament Church
Before his arrest, Jesus promised his disciples that he would send another Advocate (Paraklētos, G3875) to be with them (John 14:16). This promise reveals that Jesus serves as the church's advocate before God the Father and that he holds the authority to send the Holy Spirit. However, Jesus does not send the Spirit on his own; he sends him from the Father (John 14:26, 15:26). If the Son acted independently, there would be two separate wills. Instead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit share one divine will as the one God in three persons.
The Father is the will and source for both the Son and the Spirit (see "Trinity: Jewish & Gentile Views"). Therefore, the Son sends forth (Greek: ekporeuomai, G1607) the Spirit from the Father, not from himself (see "Confessions of Faith"). This unity of will and mission shows the perfect harmony within the Godhead and the order by which God reveals himself to humanity.
The church receives guidance and strength from the Son and the Holy Spirit, always in harmony with the Father's will. In his second letter, Peter teaches that the church shares in God's divine nature through communion with him (2 Pet. 1:4). The church unites with God because the Son sends the Spirit from the Father to lead and sustain it. Believers do not share God's essence but participate in his life through faith, hope, and love (1 Cor. 13:13). The Holy Spirit teaches the church to live by faith, remain firm in hope, and love without limit. He also intercedes when the church falls short, speaking on its behalf before God.
God made humans in his image, but we remain lower than him and dependent on him. In this sense, "image" means a copy or reflection, not an exact likeness. Human beings are not divine by nature, so we need a mediator, Jesus, to stand between us and the Father. God created humanity as good but not equal to his own nature, and this design came before the fall. From the beginning, people were "very good" (Gen. 1:31). Humanity did not lose the image of God when Adam and Eve disobeyed; that image reaches its perfection in Jesus.
Matter itself is not evil, as some ancient philosophers believed. The incarnation, when God the Son took on human flesh, shows that human nature is good. If original sin had made humanity's nature evil, Jesus would not have entered our world. We sin because we misuse the free will God gave us (Rom. 1:30; see "God's Will & Our Free Choices").
On the other hand, the church reveals humanity restored. While many people choose to sin against God, the church forms a community that seeks his guidance. Its members set aside their own desires to follow God's will, made possible through the intercession of Jesus and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. When Paul wrote that no one seeks God (Rom. 3:11), he was referring to those still living in sin outside the church, not to believers within it. He also affirmed that free will allows people to turn toward God by faith and become part of the church, rather than remain separated from him.
Jesus and the Church
Understanding who Jesus is in relation to the church is essential. While the church belongs to the material world, Jesus is eternal. As God in human form, he bridges God's spiritual nature with his created world, including humanity. Even if people had never fallen into sin, God the Father still would have sent his only-begotten Son to intercede for creation. Jesus' role as intercessor does not exist only because of sin; it allows humanity to commune with God without becoming part of his divine essence.
God made human beings in his image (Latin: imago Dei), reflecting his nature and purpose (see "Humankind & Ancestral Sin"). Jesus embodies God's essence in a physical form and serves as the mediator between God and the church—the people God calls to carry out his will. Any belief that makes Christ less than the eternal expression of God reduces the church to a human institution guided by its own standards. The church is holy because God sets it apart, not because we Christians achieve holiness through our efforts.
Conclusion
The church is the people of God living in a world that has turned away from him. Jesus alone serves as the High Priest, so believers need no other mediator. The author of Hebrews explains that Jesus is not an angel or an earthly priest who offers temporary sacrifices for sin (Heb. 2:5–9). Instead, he is God in human form, who offered himself once for all as the perfect and permanent sacrifice (Heb. 4:14).
Jesus teaches us not to call anyone rabbi, instructor, or father, because the Lord alone rightly leads and cares for his people (Matt. 23:8–10). Paul calls the church the "body of Christ," showing that it carries out his purpose in the world (1 Cor. 12:27). The church depends entirely on Christ, who intercedes between humankind and God. It does not share a mystical or equal union with him but receives his divine life by grace through faith, not by our works (Eph. 2:8–9). The church connects with God only through Christ, never through any human authority.
Prayer
Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of heaven and earth. You are the God of truth and have all authority; by your power, sustain your church. Guide us and unite us, teach us your ways, and display your steadfast love through us in the world. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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