Jesus brings them into the district where the temple to Pan is. Phillip, one of Herod’s sons had built a palace nearby and renamed the area Caesarea Philippi. So it is here, right in the backyard, or even perhaps right at the large rock formation by the cave that had the spring, that Jesus asks his disciples this question: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” – After hearing some of their answers about being a prophet reincarnated, He asks “But who do you say I am?”  Notice he says Son of Man the first time, and then says “I” the second time. It is on this second question that the Spirit of God empowers Peter to speak truth – something the Spirit would do again soon on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem.  Peter makes the true proclamation that should be the essence of every person’s knowledge of Jesus. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Jesus’ response was interesting. First, he blessed Peter and then reminded him that he didn’t come up with this truth by himself. No, this truth was only revealed by the Father Himself to Peter. Then, the phrase that is used a number of different ways, based upon your faith heritage and tradition. You are Peter, and on this rock (In the Greek, the word for Peter and the word for rock sound similar) I will build my “church” The Greek gives us a different picture, and one I think that bears understanding more fully here. You are Peter (Cephas) and It is possible that the very largest rock (cepha) formation in the land of Israel in the foothills of the Mt. Hebron area and near the cave where one of the River Jordan’s spring came from was right there when Jesus said “upon this rock (cepha)” I will build my “Eklessia” Upon the foundation of who Jesus Christ actually is, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Only God over all other worldly gods, given all authority in both Heaven and all authority here on Earth; upon that truth, spoken so quickly by blessed Peter, the Eklessia will be built by whom? Jesus, of course. He will build HIS Eklessia. And the gates of hades (which would have been nearby) or perhaps the world’s systems of religiosity, will NOT prevail against His Eklessia. Now it takes a different meaning when you understand that Jesus more than likely was standing right near the largest rock formation in Israel near what was known as “The Gates of Hades” to the locals. As well, the word that almost all of our Bibles translate as “church” is actually “Eklessia” in the Greek. Eklessia and Church have two completely different meanings and I think it is part of the reason we have gotten off-track here in Christianity.  When the Bible was first translated into English by William Tyndale, he used the word “congregation” or “gathering” to translate “Eklessia” But King James, who oversaw the “authorized” english translation, required that the word “Eklessia” be translated to “church” – which actually came from another meaning “House of God” or place of the house of God, depending on where it came from. Far different, and set the course for losing the concept of Eklessia and simply embracing a place, a building, a group meeting in a place. It served King James’ purposes well, as it allowed Him to appoint himself as head of the church of England, by being the one who appointed the Arch Bishop and other offices.

So, what was the Eklessia and what meanings have we lost here in 2022? The Eklessia would have been understood by the disciples as it traces roots all the way back to a structure that Jethro, by the Spirit of God, gave to Moses, in the wilderness as a way to lead and govern and shepherd the millions of Israeli refugees who had escaped Egyptian captivity and were on their way to the Promised Land. Read Judges 18 to see the story. Jethro gave Moses advice to set aside leaders of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands to effectively lead and judge the
people. It became the single largest ordination of God-appointed leaders in the history of the world. Perhaps as many as several hundred thousand men were given the commission to be the judge, or leader, of at least ten people. Small matters were decided by them, and weightier, more difficult matters were passed up to higher judges, eventually to Moses himself.

Fast forward several centuries and you will find the Greeks expanding a large kingdom spanning the Western Mediterranean and all the way to what is now Southern Russia, Afghanistan, and India. The Greeks organized themselves in city-states that were largely self-governing. The way they governed was by using an “Eklessia.” The Eklessia was a group of people who responded to the call to come out of the city-state and
listen, discuss, vote, and decide on a course of action for the area in which they lived. The preferred quorum for an Eklessia was 20% of the population, but they could function with 10%. The town herald would enter the town square, blow their special trumpet or horn, and announce that there would be a meeting of the Eklessia at a specific time and place. Usually to find enough room to meet, they had to “come out”
from the city to a hillside or something similar. These Eklessia members literally took responsibility for the community in which they lived. Much like the earlier small-scale judges did in the wilderness.

It was in this context that Jesus actually said “I(Jesus) will build MY(Jesus’) Eklessia” (Ownership emphasis is mine, but I think appropriate) Jeus told the disciples that He was going to build an “Eklessia” that would prevail over all the world’s religious systems, and would have authority to bind and loose. The process of binding and loosing would also been known to the disciples as it is similar to the charge given to the judges in the wilderness. When a person was following a rabbi in the time of the Old Testament and in Jesus’ time, any time something came up that needed a decision, they would seek the counsel of the man of God – the rabbi, or teacher. He would allow things (loosing) and he would recommend against doing other things (bind). The process of binding and loosing is a discipleship concept where a follower learned in the moment what might be lawful, or permitted, profitable or dangerous. The rabbi would bind certain things, and loose others, as he saw fit. In this context, I believe that Jesus was laying out a concept of responsibility for our communities and the world that Peter, Paul, and the later Apostles saw and understood. Paul talked about all believers (Those called into the Eklessia?) taking on a new nature in the Spirit and being given a ministry of reconciliation, of being an ambassador from the Kingdom of God to those around us. Other places, believers are mentioned as functioning like a priest to those around them, with Jesus taking the role of High Priest, some are named as under-shepherds, under Jesus, the
true Shephard. All of these metaphors and symbols are consistent with the idea of “Eklessia” as it would have denoted a certain granted responsibility and purpose and calling to those in the Eklessia to be empowered to take responsibility for their communities. Called out by Jesus, into a sub-community of Spirit-Empowered Ambassadors, Priests, and Shepherds – going into the world to make disciples of those that God gives you.

If you have come to Christ, and accepted His sacrifice on your behalf as the ONLY way to relationship with the Father and abiding in God, and have surrendered your own plan and will to the will of God – then you have been called into not the church, but the Eklessia. You now are being given a holy calling, a holy responsibility for those that God will give you. You – NOT the pastor of your church, or the Sunday School Teacher, or the worship leader or your small group leader – YOU ARE THE EKLESSIA – YOU ARE THE ONE whom God has appointed for such a time as this. Who has God given you? Who are the ones that you need to gather with other followers of this way and strategize how to love, and lead,
and be an ambassador to? What would be different about your meeting with other believers if you understood your calling and responsibility? For far too long, we have mis-understood the church to be a place where we hire a professional set of Christians, and pay them to be the ones who walk with God. NO- YOU ARE THE ONE WHO GOD DESIRES TO WALK WITH. YOU – HE WANTS TO BE WITH YOU. This is the Eklessia Jesus is building – an army of YOU’s, being transformed into Jesus before our eyes and the eyes of those that God has given you.
Transformed, because He also loves them and wants them to come and be a part of His Eklessia.

So – if you are simply going to church to consume a message each week and check off your list that you did your duty to God, and perhaps will consider giving some time or money or talent occasionally, YOU are missing out on Christ’s intent for your life. Stop doing it and turn to Him. Turn only to Him. He has a way for you. Find it as you have relationship with HIM. HE WILL NOT WITHOLD ANY GOOD GIFT FROM YOU. He will make you into what He intended you to be (That is called Sanctification) and He will provide whatever you need to carry out your Eklessia calling. It is not complicated – Go to God, through Jesus Christ, and be filled with the Holy Spirit, and go back into the world as a new Eklessia member, empowered by God to be the hands, feet, eyes, wisdom, and love of HIM to those around you.