Jesus told His followers to “Tell it to the church.” (Matthew 18:17) This statement isn’t referring to the historic institutionalized organizations called churches that mostly meet on Sunday morning as a passive religious audience under the headship and control of a one-person pastor or priest. I sincerely believe that Jesus had something else in mind.
Here’s why: Following Jesus’ instructions to “Tell it to the church,” is almost never allowed in the institutions that we call churches. You can bring it to the pastor or priest, but he will very rarely allow anyone to bring it up directly in the whole congregation.
If Jesus wasn’t talking about the traditional religious organizations called churches, what was He referring to? That’s a good question. Jesus used the Greek word for the name of the participatory townhall meeting in ancient Greek cities–ekklesia–which means assembly or congregation.
Israel was under Greek control and influence for many years before the Romans came. The Greek language was spoken by so many Jews that the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew to Greek. In that translation the word ekklesia is used to refer to the various times Israel assembled together for their festivals and other gatherings.
Even the many Jews who didn’t speak Greek would have been familiar with the word ekklesia in two ways: 1) As an assembly of the people of God and 2) As the participatory townhall meeting in Greek cities. Greek cities had been planted around the Mediterranean world and even in Israel. So, when Jesus chose to use the word ekklesia in Matthew 16:18 and in Matthew 18:17 the people hearing Him wouldn’t have thought of an institutionalized religious organization under the headship and control of a one-person pastor of priest.
I believe that Jesus was referring to the Spirit-led assemblies of His followers where anyone present could speak as prompted by God the Holy Spirit. Paul seems to confirm that in 1 Corinthians 14:26 where he states that when Christi-followers come together anybody can speak up in the assembly. There are also 50-something “one another” commands in the New Testament that show that the body of Christ is built together by mutual ministry to one another.
I’ve also experienced Spirit-led assemblies that function like ekklesia. It was once not uncommon for churches to have testimony meetings (Romans 12:11) where people were encouraged and allowed to share from their heart about their love for Jesus. In my years of following Jesus, I’ve often met in houses, dorms, various types of buildings, and even in a barn, with brothers and sisters in Christ to listen to Jesus and share what we hear Him say. Those assemblies have impacted my life and drawn me closer to Jesus in indescribable ways.
My wife and I were even asked to “start a nontraditional church” with The Salvation Army. They supported, encouraged, and allowed us to meet ekklesia-style with Spirit-led open sharing instead of sermons, for almost 10 years. It was an incredible and glorious time to watch God the Holy Spirit powerfully work in and through ordinary people. However eventually a new Salvation Army leader came to town and demanded that it be shifted to the traditional one-man sermon church format and eventually he had it shut down completely.
Afterwards my wife and I continued to seek for and to experience ekklesia and to enjoy and be led by the presence of Jesus as we assembled from place to place with friends and often with just the two of us. “For where two or three gather in My name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16) When was the last time you told it to the church? The concept of a one-man pastor controlling a church service is a religious tradition, not a Bible command. (Mark 7:13)
Jesus wants you, yes you, to experience more than church as usual. I wrote a book that can help you do that. Google: Beyond Church Ekklesia.
Free Gas for Your Think Tank -- Fill Your Mind and Your Heart With Hope 