Jesus is the Head of His Ecclesia

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Jesus Christ is the Head of the Body, the Ecclesia

You may listen to this message in audio mp3, link here below. It is an extended version because all the scripture quotations are read out and there are additional comments (30min long):

https://db.tt/6QHvq0ZW

Col. 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased [the Father that] in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

The key concept that I received from the Holy Spirit to work through this article was that Jesus is the Head of His Ecclesia (a living organism, a body), and that we needed to understand what that means in terms of authority against the enemy, call for war, duty for service, power for victory, hope for the lost to be saved and the captives to be set free.

Let’s start with the word “Church”, the English translation of the original Greek “Ecclesia”. If you research on the internet you will find many articles explaining why “Church” is a bad translation of “Ecclesia”. But for me the most important issue is that when an English speaking person hears the word “Church”, the concept of a civil council that rules through juridical functions and legislative authority never comes to mind! Moreover, the word “Church” may well be associated with a building, an institution, an organization, whereas “Ecclesia” can only be associated with a living organism (a Body), a council, an assembly.

Unless we understand that Jesus is the Head of a living organism, a Body, that is called to rule in the heavenly places, with a mandate to exercise juridical functions, as it carries legislative authority delegated by the Great Judge…

… we could never comprehend HOW Jesus may have the preeminence, and HOW all things can be reconciled to God by Jesus, in the form of the Head of His Ecclesia.

The emphasis here is that Jesus is the Head of a Body (a living organism); Jesus who is called to have the preeminence, and Jesus being the way of reconciliation of all things, must be understood as Jesus in the form of a Body – not an abstract concept of Jesus as a resurrected man, or a King in heaven, or a religious figure – it is Jesus as the Head of a Body! The Head and the Body are united together in absolute oneness!

We will not spend much time on the origin and meaning of the word “ecclesia” (you can look it up on the internet). Ecclesia was the political assembly of citizens of an ancient Greek city state with juridical functions and legislative authority. Hence in Acts 19:32, the crowd that was gathered in Ephesus is called “ecclesia” in the original Greek text, but translated as “assembly” in the English versions of the Bible.

To understand the significance, calling, duty, authority of the Ecclesia as Body of Jesus, let us remember the constitutional declaration of Jesus about His Ecclesia:

Matt.16:13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi… 18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus made His constitutional declaration in the face of the physical location known as “Gates of Hades”, a cave of worship under a rock (hill) of shrines, a place of temples dedicated to Pan and other Greek gods, in Caesarea Philippi. That place was also “Gates of Hades” in the spirit realm.

Some photos from the site in Israel called "Gates of Hades" (Caesarea Philippi) here below help me avoid too many words of explanation.

To further understand what Jesus is talking about in His constitutional declaration of establishing His Body on Earth with Him as the Head from heaven, at the right hand of His Father (after He would be raised from the dead), you need to refer to last week’s article “Jesus Christ must continue to rule as King until He has put all His enemies under His feet”. Today’s article really flows as continuation from that one.

To further understand what Jesus is saying, and what the calling of the Ecclesia is, we need to refer to many Scriptures that describe the authoritative function that God delegates to His Body on Earth. Such scriptures include Psalm 24:7-10, which perceived from a New Testament, Kingdom of God perspective, is the Ecclesia speaking to the gates of Hades.

Also, Psalm 149, again from a New Testament perspective, is the Ecclesia with the authority to execute judgment against the demonic powers in the heavenly places.

Moreover, Isaiah 66:6 is a powerful word when unlocked through the New Testament eyes of the Kingdom of God; in effect it says that when the Ecclesia (which is the temple of God in the New Testament) comes together to pray corporately, the Voice of the Lord (who is the Head of the Body that prays in unison with the Head) arises over the entire city where that Ecclesia has territorial authority and responsibility, and He accomplishes through the prayers of His Body the purpose for which He is at the right hand of His Father: to put His enemies under His feet.

To understand Isaiah 66:6 in that perspective and light, one needs to understand the power of corporate prayer in one accord of the local Ecclesia of Jesus, as depicted in Acts chapter 4:23-31. The corporate prayer of the Ecclesia was able to overcome the threats and intimidation of the rulers, elders and scribes of Jerusalem. When they prayed, the spiritual atmosphere over Jerusalem changed.

Before the Ecclesia came together to exercise their legislative authority, it was the rulers, elders and scribes that were occupying the place of authority at the spiritual gates of Jerusalem. But when the Ecclesia of Jesus stood up and spoke out, their authority (flowing from the Head, Jesus) was greater and able to overcome the threats and intimidation of Darkness.

The same legislative authority of the Ecclesia of Jesus at the spiritual gates of the city can be seen in the story of Peter who was taken to prison in Acts 12. King Herod was the commissioner of the authority of Darkness, Death and Hades, but when the Ecclesia prayed (Acts 12:5) the spiritual climate changed, and the authority of Jesus was raised up higher, and legislated what was to happen.

The prayers of the Ecclesia authorized an angel to come and set Peter free from prison in a miraculous way that defies logic (Acts 12:7-10). Peter was about to die the following morning, but the church legislated through prayer in the heavenly places a different decree: Peter was to be set free from prison!

Such examples give life to Old Testament prophecies, such as the words of Isaiah, chapter 28:5 In that day the LORD of hosts will be For a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty To the remnant of His people, 6 For a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, And for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

The prayers of the Ecclesia, that sits in judgment, and has the spirit of justice, turned back the battle at the gate! The authority of the Ecclesia prevailed over the authority of Darkness, Death and Hades, and Peter was set free! Herod found out that he was no longer the King in authority, as he used to be. Halleluyah!!

Leaving now the teaching aspect behind, the purpose of this article is to help us remember that we corporately have authority against the enemy. There is a call upon the Ecclesia to go to war against the powers, principalities, world-rulers, spirits of wickedness in the heavenly places, so that the enemies of Jesus may be put under His feet.

We have been called to a duty, to serve our King and represent as ambassadors His Kingdom on Earth, as we exercise the authority and enforce the power He has delegated to us, in order to be servants and guardians of the territories where He has given us responsibility.

He has granted us already the power for victory, so that we may use that power as we press on against the gates of Hades, so that we may set the lost and the captives free.

And it is all done in prayer! It is all done by Him, through Him, for Him, who is the Head of His assembly of saints, His Ecclesia, His living organism on Earth, which He indwells and manifests through… it is all about Jesus! We, the Ecclesia, are here to serve Him!

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