In Ephesians 2-3, Paul explains the Ekklesia is believers from all nations who are assembled to form the spiritual temple of God that contains his grace and communicates his grace to the nations.
Paul refers to his assembled group as the "assembly" or the "ekklesia."
The power of the ekklesia is the life of Christ in us and the love of Christ for us which flows through us to all nations.
Paul prays in Ephesians 3:16-18 that the indwelling Spirit would empower believers:
...to experience by faith the presence of Christ within our hearts
...to be rooted and established in the height, depth, width, and length of the love of Christ for us.
Through the life and love of Christ within our hearts, we will be filled with the measure of the fulness of God.
Below is Paul's prayer for the assembly which was not only a prayer for the first-century saints but is also a prayer for all believers through all generations.
Ephesians 3:16-21
16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
18may have power, together with all the Lord’s saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
18may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
21to him be glory in the {assembly - ekklesia} and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Note:
In verse 21, most translations have church rather than assembly.
However, "church" is a word replacement made by the Catholic Church during the time of the Holy Roman Empire - a Political and Religious Empire - for the purpose of controlling the people.
The correct translation in Ephesians is "assembly" which refers to the spiritual temple of God consisting of believers from all nations who contain the gospel of God's grace and communicate his grace to all people in all nations in all generations.
I am not against churches...I enjoy attending churches...I have even written a book called "Strategic Church."
In this post, I am seeking to explain the Biblical narrative where the physical temple of law in Jerusalem has been replaced by the spiritual temple of grace in all nations.
If this blog was helpful, you may enjoy reading Brad’s Books.
