Christ loves the ecclesia

:25 Husbands, be loving your wives according as Christ also loves the ecclesia, and gives Himself up for its sake, :26 that He should be hallowing it, cleansing it in the bath of the water (with His declaration), :27 that He should be presenting to Himself a glorious ecclesia, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that it may be holy and flawless. Ephesians 5

That Christ loves the ecclesia (>congregation) is different from Him loving each individual believer of the ecclesia. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The ecclesia is an assembly of people, as Acts 19 verses 32 and 39 show. When believers come and meet together it is called the “ecclesia” (or “congregation”), even if they are only a very small number of two or three. The Bible does not distinguish between the overall and the local ecclesia, as is commonly done in the Christian way of speaking about this. Wherever and whenever believers gather together (as believers), they represent the whole ecclesia. Ecclesia is an honorary title given to any assembly of believers. There is where Christ sees the entire ecclesia represented. He loves the ecclesia and gives Himself for her and He sanctifies and cleanses her “in the bath of water (with His declaration)”. Every time when believers meet together to encourage one another, and so by Christ’s Word to become glorious, they experience the love of Christ for the ecclesia. ——————————— translation: Peter Feddema

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