The Shema and the Ekklesia*

The Shema, found in Deuteronomy 6, is defined as the basic principle of Jewish belief, proclaiming the absolute unity of God. The Hebrew word shema means "listen, hear and do". The words of the Shema are: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." (Deut. 6:4-5). The principle declared in the Shema is so important, that the Jewish people place these words in a mezuzah and attach it to the doorposts of their homes (v.9). They enclose these words in phylactory boxes and wear them on their foreheads, between their eyes, and on their forearms (v. 8). They are to teach the Shema principle to their children at every opportunity (v. 7). The "oneness" of the LORD declared in the Shema is the Hebrew word echad, meaning a plurality of oneness, like a bunch of grapes. To Christians, we understand this plurality in the concept of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus gave us a revelation that takes us further into this plurality of oneness. When a scribe asked Jesus which commandment is first of all, Jesus answered that it was the Shema, as stated above. Jesus also added the commandment that He said was like the Shema: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." He said that there were no greater commandments than these (Mk. 12:28-31). The first focus, according to Jesus, is the kingdom of God, but the second focus connected to it is the love of your neighbor. Jesus gave His disciples a profound meaning of the echsd onenoss or unity of the LORD, as He prayed to His Father on their behalf. He included them, and us, in the echad oneness of God: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one. I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the wolrd may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." (Jn. 17:20-23). This same oneness that includes those who believe and follow Christ, also allows us to be with Him where He is (v. 24). The oneness or unity that exists between us, Jesus and the Father also makes us perfect in that echad unity. This unity with Christ and the Father also requires a unity with each other as believers. Paul wrote: "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." (Eph. 4:1-7, see also 1 Cor. 1:10-13). We also see this perfecting work found in the echad unity mentioned above by Jesus, and written of by Paul: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ...speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." (v.11-16). The unity of each of the individual members of the Body of Christ, and their unity with the head of that Body, Christ Himself, does a perfecting and increasing work in the Body. Right now, the Body of Christ is one of the most divided, disunified, entities on earth. There is contempt and judgment against one another, against denominations, division over doctrines. Paul makes it clear that there is no part of the Body that does not need the other parts of the body. Each part is important and supplies what is needed within the Body (1 Cor. 12:2-27). Peter wrote that the echad unity among the brethren causes us to inherit the blessing (1 Pet. 3:8-9). Psalm 133 describes the pleasantness and priestly anointing found when the brethren dwell together in unity. In this Psalm, David also sings about the blessing that Peter mentioned above that comes from this unity: "...there the LORD commandeth the blessing, even life for evermore." This brings us right back to Jesus' words, above, that they may "be with Me where I am", which is the place of life forevermore. However, as echad unity brings perfection and blessing, division or disunity brings destruction. As Jesus was falsely accused of casting out demons by the power of Satan, He answered His accusers: "How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end." (Mk. 3:23-26). Recorded in Luke 11, Jesus expressed it this way, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against itself falleth..." (v.17). He also put it simply when His disciples pointed out that some were casting our devils in Jesus' name who "were not part of their group" by saying, "...there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part." (Mk. 9:38-40). We need to begin praying for the echad unity of the brethren with each other, in Christ, the Head, and in the Father, like never before. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 4/18/21 message to the church. To contact: PO Box 154221, Waco, TX 76705 or Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com Look for us on Facebook and Twitter.

The Shema and the Ekklesia*

The term, "Church" is widely misused. Church is not a building, or a set of doctrines. What is referred to as the Church in scripture is the Greek word ekklesia. The meaning of ekklesia is the called out assembly of God's people: called out of darkness into His marvelous light, called out of this world into His kingdom. There is an additional characteristic associated with being the Ekklesia, and that is unity. This characteristic seems to be in very short supply. The church is divided along many lines, including politics, but the Word of God makes clear that the same unity that is expressed in the Godhead, is the same unity expected in the Ekklesia. The unity of God is expressed in a declaration called the Shema: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one (echad) LORD." (Deut. 6:4). The Hebrew word "echad" used in this verse means a unity in plurality, like one bunch of grapes. Not only is the Ekklesia to be in spiritual unity, but in physical unity as well: "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth...hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation." (Acts 17:24-26). All men are descendants of the eight souls who were saved on the ark, who were themselves descendants from one man, Noah. Racial and ethnic divisions are unacceptable before God, especially in the Ekklesia. Jesus pointed out that unity is necessary for any kingdom or any house to stand saying, "...every city or house divided against itself shall not stand." (Mt. 12:25). How can the church stand if it is divided within itself? In this example from Jesus, the religious people had created division about the miracles that Jesus had performed. This same division exists in the church today, with many rejecting the idea that miracles happen, and should happen in the church. We have seen many miracles in this ministry which we will be publishing in a book as a memorial to our murdered son, Sean. Division is a sign of the times in which we live. Jesus said that His coming would cause divisions in the world: "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division. For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided...The father shall be divided aginst the son, and the son against the father; the mother aginst the daughter; and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law." (Lk. 12:51-53). Jesus spoke of the division created between those who accept Him, and those who do not, which we see in the world today also, but within the church, this division should not exist. The unity of God is also expressed to us in these verses: "For these are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spiirit, the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." (1 Jn. 5:7-8). In the Spirit, the water of our baptism unites us in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The blood of the Passover Lamb is painted on the doorposts and lintels of our hearts, uniting us with Him, and with each other in faith. Paul wrote of the essential quality of unity and oneness in the Ekklesia. "...walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye were called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Eph. 4:1-6). One reason that the church finds it so difficult to achieve the oneness and unity required of us, is because of the absence of lowliness, meekness, longsuffering and forbearance towards one another. Instead, we exclude each other in pride and impatience from the unity of the faith by denomination, and docrtine. The giftings from God to the Ekklesia, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, are for the purpose of unity: "for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Eph. 4:11-13). The stature of Christ to which we have been called must include the unity of the fatih. Those things that bring divisions in the body of Christ are for the purpose of bringing deception (v. 14). The body of Christ cannot be what it is purposed to be without the unity that joins all of the differing parts together, so that they may function and supply the body effectively (v. 15-16). As Paul heard that the church of Corinth had become divided based upon personal loyalties and preferences to certain ministers of the church, Paul rebuked them saying, "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and tht there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment...Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?...For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Cor. 1:1-18). Especially for this time of violent contention that sometimes even engulfs the church, the Aposlte Peter said: "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not redering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise, blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing...For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil." (1 Pet. 3:8-12). The Apostle Paul also wrote: "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not...be of the same mind one towards another...Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." (Rom. 12:14-18). In beseeching the character of Christ for the Ekklesia, Paul wrote: "If there be therefore, any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." (Phil. 2:1-3). While the world may become more and more violently divided in every way, we are called to be the Ekklesia: called out in character of the oneness, or echad, of God, called out into the unity of the faith of the Son of God, called out into the fulness of Christ. *Based on Dr. Stevenson's 1/17/21 message to the Ekklesia. To contact: PO Box 154221, Waco, TX 76705, or by email: Everlstingcovenant@ymail.com Find Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson Jr on Facebook and Twitter, and at Endtimesschool.com