When we think of the word *church*, we think of it as a specific building, as a group of people, even as a long service to sit through. We hardly ever think of it as world-changing–and neither does society. Yet this is exactly what the first-century *ekklesia* was.

In these vital, eye-opening pages, Silvoso takes you back to the first days of the church. Digging into Scripture, he shows how the New Testament church–devoid of buildings, professional clergy, and religious freedom–was able to transform the hostile, pagan places into which it was born and set in motion a process that changed the world forever.