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Ecclesiology, Part 2

Published February 28, 2013 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Church, theology, true christians, water baptism

Jesus Christ built His church on Himself. He founded and He established it. He gifted it with the Holy Spirit and gave His life for it. The greatest gift ever given the church was Jesus Christ.

1. Membership in the Church

In spite of what various denominations teach about this topic, the New Testament tells us how to become a member of the church: faith in the Gospel and a deep-seated trust in Jesus Christ as Savior.

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (Acts 16:31 TNIV)

A characteristic – not a condition – of church membership is participation in water baptism, a dramatic and symbolic testimony to faith in Christ.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:9, 10 TNIV)

In the earliest days of the church, all members were truly born again:

…And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47 TNIV)

In those early days, becoming a member of the church was not like joining a club or an organization, but it was understood that becoming a member of the church was quite literally becoming part of the Body of Christ.

Over the years, though, catechizing took the place of conversion; water baptism took the place a born again experience. As the Christian church became more and more popular, adherence to man-made confessions and doctrines took the place of faith in the Word of God. The result of such a change is marked. Instead of the church overflowing with true Christians, it’s now a “mixed multitude,” with true believers co-existing alongside nominal and in-name-only Christians. This has been the state of the church for most of its existence: possessing Christians in the midst of professing Christians. According to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 13, the state of the church is no surprise to Him.

It’s clear that the distinguishing characteristic between the invisible, universal Church and the visible, denominational church is the quality of its members. Only true born again, regenerated people are members of the invisible, universal church. Those who have their names written in the Book of Life in Heaven are members of the true church. Those whose names are found only on a church roll, may be members of their local church, but that’s no guarantee that they are also members of the true Church. This strange condition of the Church was taught by Jesus (Matthew 13) and understood by Paul:

Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for disposal of refuse. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. (2 Timothy 2:19-21 TNIV)

2. The work of the church

The work of the church is best stated by Paul in Ephesians:

(A) Teaching and training its members.

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… (Ephesians 4:11, 12 KJV)

Some people are under the mistaken impression the job of the church is to make converts. In fact, the primary job of the church is to train up its members to go out and make converts. There is nothing wrong with the occasional evangelistic service, but generally speaking, there should be a lot teaching and training going on in Christian churches. This is what Jesus did: He taught, discipled, and trained His followers to go out and make converts. It was not His intention that His followers should to go out and drag back sinners to Him for conversion!

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit… (Matthew 28:19 TNIV)

(B) Provide a means/place of worship.

The church ought to be a place a prayer, worship, and testimony.

(C) A place of Christian fellowship.

People are social beings and they need social interaction and friendship with like-minded individuals. A good church provides opportunities for its members to get together for camaraderie and good fellowship. It is during those times believers encourage each other and build each other up in the faith.

(D) To hold up a moral standard in the community.

As the “light of the world” and the “salt of the earth,” the church should be setting the moral and ethical example for others to follow. The church should teach people how to live, not just how to die. The best witness a church member can have is to hold forth a Biblical worldview, and it’s up to the local church to instill in its members that sound worldview and to encourage them to live it.

3. Ordinances of the church

Christianity is not a religion of ritual. At its core, Christianity is all about the inside of a man, not the outside; it’s about man being able to approach God on the merits of Christ alone. In spite of the fact that New Testament Christianity is not built around rituals, there are two ceremonies that are essential because they were divinely ordained: water baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Because of their “sacred” character, some people like to refer to these ordinances are “sacraments,” meaning “sacred things.” Ordinances, sacraments, or rituals, whatever you call them, there are very special ceremonies “ordained” by The Lord Jesus Himself.

A very simple way of looking at these two ordinances is to see water baptism as the “rite of entrance” into the Church, and it symbolizes the beginning of spiritual life. The Lord’s Supper is the “rite of communion,” symbolizing continued spiritual life. Water baptism portrays faith in Jesus Christ, the Lord’s Supper fellowship with Him. Water baptism happens one time, the Lord’s supper often.

(A) Baptism

With apologies to the practices of some denominations, since the word “baptize” means “to dip” or “to immerse,” the preferred mode of water baptism is immersion.

This leads us to the question of “sprinkling” or “pouring.” Where did these practices come from? All must admit that baptism in both Testaments (Jewish baptism in the Old, Christian in the New) involved totally immersing the candidate in water. When the early church became more institutionalized and began to forsake the plain teachings of Christ and allowed man’s ideas to influence it, it also began to place an undue emphasis on rituals – like the pagan religions around it did – and baptism began to be seen as essential in salvation. In other words, if a person died without being baptized, the church (though not the Bible) taught his soul was in peril. Given this, the church began the practice of baptizing the sick and dying before it was too late. Naturally these candidates couldn’t be immersed in water, therefore sprinkling or pouring had to be done. Eventually, it just became convenient to sprinkle and pour.

Is any of this really important? Is the mode really important? It is only to the extent of the candidate’s witness to the community, both the community of faith and the broader community. Only total immersion conveys in a dramatic fashion the believer’s identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:1-4 NIV84)

How do we reconcile these two verses:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit… (Matthew 28:19 NIV84)

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38 NIV84)

What words should be used when one is baptized? Most denominations use the “Trinitarian formula,” of Matthew 28:19. But some churches, often called “Jesus Only” churches, baptize their candidates in the name of Jesus only. Which is correct? It should be noticed that the words Jesus spoke were the formula; He told His disciples precisely how to baptized converts. Peter’s words in Acts do not constitute a formula. They were spoken merely as a statement affirming that the candidate has placed their faith in Jesus alone.

As to who may be baptized, the Bible makes it clear that only those who have repented of their sins and put their full faith and trust in The Lord Jesus Christ may be baptized. The early church had three simple practices surrounding water baptism:

(1) a simple profession of faith, Acts 8:37

(2) a simple prayer, Acts 22:16;

(3) a simple vow of consecration, 1 Peter 3:21.

Water baptism in and of itself is not a means of grace; individuals are baptized in water not be be saved but because they are saved.

(B) The Lord’s Supper

Also known as Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper is a wholly Christian rite, instituted by The Lord Jesus Christ on the eve of His crucifixion for the following purposes:

(1) Commemoration.

Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” We commemorate many things: birthdays, anniversaries, Independence Day, and so on. Whenever a group of Christians gets together the celebrate The Lord’s Supper, they are remembering in a very special way the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus, which freed them from their sins and secured them salvation.

While the life of Jesus was important, it saved no one. It was His death that saved sinners and that’s why we remember it so.

(2) Instruction.

When we celebrate Communion, we have an opportunity to learn anew two important parts the Gospel. First, the Incarnation. We remember the words of John:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 NIV84)

And the words of Jesus Himself:

For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. (John 6:33 NIV84)

We also have an opportunity to think about the Atonement. We think about the sacrifice of Jesus; His broken Body and His shed Blood; how He bore the punishment for our sin.

(3) Inspiration.

The elements help us understand that by faith we may become partakers of Christ’s nature; that we are in communion with Him; and that we as we get closer and closer to Him, we become more and more like Him, reflecting His glory and character.

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:4 NIV84)

(4) Assurance.

The “new covenant” spoken of by Jesus during the Last Supper is a “blood covenant.” The covenant has been accepted by God on the basis of His Son’s shed blood. His blood is the guarantee that God will be gracious and merciful to all who come to Him in faith believing what Christ has done. That is our part in the covenant: simply believe.

God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished– he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25-26 NIV84)

(5) Responsibility.

Celebrating The Lord’s Supper is a solemn thing, not to be done lightly, and only after sober reflection. Consider the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:

A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. (1 Corinthians 11:28-29 NIV84)

This of course does not mean that only those who are good enough or worthy enough should take Communion. Really, none of us is worthy. If we read all of 1 Corinthians 11, we see that Paul is not so much concerned with people but with the actions of people. How we treat people and the attitudes we hold toward others determines whether or not we may take part in the Communion service.

STANDING FIRM IN THE FAITH…NO MATTER WHAT!

Published June 27, 2012 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: 1 Thessalonians, Church, spiritual progress, standing firm in the faith, thessalonian church

1 Thessalonians 3

Chapter 3 is actually part of a larger, more common sense division of 1 Thessalonians that takes in 2:13—3:13. The chapter break at the end of chapter 2 seems forced and out of place, so it’s best to ignore it. The theme of the larger division is suffering. Specifically, Paul seemed very concerned that suffering might hinder the growth and spiritual progress of the Thessalonian church.

Why was this such a concern for Paul? It probably had a lot to do with his state of mind. Paul and his friends had been forced to leave Thessalonica, cutting short their efforts to firmly establish the newly founded church there. Because of that, he had sent Timothy from Athens to make sure the young congregation was doing well. He got a good report and was overjoyed with the news. However, we discover here that Paul still had a mighty concern for their spiritual state. Interestingly, he was not at all concerned about their material needs, only their spiritual ones. His priorities are important to note.

1. Strength in adversity, 3:1—5

The “we” in verse one refers to Paul, who was stuck by himself in Athens, since young Timothy had been sent by Paul to Thessalonica, and Silas, was probably still preaching in Berea. By the time this letter was written, all three preachers had met in Corinth.

As much as Paul loved the folks in Thessalonica, he hated to send Timothy back there. Literally, he felt “abandoned” in Athens. Yet even though he felt this way, Paul continued to do the work God had called him to. He would face down the arrogant philosophers of Athens in Acts 17. Even faithful, dedicated ministers and missionaries at times may feel overwhelmed or abandoned. But the work of the Lord always continues.

Paul wanted the company in Athens, but he knew it was more important for the Thessalonians to send Timothy. His purpose was clear:

…to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them… (verses 2b, 3)

Timothy’s mission was three-pronged. He was to “strengthen” them. The root meaning of the Greek word used here is “to support” or “to buttress.” The second part of his job was to “encourage” them. The Greek word used here is very interesting; it’s parakalesai, which looks a like the word used of the Holy Spirit, parakletos. It means “one who comes alongside to comfort.” And the third part of his mission was to keep them from being “unsettled.”

Timothy, though not their pastor, was performing very pastoral duties. To encourage and to exhort a congregation to keep the faith and to remain ever faithful to Christ in spite of circumstances is an integral part of what the pastor does in his church. To suffer persecution in one form or another is part of being a Christian. Paul knew this, and he knew his friends in Thessalonica would experience their share of it.

For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless. (verse 5)

Here is a verse that really gets under the skin of the “once in faith, always in faith” crowd. Their take on this verse is that Paul sent Timothy to the Thessalonians to see whether or not these people had genuinely converted to Christ or just made a spur of the moment emotional decision. However, it seems clear from 1:4—10 that Paul believed that their salvation was genuine.

There is only way to understand this verse: Paul was desperate to know if the flames of faith in Thessalonica were still burning or if they had been extinguished, a result of their persecutions.

The “tempter” is just another name for Satan. The believers in Thessalonica were not only being persecuted, but tempted at the same time. The temptation was probably to abandon the faith, thus ending the persecution. It’s easy for Christians to feel this way. Sometimes we feel abandoned by God—Paul felt abandoned in Athens!—and those kind of feelings can trick us into thinking our faith in God doesn’t work. Had the Thessalonians decided to throw in the towel, Paul would have considered his work there a waste of time.

2. Comfort in affliction, 3:6—10

Paul’s worries, however, proved to be groundless. Timothy came back with the best news possible:

He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. (verse 6b)

…you are standing firm in the Lord. (verse 8b)

Young Timothy had two bits of news that excited Paul. First, they still thought the world of Paul and his friends. In spite of the suffering and persecution they may have been experiencing, they still loved Paul; they didn’t harbor any ill feelings toward him.

Second, the congregation continued to “stand firm.” Though the NIV makes it sound like the congregation is definitely standing firm, the sentence is really conditional and the RSV is probably a little more accurate: “if you stand firm.” The Greek word means to be steadfast and resolute. It’s a common New Testament word used to describe how Christians should behave in the face of any kind of negativity. Always persevere! Never give up! Never surrender to your circumstances!

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. (verse 9, 10)

The question proceeding from verse 10 is naturally, What are the Thessalonians lacking? After Timothy’s good news and Paul’s glowing opinion of them, what could they possibly be lacking?

Unfortunately, we don’t know. What we do know is that in none of Paul’s letters does he ever suggest a Christian or a congregation will ever reach a state of perfection. There is never a time when a believer or his church reaches full maturity in the Lord. When it comes to Christian growth, Paul can never be satisfied. In fact, the “night and day” refers not only to Paul’s desire to see the Thessalonians again, but also to how often he prays that God would supply their lack; that God would always enable them to grow. It’s an intense prayer. “Day and night” and “earnestly” suggest the most intense prayer possible. As is very common in Paul’s writing, he got deeply personal here and burst into a verse or two of intercessory prayer.

Part of this prayer was finally answered years later when Paul returned to the region in Acts 20.

So, Paul, feeling alone and abandoned in Athens, remained faithful in his mission to preach and teach the Gospel, was rewarded with some great news. All his fears and worries surrounding the Thessalonians proved to be false. The Thessalonians, in the face of persecution, also remained faithful. Paul sent Timothy to encourage the Thessalonians, but Paul himself received encouragement from the example of the Thessalonians. It’s amazing what happens when believers live like they’re supposed to!

3. Grow in love and holiness, 3:11—13

Here is Paul’s prayer, which is made up of three simple requests:

He wanted God to make it possible for him to return to Thessalonica;
He wanted God to cause their love to grow and grow;
He wanted God to strengthen their hearts.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Clear the way.

That phrase means a couple of things: “to make straight” or “to direct.” Paul probably was praying for God to clear away any obstacles so as to make his visit possible. Something was keeping him from visiting Thessalonica. It was some kind of spiritual hindrance, since in 2:18 he writes that “Satan stopped us.” A spiritual problem can only be solved spiritually. We know, thanks to the timeline in Acts, it would be several years—after his work in Ephesus—before Paul would make it back to his friends in Thessalonica.

Overflowing love.

The main thing Paul wished for the Thessalonians was holiness. He wanted them to be “blameless,” as way of expressing righteous living. But there is a distinct connection between holiness and love. Love is the impetus behind holiness—love for God and love for other believers. We are set free from sin by the love of God in Christ. A heart full of God’s love will think twice about yielding to temptation. Love, we are told elsewhere, if the fulfilling of the law. Since love is of God, there are no limits to its increase.

Strengthened hearts.

The heart, we are told, is the seat of the intellect and the will. To have your heart strengthened is to be firm, resolute and committed. A weak heart is a wavering heart. In this request, Paul wanted God to enable his friends to be strong; to remain completely committed to the cause of Christ.

This is also a condition of holiness. God’s saints, God’s “holy ones,” are those who are dedicated and sold out to Him in every way. Paul wants them to to be strengthened in the dedication to God, manifested in a holy life.

(c) 2012 WitzEnd

THE EARLY CHURCH AND THEIR PRAYERS

Published May 21, 2012 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Church, power of the holy spirit

THE CHURCH AND PRAYER

God has always been speaking to His people; He has never been silent. Even during the so-called “400 silent years” between the Old and New Testaments, God was still speaking to His people even though we have no record of any sermons, prophecies, or other divine revelations. After Malachi there is not a single recorded message from God. But that’s not to say God was silent. He never is.

When the New Testament opens, the climate is completely different. God is again speaking to His people through a prophet: John the Baptist. After 400 years of prophetic silence, when Matthew opens up, so do the floodgates of the prophetic voice!

Not only does God once again speak through John the Baptist (and other New Testament prophets), God began to speak through His Son, the Messiah. But it doesn’t stop there! God established a new group of people called “His people.” This time, though, He didn’t establish a nation, He founded a body of believers called “the Church.” Today’s Christian has no idea what a revolutionary concept “the Church” was in Biblical days. There was no “Church” in the Old Testament, and “the Church” would become God’s primary venue to speak to His creation.

So, a lot of things changed between Malachi and Matthew. Prayer is also different in the New Testament.

1. Prayer in the Upper Room

In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. (John 16:23—24)

Here is the fundamental change in prayer from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Now, believers are to pray TO God the Father IN the name of Jesus BY the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is our great Intercessor, and that’s why we are to pray in His Name.

Preaching, teaching, and evangelistic endeavors are all vitally important tasks the Church is involved in, but nothing is more central to the success of the Church’s mission on earth than prayer. The truth is, the Church was born in prayer!

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. (Acts 2:1)

This is a significant verse. All these believers were gathered together in the upper room, in obedience to the wishes of Jesus. They were praying—it was a big prayer meeting—and the NIV says they were “all together.” The KJV’s “with one accord” is a more telling translation. All these people were praying together in unity. They were obeying the Lord together and they were praying and waiting in anticipation for the coming of the Holy Spirit together, in unity.

Probably not since the days of the New Testament has the Church experienced that kind of unity! When we look at how effective the prayers were in that early church, we wonder what happened between then and now. Back then, when the church prayed, things happened—walls shook and prison doors flung open! Those prayers were powerful. Sadly today, our prayers often seem anaemic and powerless by comparison. By any estimation the Church of the 21^st century is pale and sickly compared to the very early Church. It was an apostolic church, today’s church is rife with apostasy. Back then, the Church was persecuted; today it’s a prosperous Church that seems to forget about the necessity of being dependent on God. Then it was united, today it’s divided. In it’s early years, the Church was welcoming and spiritual; today it’s cold and dry. The New Testament Church was young, healthy, ambitious, and committed. Today it’s old, weary, lazy, and confused.

What happened? It’s far more than just the old, “familiarity breeds contempt” notion, although that’s part of the problem. We can learn a lot from the early Church that we may apply to our day today. Naturally, we can’t BECOME the early Church; that was a point in history that can never be revisited or duplicated. However, there are some lessons we can learn.

2. Lessons from the “old days”

A sense of impending danger

The very early Church was very conscious of danger, especially when they gathered for prayer.

When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. (Acts 1:13, 14)

These people were afraid; they huddled together in a small room upstairs. They were a hunted group and they knew the fate that Jesus suffered was likely going to be theirs if they weren’t careful. Now, you’d think that kind of danger would cause these folks to scatter and stay away from each other for a while. But the exact opposite happened! The threat drew believers together to pray.

After the Spirit fell, there was even more danger of persecution from the religious establishment of the day. Remember, Peter and John were actually arrested because they were preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They were eventually released from prison, and then an interesting thing happened:

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.” (Acts 4:23, 24)

Their arrest and persecution only caused the Church to praise God even more! They praised God in prayer! Yes, they were threatened, but that didn’t stop them from coming together and being united in prayer.

A respect for the sovereignty of God

In addition to a sense of danger that unified them, the early Church had a firm conviction and respect for the sovereignty of God. When these people prayed, it wasn’t to convince God to come around to their way of thinking. No, when the early Church prayed it was to discover God’s will, no matter what it was. Notice the wording of Acts 4:24:

When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.

What did these people hear that caused them to raise their voices in prayer? It wasn’t good news, that’s for sure!

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. (Acts 4:18)

So, upon learning that the authorities had ordered the Church to STOP preaching the Gospel, the Church praised the Lord. What they said in their prayer should give every believer pause:

“Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.”

The NIV has done a good job of translating a special word used for “Lord.” In the Greek, this version of the English “Lord” is despotes. We get our word “despot” from that Greek word, and normally a despot is not a good person. Yet, this is how these believers addressed God! Why did they call God a “despot?” What did they know that we don’t?

Our God is a despot: He is a benevolent dictator. There is no will but His. God delegates nothing: He is in total control of everything. This is something the early Church understood that seems lost to us. Intellectually we may agree with the doctrine of the “sovereignty of God,” but emotionally we always think we sway God by our cries and tears. We always think we can be the exception to any rule by justifying our sins.

They knew God was completely sovereign, but also that He was the originator of all things. They recognized He that created all things; that the universe is His, not ours. God consulted NO one when He created it. In God’s eyes, everything He created was “good.” God is in control of the universe, both material and spiritual, and He defers to NO one.

Another point about their awesome respect for God’s sovereignty is revealed in verse 27:

They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.

Those who prayed knew the players in the game. They understood who was involved in the death of Jesus: Herod (the Romans), Pontius Pilate (Israel), and even the Gentiles, but they knew that it was GOD who was in charge and in control. Here is a wonderful example of people who knew the will of God, didn’t complain about it, but accepted it.

When we catch the vision of God as the great despot of His universe, then we will understand His sovereignty as the early Church did, and our prayers will reflect that.

A respect for the Scriptures

A little further on in their prayer, we learn something else about the attitude of the early Church. Not only were they conscious of real threats to their existence, and not only did they have a profound respect for the sovereignty of God, but they also had a healthy respect for the Word of God:

You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.” (Acts 4:25, 26)

When they prayed, they actually quoted Scripture. But, this isn’t the noteworthy thing; what is noteworthy is they believed Psalm 2 to be literal, that it was written by David, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, about Jesus Christ! The modern liberal Christian revolts at this! They question the inspiration of Scripture, and they question the reliability of the Old Testament.

Courageous consistency

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. (Acts 4:29)

What’s remarkable about this verse is that is shows just how determined and consistent these early Church members were! Regardless of the the danger, they wanted God “enable” them to continue preaching the Gospel. They didn’t pray and ask God to change the circumstances; they didn’t ask God to take away the threat of persecution. All they focused on was their mission: to preach the Gospel. They were guided, not by their circumstances, but by their principles. Their job was to preach the Gospel and make converts and nothing was going to stop them.

3. The real early Christian

Now, there is the thought that these early Christians were different from the modern Christian; that somehow, because of their proximity to the life of Jesus or the fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they were “super saints,” instead of just regular saints like we are. In fact, Peter, James, John, even Paul were just like us.

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. (Acts 14:14, 15)

They were just regular men; there was nothing different about them. Another good example of this is an incident in Acts 12. You will recall that when Peter was tossed in prison, the body of believers gathered together to pray that God would deliver their friend. Deliver him God did!

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. (Acts 12:7)

It was a miracle, no doubt about it! God answered the prayers of the believers. Eventually Peter made his way to the place where they were praying, and we read this interesting exchange:

When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” (verses 14, 15)

Why didn’t they simply believe God had delivered Peter exactly as they had been praying? Because these people were not the super saints some of us think they were. At first, they couldn’t believe Peter was at the door, even though they had been praying for this very thing to happen! We wonder if they really expected God to answer their prayer or not.

We would have to say that the early Christian had the same struggles with doubt that we have. In spite of that, God did wondrous things through the early Church as believers prayed. And He still does wondrous things through our prayers, today. The same Holy Spirit that fell at Pentecost didn’t just go away at the close of the New Testament era. He is still here, still indwelling all believers. Even though every single Christian is full of the Holy Spirit at conversion, the command stands: be filled with the Holy Spirit. When we are conscious of His presence in our lives, and when we yield ourselves to Him, the Holy Spirit will lead us to new heights and vistas of prayer; He will guide us, pray through us, and give us the strength we need to overcome any fear or doubt.

GOD’S GREATEST CREATION, Part 1

Published August 10, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: body of Christ, Church, ecclesiology, greatest creation, temple of the Holy Ghost

Introduction

It seems that religion in its purest sense has always been a part of man’s life. While the Bible, made up of some of most ancient writings in the world, gives no proof of an organized religious life in the ancient world, it does seem to indicate that the earliest form of “organized worship” of God occurred in the family, in which all members participated. The father acted as priest and leader in the simple worship of God as seen in the life of Adam and Noah, for example.

This same kind of simple religious life continued during the time of the Patriarchs. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the sons of Jacob all acted as the heads of their families, both in the practical sense and in the religious sense.

It wasn’t until the organization of Israel under Moses that religion became “institutionalized.” Josephus is credited with coming up with the term that best describes the kind of religion Moses instituted: theocracy. From the time of Moses to the divided kingdom, then to the Southern Kingdom, then to Israel’s post-exilic history from Ezra to Malachi, Israel’s religion was a theocracy; it included all things political, social, and sacred. God was the Supreme Ruler of Israel, while the priests, kings, and prophets were seen as the executors of God’s will. The bond that joined all Israel together was the Law (the Word of God), the Temple, and worship in the Temple.

One time the word “church” is used of Israel (Acts 7:38), but it is not used in a technical sense of an organized congregation. There is no Scriptural term used of God’s people in the Old Testament in a collective sense. There is no “church” in the Old Testament. Israel is not the Church and the Church is not Israel.

1. What the Church is not

A. The church is not an new and improved form of Judaism

There certainly is a connection between true believers of all ages, but Christianity is a completely new system of belief; it is new wine poured into new wineskins. Jesus hinted at this in the Gospels:

I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:16)

Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9:17)

Jesus, Himself a Jew and faithful to Judaism, spoke in the future tense when He spoke of building His church:

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of death will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18)

The apostle Paul taught that not only is the Church something new in the plan of God, it is a “mystery” that had been kept hidden until it was revealed to God’s “holy apostles and prophets,” Ephesians 3.

B. The Church is not the “Kingdom”

The term “kingdom of heaven” is used 33 times in the Gospel of Matthew, but nowhere else in the Bible. The more common term seen in the New Testament is “kingdom of God.” However, neither term refers to the Church.

Generally speaking, the “kingdom of heaven” and “the kingdom of God” are used interchangeably, having reference to either the Millennial Kingdom and the reign of Jesus Christ as Messiah in the future or the mixed condition of Christianity today (see the parables of Matthew 13)

A good way to define the “kingdom of heaven” and the “kingdom of God” is that while they are much, much larger than the Church; that they do not refer specifically to the Church, the Church is the visible part of the kingdoms of heaven and God today.

C. The Church is not a denomination

You may search high and low, but you will not find Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, or Lutherans mentioned in the Bible. Denominations are an invention of man, not of God. That is not to say that denominations are a bad idea, but there is no such thing as “the true church” in the sense that one denomination gets it right and all the rest are wrong. No single denomination and no single local church has a corner on God’s truth.

2. What the Church is

The best way to define the Church might be considering the words used to describe it in the Bible.

A. Words describing the Church

The New Testament Greek word for “church” is ecclesia, which means “an assembly or called-out ones.” Within the New Testament, the word ecclesia is used to describe three groups of “called-out ones”:

All Christians in a particular location, Acts 11:22; 13:1
A local congregation, 1 Corinthians 14:19, 35; Romans 16:5
All Christians, all over the world, Ephesians 5:32

Our English word “church” is derived from the Greek word kuriake, meaning “that which belongs to the Lord.” So then, taking ecclesia and kuriake as our starting point, the Church is a group of people called out from the world by God that professes faith in and love for Jesus Christ and aligns itself with His teachings. This called-out group does not belong to a pastor or a board o r an earthly organization; it is the precious possession of God.

B. Words describing Christians

Brothers (and sisters). The Church is a “spiritual brotherhood” or a fellowship of like-minded people in which all divisions that separate people from one another have been eliminated.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)

Believers. Christians are often called “believers” because their defining doctrine is in an unwavering belief in Jesus Christ.

Saints. Christians are frequently referred to as “saints,” which means literally “consecrated” or “holy ones.” This simply means Christians are separated from the rest of the world because they are dedicated to God.

The elect. Christians are also known as “the elect” or “the chosen,” because God has chosen them for an important ministry and a glorious future.

Disciples. Literally, Christians are “learners” because they are under spiritual instruction and training by Christ-inspired instructors.

Christians. So named because our religion is centered around the Person of Christ.

Those of the Way. In the very early days of the Church, Christians were often known as “people of the Way,” Acts 9:2, because they lived according to a special, different way of life.

3. Illustrations of the Church

A. The Body of Christ

This might be the most common description of the Church; a favorite of Paul’s. Our Lord left the Earth 2,000 years ago, but His is still here; His presence is manifested through the Church—His Body.

When Jesus lived His natural life on the Earth, He lived as an individual; He had an individual body. Now He lives on the Earth through the Church, made up of individuals who have the risen Christ dwelling within them in the Person of the Holy Spirit.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Christ is the vine, but the vine is incomplete without its branches; the branches are dead if they are not attached to the vine. If Christ is to be known to people in the world around us, it must be through those who bear His Name and share His life.

This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. (1 John 4:17)

As Jesus was anointed at the Jordan, so the Church was anointed on the Day of Pentecost. Jesus, after His anointing, went about preaching, healing, saving, and so on; so the Church carries on that task today.

As the Body of Christ, the Church is not merely an organization (although it is that); it is an organism. The Church of Jesus Christ is a living, growing thing; it is the sum total of all its related parts, in which the relationship of each part involves a relationship to the whole. The human body is one unit, made up of millions of living cells. The Body of Christ is One, yet made up millions of born again souls.

B. The Temple of God

…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house (or Temple) to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? (1 Corinthians 6:19)

A temple is traditionally a place where God localizes Himself. As God dwelt in the Tabernacle and the Temple, so He now lives, by the Holy Spirit, in the Church (Ephesians 2:21—22; 1 Corinthians 3:16—17). In this “spiritual temple,” Christians work as priests, they offer up spiritual sacrifices—including prayer, praise and good works.

C. The Bride of Christ

This illustrative term is used of both Old and New Testaments saints. This pictures Christ’s close, intimate communion and fellowship with His people.

(c) 2011 WitzEnd

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Posts Tagged 'Church'

Ecclesiology, Part 2

STANDING FIRM IN THE FAITH…NO MATTER WHAT!

(c) 2012 WitzEnd

THE EARLY CHURCH AND THEIR PRAYERS

GOD’S GREATEST CREATION, Part 1

(c) 2011 WitzEnd

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