THE
CHURCH—
HER AUTHORITY AND MISSION
by
W. E.
Best
Copyright © 1986
W. E. Best
Scripture quotations in this book designated “NASB” are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1977 by the Lockman Foundation, and are used by permission. Those designated “translation” are by the author and taken from the Greek Text. All others are from the King James Bible.
This book is
distributed by the
W. E. Best Book Missionary Trust
P. O. Box 34904
Houston, Texas 77234-4904 USA
2 The Universal Aspect Of The Church
In The Process Of Building
In Relation To The Kingdom
Belongs To Christ
The Body Of Christ
A Living Organism
Primary Meaning Of The Word Church
Its
Perpetuity
3 The Local Aspect Of The Church
Established By Christ
Continued Through The Disciples
Organization Simple
Authorized To Observe
Ordinances
Its Purpose
Exists For The Universal Aspect
Of The
Church
Authority In The Universal
Aspect Of The Church
Authority In The Local Aspect
Of The Church
Extraordinary Officers
Ordinary Officers
Deacons
Elders
Admission And Dismission Of Members
By The Church
The Laborer’s Goal
The Laborer’s Associates
Character Of The Worker’s Labor
Way The Laborer’s Work Should Be Done
Exhaustion In The Work
Gospel Proclaimed By The Laborer
After further study over the years, the author has come to the conclusion that the preferred translation of the Greek word ekklesia is “assembly” rather than “church”. Therefore, as companion volumes to this book, THE CHURCH—HER AUTHORITY AND MISSION, we recommend the pamphlet NO PROPER NAME GIVEN TO CHRIST’S ASSEMBLY and the book CHRIST’S KINGDOM IS FUTURE—VOL. III (FORMATION OF THE KING’S BRIDE). These two publications will reflect the refinements in interpretation which are the result of the later studies of the author on the subject of Christ’s assembly.
1
The word church means different things to different people. Some of the most common ideas are: (1) a building for public worship; (2) all of some particular denomination; (3) a congregation of people; (4) the clerical profession; and (5) an ecclesiastical organization. None of these opinions, however, can be attributed to the Greek word ekklesia in the New Testament.
When discussing the subject of the church, one will say this is the correct view; the second person will state it differently and say that is the right concept; and the third person, after much human reasoning, will say that all beliefs are good if sincerely embraced. One of the consistencies of human nature is that man is always wrong when he is not right with God. Intelligence is not required to see that three different men with three different concepts of the church could not be correct. The Holy Spirit does not teach three persons three different views concerning the church. This should prove that the Spirit of God is charged with many things of which He is not guilty. He leads God’s people into truth, not into divergent opinions about truth.
The true understanding of Jesus Christ and His church is obtained from the New Testament and not from church creeds. Church creeds build spiritual pride and arrogance. But the person who looks at Jesus Christ and His church in the light of Holy Scripture is humbled.
The tendency in the religious community of our day is to despise laborious research of God’s gold mine of Biblical truth and substitute ear tingling figures of speech to please depraved minds. People are shocked over the criticism of denominations and churches for apostatizing from the faith once delivered to the saints, but they are not alarmed over the fact of apostasy. One cannot deny that there is a real revival of idolatry in our day. Religious people are modifying “their” doctrines—not God’s—to conform to the requirements and demands of the religious mind and taste of our day. Paul warned Timothy of this very thing in II Timothy 4:1-5. If Timothy needed such warning in his day, how much more do we need it in the twentieth century.
Truth always involves more than what appears on the surface. For instance, the savage looks into the heavens that are lighted by the moon; but the moon does not have the same meaning to him that it has to the astronaut who has been there. Now, will all who shall consider the subject of the church be willing to go to the only source of information, the Scripture of truth which was settled in heaven before the foundation of the world? The Bible does not “contain” the truth; it “is” the truth.
Every Bible subject must be viewed from a Biblical, not a denominational, perspective. Any subject presented from a denominational perspective is prejudicial. Undue reverence for any man or any institution is a sure precipice to destruction. Biblical data on any given subject should be gathered before ideas and opinions are formed. It should not be made to conform to preconceived ideas or opinions. Truth is not found in error, and knowledge is never found in ignorance.
The statement “church and many churches” does not indicate a dual actuality. There is no such thing as dualism in “church and churches.” One must believe in both aspects of the church in order to be Scripturally correct. The one church has two aspects—invisible and visible, or universal and local. Spiritual authority in the local aspect of the church has been committed to elders. Physical authority in the local aspect of the church has been assigned to deacons. The mission of the church is to proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to all nations and teach the converted to observe all things for their edification.
There is no personal light or revelation given above that which is written. Individual revelation is without a standard. Therefore, the Holy Spirit guides a person in harmony with the Scripture of truth, not in formulating doctrine which might be superimposed upon the eternal word of God.
Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the church which is His body, never identified Himself with professing Christendom. He did, however, identify Himself with the church. Hence, He gave Himself for the church (Eph. 5:25). He is now gathering unto Himself the church (Acts 15:14; John 11:52; Eph. 2:11-17; II Pet. 3:9). In the future, the church will be perfected (Eph. 5:27; I John 3:1-3).
Christian distinctives are clearly demonstrated in ecclesiology—the science of the church. We must be aware, however, that many Christians in their confessions often emphasize their distinctives to the exclusion of some aspects of ecclesiology. Some have emphasized the local aspect of the church to the exclusion of the universal aspect, and others have stressed the universal aspect to the minimizing of the local.
When believers assemble locally, they should always bear in mind that their being in the universal aspect of the church by regeneration qualifies them to gather in a local sense. Furthermore, union with Christ in a spiritual sense does not lessen the responsibility of the saints in regard to membership in a local church. There are not two kinds of Christians: those whose interest is in the universal aspect of the church and those who are concerned for the local aspect of the church (Acts 2:41-47; 4:32, 33).
The word “church” is used in the sense of the totality of God’s elect (Eph. 5:25). It is also used in a purely geographical sense (I Cor. 1:1, 2).
2
THE UNIVERSAL ASPECT OF THE CHURCH
There is only one church, including its universal and local aspects. The Lord Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). He did not say He would build churches. This is the first occurrence of the Greek word ekklesia—church—in the New Testament. This word is used primarily in a universal sense. Note the tense of the verb “I will build.” The Lord Jesus spoke to a local assembly of disciples about the universal assembly He would build. This assembly includes all the redeemed of God during the dispensation of grace. This new people of God consists of the redeemed and regenerated who are called by the gospel (Matt. 20:28; 26:28; John 3:8; II Thess. 2:13, 14).
Divine interpretation of the universal aspect of the church is recorded in Matthew 16:18. The apostle Peter, to whom the Lord spoke, verified this truth (I Pet. 2:5-10). Peter’s epistles were not sent to local churches. They were general epistles. Jesus Christ loved the people chosen for the universal aspect of the church and died for them. This is the church that has been purchased with Christ’s blood.
A Biblical concept of the universal aspect of the church serves as a bulwark against salvation through local church membership. It protects the basic doctrine that salvation is of God (John 1:12, 13). It guards against institutional idolatry. Where church tends to precede, Christ tends to recede; where the local church is stressed as a depository of grace, Christ is neglected as the source of grace.
The universal aspect of the church is built upon Christ (Matt. 16:18). Christ Jesus is the massive, living rock. The Lord stated the foundation of the church when He said, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.” This statement was in response to Peter’s confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). The apostle’s knowledge that the Lord is Israel’s Christ—the anointed One of Israel of Psalm 2:6-8—and the church’s Savior—the Son of the living God—was gained by Divine revelation (Matt. 16:17).
The Greek word for Peter is petros. It means stone, rock, ledge, or cliff. It is used metaphorically of an unyielding person, resembling a rock. The Greek word for rock is petra. It means a ledge of a cliff, a rock like that upon which the wise man built his house. The former word is usually a smaller detachment of the massive ledge. The word “rock” is used symbolically of God in both Old and New Testaments (Deut. 32:4; I Cor. 10:4). Petros was derived from petra, not conversely. The foundation of the church is not derived from man. Peter was derived from the massive, living rock. The living stone is Jesus Christ. The living stones are recipients of the grace of God, and they are connected by the Holy Spirit upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.
From the negative point of view, the foundation of the church is not Peter. Peter was only a mortal, sinful man (Acts 10:26; Matt. 26:74). Peter interpreted and expounded Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the church (Is. 28:16; I Pet. 2:4-6). Jesus Christ alone could be the object of Isaiah’s prophecy: “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste” (Is. 28:16). He is the chosen one of the Father to be our Redeemer and the foundation of this spiritual edifice made up of born-again individuals. He was eternally decreed by the Father to be the foundation of the church. Isaiah had spoken of Jehovah as a stone of stumbling (Is. 8:14). The Lord Jesus applied the symbol of the stone to Himself; He is the living stone (Matt. 21:42). There is no reference to the church being built upon Peter. He could not be an unwavering foundation against Satan’s attacks. Jesus Christ alone could withstand Satanic attacks.
From the positive point of view, Jesus Christ is the only unshakable foundation of the church. God the Father selected no other (I Pet. 2:4-8; I Cor. 3:11). Jesus Christ asserted no other. He is the rock, the one upon whom Peter and all other children of God would be built. The Holy Spirit added Peter to that foundation. The church is built upon the God-Man slain (Acts 20:28; I Pet. 1:18-20). The God-Man slain was the foundation of God’s thoughts for the church.
The apostles and prophets did not constitute the foundation of the church. They were simply representatives centered in Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone. The apostles represent New Testament truth of the foundation, Jesus Christ. The prophets represent Old Testament truth concerning this same foundation. Both apostolic and prophetic teaching center in the cornerstone. One is historical and the other is prophetical. The Lord Jesus is the essence of His work. “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner” (Ps. 118:22; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; I Pet. 2:6, 7).
The Lord Jesus introduced His church after the Divine revelation by the Father to Peter that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16, 17). The Father had revealed who Jesus Christ is; likewise, Jesus Christ would reveal the church of which Peter would be a member. The Father had revealed one truth to Peter, and Jesus Christ would reveal another: “And I say also unto thee” (Matt. 16:18).
The Lord’s promise “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven” of Matthew 16:19 does not refer to authority given to a local church. This promise followed the revelation of the Son and the truth of the church to Peter. The one thing Peter had in mind after this statement was that Jesus Christ, according to all the Old Testament predictions, will establish a kingdom. He was thinking only of a theocratic kingdom to be established at that point in time and did not realize that some things must take place between the first and second advents of Jesus Christ.
The Lord charged His disciples that they should tell no man that He was the Christ (Matt. 16:20). Christ’s injunction to secrecy should be understood. That was not the time to reveal His office as King. Peter could not understand that the Lord would not then set up His kingdom; therefore, the Lord Jesus gave Peter, James, and John a foretaste of the coming kingdom (Matt. 16:27-17:13). Peter’s own exposition of this foretaste of the kingdom is recorded in II Peter 1:16-18. This injunction to secrecy was given because the kingship of Jesus Christ was to be attested after His death and resurrection: “And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead” (Matt. 17:9). The transfiguration was a miniature picture of the kingdom which is to come. In the midst of the transfiguration scene, the Lord Jesus charged the disciples to tell no man until He was risen from the dead. If the title “the Christ” bears no more than the one whom God anointed to save sinners, Why tell the disciples to tell the vision to no man?
Although the Divine Sonship is essential to His being called the Christ, neither the Divine Sonship nor the Davidic Sonship constitute Him the Christ. But the union of the two constituted Him the Christ. This union would never be laid aside. He would ever be the Son of Man, the Christ, and the Mediator. He died, was buried, was raised, and will come again as the Son of Man (Matt. 16:27). This union constituted Him the Christ who is the Savior and the one who will rule and reign as King and Lord.
The Lord Jesus foretold His suffering, death, and resurrection. The purpose of His first advent was not to establish the kingdom but to suffer, die, be buried, and rise again from the dead. His suffering, dying, being buried, and rising from the dead became the foundation of the church, because He purchased the church with His own blood. Those purchased by His blood are now being prepared for the kingdom which is yet to come.
The relation of the universal aspect of the church to the kingdom is taught in Matthew 16:19. The authority indicated in the Lord’s statement, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven,” is eschatological. The context proves that such authority is given to the whole church inclusively and not to a local church exclusively. The verse is related to the coming kingdom. The context teaches that the Lord began showing His disciples that He would be crucified and raised again the third day (Matt. 16:21). He explained that He would later come in the glory of His Father; at which time, He will reward every man according to his works (Matt. 16:27).
The only two references to the ekklesia in all the gospels are Matthew 16:18 and Matthew 18:17. The former refers to the perfected church; whereas, the latter refers to the local aspect of the church. Matthew 17 reveals that the kingdom has not yet come.
The context of Matthew 18:18 limits the authority spoken of there: (1) It is obviously conferred on the local aspect of the church. (2) It delegates authority only to the members of each local assembly; therefore, the authority is limited to its own affairs (vv. 15-17). (3) There is no reference to the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
The kingdom mentioned in the first part of Matthew 18 in its preparatory measure calls for repentance because of sin (Matt. 3:2), conversion from sin (Matt. 18:3), self-denial of sin by the children of God (Matt. 16:24, 25; 18:1-9), and perseverance against sin (Matt. 26:41). All four are the fruit of the revelation of Jesus Christ to the heart of the individual in regeneration.
The authority of Matthew 16:19 is kingdom authority that will be exercised by the perfected church. The standard is the same in Matthew 18, but the executors are different. God’s standard was settled in heaven before the foundation of the world. The authority that imperfect Christians are exercising is the same kind that will be exercised by the perfected church in the kingdom, because the authority was settled in heaven before the foundation of the world. The time element does not change the perfection of the authority. The binding and loosing is simply the exercise of judgment in the realm of conduct in the local aspect of the church in Matthew 18:18 and in the perfected aspect of the church in the kingdom in Matthew 16:19.
The kingdom is eschatological (Matt. 16:19, 27, 28). Christ will establish it at His second advent. It is that for which the members of Christ’s church are being prepared. The Lord told His disciples that some of them would not taste of death until they had a foretaste of that kingdom for which they were being prepared (Matt. 16:27, 28). They did experience a foretaste of it (Matt. 17:1-3). Peter, James, and John did not die before they had a foretaste of the kingdom in the transfiguration scene. The Lord Jesus personally appeared in His kingly glory. The dead saints—Moses and Elias—were personally present in their glorified bodies. The living saints—Peter, James, and John—personally beheld the personal appearing of Jesus Christ, Moses, and Elias. This preview of the kingdom cannot apply to the church. The church is the result of Christ’s first advent, and the kingdom is associated with His second advent.
The language of Matthew 16:19 is authoritative. This authority will be administered by the perfected church that becomes the legal administrative assembly in the kingdom (I Cor. 6:2, 3). The Lord promised the overcomers in the church at Thyatira that He would give them power over the nations (Rev. 2:26). This authority will be given in the kingdom. Christians do not now have authority over the nations. This authority will be exercised with, not separated from, the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes as King of kings and Lord of lords. The kingdom and the reign of the saints are future, and both will be on the earth (Rev. 5:10; Luke 19:12, 17, 19). The power and judgment of the Son of Man will be executed visibly and universally in the future; whereas, they are now executed invisibly in providence and are seen only by faith.
The error of identifying the church with the kingdom has been the source of much evil. Such authority as described in Matthew 16:19 could never be committed to imperfect men—though redeemed. The church must be perfected to reign with Christ over the nations (Rom. 8:17-23). The church and the kingdom are easily distinguished. The two words “church” and “kingdom” are distinct. The Greek word ekklesia—church—is a compound word meaning called out. The Greek word basileia—kingdom—means rule, reign, or have dominion over. The church is incomplete. It is being built. There are some for whom Christ died who are not yet in the ark of safety.
The following things show the difference between the church and the kingdom:
1.
The church is never called the kingdom. Christ is called “KING OF THE JEWS” and “King of kings” (Matt. 27:37; I Tim. 6:15). But He is never called “King of the church.”
2.
Christians are “subjects” of the church but “heirs” of the kingdom (James 2:5). As an heir, the Christian does not yet possess the kingdom. However, every born-again person is presently a member of the body of Christ. An heir is one to whom something has been assigned. The inheritance is sure to all believers whether they are in heaven or on earth, but the experiential realization must await the coming of Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:11).
One of Paul’s charges to Timothy was “I CHARGE thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom” (II Tim. 4:1). The Lord’s promise to those who love Him is “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
Inheriting the kingdom means more than entering and enjoying it. It denotes participating in its government (I Cor. 6:2). Christians presently possess the earnest—down payment—of their inheritance (Eph. 1:12-14). The earnest is the present possession of the Holy Spirit who guarantees and assures us that we will literally come into possession of our inheritance which God has promised us in the kingdom (James 2:5). A literal promise spiritualized is exegetical fraud. As a present subject of the church, the believer is being prepared for the kingdom. The Christian’s natural picture is portrayed in Romans 3:10-18, but his spiritual picture is incomplete until the kingdom.
3.
The kingdom will not come until the universal aspect of the church is completed and perfected (II Pet. 3:9; Eph. 5:27).
4.
Prophecy does not predict a kingdom between the first and second advents of Jesus Christ.
5.
If the church were the kingdom, the saints would presently reign (I Cor. 4:8).
6.
Flesh and blood are in the church, but flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom (I Cor. 15:50).
7.
Elders are appointed to edify the church now, but they are not appointed to build up the kingdom (Eph. 4:1-16).
8.
The hope of the church is the reign of Christ in the kingdom, not in the church (I Cor. 4:8).
9.
The church is being built on the foundation—Jesus Christ. The kingdom will be established by Jesus Christ at His coming. The former is a process; whereas, the latter is an act.
10.
Jesus Christ is Head of the church. He will be King of the kingdom.
11.
The church includes only redeemed mankind, but the kingdom will include unredeemed heavenly creatures and redeemed earthly beings. Heavenly creatures are not members of the church. They were not redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
12.
The church’s relation to the kingdom is subordinate and preparatory.
13.
The kingdom is not given to the elect as they are regenerated one by one, but it will be given to the saints when they are gathered together perfected in one as one (Heb. 11:39, 40).
14.
Saints in the church await the kingdom which is their hope (I Thess. 1:5-10; Rom. 8:23).
15.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit did not have its fulfillment on the day of Pentecost. It does not have its fulfillment in the church today. It shall have its fulfillment in the kingdom when it is established (Joel 2; 3).
16.
The baptism of fire does not have its fulfillment in the church, but it will be fulfilled just preceding the establishment of the kingdom, when the earth shall be renovated by fire (II Pet. 3:10, 11).
17.
The great shaking will take place in the kingdom. It is not taking place in the church.
18.
The kingdom, not the church, will embrace the conversion of the world.
19.
The Christian’s hope is the reign of Jesus Christ in the kingdom, not His reign in the church. It is true that Jesus Christ is the sovereign Lord and that He rules, but His reigning in the human heart and His reigning in the kingdom differ. In the latter, every eye shall see Him.
20.
If the kingdom were symbolical, repentance, faith, and all connected truths would also be symbolical. A literal promise cannot be spiritualized. Jesus Christ lives by faith in the human heart, and He will literally come to the earth to establish His kingdom.
The universal aspect of the church is Christ’s by the Father’s election (Eph. 1:3-6). The Father gives men to Christ in time because He gave them in eternity (John 6:37). The universal aspect of the church is Christ’s by the redemption He made on the cross (Eph. 1:7-12). Jesus Christ redeemed all the Father elected.
Jesus Christ is building His church. He died for the church (Eph. 5:25). The church He is building is one by Divine life. It is not merely a human organization but the creation of God by the Holy Spirit; therefore, there is an invisible aspect of the church. A person cannot be on the side of Christianity without being on the side of the ekklesia of Matthew 16:18.
The universal aspect of the church is Christ’s by the Holy Spirit’s regeneration (John 3:8; Eph. 1:19). Faith in Christ and assurance of salvation are fruits of regeneration (Eph. 1:13, 14).
The universal aspect of the church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22, 23; 4:4; Col. 1:24). An irrefutable truth is that this aspect of the church, which is Christ’s body, is the fullness of Christ. Is a local church that consists of a few of the saints of God the fullness of Christ? Would several local churches with hundreds of Christians constitute the fullness of Christ? The church that is Christ’s fullness is the universal aspect of the church, consisting of all for whom Christ died. Christ’s glorified humanity is incomplete without His fullness. Christ as God absolutely considered is complete and perfect, so He cannot receive any fullness in that respect (John 17:2). As man is incomplete without the woman, Christ as Mediator/Savior/God-Man is incomplete until His body that He loved and gave Himself for is added to Himself (Eph. 5:25-27).
The three thousand saved on the day of Pentecost were added to the universal aspect of the church before they were added to the local church at Jerusalem. The apostle Paul was a member of the body of Christ before he requested membership with the church at Jerusalem (Acts 9:26).
The Greek word soma—body—is the body as a whole. It is used metaphorically of the universal aspect of the church, the whole family of God (Col. 1:18-24). The word for body is never used in the plural to refer to the church in the New Testament. “There is one body” (Eph. 4:4). Christ’s body is one, but it consists of many members.
Scripture sets the church forth in Ephesians under the three metaphors of body (Eph. 1:22, 23), building (Eph. 2:20-22), and bride (Eph. 5:22-32). These metaphors serve as revelation to open one’s eyes to a deep and fascinating reality. The message written to the Ephesian saints was to extend beyond them to all the faithful in Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:1, 19). The Lord Jesus is the sovereign Lord (v. 21). The Father had put all things under His feet and has given Him to be Head over all things to the church (v. 22). Jesus Christ rules over all things, but He does so for His church.
The Lord Jesus has two bodies. He has the body the Holy Spirit prepared for Him (Heb. 10:5). This is His physical body. It was necessary for Christ to assume a physical body because in it He went to the cross and died. God absolutely considered cannot die. The second body is His spiritual, or mystical, body which is His church. Every person saved by the grace of God is a part of this spiritual body of which Jesus Christ is its Head. Conclusively, Christ assumed the first body in His incarnation for the purpose of redemption. The second body is the fruit of His death on the cross. The Lord Jesus Christ is now incarnated on earth in His body which is His church (Eph. 1:22, 23).
Jesus Christ is the Savior of the body (Eph. 5:23). He is not the Savior of Judas and Simon Magus. The church is one body (Eph. 5:29-32). It is presented under the metaphor of marriage. This metaphor furnishes us with a more adequate image of the relationship of the church to Christ than the body and its Head or the building and its foundation. The similes go from the biological—the body—to the inanimate—the building—to the most intimate of all earthly relationships—the bride.
Through Jesus Christ, saints—both Jews and Gentiles set apart by the grace of God—are the household of God. They are built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles. Jesus Christ Himself is the cornerstone. He holds all things together. In Him, the building is fitly framed together. In Him, each separate piece of the building grows unto a holy temple in the Lord.
As there was a difference between Solomon’s temple as a whole and a part of the temple, there is a difference between the institutional church and the body of Christ. There are unsaved church members in every institutional church. Those unsaved church members do not constitute the habitation of God. Only the redeemed constitute the habitation of God. The gates of hell have prevailed against many institutional churches, and they no longer exist. But the gates of hell have not, do not now, and never shall prevail against the temple that constitutes the habitation of God.
The Lord spoke of the temple of His body when He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). The physical temple of Jesus Christ was the habitation of God (John 1:14; Col. 2:9). As the physical body of Jesus Christ was the habitation of God, the redeemed of the Lord constitute the habitation of God now.
There will be no need in the kingdom for an institutional church. The church will then be the general assembly and church of the firstborn (Heb. 12:23). It will bring glory to God throughout eternity (Eph. 3:21). This body will have no unsaved members. It will not be made up of an aggregation of local churches but an aggregation of people redeemed by the grace of God.
There is unity of the body (Eph. 4:4). The foundation of unity is one body, one Spirit, and one hope. These three features constitute the inner circle of blessing. The metaphor of the body is a striking illustration of Jesus Christ and His church. The human body is the visible manifestation of the unseen. The only thing known about an individual’s soul and spirit is revealed in his body. The incarnation of Jesus Christ in a physical body was the visible manifestation of the invisible God (Heb. 10:5; John 1:18). The thoughts and feelings of the unseen spirit are manifested in the body, and the thoughts and feelings of the unseen God were revealed in the Son. He declared the Father and the unseen Spirit. As the thoughts and feelings of God were revealed in Christ’s physical body, the same is true in the church of Jesus Christ which is His body.
Unity is diversity operating with one common goal in view. The one Spirit is the life of the body (Rom. 8:9). The one hope is the glorious future in view for the church of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:24, 25).
The term “pluriformity” implies that at its deepest level there is one church. However, multiplicity is not disregarded. It is discussed in connection with the many forms, or revelations, of the one church. Pluriformity protects the outlook of the one flock and the one shepherd (John 10:16). On the other hand, it keeps us from closing our eyes to the actual multiplicity. It is the disclosure of the one essence in many forms (I Cor. 12). The manifold ways in which God’s wisdom and grace are manifested illustrate the one essence in many forms (Eph. 3:10; I Pet. 4:10). All the varied, imperfect manifestations of the one body of Jesus Christ do not alter the perfection of its essence.
The love of Jesus Christ, which surpasses our knowledge, has pluriform dimensions (Eph. 3:14-19). Nevertheless, its breadth, length, depth, and height do not hinder the fellowship of that love any more than the different manifestations of the body of Christ hinder the essence of that body.
Christ’s church has been compared with a circle. Every particle of the circumference is held in relation to all the other particles in the common relation of each to the center. Man cannot create the unity of the church, and he cannot destroy it. Heresy itself cannot destroy this unity. It is indestructible. Therefore, the church is one—not should strive to be one, but is one. The church is not one because there happens not to be more than one but because the church cannot but be one. It is essentially one even as God is one.
The foundation of the church’s unity is the nature of the church itself. God is one; Jesus Christ the Mediator is one; the Holy Spirit who unites us to Jesus Christ is one; therefore, the church is one body. It is the one body of which Jesus Christ is the Head, the one building of which Jesus Christ is the foundation, and the one bride of which Jesus Christ is the bridegroom.
The words “body” and “church” are synonymous in Colossians 1:24. The idea rises above the level of visibility and external organization, and it has direct reference to spiritual relations between Christ and His sheep. The Scriptures are replete with illustrations of such relationships: Sheep are united to the shepherd (John 10). Branches are connected with the vine (John 15:1-5). Stones of the building are linked to the cornerstone (Eph. 2:19-22). The body with its many members is joined to the Head (Col. 1:18-24). The new creation is related to the last Adam (Rom. 5:16-21; I Cor. 15:45-47; II Cor. 5:14-21).
The Lord’s sovereignty over all things is different from His headship over the church. There is no real intimacy in Christ’s rulership over all things; whereas, there is intimacy between the headship of Jesus Christ over His body.
Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. He is the one to whom others are subordinate. The subordinate person will not be satisfied with being only a member of the invisible body of Christ. He will become affiliated with the visible manifestation of the body of Jesus Christ. Through the manifestation of the body of Christ, the purpose of Christ is wrought in the world.
The church is not a collection of believers by chance or accident. It is a people whom God elected and gave to Jesus Christ that they might be conformed to Him. Although the members of this body are many, the Head and the members are one. All the members are marked out and curiously wrought with symmetry and grace to serve one purpose. The Head is one; whereas, the members are many. They are united in life, mind, and power. The life of the church flows from union with Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. In union of the mind, the purpose of the Head is wrought out by members of the body. The union of power is the spiritual power they have in Jesus Christ to move in a manner pleasing to the Head.
God gave Jesus Christ to be Head over all things to the church for her peace, prosperity, and perpetuity. This is similar to the Father first electing Jesus Christ and then electing us in Him. As the Father gave Jesus Christ to the church, He has given the church to Jesus Christ.
The ideas of importance, indispensableness, and identity cannot be overemphasized. As one’s physical head is everything to his physical body, Jesus Christ is everything to His people. As a human body cannot survive the loss of its head, the body of Christ cannot survive the loss of its Head. Every organized, human religion exists in some manner even though its head is dead. But Jesus Christ went through death and is now at the right hand of the Father. He is the living Head of the church. The head is identified with the body. The same life that flows through the head flows through the body.
Adam and Eve typify the truth that the church was given to Jesus Christ. Adam was a type of Jesus Christ who was to come (Rom. 5:14). The woman God gave Adam is a type of the church (Gen. 3:12). As God gave the woman to the man, He gave the church to Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:23, 32).
Three important things to represent Christ and His church are recorded in Genesis 2—(1) the Divine declaration that it was not good that man dwell alone, (2) the Divine operation of taking one of Adam’s ribs and making woman, and (3) the Divine presentation of the woman to the man. These three truths also occur in relation to Jesus Christ and the church (Matt. 16). As soon as Jesus Christ announced the church, He gave the foundation upon which it would be built. The presentation of that church is yet future. Adam was to be the inclusive head of the human race. All were to be derived from him; hence, he is the federal head of the old creation. Therefore, it was necessary that woman should not have an independent but a derived existence. Her existence was derived from the head of the human race. As this was true of Eve in a physical sense, it is true of the body of Jesus Christ in a spiritual sense. Since Christ is the Head of the church, it is necessary that believers should not have an independent but a derived existence. Their existence is derived from Jesus Christ, the Head of the new creation. God put Adam to sleep in the garden of Eden, took from him a rib to make woman, and gave her to Adam. At Calvary, God the Father put His Son to a far deeper sleep—the sleep of death—than that experienced by Adam. From Jesus Christ He has produced the church which He shall give His Son.
Jesus Christ is the spiritual Head of the church which is His spiritual body. He does not rule as head of a civil government by external laws. He rules us by an inward impulse, by the Holy Spirit. He is the life of the church. The glory of God is reflected more in the head than in the body (II Cor. 4:6). He is the Head over all things in order that He might bring the members of the body together to fit them into a holy temple of the Lord (Eph. 2:21).
As all the members of David’s body were written in a book before they came into existence, all the members of the body of Christ were written in the Lamb’s book of life before they existed (Ps. 139:13-16; Rev. 13:8).
The universal church is a living organism. “Organism” is a term which indicates that the thing specified is permeated throughout all its parts with one common life. The life is the same in its roots and in all the structure. Hence, the universal church is one in the sense that it is an organism indwelt by one life principle. This could never be true, in the absolute sense, of the local aspect of the church.
The body of Jesus Christ is a living, vitalized organism, and it cannot be reduced to a mere humanly organized society of men. Unlike human organizations, the body of Jesus Christ is operated from within and not from without. Every human body is not only organized by but it is sustained by outward influences, regulations, rules, etc. But the body of Jesus Christ is the living, vitalized spiritual body of the Lord. To view the body of Christ as a mere human organization is to place her on the level with all other human organizations.
The body of Jesus Christ is a centralized organism. Unity among believers is secured by a centralized authority. That authority is not in Rome, Salt Lake City, Nashville, Dallas, or some other headquarters. The centralized authority is not in some given place on earth, but it is in Jesus Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father.
The body of Jesus Christ is a functionized organism. The assigned business of the church is to manifest the living Christ. Man-made religions may survive the loss of their founders, but the church of Jesus Christ could not exist without Him who is her living Head and sustainer.
A person cannot view the church, which is Christ’s body, in the abstract any more than he can place monotheism in the abstract above polytheism. The local aspect of the church with her organization, appointed officers, and ordinances does not constitute the church’s essence. The organization of members and appointed officers of elders and deacons belong only to her earthly manifestation (Phil. 1:1). The two aspects of the church do not fully correspond on earth any more than what we are in Christ positionally and conditionally correspond. The Lord Jesus Himself exemplifies the invisible and visible aspects of the church. He is one Person with two natures. His invisible nature cannot be merged into His visible nature, or conversely. The same is true of the one church.
The invisible aspect of the church is the life principle, but the church has a visible function in the world. The grace of God has been deposited in earthen vessels. God’s grace is not dead capital laid up in a napkin, but it is a living possession and blessing. The church is visibly manifested, but she is not absolutely visible. The Lord Jesus was visibly manifested, but He was not absolutely visible. Christians are visibly manifested, but they are not absolutely visible. The church’s visibility is only a sign directing us to its invisible aspect. The same is true with the individual Christian. His external life points to his internal life.
The church is neither visible nor invisible only. She is both. To say the church is wholly visible would be like saying Jesus Christ is purely human. As the human nature of Christ is the only manifestation of God, the local aspect of the church is the only manifestation of the invisible principle of life. The church is one, but there are two aspects—invisible and visible.
Membership in the universal aspect of the church is coterminous with salvation (Col. 1:19-29). The body would be impossible without the Holy Spirit, who unites in regeneration the elect members to their common Head.
A serious error results from reducing the universal aspect of the church of Christ to an organization containing both saved and lost persons. Distinction must be made between the invisible and visible aspects of the church. If membership in the local church assures membership in Christ’s body, then no distinction is necessary. But the distinction is necessary. The church must be viewed from God’s and man’s perspectives. God alone knows who are absolutely His (II Tim. 2:19; John 10:14, 27). Man cannot know, because some of the body of Jesus Christ are already in glory and some are on earth.
There is no way a person can know and be assured that every member of a local church is a child of God. An unsaved member in a local church indicates that there is a church within a church. The Lord Jesus called twelve men to establish the local church. One out of the twelve was not a Christian; therefore, there was a church within a church.
Neither the invisible nor the visible aspect of the church should be emphasized over the other. Overstatement of the visible aspect leads to institutional salvation, and overstatement of the invisible leads to excessive individualism. Overstatement will be found on neither side from the Biblical perspective. There is harmony and balance of truth in the statements. Those who stress the invisible above the visible aspect neglect their responsibility to the local church. Those obsessed with the visible, institutional aspect of the church are blinded to its Biblical meaning of union with Jesus Christ.
Primary Meaning Of The Word Church
The primary meaning of the word “church” is understood by the law of first mention. Matthew 16:18 is the first reference to the Greek word ekklesia. The word “church” in this verse is used in the same sense in Ephesians 1:22 and 23. It refers to all for whom Christ died. The Lord was referring to His flesh, His sheep, the branches, the many stones of one temple, etc. Although this Greek word is used more times in a local sense in the New Testament, the dominant meaning is the church as the body—the inclusive sense. The spiritual character of the church bears this out. The word is used in the singular, and it is also used in the plural. The local aspect of the church is a manifestation in principle, to the best of her ability, to what the universal aspect of the church is in reality.
The word ekklesia means to call out. It is first used in Matthew 16:18. It emphasizes being called out from, and soma—body—emphasizes unity with Christ. One stresses the calling out, and the other emphasizes the uniting of called out ones to the Lord. The context determines the use of the word “church” in Matthew 16:18, and not the word the use of the context. The context of this verse proves that the word is used here in its universal sense.
The perpetuity of the universal aspect of the church is set forth in the words, “...the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). “The gates of Hades shall not overpower it” (NASB). The teaching is that Jesus Christ—the living stone—and all the saints of God—living stones—shall not be captives in the mansion of death. Death was unable to hold the Lord Jesus Christ, the captain of our salvation. Likewise, it will be unable to hold any person regenerated by the Spirit of God (I Cor. 15:51-54).
Jesus Christ came into the world to build a habitation for God which shall never cease to be that habitation. Sectarians have made various claims upon the promise that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”; but like the rest of the text, it has nothing to do with any humanly organized religious system. Therefore, no denomination can get any support for its dogma.
The plain meaning of Matthew 16:18 is the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. The security of the universal aspect of the church and the ultimate triumph of the truth for which she stands are the culminating thoughts of this text. The cause of the stability and triumph of the universal aspect of the church is the petra, the massive, living rock. The universal church originated in God’s eternal purpose, was taken out of time, and is for the Lord’s eternal glory.
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THE LOCAL ASPECT OF THE CHURCH
The secondary significance of the word ekklesia is the local aspect of the church. The local aspect is the subject of several epistles called “church epistles.” It had its beginning with the ministry of Jesus Christ on earth, plus the foundational work of the apostles, prophets, and evangelists.
The word ekklesia is used various ways: (1) It is used in the sense of an assembly of people convened at a public place for the purpose of deliberating (Acts 19:32, 39, 41). Those called for this deliberation were Gentiles but not Christians. (2) It is used in the sense of the elect assembly for which Christ died (Eph. 5:25). The church has been purchased by Jesus Christ. He did not die for unsaved members of an institutional church. (3) It is used in the sense of Christians gathering for worship in a local assembly (I Cor. 11:18; 14:19, 35). The churches at Corinth, Ephesus, Colossae, Galatia, etc., were purely geographical. (4) It is used in the sense of membership in a local institution (Acts 9:26). After Saul’s conversion, he tried to join the disciples at Jerusalem.
Every local aspect of the church represents the universal aspect of the church. Is a church required to be in perpetual session to be a church? Are ten unassembled, providentially hindered members a part of that assembly, or does the church consist of only the assembled members? How could the assembly discipline one of the absent members? How could a person be excommunicated if he were not a member of the assembly? Are the absent members on the church roll? Is the church roll changed with every service? An unassembled assembly is called a church in Acts 8:3. Before his regeneration, Saul entered into every house—the home of every member—and made havoc of the church. One must admit that the absent members are invisible; so there is a sense in which some of the members of a local church are invisible.
What should an unassembled assembly be called? When a worship service is concluded and the members go their separate ways, is the church nonexistent until the members reassemble? The unassembled members are invisible from one another until they reassemble; hence, there is a sense even here on earth that there is an invisible church. Is perpetual assembly necessary for an institution to be called a church? Those who have already lived on earth and are with the Lord are invisible to us, but they are members of the body of Christ. Moreover, many of God’s people are scattered all over the world, and the members do not see all of them.
The local aspect of the church is not an end in itself (Eph. 3:21). The church has a threefold ministry: (1) to the powers in the heavenlies, (2) to men on earth, and (3) to bring glory to God throughout eternity. The local, institutional church will have fulfilled her mission on earth when Jesus Christ comes to receive His own unto Himself. Every redeemed person will be presented as a chaste virgin to Jesus Christ.
Christ accomplished three things during His earthly ministry in the establishment of the local aspect of the church. He called and trained the twelve disciples (Matt. 10:1-6; Mark 3:14). By His death, Jesus Christ established a new covenant under which the disciples would work (Matt. 26:28; Heb. 9:12). After His resurrection, Christ carefully instructed and commissioned His disciples. His first commission, before His death, was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt. 10:6). The expansion of the commission to all nations came after Christ’s death (Matt. 28:18-20).
Continued Through The Disciples
The disciples continued Christ’s work with the local aspect of the church. What Christ did in the flesh, the disciples continued by the power of the Holy Spirit during the “transitional period.” The apostles were to announce that the Messianic King was alive from the dead. They worked under the new covenant.
Redemption was provided at Calvary. Until the death of Christ, the church had no legal standing. Jesus Christ and the disciples attended the temple and the synagogue. Legally, at Calvary, the church became the congregation of God; and the apostles—not the priests—became her lawful leaders. The church then had authority under the new covenant.
The disciples were given the post-resurrection commission. The various elements of the commission are presented in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts. (1) The disciples were commanded to bear witness concerning the Messianic King: “...Ye shall be witnesses unto me...” (Acts 1:8). This witness would include the facts of death and resurrection (Luke 24:46). In Christ’s name, they were commissioned to preach “...repentance and remission of sins...among all nations...” (Luke 24:47; Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19). (2) The disciples should follow a definite order of procedure to accomplish this work: first, to Jerusalem, then to Judea, Samaria, and finally to the uttermost parts of the world (Acts 1:8). (3) They were exhorted that believers must be fed, baptized, and taught to observe all things (Matt. 28:19, 20; John 21:15-17); and unbelievers must be warned of Divine judgment (Mark 16:16). (4) They would be empowered by the Holy Spirit, and the spiritual presence of Christ would be with them to the end of the age in the accomplishment of this work (Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:20). (5) Their witnessing would be accompanied by miraculous signs to confirm the message (Mark 16:17-20).
The extension of the church was through the ministry of the disciples. Its actual realization was at Pentecost. Although the disciples were gathered, instructed, and prepared, it was not until Pentecost that the Holy Spirit baptized the infant church to empower her for her mission. Its Divine attestation was through signs and wonders.
The church at Jerusalem, which was the first New Testament church, is a type of the universal aspect of the church. This local church grew from the 11 true disciples, to the 120 who met in the upper room, to 3,000 added to them at Pentecost. Later, 5,000 were added; then a multitude, multitudes, multiplied, and multiplied greatly (Acts 2:41; 4:4, 32; 5:14; 6:1, 7). These were first added to the universal aspect of the church by regeneration before they were added to the local aspect of the church at Jerusalem.
The great extension was from Jerusalem to surrounding regions. There were devout men out of every nation under heaven dwelling at Jerusalem (Acts 2:5). All the number saved and added to the church in Jerusalem did not remain there. They had come from other places to Jerusalem. They had dwellings at Jerusalem and also elsewhere. The Ethiopian eunuch was one of them. The extension of the local church at Jerusalem was from that place to surrounding regions (Acts 2:1-20:38).
The organization of the local church was simple. Her officers were elders and deacons (Acts 14:23; I Tim. 5:17; Heb. 13:7, 17; I Tim. 3:8-13; Phil. 1:1; Acts 6:1-6). This is quite different from the complex organization of the so-called church of our day.
The independence of the local church must be maintained. Increase of the number of churches in Acts reveals that each newly organized church was left to stand directly responsible to Jesus Christ as the Head of the church. Before leaving a newly organized church, the apostles commended the people to the Lord on whom they had believed (Acts 14:23).
The autonomous character of each local church is a Divine principle. Church federations, unions, and denominations are all unscriptural. There was no federating of local churches into one large group or into smaller groups. They were not divided into national churches. Each local church developed and maintained its own administration under the headship of Jesus Christ. In a world which more and more seeks centralization of power in industry, civil government, and religion, we must be aware of the danger of totalitarian trends which threaten the autonomy of the local assembly of God under the direction and leadership of Jesus Christ, the Head of the church.
Independency preserves the character of the local church. Each church must be governed by local elders; then there is no place for false teachers.
There is value in local churches, but circumstances vary from church to church. A review of the letters given to the seven churches in Asia will reveal the variation of circumstances from church to church. The Ephesian church had declined from first love. The church in Pergamos had those who held the doctrine of Balaam and the Nicolaitanes. The church in Thyatira tolerated the teaching and immorality of Jezebel. The church in Sardis had a name that she lived, but Christ said she was dead. The church in Laodicea was neither cold nor hot, and the Lord was ready to spue her out of His mouth. These circumstances reveal that all local churches are imperfect.
Spiritually, the church is one and cannot be divided; but physically, its members are scattered throughout the world. Any division of believers other than geographical implies not a division of sphere but a division of nature. The names of the places where saints assemble vary; but they remain churches in every place whether at Corinth, Ephesus, Antioch, or Houston.
The New Testament church is not a human organization, such as the church at Rome, the church of England, the church of Scotland, or a denominational institution. The material of which it is composed is regenerated and converted people. The center around which these regenerated and converted people are gathered is the Person of Jesus Christ. The power by which they are gathered is the Holy Spirit. The authority by which they are kept in order is the word of God.
In the early churches, there were no denominational divisions. All were baptized believers, but there were no Baptists. They had presbyters—elders—but there were no Presbyterians. They had methods in their assembly meetings, but there were no Methodists. They had bishops, but there were no Episcopalians. There were congregations of saints, but there were no Congregationalists.
The early churches were known by their geographical locations, not by the names of men, doctrines, or denominations. If men love doctrines more than Christ, they are rationalists. If they love ceremonies more than Christ, they are ritualists. If they love their works more than Christ, they are legalists. If they love the local church more than Christ, they are sectarians. Churches represent localities, not doctrines. When any leader, doctrine, creed, or organization becomes the center for drawing people together, then its center is something other than the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The names which God applies to His people include the whole body of Christ: believers (Acts 5:14), saints (Phil. 1:1), brethren (II Thess. 1:3), disciples (Acts 20:7), children of God (John 11:52), and Christians (Acts 11:26). The Holy Spirit, through Paul, rebuked the Corinthians for using names of men (I Cor. 1:10-17). Christianity’s first name was called “this way” (Acts 9:2; 22:4), “that way” (Acts 19:9, 23; 24:22), or “the way” (Acts 24:14). The prophets of the Old Testament foretold the purpose of God which Christ would fulfill as “the way of the Lord” (Is. 40:3; Mal. 3:1). John the Baptist proclaimed himself a voice commissioned to prepare “the way of the Lord” (Matt. 3:3). Christ said, “I am the way” (John 14:6), and “narrow is the way” (Matt. 7:14). Paul spoke of “the way” before Felix (Acts 24:14). Christianity is the way of life, peace, and truth (Luke 1:79; Acts 16:17; II Pet. 2:2).
Authorized To Observe Ordinances
The local aspect of the church has been given the authority to observe ordinances. The early churches were strict in their observance of God’s appointed ordinances.
Baptism is the ordinance of God, and it is not administered by the local church. It is executed by gifted men. Saul, when regenerated and converted, was baptized by Ananias without the consent of the church at Jerusalem (Acts 9:17, 18). The Ethiopian eunuch, who was converted by the preaching of Philip, was baptized without the consent of either the saints in Jerusalem or those in Samaria (Acts 8:38).
The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of God to be administered by the local church (I Cor. 11:17-34; 5:9-13). The bread is a symbol of Christ’s life, not of His death. Bread, therefore, precedes the wine. The body was prepared for Christ in which He could fulfill God’s will for man. The unleavened bread typifies His impeccable Person. The wine typifies Christ’s shed blood. The cup of I Corinthians 11 refers not to the containing vessel, but to the wine contained. Discipline in the local church is connected, in a very real way, with the observance of the Supper (I Cor. 5:11; 11:27-33).
Public teaching of the word by a God-appointed, church-appointed elder is an ordinance of God to be administered in the local church (Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11; I Tim. 5:17). There are private teachings, such as parents teaching their children (Deut. 6:6, 7; Eph. 6:4), masters instructing their servants (Eph. 6:9), and older women teaching the younger women how to be good wives and mothers (Titus 2:3-5). Public teaching is to be done by men of God who are specially gifted for this work.
Singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs is an ordinance of God to be administered by all the saints in the local church (I Cor. 14:15; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). This ordinance is to be rendered by all the saints in unison (Ex. 15:1; Matt. 26:30; Acts 16:25). This eliminates professional performers and performances. It is to be performed with grace in the heart (Col. 3:16), whether or not one has skill in his voice. It must be discharged with the renewed spirit (I Cor. 14:15). It must be executed with understanding (I Cor. 14:15). It must be accomplished with God in view because true singing is “to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). This eliminates showmanship performances to attract people.
The time and place for the observance of God’s ordinances are set. The time is the Lord’s day (I Cor. 16:2; Acts 20:7). Christians do not keep the seventh day as the Jews did. The sabbath was observed before, during, and after the law was fulfilled. We have authority for keeping the first day of the week. It consists of the seventh part of our time and must not be desecrated. Souls, as well as bodies, need feeding and dressing. The place is either the building erected for this purpose or some place appointed by the saints. A church gathered in the home of Philemon (Philem. 2). The saints in Troas assembled on the third floor of a building (Acts 20:6, 7). Bethel, the house of God, is an Old Testament type of the place where God meets with His people (Gen. 28:10-22).
The purpose of local churches is to carry out the commission of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18-20). Local churches are to proclaim the gospel. This is God’s appointed means of calling out the elect (II Thess. 2:13, 14; II Tim. 1:9-11). They are to teach believers to observe all things (Matt. 28:19). They are to edify and equip the saints (Eph. 4:11-16).
The commission is to be continued until the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). This age will end when the “fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25). God is now visiting the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name (Acts 15:14). After the elect Gentiles have been saved, Christ will return to deal with the elect remnant from among the Jews (Is. 6:13; Acts 15:16; Rom. 11:26). The mission of the local churches will be completed at the end of this age.
Exists For The
Universal Aspect
Of The Church
Local churches exist for the sake of the universal aspect of the church. They are the visible manifestations of the universal aspect. The church at Jerusalem is called “the whole church.” Persecution arose in Jerusalem, and Christians who were members of that church were scattered. They went everywhere preaching the word. Many local churches were organized in various localities from the one church at Jerusalem.
Scripture refers to a particular church in a particular location, but it also refers to churches in Galatia and various places. The church at Corinth is called the body of Christ (I Cor. 12:27). She is also called the whole church (I Cor. 14:23). The church at Corinth is not called “the” church at Corinth. This church was a local body of saints, though the local body was not the whole universal body of Christ, which is His fullness composed of all the members of Christ.
Membership is twofold: (1) In a spiritual sense, the Christian is united to the body of Christ by the Spirit of regeneration. (2) In the physical sense, the person united to the body of Christ joins a local, institutional church to carry out Christ’s commission. The spiritual sense is solely the work of God. The physical sense is the responsibility of the Christian. Union with Jesus Christ does not lessen one’s responsibility in regard to membership in the local church. It qualifies one for such membership (Acts 2:41-47; 4:32; I Cor. 6:9-11; 16:1, 2; II Cor. 2:9; 8; Eph. 4:11-16).
God works out in time His eternal purpose through local churches. The universal aspect of the church finds expression in local churches. Local churches desire to be practically what the universal church is actually. Failure to reach perfection does not deter the desire for it (Phil. 3:12-16).
Membership in the heavenly organism does not cause Christians to neglect their earthly duties (II Tim. 4:1-8). Every person called by the grace of God is responsible to commit himself to other called-out persons in a specific locality. The 3,000 saved on the day of Pentecost committed themselves to the local church at Jerusalem (Acts 2:41-47). A person who has been called out of the world by God’s grace will seek out a church where the truth is proclaimed and commit himself to that congregation. He will give support to the ministry through that local church, which has been commissioned to carry out the great commission. The child of God is first committed to fellowship with the Lord and then to fellow Christians in a local church.
Local churches are here for testimony (I Tim. 3:15). The universal aspect of the church is the vital principle, which is invisible, except as it is manifested through local churches. You see the house which is like a clock: it shows the time of day, but the clock would be useless without its works. Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, and born-again believers are members of Christ’s body (I Cor. 12:12-27). The only thing known about Jesus Christ, who is invisible, is made known through local churches by the grace of Jesus Christ reflected in our lives. The work of the brain is made visible by the works of the human body, and the invisible aspect of the church is seen only as the Holy Spirit works in and through His people.
The human body is useless without the spirit—the life principle (James 2:26). Furthermore, local churches are useless without the principle of life that comes from union with the universal aspect of the church. They are not related to the universal church as hands to the body, but as a microcosm to a macrocosm. The church is one (I Cor. 12); even though, by its increase, it is enlarged to include all the elect of God. As the rays of the sun, though many, are one luminary, as the branches of a tree, though many, are all connected to one trunk, so the church, though she extends her rays throughout the world, is one body.
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Jesus Christ, as Head of the church, has the sole right to give law and institute ordinances for observance by the church. The will of the sovereign God is the guide for His people. His word is their only system of laws. His glory is their ultimate end.
Authority In The
Universal Aspect
Of The Church
The universal aspect of the church shall have authority. This authority shall be executed by the perfected church who will become the “legal administrative assembly” of the kingdom. The kingdom is the object of the covenants. The eschatological aspects of the Abrahamic covenant concern the seed and the land (Gen. 17). The patriarchs all died in faith, not having received the promises (Heb. 11:13-40). They passed from time into eternity before the promises concerning the seed and the land were fulfilled. But their deaths did not deprive them of the fulfillment of those promises. The Mosaic covenant was only an outgrowth of the Abrahamic to make the Jews more aware of sin. This covenant was made faulty because the Jews turned that which was meant to be an aid to a redeemed people into a means of salvation. God’s covenant with Israel was to promote a longing for the promised Deliverer (Ex. 19). He, the Mediator of the new covenant, will bring the promises to their completion (Heb. 8:8-13).
The Davidic covenant foretold who would sit on the throne. The land promises were enlarged and confirmed in the Palestinian covenant (Deut. 30:1-10). Now, the seed promises are made the center of the Davidic covenant (II Sam. 7:1-20). Three things were made sure to David: (1) The house was a symbol of posterity. (2) The throne was a type of authority. (3) The kingdom foreshadowed the sphere of rule (Luke 1:31-33).
The kingdom was one of the great themes of Biblical prophecy. It is to be understood in its literal, covenanted aspect as predicted by the prophets. This kingdom is not so indefinite in its meaning that we are unable to tell when it shall begin. It will be introduced at the second coming of Jesus Christ (II Tim. 4:1).
The kingdom was one of the leading subjects proclaimed by John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, and the disciples. John the Baptist, a martyr, was an appropriate forerunner of the crucified King (Matt. 3:2). Christ continued to proclaim: “...Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). The disciples’ messages were adapted to confirm the belief in a coming kingdom (Acts 2:14-36; 3:12-26; 15:13-17; II Tim. 4:1; James 2:5; II Pet. 3:1-14; Rev. 19). The rejected King must be honored in heaven before He will be honored on the earth,
Local churches are operating in this age for the purpose of calling the elect to become heirs of the kingdom. The “keys of the kingdom” must be viewed as authority to be executed by the perfected body in the kingdom (Matt. 16:18-17:12). The kingdom must be interpreted eschatologically, rather than soteriologically. In the kingdom, Christ will openly exercise His power, outwardly manifest His exaltation, and visibly bring all things into subjection to His Divine will.
Authority In The Local
Aspect
Of The Church
A local church is not complete in order without duly appointed officers. A church incomplete in order cannot be thorough in administration. Local church government, therefore, is absolutely necessary for the development and protection of the saints. Since the perfected church of eternity will be under government, how much more important it is for imperfect saints on earth to be under government. No society, civil or ecclesiastical, can survive without authority.
The simplicity of the organization in the local aspect of the church is set forth in Philippians 1:1—“PAUL and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.” There were the saints of God as a whole at Philippi, the bishops, and the deacons. Any authority added to this goes beyond the Scriptures.
Scripture does not condone the addition of educational directors, music directors, counselors, etc. Pragmatism—whatever works is right whether or not it is Scriptural—has taken over professing Christendom. This is the reason religionists are turning to psychiatrists and psychologists. They also seek help from this professional organization and that professional organization to teach them new methods whereby they might be successful in the eyes of the world. They ordain ministers of education, music, youth, etc., to carry on the work. These religionists say, “But it works and we will use those methods that work.” The word of God is falling on deaf ears of professing believers because they are part of the statistics rather than being a part of the family of God. Their being a part of statistics causes them to embrace the statistics. They do not have the grace of God to analyze the truth, if it is given.
The functions of government in the local church are entrusted to God-ordained men. Church officers are under the authority of Jesus Christ; hence, to either go beyond or fall short of Christ’s rules is to incur guilt. Government that was instituted in the local churches during the days of the apostles was patterned, to a great extent, after the former economy.
The Levitical system had rulers. Rulers, under the name of elders, existed during the time of Moses (Ex. 17:5; 18:12; 24:1, 9; Num. 11:16; Deut. 25:7-9; 29:10; 31:9, 28). There were elders during the time of Joshua (Josh. 7:6; 8:10; 20:4). In the time of Judges, when men did that which was right in their own eyes, there were elders (Judg. 2:7; 8:1-14; 21:16). The time of the Kings was also a period in which there were elders (I Kings 8:1, 3; 20:7, 8). The institution of the synagogue service used elders as its leading officers (Matt. 16:21; Mark 8:31; 14:43; 15:1; Acts 4:5; 23:14; 25:15).
Elders were ordained in every local church to watch over the sheep (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). The officers of the New Testament church were designed after the synagogue, rather than the temple. The first converts to Christianity were Jews; therefore, they saw the relevance of the synagogue system of government. The moral, not the ceremonial, system was consistent with the spiritual nature of the New Testament church.
In the synagogue, there was a system established for the promotion of its work. This system included weekly instruction, discipline, and the care of the poor. In the local church, a similar work was carried on by Christians. The gifted men of the churches were to feed, discipline, and guide the sheep.
The Greek word diakonos means one who renders service to another, executes a commission, a deputy, a minister, a devoted follower of Christ, or a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. This word is used five ways in the New Testament: (1) It is used in the sense of a devoted follower of the Lord Jesus (John 12:26). (2) It refers to a minister of the gospel in a special sense (Eph. 3:7). (3) The word is used in connection with persons who serve in the capacity of deacons (Acts 6:2). In this sense, it refers to a specialized ministry but not on the same level with those who minister to souls. Serving souls is more important than serving tables. (4) It is used in the sense of the enforcement of law—a minister of civil authority (Rom. 13:4). (5) It is used in connection with women who serve in their capacity within the church (Rom. 16:1). Conclusively, the word diakonos is used more generally of one who lived and worked in the service of Jesus Christ, but it is also used in a particular sense. Its use in a particular sense applies to elders.
Further definition of the Greek word diakonos is given in Matthew 20:26—“...whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister.” The law of first mention will explain the meaning of minister. The Lord Jesus ordered His disciples not to conduct their relationships in the manner of the Romans. The way to achieve greatness is to take the place of a lowly servant. One does not achieve greatness by aspiring authority without taking a lowly place. God will take that person He has chosen who takes the lowly place and give him a greater opportunity. The Lord used His ministry as an example of the truth He spoke concerning lowliness and greatness. He came not to be ministered unto
but to minister and give His life as a ransom for many. Greatness is not achieved in fame or fortune. True greatness is found in the way of the Lord.
The authority in local churches is divided between extraordinary and ordinary officers. These officers are recognized by their extraordinary and ordinary gifts.
There is a distinction between extraordinary servants, such as apostles, prophets, and evangelists, and ordinary servants in the church today, called elders/bishops/pastors. The chief characteristic of the apostles was that they were not affiliated with a local church and did not remain in a particular one. The apostles had an extraordinary gift. They had the care of all the churches (II Cor. 11:28). The extraordinary officers were given for the foundational work of the churches (Eph. 2:19-22). There have been no apostles since the death of the apostle John. A prophet was an extraordinary servant. He had been given an extraordinary gift for the establishment of the church and for giving us the Scriptures. The evangelist was also an extraordinary servant who went along with either an apostle or a prophet as his helper. The work of extraordinary servants was not strictly with a local church. They had the care of all the churches for the establishment of churches. After the churches had been established by the extraordinary servants, ordinary servants were set in each local church.
The apostles were foundation builders, or church planters (I Cor. 3:6, 10; Eph. 2:20). The word apostle is used three different ways in the New Testament. It is used of the twelve who, throughout the New Testament, held a special and distinct position (Matt. 10:1-6; I Cor. 15:5; Rev. 21:14). There were apostles other than the twelve (I Cor. 15:7, 8; Acts 14:14; Gal. 1:19; I Thess. 2:6). Matthias was chosen to fill the vacancy left by Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:15-26). Paul saw Christ, but there is no record of his companying with the Lord Jesus. Paul was the one especially chosen to carry the message of Christ to the Gentiles (Acts 26:16-20). The word apostle is used in the sense of a messenger in Philippians 2:25. The apostles all had some things in common. They saw Christ (I Cor. 9:1). They were called immediately by Christ (Gal. 1:1). Their guidance in giving the Scriptures was infallible—led into all truth (John 16:13). They were able to impart gifts (Acts 8:17; 19:6; II Tim. 1:6). They had the power to deliver an individual to Satan (I Cor. 5:5).
The prophets were closely associated with the apostles in the foundational work of the churches (Eph. 2:20; 3:5). They were men of inspired utterance; therefore, their work was of great importance in the early days of the churches. They were able to foretell the future; but like Old Testament prophets, their chief work was to tell forth God’s message. The prophets brought a particular message from God to meet a particular situation. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the prophets were used to give us the oracles of God.
The evangelists were assistants of the apostles who had the care of all the churches. They have been referred to as missionaries of the church. There are only three references to evangelists (Acts 21:8; Eph. 4:11; II Tim. 4:5).
The three extraordinary gifts of apostles, prophets, and evangelists ceased from the churches with the passing of the first generation Christians. Moses was God’s chosen officer to give the law to Israel, but he had no successor. As Moses had no successor to his gift because there was no further need for a law-giver, there were no successors to these extraordinarily gifted men because the foundational work was completed with their passing. Are men continuing to erect what has already been finished? Are men continuing to add to the perfect law of liberty? False prophets and teachers are trying to add to God’s perfect work for His own, but they are only adding to their just condemnation.
Paul the extraordinary servant and Apollos the ordinary servant illustrate the distinction between extraordinary and ordinary gifts (I Cor. 3:6). Paul planted and Apollos watered. Paul laid the foundation and Apollos erected the superstructure.
Ordinary officers are given for the superstructural work of the churches. These officers are selected from within the churches. Their chief concern is the sheep in those assemblies where they are appointed (Acts 6:1-6; 14:23; 20:28; Titus 1:5-7). The ordinary servants are deacons and elders. The chief characteristic of an ordinary servant is that he is appointed from within the local church of which he is a member. His service is restricted to that church, and he must remain in it. There is no Scripture for professional preachers who go from church to church.
DEACONS: Ministers of the physical needs of saints are referred to as helps (I Cor. 12:28). These ministers are sometimes called deacons (I Tim. 3:8; Phil. 1:1), but the Greek word is the same as ministers. They are not called deacons in Acts 6. The function of ruling is never represented as belonging to them. Scripture speaks of ruling elders, but never mentions ruling deacons. Deacons are not helps in government. Helps and governments are presented as two different offices (I Cor. 12:28).
Elders and deacons constitute the two offices in the local aspect of the church. Deacons take care of the physical needs in the church. The need for these ministers arose in the Jerusalem church when controversy occurred between the Jews and Gentiles over the aid given to their widows (Acts 6:1-6). This first church had persecution from without and disorders within among its members. The problems within must be solved. The church’s first responsibility is a spiritual ministry, and her second is to care for the physical needs of those within the congregation.
The Jerusalem church had grown from the eleven disciples to a multitudinous number. Contrary to the custom in the majority of churches today of selecting a great number of men, they selected only seven men to care for the qualified, needy widows of the church. It seems that most of the seven chosen as servants to deal with the problem in the Jerusalem church were Greek. They had been observed by the church as a whole and had proved themselves to the congregation. Their manner of life was above reproach, and they manifested an interest in helping people. Their selection by the people pleased the apostles who then appointed them to relieve the physical burden of the church, that the apostles might give themselves to the spiritual ministry.
Neither elders nor deacons need to strive for recognition in a church. Qualified men will prove themselves by their lives. There will be no question in the minds of those already in leadership capacity that these should be the ones appointed.
The appointment of deacons preceded that of elders. The deacons were selected to serve tables that the apostles could give more time to serving souls. Any institution that is interested more in the physical than the spiritual is not a New Testament church. It is an organization, not an organism.
Deacons are not appointed to rule. Nevertheless, their work must not be taken lightly. Their qualifications are similar to those for elders (I Tim. 3:8-13). However, deacons are not required to be apt to teach. The deacons will be going from house to house; hence, they must be grave. Due to the nature of their work, they must not be doubletongued. They must not be addicted to wine. Since they handle and distribute money, the deacons must not be greedy of filthy lucre. If a deacon robs God or misappropriates funds in any manner, he cannot hold the mystery of the faith in a good conscience.
Deacons must first be proved before they are set aside. Men are not selected to be set aside in the office for approval. They are first proved and then selected.
The deacon’s wife must have special qualifications due to the nature of her husband’s work. Most problems in a church arise over physical rather than spiritual things. Hence, a deacon’s wife could easily disqualify him. She must not repeat what her husband has told her. Like the elders, a deacon must be the husband of only one wife. He must also rule his house well.
Those who use the office of deacon well acquire for themselves a high standard of confidence. They gain a noble standing in the church. A large measure of faithfulness is a high measure of spiritual health.
Stephen, who began as a deacon (minister in a menial capacity), later publicly taught (Acts 6:8-7:60). Philip, who began as a deacon, became an evangelist (Acts 21:8; 8:5-40). Therefore, he preached and baptized as an evangelist, not as a deacon. There is no record of the other five deacons serving in any capacity other than deacons.
ELDERS: There must be rulers in every orderly society. Scripture does not render rulers unnecessary in the churches. Since Jesus Christ is not the author of confusion, He gives elders to rule the churches. These elders possess no arbitrary authority, because they themselves are under authority. They have authority only to announce what Christ has said. They have no right to enact laws of their own. Therefore, the authority administered by these Divinely appointed men is performed ministerially.
The saints of God are obligated to follow elders only as they follow the Lord. Two serious errors must be corrected in the thinking of most believers. The first deviation has to do with men who unscripturally go beyond their Divinely appointed authority; they lord it over God’s heritage. The second mistake concerns an unscriptural disregard for authority that is properly executed.
The local church is not complete in order without duly appointed elders who are called leaders, rulers, and guides in the local church. If she is incomplete in order, she cannot be complete in administration. The two Greek words hegeomai and proistemi should be understood in relation to rulers in the local church. The former word means to lead, go before, be a leader, rule, command, and have authority over. It is closely related with hegemon which means chief or the chief leader. This word is translated by the words princes, rulers, governors, etc. The word is used in relationship with the local aspect of the church (Acts 15:22; I Thess. 5:12, 13; Heb. 13:7, 17, 24).
The second Greek word in relation to rulers in the local aspect of the church is proistemi. It means to set before, set over, appoint with authority, preside, govern, be a protector of, be a guardian, give aid, care for, and give attention to. This speaks of one who stands in front of or before, a leader, a protector, a champion, or a patron. The ruler is one who rules with diligence—one who leads (Rom. 12:8). The leader will never ask the people he is seeking to lead to do anything he himself is unwilling to do or makes no effort to accomplish. The bishop must rule his own house well, leading, guarding, caring for, and guiding the members of his own household (I Tim. 3:4). The elders that rule well should be counted worthy of double honor (I Tim. 5:17). Rulers maintain, or engage in, a good work (Titus 3:8, 14).
Known By Various Titles: The word “elder” primarily means an older man; but it is also used when speaking of those who preside over the churches. Elder denotes the dignity and mature, spiritual experience and understanding of the office that is held. This does not indicate an elderly man but a man of mature thinking and spiritual experience.
The word “pastor” represents the care and rule of the work to which one has been appointed. He shepherds the flock. Metaphorically, he is the presiding officer of an assembly. Jesus Christ is called the chief Shepherd (I Pet. 5:4). He is the Head under whom the undershepherd operates.
The word “bishop” comes from the Greek word episcope which means inspection, oversight, and visitation. This word is used four times (Luke 19:44; Acts 1:20; I Tim. 3:1; I Pet. 2:12). The noun form is translated by the word “overseer” (Acts 20:28; Phil. 1:1; I Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:7). A bishop is one who oversees the sheep under his watchcare. The verb form of the word means to look upon, inspect, oversee, look after, and care for. The word is used only twice (Heb. 12:15; I Pet. 5:2). Jesus Christ is the chief Shepherd, and God’s appointed men are undershepherds who inspect the sheep under their care. The person in this position is not one who merely occupies the pulpit. The works of inspection, oversight, and visitation go together. The three must be fulfilled to properly administer the office of bishop.
“Bishop” is a term that speaks of relationship. When people and overseers alike understand that there are no professional preachers, that pulpit committees are only talent scouts, and that elders are appointed from within and remain and serve in their local church, there is correct church polity. These men are there by God’s appointment. However, there are many man-called, man-hired preachers who have never been appointed by God. Ordaining someone to the office of bishop without relationship to a church is like making someone a husband without a wife or making him a father without any children. There is no such thing as a bishop over other bishops.
The titles of “elder,” “bishop,” and “pastor” are synonymous. Men filling this office are called elders in Titus 1:5 and bishop in Titus 1:7. Paul addressed those gathered at Miletus as elders, bishops, and pastors (Acts 20:17, 28). These ordinary servants would carry on after the extraordinary servants had fulfilled their service and had been called home to be with the Lord. The Greek word for overseer comes from the same word as bishop. The elders were admonished to feed the flock. The word feed comes from the same Greek word which is translated pastor. It means a shepherd. The purpose of the shepherd is to feed, guide, and direct the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made him the overseer.
“Pastors” and “teachers” are found in the same gift (Eph. 4:11). The prophets and teachers of Acts 13:1 are not synonymous with the pastors and teachers of Ephesians 4:11. Prophets and teachers denote two separate and distinct offices in Acts 13:1. But pastors and teachers of Ephesians 4:11 are two aspects of the one office. The Greek word for some precedes pastors, but it does not precede teachers. The Greek construction is entirely different from Acts 13:1. Pastors are not only shepherds to care for the flock of sheep but they must also be qualified to teach. There is a parallel to Ephesians 4:11 in I Timothy 5:17—“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in word and doctrine.”
In the first deviation in the church from the primitive institution, sundry offices that were not of Divine institution were introduced. Professing religion is filled with such unscriptural offices today. Some who suppose that teacher is a distinct office in the church from elder/pastor/bishop use three arguments to try to prove their supposition: (1) Teachers are joined with pastors (Eph. 4:11). (2) They are joined with prophets (Acts 13:1). (3) Teachers are set in the church (I Cor. 12:28).
An examination of the Scriptures used by those who suppose that teachers are distinct from elders/pastors/bishops will prove that they are synonymous terms. Acts 13:1 and 2 record the history of that which took place before elders were appointed in the churches. The time element must be considered. There were apostles, prophets, evangelists, and teachers—distinct offices—before the appointment of elders in every church (Acts 14:23). The elders were appointed in every church on Paul’s second, not his first, missionary tour. After two years of spiritual growth and development, elders were appointed.
Plurality: God’s will is that a plurality of elders be appointed in each local church. Titus was to ordain elders in every city. The elders in Ephesus were called to Miletus. The first New Testament reference to the appointment of a plurality of elders is Acts 14:23.
One among the elders is in charge. Each of the letters to the seven churches in Asia was addressed to the messenger in charge of each particular church. The letter to each church was written to the angel of the church. The Greek word used for angel means messenger, as well as a heavenly creature. The letters were not given to a heavenly creature but to the messenger of each local church. The word is singular. The angel is not a bishop in the sense of someone being over a diocese. Some believe the angel refers to a heavenly creature that received the message from the Lord and delivered it to the messenger of the church. However, it is not a messenger “by” whom the letter was sent to the preachers but a letter sent to the preacher at each place. The Old Testament angel, or messenger, was used to denote either a prophet or a priest of God—God’s representative. The New Testament angel, or messenger, refers to the minister.
The letters of Revelation were not sent to the churches per se but to the messenger in charge of each church. The Lord sent the message to the presiding messenger; and in turn, the messenger was responsible to deliver the message to the people. Like Aaron the high priest who was responsible for the sanctuary of Numbers 18:1-7, God held this messenger responsible for the other elders and the people within each particular church. Hence, there was a presiding messenger over each of the seven churches.
The priestly family of the Old Testament was responsible for the sanctuary and the services thereof. Aaron and his sons were responsible for any irregularity in worship. The same is true of the elders in the New Testament church. The priestly family must judge every irregular thing within the precincts of the tabernacle. The priestly family was a gift to the people of Israel, and elders are God’s gift to the church. The priestly family was God’s gift for Israel’s spiritual welfare (Num. 18:6). The same principle is taught concerning elders (Eph. 4:11-16). God has given His ministers to the church for her edification.
The minister’s responsibility is the spiritual service. It is a “service of gift”—a bestowed service. Neither Aaron nor his sons could be lifted up with pride because of his office. It was bestowed by God, and their failure to assume the responsibility of the office would be punished with the judgment of God. Theirs was an awesome position.
Elders are to labor in word and doctrine (I Tim. 5:17). It is not necessary that all the elders in the presbyterate have the same degree of qualifications for preaching and teaching. The word especially of I Timothy 5:17 suggests a special class of elders within the presbyterate. All elders rule and must be capable of teaching. Some labor in word and doctrine. They who labor manage the affairs of the local church excellently. Therefore, priority is given to those who labor in preaching and teaching. They are worthy of double honor because of their labor. They who give themselves wholly to the ministry deserve more support than the qualified, needy widows in the church (I Tim. 5:9, 10). As the ox that treads the corn is worthy of eating, the laborer in the work of the Lord is worthy of his reward (I Tim. 5:18). Care should be shown by God’s people for the elders who care for their souls.
Elders are concerned with the conduct, divisions, and discipline of the saints (I Tim. 5:17; Heb. 13:7, 17; I Thess. 5:12, 13). Their ruling is an act of office and has a special relation to the saints. Elders are over believers in the Lord (I Thess. 5:12). This authority is of a spiritual nature and is to be spiritually executed—“...they watch for your souls...” (Heb. 13:17).
God-appointed: Qualifications for ordinary officers are God’s gifts to the churches (Eph. 4:11; Rom. 12:6-8; I Cor. 12:28). The gift of teaching is given to elders (Eph. 4:11). A bishop must be apt to teach (I Tim. 3:2). “Apt to teach” means skillful teaching, which includes positive and negative teaching. Only those who are teachable are qualified to teach.
The gift of teaching is the gift of authority given to the person God has called to publicly proclaim the truth. Public teaching is a God-appointed office. Paul was appointed a teacher of the Gentiles. The Greek word for teacher means one fitted to teach. The word is equivalent to “Rabbi” (John 1:38; 3:2) and “Rabboni” (John 20:16), which means one having authority over another as a servant. This word is used in the sense of leadership in the church (I Cor. 12:28, 29; Eph. 4:11). The Jews called themselves teachers (Rom. 2:20). There are also false teachers (II Tim. 4:3).
Paul stated that God would set gifts, among which teachers were included, in the church (I Cor. 12:28, 29). “Pastors and teachers” is the title given them in Ephesians 4:11. Teacher is an appointed office (II Tim. 1:11). A non-appointed teacher may be a false teacher (Rom. 2:20; II Tim. 4:3). The office of teacher must not be coveted. Without God’s appointment, a person will come into greater judgment (James 3:1).
The Greek word didaskolos is used only for a teacher with authority for public teaching. Teachers were first set apart unto this office and not made teachers because they had talent to speak (I Cor. 12:28). They had been set apart by the Spirit of God for this particular work; therefore, they were given unto it and set in the church. Their setting aside in the church was not being set aside to teach a Sunday School class. There was no such thing at that time. All Christians are equal as the result of the work of grace, but all in Christ have not been called to be apostles. All are not prophets, and all are not teachers in the sense of having the authority to teach. A teacher is one to whom God has given the authority to publicly teach, or proclaim the word of God (Eph. 4:11).
The gift of teaching is the distinguishing characteristic between public and private teaching. Lawful things must be done lawfully. Those who teach without the gift, which is God’s appointment, usurp the office, as the unsent prophets of Jeremiah 14:14—“Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.” “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied” (Jer. 23:21).
There is a difference between witnessing and preaching. This is illustrated in the appearance of the word “preaching” of Acts 8:4 and the word “preached” of Acts 8:5. The former comes from the Greek word which could be translated gossiping the gospel, address with good tidings, or announce good tidings in conversation. Every child of God should be able to give a reason for the hope within him and be able to defend the faith. The result of persecution that arose in Jerusalem was that the members of the first church were scattered, and they went everywhere preaching—gossiping in a conversational manner—the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. The word “preached” of Acts 8:5 means a herald, a proclaimer of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Every believer is responsible to witness to the grace of God in a conversational manner. But God has called some to herald the gospel of Jesus Christ. Conclusively, there is a difference between private witness and the public proclamation of the word. The Bible does not authorize public lay preaching.
The gift which God gives to His chosen servants is to be exercised: “...stir up the gift of God...” (II Tim. 1:6). The word “stir” is used in the sense of keeping full flame. The gift can be neglected by failure to give attendance to reading, exhortation, and doctrine (I Tim. 4:13-16).
The apostle Paul was sovereignly called. The principle in Paul’s call was the same as it is in the call of every minister. I was not called in the same manner as Paul, but the reality of my call is just as real as his. God sovereignly calls men to proclaim the gospel. There are no negotiations. There is no waiting for the man’s consent. God made Paul willing, and He makes every God-appointed man willing. Necessity was laid upon him to proclaim the gospel.
Saul’s call to conversion included his call to the ministry. His call to the ministry was included in his experience on the road to Damascus. They were not two distinct calls. God did not first call him to discipleship and then call him to herald the gospel of Jesus Christ: “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus” (Gal. 1:15-17). Someone may ask if there was not a delay between the conversion and the call to the ministry of Philip and Stephen. But that poses no problem. Stephen and Philip were among the six men chosen to take care of the physical need of the widows in the church at Jerusalem. But both were elevated above that responsibility to become preachers. There was not necessarily a delay. We do not know what had taken place in their hearts and minds.
The record in Acts 6 is not the sovereign call of God but the call of the “local church” to an office. There is a difference between the sovereign call of God and the call of the local church. (1) The call of God is in essence. The call of the church is to operation. There is a time of special preparation between God’s call and the time for a local church to call the man to the office of elder/bishop/overseer/undershepherd/pastor-teacher for operation in that office. One is to the title of the office and the other is to operation by the individual in that office. There is not one call to salvation and another to service. The call to the ministry is not a delayed aspect of the call to salvation. Saul’s question was, what will you have me to do? Every Christian is called to service when he is called to discipleship. Every call to salvation is at the same time a call to service. (2) God’s call is inward. The church’s call is outward. (3) God’s call is from Jesus Christ directly. The church’s call comes indirectly. The call of the church is still of the Lord, but it comes indirectly through the church to the individual God has called. (4) Both are derived from Jesus Christ. The first is necessary to the discharge of the office in the latter.
If some young man in the church should go to his pastor and say, “Preacher, I believe God has called me to be a herald of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” the pastor should not argue with him. The preacher does not know his heart. He may not appear to have many qualifications. Saul of Tarsus did not have many either, but God sovereignly called him. He was a man who had been persecuting the church of God. Barnabas had to bear witness to his salvation that he might be received by the church in Jerusalem. If a young man says God has called him, that is fine; however, that does not mean that he will be called or recognized as an elder by the church. It is a tragedy for a church to call a man who has never been called by God to preach. Many who claim to be called to preach are not open to instruction.
Every one God calls will find a place in God’s service, because God does not make mistakes. He does not call more than He needs. This does not mean that God has not called someone who is being prepared, and the local church recognizes that gift. He is being prepared to occupy that position at a later date—at God’s appointed time.
Paul was a chosen vessel to bear Christ’s name. (1) He bore the name of Christ in his intellect. This is where the knowledge of the Lord begins—hear and understand. His capacious mind had no room for anything else. He counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord. (2) He bore the name of Jesus Christ in his heart. He had a treasure in an earthen vessel. (3) He bore the name of Jesus Christ in his ministry. Immediately he preached Jesus Christ. Paul was obedient to the heavenly vision. When God sovereignly calls a person and makes that person willing, that individual will be obedient to the call of God. There will be no delayed action.
Paul was a minister according to the dispensation of God: “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God” (Col. 1:25). In this instance, he does not say, “I have been made a minister by the grace of God,” but that is assumed. The word dispensation comes from a Greek word meaning the management of a household, a steward, a manager, or a trustee. What had taken place in the life of the apostle Paul was because of the dispensation—the stewardship—of God. This ministry was given to Paul by God in His stewardship to fulfill the word of God. The word fulfil comes from the Greek verb which means to fulfill, accomplish, or proclaim fully.
The apostle Paul vividly explained his feeling about the ministry in I Thessalonians 3:1—“WHEREFORE when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone.” The Greek word for “for