DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH
Doctrine 33 / 36 Basic History of the Church
When John was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ, chapters 2-3 of that book were written to the angels of seven churches in Asia-Minor. While these seven churches were literal churches, it appears to also have a prophetical significance predicting seven periods of church history.
Ephesus: (Pentecost - 100AD)
After Jesus' resurrection, the book of Acts and the Pauline epistles give much of the history of the that early church. It was a time when the gospel was spread throughout the world, but it took some instigating by persecution in the beginning, to get the church out of Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). The time was identified with the Jews ultimately rejecting Christ, Paul taking the message to the Gentiles, the writing of the New Testament, but also by the persecution of Roman Emperors, like Nero, who is credited for beheading the Apostle Paul. John, the last of the apostles died about 100AD, and was the only one that was not martyred for the faith.
Smyrna: (100AD - 313AD)
This second period of church history was a time of persecution. In Revelation 2:10, the angel of the church in Smyrna is told of ten days of tribulation, and during that time period of history, there were ten strong waves of persecutions of the early church by the Romans. The church was in hiding, fearing persecution, and continued to spread around the world because of the persecution.
Pergamus: (313AD - 590AD)
The third period of church history was the beginning of the secularization of the church. The Roman Emperor Constantine, head of the political world, proclaimed tolerance for Christianity with his Edict of Milan in 313AD. Christians were saved from persecution at this point, and Constantine even called the Council of Nicaea in 325AD to solidify certain Christian doctrines such as the Deity of Christ, which at the time was a debate going on between Arius (believing that Jesus was distinct from God) and Athanasius (who believed that Jesus was Deity). The fact that a Roman Emperor began to call Church Councils should have been a warning to the church which was called to be in the world, yet not of it. This period of time begins the rise of political interest by the church's leaders.
Thyatira: (590AD - 1517AD)
The fourth period of church history is the Middle Ages. It begins with the rise of power with the Roman patriarch. In earlier periods, the church had five patriarchs that tended to govern the church. They were the patriarchs of the cities of Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. However, with Gregory the Great, who was pope from 590-604AD, the power of the Roman patriarch grew into a political and even military power. It took supremacy over the other patriarchs, which had been developing over time, but was here solidified. This time period developed into a time of essential tyranny of the Roman Catholic church over the people. People were forced to comply with the priests' commands or they would be threatened with excommunication. Fear was a tactic used by the church to control its subjects. The sale of indulgences began in this time to raise money for the church. The masses were all said in Latin, and there was no Scripture for the common person to read as the cost and language made it near impossible. There was a remnant of the faithful in the Roman Catholic church and also outside of it. Two of the more famous groups during this period were the Albigenses of the 13th century and the Waldenses of the 15th. Though their doctrine was not perfect, they were brutally persecuted by the Roman church for failing to convert to Roman Catholicism. John Wycliffe was a man in England during this time that also was against some of the teachings of Romanism, and he translated the Bible into the English language to try to enable the common person to have God's word directly available.
Sardis (1517AD - 1793AD)
This fifth period of church history began with the nailing of Martin Luther's 95 Theses to the door at the University at Wittenberg on October 31, 1517. Martin Luther was a priest that wrote on some of the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church. Although Martin Luther only wanted to reform and better the church he was in, his refusal to compromise began a movement that spread throughout Europe. Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Knox all began movements in their areas that created a group of churches that were in protest to the Roman Catholic Church. They were termed Protestants as a result. Their overriding themes were the five solas: Sola scriptura (Scripture alone), Sola fide (Faith alone),Sola gratia (Grace alone), Solus Christus (Christ alone), Soli Deo gloria (Glory to God alone). They emphasized Scripture and its teaching, and gave it authority over the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. It was a period of wars between the Protestants and Romans, but it ended with a Europe divided into nations with different churches. The unified, political, Roman church was no longer what it used to be.
Philadelphia (1793AD - 1881AD)
The sixth period of church history begins with the travelling of William Carey to India. This short era was a time of great missionary movements around the world. As Revelation 3:8 says, Christ opened a door that no man could shut for these missionaries. Men were going to the uttermost part of the earth: William Carey to India, Hudson Taylor to China, Adoniram Judson to Burma, David Livingstone to Africa. They were praised for having kept God's word.
Laodicea (1881AD - present)
This last period in church history may be said to begin with the publication of the Revised Version of the New Testament along with Westcott and Hort's Greek New Testament in 1881. Christ says nothing good about this church in Revelation 3:14-22, but rather that it is a lukewarm church that does not recognize its poverty. It has been a time of much compromise with the world, of much laziness on the part of many Christians. The Scriptures are not treated as God's very words, and therefore not obeyed as much. And while there truly have been localized revivals of religion during this age, the overall presence of the church in Christ's eyes is that of a lukewarm church.
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Thesis 32/36: Evangelism
DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH
Doctrine 32 / 36: Evangelism
Evangelism is a transliteration of a Greek word meaning gospel, or good news. To evangelize is to simply tell others the good news of Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried and rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). This message is the plan of redemption that God established for the world, and of which the Bible is all about. The Great Commission that Christ gave before He ascended into Heaven was to go and preach the gospel, to be witnesses for Him (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8). He wants His church to continue His work of seeking and saving that which was lost (Luke 19:10).
The church is the body of Christ, and as such, it has the same mission that the body of Christ had when He walked the earth: to seek and to save that which was lost. Because Christians have been reconciled to God by Jesus Christ, God has in turn given them the ministry of reconciliation. Their job is now to represent God on earth, to be His ambassadors. They are to carry the message to the lost world, and to beg them, in Christ's stead, that they too would be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). If God's purpose for the Christian was simply to get him to Heaven, then at the moment of salvation, He would take him home. However, God wants the Christian to turn around and bring more people to Him.
Evangelism is the roots for missions. Telling others of Christ must begin first by the local church, in the local area. The missionary himself ought to be someone that has established himself as being an evangelist at home, before he should qualify to be an evangelist to another place. The witnessing begins at "Jerusalem" and then goes out from there (Acts 1:8).
Much of the difficulty with evangelism, especially in America, is that people do not feel that they have any need of "good news." They do not realize the need for "Jesus." They do not care that He did something for them, however great it was. The reason for this is that they fail to see their sinfulness. For this reason, it is important to use the law when, or before, sharing the good news. If a person fails to see their sin, they will fail to see their need for the Savior. The purpose of the law was not to justify anyone, but rather to show everyone how sinful they really are (Romans 3:20; 7:13). So, the law must be presented to the person, to demonstrate that they are sinful, and the holiness of God must be shown to them to realize that their sin has created a major problem for them. After they truly see their sinfulness and God's holiness, they will beg for the Savior. It would be erroneous to invite someone to come to Christ if they never recognize their need for a Savior. They may respond to an invitation for wrong reasons: to please the person inviting, to fit in socially in a group, etc., but all of those reasons will fall them short of godly repentance.
Evangelism is to be accompanied by prayer. Paul planted, Apollos watered, but only God can give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). What Paul is teaching there is that Christians are to work in the fields, but at the end, it is only God that can do the saving. Christians must pray for those to whom they will be evangelizing, and they must pray that God would send more laborers into His field (Luke 10:2).
"How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace."
Doctrine 32 / 36: Evangelism
Evangelism is a transliteration of a Greek word meaning gospel, or good news. To evangelize is to simply tell others the good news of Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried and rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). This message is the plan of redemption that God established for the world, and of which the Bible is all about. The Great Commission that Christ gave before He ascended into Heaven was to go and preach the gospel, to be witnesses for Him (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8). He wants His church to continue His work of seeking and saving that which was lost (Luke 19:10).
The church is the body of Christ, and as such, it has the same mission that the body of Christ had when He walked the earth: to seek and to save that which was lost. Because Christians have been reconciled to God by Jesus Christ, God has in turn given them the ministry of reconciliation. Their job is now to represent God on earth, to be His ambassadors. They are to carry the message to the lost world, and to beg them, in Christ's stead, that they too would be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). If God's purpose for the Christian was simply to get him to Heaven, then at the moment of salvation, He would take him home. However, God wants the Christian to turn around and bring more people to Him.
Evangelism is the roots for missions. Telling others of Christ must begin first by the local church, in the local area. The missionary himself ought to be someone that has established himself as being an evangelist at home, before he should qualify to be an evangelist to another place. The witnessing begins at "Jerusalem" and then goes out from there (Acts 1:8).
Much of the difficulty with evangelism, especially in America, is that people do not feel that they have any need of "good news." They do not realize the need for "Jesus." They do not care that He did something for them, however great it was. The reason for this is that they fail to see their sinfulness. For this reason, it is important to use the law when, or before, sharing the good news. If a person fails to see their sin, they will fail to see their need for the Savior. The purpose of the law was not to justify anyone, but rather to show everyone how sinful they really are (Romans 3:20; 7:13). So, the law must be presented to the person, to demonstrate that they are sinful, and the holiness of God must be shown to them to realize that their sin has created a major problem for them. After they truly see their sinfulness and God's holiness, they will beg for the Savior. It would be erroneous to invite someone to come to Christ if they never recognize their need for a Savior. They may respond to an invitation for wrong reasons: to please the person inviting, to fit in socially in a group, etc., but all of those reasons will fall them short of godly repentance.
Evangelism is to be accompanied by prayer. Paul planted, Apollos watered, but only God can give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). What Paul is teaching there is that Christians are to work in the fields, but at the end, it is only God that can do the saving. Christians must pray for those to whom they will be evangelizing, and they must pray that God would send more laborers into His field (Luke 10:2).
"How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace."
Thesis 31/36: Worship
DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH
Doctrine 31 / 36: Worship
The first mention of the word "worship" in the Bible is found when Abraham was taking his son Isaac, at God's command, to sacrifice him. He told the men that had been going with him that they two were going to worship (Genesis 22:5). Somehow, the word in America today has been associated to mean simply a church service and specifically to the music part of the service. Worship is ascribing worth to someone, ascribing divine respect to someone.
In the Old Testament, worship was almost always associated with two things, sacrifices and a person falling on their knees or face (Genesis 24:26; 1 Samuel 1:3). It did not always take place at the temple (Joshua 5:14), but that was the normal place. It always had to do with an external act, whether it be falling on the ground before someone, or meeting together at the temple for a religious ceremony. It is this external act of worship from the Old Testament which is why some call a church service a worship service. It is not incorrect, but it has much greater meaning.
When Jesus met the woman at the well in Samaria, they began to discuss where the right place was to worship. She said that worship was to be done in the mountain where they were, and the Jews taught that it was in Jerusalem (John 4:20). Jesus answers her question to Him by saying, "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father" (John 4:21). He was not simply saying that the place of worship was going to be changing, but rather the method. He goes on to say in verse 23, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." The external act is not the primary thing that God wanted. He even despised the "worship services" of the Jews (Amos 5:21-23). The fact is that God is not able to be worshipped by "men's hands" (Acts 17:25), as He is the creator of them all. He desires true worship, a true sense of divine reverence to be hand by man in his spirit. God desires truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6).
"Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh" (Matthew 12:34). When a man truly worships God, he will end up demonstrating it with external actions. He will praise the Lord in song; he will fall on his face in humility; he will sacrifice of himself for the Lord. However, it is the confusion of these external acts with the reverence that must be had on the inside, which causes vain religions to spread. In regards to music used during a church service, it must be music that is made out of the abundance of a heart that has a divine respect towards God. If the music is made to please man, then God will hate and despise it as He did that in Amos 5.
"Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."
Doctrine 31 / 36: Worship
The first mention of the word "worship" in the Bible is found when Abraham was taking his son Isaac, at God's command, to sacrifice him. He told the men that had been going with him that they two were going to worship (Genesis 22:5). Somehow, the word in America today has been associated to mean simply a church service and specifically to the music part of the service. Worship is ascribing worth to someone, ascribing divine respect to someone.
In the Old Testament, worship was almost always associated with two things, sacrifices and a person falling on their knees or face (Genesis 24:26; 1 Samuel 1:3). It did not always take place at the temple (Joshua 5:14), but that was the normal place. It always had to do with an external act, whether it be falling on the ground before someone, or meeting together at the temple for a religious ceremony. It is this external act of worship from the Old Testament which is why some call a church service a worship service. It is not incorrect, but it has much greater meaning.
When Jesus met the woman at the well in Samaria, they began to discuss where the right place was to worship. She said that worship was to be done in the mountain where they were, and the Jews taught that it was in Jerusalem (John 4:20). Jesus answers her question to Him by saying, "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father" (John 4:21). He was not simply saying that the place of worship was going to be changing, but rather the method. He goes on to say in verse 23, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." The external act is not the primary thing that God wanted. He even despised the "worship services" of the Jews (Amos 5:21-23). The fact is that God is not able to be worshipped by "men's hands" (Acts 17:25), as He is the creator of them all. He desires true worship, a true sense of divine reverence to be hand by man in his spirit. God desires truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6).
"Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh" (Matthew 12:34). When a man truly worships God, he will end up demonstrating it with external actions. He will praise the Lord in song; he will fall on his face in humility; he will sacrifice of himself for the Lord. However, it is the confusion of these external acts with the reverence that must be had on the inside, which causes vain religions to spread. In regards to music used during a church service, it must be music that is made out of the abundance of a heart that has a divine respect towards God. If the music is made to please man, then God will hate and despise it as He did that in Amos 5.
"Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."
Thesis 30/36: Tithing or Stewardship
DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH
Doctrine 30 / 36: Tithing or Stewardship
Money is one of the biggest hindrances in the world to a person being saved. Jesus said, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:23). The very first principle that must be understood when speaking of finances is that all things are God's. "The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof" (Psalm 24:1). No man has anything that he did not receive from God. Even if the man gave something in exchange for it, ultimately, all things come back to God. The life that the man has is from God, so that he could do nothing without Him. "For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" (1 Corinthians 4:7).
Once a man recognizes that all things are God's, and that he is only a steward of God's things, then he must look to see what God desires of that which is His. When dealing with finances, we see the principle of tithing established all the way back in the life of Abraham. A tithe, by definition, is the giving of ten percent of something. After Abraham recovered Lot from captivity, he tithed on the spoil (Genesis 14:20). Tithing is followed up as a law in the Mosaic Covenant, when all the people were to give a tithe of all that they had (Leviticus 27:30-32). God considers the tithe to be His, so that if a man were to withhold the tithe from God, he is actually robbing God (Malachi 3:8). The children of Israel had the opportunity to give a freewill offering on top of their tithes, but the tithes themselves were God's. Jesus commended the Pharisees for their tithing as well (Matthew 23:23).
Under the New Testament, the tithe is not repeated as a command. However, Paul charges the Corinthians to be faithful in giving, even to the point of making themselves poor, by following the example of Jesus Christ. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). In that passage, Paul is saying to the Corinthians that God has given so much more than could ever be repaid, that the Christian should give as a sign of gratitude. When considering how much to give, the tithe is a great place to start. Beyond that, the Christian should give according to what he has (2 Corinthians 8:12). As the tithes in the Old Testament were for those that lead worship, and for the temple expenses, so in the church, the tithe is used to maintain the local leaders and expenses for the local ministry. On top of that, money given goes to support missionaries around the world.
God promised to bless those that proved Him, and tithed. He promised that the return on the "investment" would be great, and that to hold on to God's money would actually hurt their finances. He does not say that they would have less money, but rather that their money would not be able to go as far (Malachi 3:10-11). The money spent for God on earth will end up having eternal value (Matthew 6:19). Christians are to be content with the simple life from a physical standpoint, knowing that they have Jesus Christ, and that is all that is needed to make them content (Hebrews 13:5).
"The love of money is the root of all evil."
Doctrine 30 / 36: Tithing or Stewardship
Money is one of the biggest hindrances in the world to a person being saved. Jesus said, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:23). The very first principle that must be understood when speaking of finances is that all things are God's. "The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof" (Psalm 24:1). No man has anything that he did not receive from God. Even if the man gave something in exchange for it, ultimately, all things come back to God. The life that the man has is from God, so that he could do nothing without Him. "For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" (1 Corinthians 4:7).
Once a man recognizes that all things are God's, and that he is only a steward of God's things, then he must look to see what God desires of that which is His. When dealing with finances, we see the principle of tithing established all the way back in the life of Abraham. A tithe, by definition, is the giving of ten percent of something. After Abraham recovered Lot from captivity, he tithed on the spoil (Genesis 14:20). Tithing is followed up as a law in the Mosaic Covenant, when all the people were to give a tithe of all that they had (Leviticus 27:30-32). God considers the tithe to be His, so that if a man were to withhold the tithe from God, he is actually robbing God (Malachi 3:8). The children of Israel had the opportunity to give a freewill offering on top of their tithes, but the tithes themselves were God's. Jesus commended the Pharisees for their tithing as well (Matthew 23:23).
Under the New Testament, the tithe is not repeated as a command. However, Paul charges the Corinthians to be faithful in giving, even to the point of making themselves poor, by following the example of Jesus Christ. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). In that passage, Paul is saying to the Corinthians that God has given so much more than could ever be repaid, that the Christian should give as a sign of gratitude. When considering how much to give, the tithe is a great place to start. Beyond that, the Christian should give according to what he has (2 Corinthians 8:12). As the tithes in the Old Testament were for those that lead worship, and for the temple expenses, so in the church, the tithe is used to maintain the local leaders and expenses for the local ministry. On top of that, money given goes to support missionaries around the world.
God promised to bless those that proved Him, and tithed. He promised that the return on the "investment" would be great, and that to hold on to God's money would actually hurt their finances. He does not say that they would have less money, but rather that their money would not be able to go as far (Malachi 3:10-11). The money spent for God on earth will end up having eternal value (Matthew 6:19). Christians are to be content with the simple life from a physical standpoint, knowing that they have Jesus Christ, and that is all that is needed to make them content (Hebrews 13:5).
"The love of money is the root of all evil."
Thesis 29/36: Discipleship
DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH:
Doctrine 29 / 36: Discipleship
The Great Commission is to preach the gospel and to baptize the converts in all the world. However, it does not stop there. The last part of the Great Commission is to be "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19). The salvation of a man is only the beginning. This teaching them to observe all things is Discipleship. There are people who get saved, and even baptized, yet they never move into the area of learning to observe all things. Jesus goes into detail on the higher level that is required in a true disciple (Luke 14:25-33).
Discipleship speaks of taking what a person has learned and passing that on to somebody else. It is not always taught in a classroom, and in fact, is probably taught more outside of a classroom. Discipleship is essentially leadership. A person leads somebody else to where he should be. It is not confined to spiritual matters either. Moses had a disciple in Joshua, and when Moses died, Joshua stepped in his place and successfully carried on the movements of the children of Israel. However, the Bible does not speak of Joshua having had a disciple, and in turn, when Joshua dies, the people end up doing whatever they felt was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25).
Christians are to study the word of God, but it is not enough for a man to gain knowledge for his own sake; it must be passed on. Paul encourages his disciple, Timothy, to follow the example. "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2). Paul did not keep his knowledge to himself, nor was it sufficient that he passed his knowledge on to somebody else. Paul wanted it to be spread from Timothy to other men, who, in turn, would teach it to others as well. Christianity dies when the last person stops discipling somebody else.
Discipleship comes in many shapes and sizes. It does not have to be a formal program, but it has to happen. It does not always have to be done in a one on one manner; Jesus had 12 disciples. Jesus spent the majority of His time with his group of 12 disciples, and even more time with three specifically, Peter, James and John. He knew that the time would come that He would be taken out of the world, and the ministry would be left in their hands. From them, Christianity grew to thousands, who then took it all over the world. Discipleship works in multiplication, whereas evangelism without discipleship grows by addition. The difference between those two is that discipleship requires true investment in the disciplee's life by the leader.
"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."
Doctrine 29 / 36: Discipleship
The Great Commission is to preach the gospel and to baptize the converts in all the world. However, it does not stop there. The last part of the Great Commission is to be "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19). The salvation of a man is only the beginning. This teaching them to observe all things is Discipleship. There are people who get saved, and even baptized, yet they never move into the area of learning to observe all things. Jesus goes into detail on the higher level that is required in a true disciple (Luke 14:25-33).
Discipleship speaks of taking what a person has learned and passing that on to somebody else. It is not always taught in a classroom, and in fact, is probably taught more outside of a classroom. Discipleship is essentially leadership. A person leads somebody else to where he should be. It is not confined to spiritual matters either. Moses had a disciple in Joshua, and when Moses died, Joshua stepped in his place and successfully carried on the movements of the children of Israel. However, the Bible does not speak of Joshua having had a disciple, and in turn, when Joshua dies, the people end up doing whatever they felt was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25).
Christians are to study the word of God, but it is not enough for a man to gain knowledge for his own sake; it must be passed on. Paul encourages his disciple, Timothy, to follow the example. "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2). Paul did not keep his knowledge to himself, nor was it sufficient that he passed his knowledge on to somebody else. Paul wanted it to be spread from Timothy to other men, who, in turn, would teach it to others as well. Christianity dies when the last person stops discipling somebody else.
Discipleship comes in many shapes and sizes. It does not have to be a formal program, but it has to happen. It does not always have to be done in a one on one manner; Jesus had 12 disciples. Jesus spent the majority of His time with his group of 12 disciples, and even more time with three specifically, Peter, James and John. He knew that the time would come that He would be taken out of the world, and the ministry would be left in their hands. From them, Christianity grew to thousands, who then took it all over the world. Discipleship works in multiplication, whereas evangelism without discipleship grows by addition. The difference between those two is that discipleship requires true investment in the disciplee's life by the leader.
"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."
Thesis 28/36: The Lord's Supper
DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH
Doctrine 28 / 36: The Lord's Supper
The night before Jesus' crucifixion, Jesus gathered His disciples to Him to have their last supper together before He was to be killed. After this meal, they went to the garden to pray and then He was taken to be tried and executed. At this supper, Jesus institutes one of the ordinances that He gives to the church, and which Paul reiterates in 1 Corinthians 11, the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:20), or Communion (1 Corinthians 10:16).
The Lord's Supper consists of two elements: the cup, and the bread. The "bread" refers to the body of Christ that was broken for the world (Matthew 26:26). Jesus is the "bread of life" (John 6:35), and He was broken. The "fruit of the vine" or the "cup" as it is referred to when speaking of the Lord's Supper is a representative of blood (Matthew 26:28). Often grape juice, or wine, is a picture of blood in the Bible (Revelation 14:20). The Lord's Supper was a direct picture of the braking of Jesus' body, and the spilling out of His blood on the cross.
Jesus gives the purpose for the Lord's Supper when He says, "this do in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24). The Lord's Supper is a time when the church is to come together and specially think on the sacrifice, the broken body and spilled blood of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Paul explains another element of the Lord's Supper when he refers to it as "Communion." "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 10:16). Paul is here explaining the mystery of the Body of Christ, and how when a believer takes part in the blood and body of Christ, he is put into communion with Christ. This communion with Christ carries on to the communion with fellow believers. The Lord's Supper is also to be a time of communion, of fellowship, with the fellow saints of God. For that reason, everyone is to eat dinner at home before coming to the Lord's Supper so that carnal lusts do not arise and cause division among the brethren for simple food (1 Corinthians 11:18-22).
A grave warning is issued to those that are partaking in the Lord's Supper. "Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body" (1 Corinthians 11:27-28). The Lord's Supper is to remind the saints that Christ died for their sins. It was their sins which necessitated a Savior and His sacrifice. The Lord's Supper is to be a time to remember this, to remember the sacrifice, and motivate the Christian to live right. If a person despises the work on the cross, and if he shows it during the Lord's Supper, he is "not discerning the Lord's body." No man is worthy of partaking of the body of Christ; it is those that treat Christ's sacrifice unworthily that bring damnation to themselves. The Lord's Supper is to be a time to sanctify one's self, and to demonstrate that he does live right. It is improper to eat of the Lord's table, and then turn around and eat of the "table of the devil," and all that he offers in this world (1 Corinthians 10:21).
Transubstantiation is the Roman Catholic doctrine that teaches that the bread and juice of the Lord's Supper actually change their substance into the literal body and blood of Jesus. They make Communion a necessary part of a man's salvation because "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you" (John 6:53). However, at the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples that the bread and juice they were eating were His body and blood, yet His body had not been broken as of yet. He was speaking spiritually, not physically (John 6:63). The drinking of blood is prohibited in the Bible (Leviticus 17:10-11; Acts 15:20), and if Christ were speaking literally, He would be violating His own laws.
Consubstantiation is the teaching held by some, including the Lutherans, that the elements to not actually change into the body and blood of Christ, but in a very real, and spiritual way, He is present in the bread and juice. The Bible teaches that the elements are there to help the believers remember what Christ did. There is not a spiritual significance in the actual bread any more than there would be in the bread offered to an idol; it is still the same bread. It is what is done with the bread and juice that makes them important.
"This is my blood of the new testament."
Doctrine 28 / 36: The Lord's Supper
The night before Jesus' crucifixion, Jesus gathered His disciples to Him to have their last supper together before He was to be killed. After this meal, they went to the garden to pray and then He was taken to be tried and executed. At this supper, Jesus institutes one of the ordinances that He gives to the church, and which Paul reiterates in 1 Corinthians 11, the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:20), or Communion (1 Corinthians 10:16).
The Lord's Supper consists of two elements: the cup, and the bread. The "bread" refers to the body of Christ that was broken for the world (Matthew 26:26). Jesus is the "bread of life" (John 6:35), and He was broken. The "fruit of the vine" or the "cup" as it is referred to when speaking of the Lord's Supper is a representative of blood (Matthew 26:28). Often grape juice, or wine, is a picture of blood in the Bible (Revelation 14:20). The Lord's Supper was a direct picture of the braking of Jesus' body, and the spilling out of His blood on the cross.
Jesus gives the purpose for the Lord's Supper when He says, "this do in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24). The Lord's Supper is a time when the church is to come together and specially think on the sacrifice, the broken body and spilled blood of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Paul explains another element of the Lord's Supper when he refers to it as "Communion." "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 10:16). Paul is here explaining the mystery of the Body of Christ, and how when a believer takes part in the blood and body of Christ, he is put into communion with Christ. This communion with Christ carries on to the communion with fellow believers. The Lord's Supper is also to be a time of communion, of fellowship, with the fellow saints of God. For that reason, everyone is to eat dinner at home before coming to the Lord's Supper so that carnal lusts do not arise and cause division among the brethren for simple food (1 Corinthians 11:18-22).
A grave warning is issued to those that are partaking in the Lord's Supper. "Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body" (1 Corinthians 11:27-28). The Lord's Supper is to remind the saints that Christ died for their sins. It was their sins which necessitated a Savior and His sacrifice. The Lord's Supper is to be a time to remember this, to remember the sacrifice, and motivate the Christian to live right. If a person despises the work on the cross, and if he shows it during the Lord's Supper, he is "not discerning the Lord's body." No man is worthy of partaking of the body of Christ; it is those that treat Christ's sacrifice unworthily that bring damnation to themselves. The Lord's Supper is to be a time to sanctify one's self, and to demonstrate that he does live right. It is improper to eat of the Lord's table, and then turn around and eat of the "table of the devil," and all that he offers in this world (1 Corinthians 10:21).
Transubstantiation is the Roman Catholic doctrine that teaches that the bread and juice of the Lord's Supper actually change their substance into the literal body and blood of Jesus. They make Communion a necessary part of a man's salvation because "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you" (John 6:53). However, at the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples that the bread and juice they were eating were His body and blood, yet His body had not been broken as of yet. He was speaking spiritually, not physically (John 6:63). The drinking of blood is prohibited in the Bible (Leviticus 17:10-11; Acts 15:20), and if Christ were speaking literally, He would be violating His own laws.
Consubstantiation is the teaching held by some, including the Lutherans, that the elements to not actually change into the body and blood of Christ, but in a very real, and spiritual way, He is present in the bread and juice. The Bible teaches that the elements are there to help the believers remember what Christ did. There is not a spiritual significance in the actual bread any more than there would be in the bread offered to an idol; it is still the same bread. It is what is done with the bread and juice that makes them important.
"This is my blood of the new testament."
Thesis 27/36 Missions
After having just finished a great missions conference, this essay ought to have been, and was, a bit easier to write -- now if only we live it...
DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH
Doctrine 27 / 36: Missions
The Bible is God's message to man about His plan of redemption of the whole world. It begins in Genesis 1-2 with His story of creation, followed in Genesis 3 by the Fall of man. Genesis 3:15 gives the redemptive plan, in terms that were quite vague at the time, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." This was a prophecy about the cross, and also about when Jesus will return to the earth, Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire, and God's saints will be with Him. The rest of the story of the Bible between Genesis 3 and Revelation 20, is simply the unveiling of that great plan, in more detail.
In the present age, God has chosen to use His church to be the method for making His plan of redemption known to the lost world. Paul writes, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). This is God's desire, that men would call upon His name and be saved. However, as Paul continues in verse 14, "How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" It is true that faith comes ultimately through the hearing of the word of God (Romans 10:17), but somebody must deliver the word of God to the hearer, through preaching (Titus 1:2).
Jesus commanded His disciples to "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). The responsibility for the church is to reach the entire world with the gospel. He gives the geographical structure for how this is to work: "And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Jesus was speaking literally of the order in which the gospel was to be spread in the first century AD, however the principle of using that structure can apply to any local church. Missions begins at home with evangelism. It spreads to the immediate neighbors around you, and then to the next area within reach, until the uttermost has been reached. It is not enough to only have impact on the local community; the whole world is the responsibility of all the church. At the same time, reaching the uttermost part of the earth is still an incomplete obedience if evangelism is not taken care of in the local area. The analogy of a lighthouse works great to illustrate this point. The lighthouse will only shine as far as the strength of light that it has. The local church is that lighthouse, and the stronger the church is, the further it will reach in the world.
The local church is responsible to work in world missions in at least three ways. First, it is to give of its human resources. The early church in Antioch was instructed by God to send out two of its finest teachers to leave the church and go on foreign missions (Acts 13:2-3). The local church's responsibility is not to consume all of its talent on itself, but rather to send it out to the world at God's instruction. Second, the local church ought to give financially to the foreign missionary inasmuch as he is laboring on their behalf, and the laborer is worthy of his reward (1 Timothy 5:18). And as the missionary has been a spiritual benefit to the church, it also should care for his physical needs (Romans 15:27). Third, the local church is given the task to pray. When the local church prays for the world missionary, the individuals in that church are said to be striving together with that missionary in their prayers to God for him (Romans 15:30). The sending church is actually said to have a part in the fruit of that missionary (Philippians 4:17).
The purpose of the world missionary is to give the gospel, to preach, to teach, to baptize, and to disciple (Matthew 28:19-20). This is all done by the power of the Holy Spirit, and not in his own power (Matthew 28:18, Acts 1:8). The missionary must be sure to not confuse his task. Some people are called missionaries who provide physical relief, whether it be in the form of medical aid, financial, construction, or any other physical benefit. While these people have their mission, and therefore can be classified as a missionary, the physical relief must not be confused with God's spiritual call to preach the gospel. Certainly, true religion gives to those in need (James 1:27), but God's sent ones, those sent to His mission, will be preachers of the gospel.
"As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH
Doctrine 27 / 36: Missions
The Bible is God's message to man about His plan of redemption of the whole world. It begins in Genesis 1-2 with His story of creation, followed in Genesis 3 by the Fall of man. Genesis 3:15 gives the redemptive plan, in terms that were quite vague at the time, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." This was a prophecy about the cross, and also about when Jesus will return to the earth, Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire, and God's saints will be with Him. The rest of the story of the Bible between Genesis 3 and Revelation 20, is simply the unveiling of that great plan, in more detail.
In the present age, God has chosen to use His church to be the method for making His plan of redemption known to the lost world. Paul writes, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). This is God's desire, that men would call upon His name and be saved. However, as Paul continues in verse 14, "How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" It is true that faith comes ultimately through the hearing of the word of God (Romans 10:17), but somebody must deliver the word of God to the hearer, through preaching (Titus 1:2).
Jesus commanded His disciples to "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). The responsibility for the church is to reach the entire world with the gospel. He gives the geographical structure for how this is to work: "And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Jesus was speaking literally of the order in which the gospel was to be spread in the first century AD, however the principle of using that structure can apply to any local church. Missions begins at home with evangelism. It spreads to the immediate neighbors around you, and then to the next area within reach, until the uttermost has been reached. It is not enough to only have impact on the local community; the whole world is the responsibility of all the church. At the same time, reaching the uttermost part of the earth is still an incomplete obedience if evangelism is not taken care of in the local area. The analogy of a lighthouse works great to illustrate this point. The lighthouse will only shine as far as the strength of light that it has. The local church is that lighthouse, and the stronger the church is, the further it will reach in the world.
The local church is responsible to work in world missions in at least three ways. First, it is to give of its human resources. The early church in Antioch was instructed by God to send out two of its finest teachers to leave the church and go on foreign missions (Acts 13:2-3). The local church's responsibility is not to consume all of its talent on itself, but rather to send it out to the world at God's instruction. Second, the local church ought to give financially to the foreign missionary inasmuch as he is laboring on their behalf, and the laborer is worthy of his reward (1 Timothy 5:18). And as the missionary has been a spiritual benefit to the church, it also should care for his physical needs (Romans 15:27). Third, the local church is given the task to pray. When the local church prays for the world missionary, the individuals in that church are said to be striving together with that missionary in their prayers to God for him (Romans 15:30). The sending church is actually said to have a part in the fruit of that missionary (Philippians 4:17).
The purpose of the world missionary is to give the gospel, to preach, to teach, to baptize, and to disciple (Matthew 28:19-20). This is all done by the power of the Holy Spirit, and not in his own power (Matthew 28:18, Acts 1:8). The missionary must be sure to not confuse his task. Some people are called missionaries who provide physical relief, whether it be in the form of medical aid, financial, construction, or any other physical benefit. While these people have their mission, and therefore can be classified as a missionary, the physical relief must not be confused with God's spiritual call to preach the gospel. Certainly, true religion gives to those in need (James 1:27), but God's sent ones, those sent to His mission, will be preachers of the gospel.
"As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
Thesis 26/36: Baptism
DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH:
Doctrine 26 / 36: Baptism
There are different types of baptisms talked about in the Bible. Not every time that the word "baptism" is used does it refer to the water baptism of a Christian. The last command that Jesus gave to His disciples when He left the earth to be with the Father was to, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). Baptism, in the New Testament, is an association the believer makes with Christ, in His death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:4). The Christian was not literally hanging on a cross outside of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, nor was the Christian literally buried in a tomb, nor did he literally rise from the dead. However, baptism is the picture that the Christian performs to associate with those events.
An entire denomination of Christianity has been formed primarily based on a distinct view of baptism. While most of Christianity practices the baptism of infants of Christian families, the Baptists are one of the few denominations of Christianity that follow the example of baptism in the Bible, wherein only those that professed faith in Jesus Christ were baptized. The perfect picture of that is the Ethiopian eunuch of Acts 8. Once Philip expounded to him the truth of the Scripture, the eunuch asked Philip, "See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?" (Acts 8:36). The answer that Philip gave him shows that baptism is a practice for believers, and it is not for unbelievers or children that are too young to believe: "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest" (Acts 8:37). In Acts 10:47 there is another picture of this in that Peter asked why anyone should forbid baptizing some new converts, "which have received the Holy Ghost." Baptism in the New Testament is exclusively exercised with believers.
There are different baptisms in the Bible. For example, 1 Corinthians 10:2 reads, "And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." The Israelites were "baptized," but it does not refer to a believer's water baptism. John the Baptist also baptized people, but the baptism of John was for repentance, and was directed to Israel. When those disciples in Acts 19 told Paul that they were baptized of John, he corrected them saying that his baptism was not what was necessary, but rather that they should be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:5).
There is only one baptism of the Holy Spirit, as John the Baptist talked about about in John 1:33, "And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." This baptism of the Holy Ghost is the one baptism through which all believers go, when the Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). This does not refer to water baptism, but to the actual immersing of the believer into the body of Christ. (The word "baptize" is actually a transliteration from the Greek word "baptizo" which means to immerse.) When Jesus came to baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Matthew 3:11), He was categorizing all people into either the body of Christ, or those that would be lost and go to hell fire. The baptism of fire was not experienced on the day of Pentecost, but will be experienced when Christ immerses those who do not believe in Him, into the Lake of Fire. The Bible teaches that there is one baptism of the Spirit, occurring at the time of salvation, and not a second baptism of the Spirit at some later point in the believer's life.
Care must be taken when reading the Bible to not confuse baptism and water. As was seen, there are more baptisms than simply water, and also, any time water is spoken of, it does not need to mean water baptism. Some have taken John 3:5 to mean that unless a person is baptized in water, he can not be saved, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Their interpretation is that being born of water is being baptized. However, the very next verse shows that Jesus is contrasting the flesh with the Spirit and saying that unless you are born physically and spiritually, you will not be saved. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). To be born of water is compared with being born of the flesh, and it speaks of the physical water present at childbirth.
"I am crucified with Christ."
Doctrine 26 / 36: Baptism
There are different types of baptisms talked about in the Bible. Not every time that the word "baptism" is used does it refer to the water baptism of a Christian. The last command that Jesus gave to His disciples when He left the earth to be with the Father was to, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). Baptism, in the New Testament, is an association the believer makes with Christ, in His death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:4). The Christian was not literally hanging on a cross outside of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, nor was the Christian literally buried in a tomb, nor did he literally rise from the dead. However, baptism is the picture that the Christian performs to associate with those events.
An entire denomination of Christianity has been formed primarily based on a distinct view of baptism. While most of Christianity practices the baptism of infants of Christian families, the Baptists are one of the few denominations of Christianity that follow the example of baptism in the Bible, wherein only those that professed faith in Jesus Christ were baptized. The perfect picture of that is the Ethiopian eunuch of Acts 8. Once Philip expounded to him the truth of the Scripture, the eunuch asked Philip, "See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?" (Acts 8:36). The answer that Philip gave him shows that baptism is a practice for believers, and it is not for unbelievers or children that are too young to believe: "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest" (Acts 8:37). In Acts 10:47 there is another picture of this in that Peter asked why anyone should forbid baptizing some new converts, "which have received the Holy Ghost." Baptism in the New Testament is exclusively exercised with believers.
There are different baptisms in the Bible. For example, 1 Corinthians 10:2 reads, "And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." The Israelites were "baptized," but it does not refer to a believer's water baptism. John the Baptist also baptized people, but the baptism of John was for repentance, and was directed to Israel. When those disciples in Acts 19 told Paul that they were baptized of John, he corrected them saying that his baptism was not what was necessary, but rather that they should be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:5).
There is only one baptism of the Holy Spirit, as John the Baptist talked about about in John 1:33, "And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." This baptism of the Holy Ghost is the one baptism through which all believers go, when the Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). This does not refer to water baptism, but to the actual immersing of the believer into the body of Christ. (The word "baptize" is actually a transliteration from the Greek word "baptizo" which means to immerse.) When Jesus came to baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Matthew 3:11), He was categorizing all people into either the body of Christ, or those that would be lost and go to hell fire. The baptism of fire was not experienced on the day of Pentecost, but will be experienced when Christ immerses those who do not believe in Him, into the Lake of Fire. The Bible teaches that there is one baptism of the Spirit, occurring at the time of salvation, and not a second baptism of the Spirit at some later point in the believer's life.
Care must be taken when reading the Bible to not confuse baptism and water. As was seen, there are more baptisms than simply water, and also, any time water is spoken of, it does not need to mean water baptism. Some have taken John 3:5 to mean that unless a person is baptized in water, he can not be saved, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Their interpretation is that being born of water is being baptized. However, the very next verse shows that Jesus is contrasting the flesh with the Spirit and saying that unless you are born physically and spiritually, you will not be saved. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). To be born of water is compared with being born of the flesh, and it speaks of the physical water present at childbirth.
"I am crucified with Christ."
Monday, April 7, 2008
Thesis 25/36: Church
DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH
Doctrine 25 / 36: The Church
Ephesians 4 teaches that when Jesus ascended into heaven, from there He gave gifts unto His church (Ephesians 4:6-8). Some of the roles that were given by His gracious gifts were apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). These different gifts were given to the church, the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:4). The purpose for these roles is found in verses 12-15, where it says, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." Christ gave gifts to those in the church for the mutual edifying of itself, to grow each individual in the church into the image of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:15-16).
The church is considered the bride of Jesus Christ in Ephesians 5:23-33; the relationship is to be the same as a husband to the wife. Just as a husband is to be "one flesh" with his wife, so the bride of Christ, is in fact one body with Christ (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 6:15; Ephesians 1:22-23). The church as a whole is the body of Christ. The purpose then of the body of Christ, is the same purpose that Christ had when His body was present on earth. Christians are to be, "Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:10). The life of Jesus Christ Himself is to be lived through His body, the church. The purpose of the church then is, as was Jesus' purpose, "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Also, as was already suggested from Ephesians 4, the body of Christ is to mutually encourage itself to be sanctified and holy, without spot or wrinkle, like Christ (Ephesians 5:27; 1 Peter 1:19). The purpose of the church can be summed up by the Great Commission, to go, preach and teach or, to evangelize and disciple (Matthew 28:19-20).
There are some that understand the word "church" in the Bible to refer solely to the local assembly. While the Bible certainly does refer to the church as being the local assembly, at times it refers to the church as a whole, as the entire body of Christ. The fact that it refers to the local assemblies can be seen in the use of the word "churches" (Acts 16;5; 2 Corinthians 12:13; Revelation 1:4). But as has been already seen, the church is the body of Christ, and "by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free" (1 Corinthians 12:12). There is one body of Christ (Ephesians 4:4); He will not have many brides. Therefore the use of the word "church" at times is referring to the local church, but at times to the universal body of Christ. The entire body of Christ is to be unified, and share with each other, encouraging and exhorting each other.
"Upon this rock I will build my church."
Doctrine 25 / 36: The Church
Ephesians 4 teaches that when Jesus ascended into heaven, from there He gave gifts unto His church (Ephesians 4:6-8). Some of the roles that were given by His gracious gifts were apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). These different gifts were given to the church, the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:4). The purpose for these roles is found in verses 12-15, where it says, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." Christ gave gifts to those in the church for the mutual edifying of itself, to grow each individual in the church into the image of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:15-16).
The church is considered the bride of Jesus Christ in Ephesians 5:23-33; the relationship is to be the same as a husband to the wife. Just as a husband is to be "one flesh" with his wife, so the bride of Christ, is in fact one body with Christ (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 6:15; Ephesians 1:22-23). The church as a whole is the body of Christ. The purpose then of the body of Christ, is the same purpose that Christ had when His body was present on earth. Christians are to be, "Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:10). The life of Jesus Christ Himself is to be lived through His body, the church. The purpose of the church then is, as was Jesus' purpose, "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Also, as was already suggested from Ephesians 4, the body of Christ is to mutually encourage itself to be sanctified and holy, without spot or wrinkle, like Christ (Ephesians 5:27; 1 Peter 1:19). The purpose of the church can be summed up by the Great Commission, to go, preach and teach or, to evangelize and disciple (Matthew 28:19-20).
There are some that understand the word "church" in the Bible to refer solely to the local assembly. While the Bible certainly does refer to the church as being the local assembly, at times it refers to the church as a whole, as the entire body of Christ. The fact that it refers to the local assemblies can be seen in the use of the word "churches" (Acts 16;5; 2 Corinthians 12:13; Revelation 1:4). But as has been already seen, the church is the body of Christ, and "by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free" (1 Corinthians 12:12). There is one body of Christ (Ephesians 4:4); He will not have many brides. Therefore the use of the word "church" at times is referring to the local church, but at times to the universal body of Christ. The entire body of Christ is to be unified, and share with each other, encouraging and exhorting each other.
"Upon this rock I will build my church."
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Thesis 24/36: Rightly Dividing the Word
DOCTRINES OF SCRIPTURE:
Doctrine 24 / 36: Rightly Dividing the Word
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). The Christian is commanded to divide the word of truth rightly. This entails distributing the word of truth at the appropriate time and to the appropriate people, but it also entails appropriating the right passages of Scripture to the believer.
The Bible is God's book revealing His plan of redemption for the world. As Clarence Larkin writes, "The Holy Scriptures are not a systematic treatise on Theology, History, Science or any other topic. They are a REVELATION from God of His Plan and Purpose in the Ages as to the earth and the human race" (Larkin, 1). Since the Bible is not simply a book to systematically teach on some topic, it was not designed in a manner in which any portion of Scripture may be used to apply at any time. God's plan for the human race has been progressively revealed through time. For example, God told Adam that a seed would come (Genesis 3:15), yet Adam was unaware that the seed would be the Son of God. In the Old Testament, God revealed that a Messiah would come, and more and more details were given of Him. However, even when He did come, the Jews did not recognize Him for Who He was. In the New Testament, all of the sufferings of the Messiah and the Deity of the Messiah are able to be clearly understood. God has revealed His plan through time and progressively through the Scriptures.
As a part of God's overall plan for mankind, He established different covenants with different peoples. Each of these interactions with man came with different terms for each. These different economies, or dispensations, can be categorized into ten distinct ages: Innocence (Creation to Fall), Conscience (Fall to Noah), Human Government (Noah to Abraham), Promise (Abraham to Exodus), Law (Exodus to Crucifixion), Apostolic (Crucifixion to Paul), Church (Paul to Rapture), Tribulation (Rapture to Second Coming), Millennium (Second Coming to End of Millennium), Eternity Future. During each of these ages, God had, has, or will have different things for His people to do in order to demonstrate their faith. The fact of the matter is that all salvation given by God since the Fall has been given because of God's grace, given to those of faith, and that faith is a faith that is manifested with works. However, the works which believers did during the age of Promise were different works than those done during the age of Law. Abraham was told to offer his son Isaac to demonstrate his faith. In the law, they were to offer animal sacrifices as a demonstration of their faith. The animal sacrifices themselves were unable to save them, but rather God did not impute sin to those that had faith (Romans 4). In the Church Age, the animal sacrifices were done away with Christ.
However, even though God dealt with different people differently, that does not mean that what He said to people in different ages, and how He dealt with people in different ages, is not important for the Christian. "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning..." (Romans 15:4), and "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16). All Scripture is advantageous for the church. All Scripture was written for the profit of the church, yet all Scripture is not written to the church.
Some care must be given when looking at certain portions of Scripture to know to whom it is written. Some would take books in the New Testament, written during the church age, and suggest that the doctrine contained in the book does not apply to the church. For example, the book of Hebrews is written to the Jews as the title of the book suggests. However, the book was written during the church age, and not during the Old Testament. However, the doctrine of Hebrews is not to be thrown out because it was written to the Jews, but care must be given to how to understand what was written. As Clarence Larkin writes, "In the Epistle to the Hebrews many Christians stumble at the words, 'sin wilfully,' 'fall away' (Heb. 6:4-6), and 'if we sin wilfully,' Heb. 10:26. But these words do not apply to Christians. They were spoken to apostate Jewish professors of Christianity who had never been born again, and who, if they did not accept Jesus as their Messiah, practically crucified Him again, and were as bad as their brethren who did crucify Him" (Larkin, 3). In this example, it is properly recognized that the recipients of the letter was a particular culture, the Hebrews, yet the teaching of the passage is doctrine during the church. Knowing to whom it was written helps understand what preconceived biases the recipients held. It was not written to the believing church, but the believing church can and learn from it.
"That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace."
Works Cited:
Larkin, Clarence. Rightly Dividing the Word. Philadephia: Erwin W. Moyer Co., Printers, 1943
Doctrine 24 / 36: Rightly Dividing the Word
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). The Christian is commanded to divide the word of truth rightly. This entails distributing the word of truth at the appropriate time and to the appropriate people, but it also entails appropriating the right passages of Scripture to the believer.
The Bible is God's book revealing His plan of redemption for the world. As Clarence Larkin writes, "The Holy Scriptures are not a systematic treatise on Theology, History, Science or any other topic. They are a REVELATION from God of His Plan and Purpose in the Ages as to the earth and the human race" (Larkin, 1). Since the Bible is not simply a book to systematically teach on some topic, it was not designed in a manner in which any portion of Scripture may be used to apply at any time. God's plan for the human race has been progressively revealed through time. For example, God told Adam that a seed would come (Genesis 3:15), yet Adam was unaware that the seed would be the Son of God. In the Old Testament, God revealed that a Messiah would come, and more and more details were given of Him. However, even when He did come, the Jews did not recognize Him for Who He was. In the New Testament, all of the sufferings of the Messiah and the Deity of the Messiah are able to be clearly understood. God has revealed His plan through time and progressively through the Scriptures.
As a part of God's overall plan for mankind, He established different covenants with different peoples. Each of these interactions with man came with different terms for each. These different economies, or dispensations, can be categorized into ten distinct ages: Innocence (Creation to Fall), Conscience (Fall to Noah), Human Government (Noah to Abraham), Promise (Abraham to Exodus), Law (Exodus to Crucifixion), Apostolic (Crucifixion to Paul), Church (Paul to Rapture), Tribulation (Rapture to Second Coming), Millennium (Second Coming to End of Millennium), Eternity Future. During each of these ages, God had, has, or will have different things for His people to do in order to demonstrate their faith. The fact of the matter is that all salvation given by God since the Fall has been given because of God's grace, given to those of faith, and that faith is a faith that is manifested with works. However, the works which believers did during the age of Promise were different works than those done during the age of Law. Abraham was told to offer his son Isaac to demonstrate his faith. In the law, they were to offer animal sacrifices as a demonstration of their faith. The animal sacrifices themselves were unable to save them, but rather God did not impute sin to those that had faith (Romans 4). In the Church Age, the animal sacrifices were done away with Christ.
However, even though God dealt with different people differently, that does not mean that what He said to people in different ages, and how He dealt with people in different ages, is not important for the Christian. "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning..." (Romans 15:4), and "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16). All Scripture is advantageous for the church. All Scripture was written for the profit of the church, yet all Scripture is not written to the church.
Some care must be given when looking at certain portions of Scripture to know to whom it is written. Some would take books in the New Testament, written during the church age, and suggest that the doctrine contained in the book does not apply to the church. For example, the book of Hebrews is written to the Jews as the title of the book suggests. However, the book was written during the church age, and not during the Old Testament. However, the doctrine of Hebrews is not to be thrown out because it was written to the Jews, but care must be given to how to understand what was written. As Clarence Larkin writes, "In the Epistle to the Hebrews many Christians stumble at the words, 'sin wilfully,' 'fall away' (Heb. 6:4-6), and 'if we sin wilfully,' Heb. 10:26. But these words do not apply to Christians. They were spoken to apostate Jewish professors of Christianity who had never been born again, and who, if they did not accept Jesus as their Messiah, practically crucified Him again, and were as bad as their brethren who did crucify Him" (Larkin, 3). In this example, it is properly recognized that the recipients of the letter was a particular culture, the Hebrews, yet the teaching of the passage is doctrine during the church. Knowing to whom it was written helps understand what preconceived biases the recipients held. It was not written to the believing church, but the believing church can and learn from it.
"That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace."
Works Cited:
Larkin, Clarence. Rightly Dividing the Word. Philadephia: Erwin W. Moyer Co., Printers, 1943
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