Welcome back to my blog and thank you for visiting. We have been discussing the Christian walk in the past several blogs. Today we begin a section on the Christian church.
At salvation the Holy Spirit places each of us into the church of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). This is a great promise and is a part of the results of our belief in salvation by faith alone in Christ. God manages His people in this current age through the church. Today let us discuss what the church is and what it does.
Definition of the church
The word church comes from the Greek word ekklesia (ἐκκλησία) which means generally in secular Greek “an assembly, usually political” (2). The word ‘church’ is used specifically by the writers of the New Testament epistles (letters from the apostles) to signify body of all believers under the headship of Christ. Also, the word is used twice in Matthew 16 and 18. Here it does not necessarily mean the New Testament church since the concept had not yet clearly been introduced. The scriptures appear to allow two basic forms of the church.
The Church Universal
The form of the church into which we are placed by the Spirit can be called, in theological terms, the church universal. This form of the church roughly can be described as the following:
· It is the union of all believers worldwide who form the complete body of Christ (Ephesians 2:20-22).
· Its head is Christ who sits at the right hand of God the Father and currently leads His church (Colossians 1:17-18; Hebrews 8:1; Ephesians 1:20-23).
· Scripture does not indicate that our membership can be revoked from the church universal.
· To some, the concept of the universal church is controversial. For example, some churches may not accept the concept of a ‘universal church’ and recognize only the local church.
The Church Local
This form of the church might be defined as the physical manifestation of the church universal within a limited geographic area.
· Many examples of the local church are evident in the epistles and so appears acceptable to God. The local church In the New Testament epistles could be described as a gathering of believers to carry out the functions of the church (Acts 2:42,47). The form of the church present in the epistles is not mandated and was practical for that time and culture.
o In our current age, the church might be virtual (online) as well. Further, para-church organizations (e.g. independent missions or college ministries) function within the church universal and also perform functions similar to the local church. Scripture gives broad definition to how churches are organized which allows great flexibility to serve Christ in various times and cultures.
· Christians are members of one another within the church. Accordingly, we each have different roles within the church to complete the functions of the full body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13-27; Romans 12:4-5).
o However, our different functions in the church should not limit our individual spiritual growth (please see Christian walk section of the Resource Center) as we are each instructed to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:16).
Beginning of the church
When the church begins in the Bible is controversial as some believe it is present mysteriously in the Old Testament (3). The church most clearly is described as beginning in Acts Chapter 2. Regardless of when someone believes it began, the church first functions in Acts 2, when:
· Christ ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9; Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19).
· He sat down at the right hand of God the Father to become the head of the church (Hebrews 8:1; Ephesians 1:20).
· The Holy Spirit descended and filled believers (Acts 2:4; John 14:15).
We have no information that the church existed in the Old Testament or in the Gospel times.
Church Function
The fundamental work of the church is to serve under its head Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:18). In performing this service, church activities traditionally can be divided generally into two general types, those that promote maturity of the believer and the sacraments.
Maturing the believer
These are activities that promote the believer’s growth in Christ is a vital role of the church. Exactly what these activities are, like almost everything in the church, can be controversial. I use a 5-step approach to describe maturing our relationship with God which helps us access additional benefits to our wellbeing. I call this method the ‘5 tools to maturity’ and they are taken from Acts 2:42 and 47. They are as follows:
o Prayer
o Praise
o Fellowship
o Biblical teaching
o Outreach to others with Bible truth and mercies.
These five tools describe the activities in the very first church in Jerusalem and provide a model to us today for what actions individuals and the church should perform routinely. Importantly, these five activities are confirmed in later verses in the epistles (Ephesians 6:18; Romans 15:11; 1 John 1:3; Colossians 3:16; Romans 10:14-17).
The sacraments
These are classic activities of the church, but a detailed discussion is beyond the scope of today’s blog. Sacraments are the rites of the church and they generally provide a benefit to the believer or are an opportunity for the Christian to show their devotion to God. This topic is quite controversial regarding which sacraments should be performed by the church, and the manner as well as the frequency in which they are done.
However, there are few specific instructions in the epistles regarding the sacrament. The best described is the Lord’s supper when Paul admonished the Christians in 1 Corinthians 11 how this sacrament should be performed. The assumption is that it was a part of the church service. In the gospels, Christ commanded that we remember him through the Lord’s supper but did not specify that it would be performed necessarily in the church worship service.
Water baptism is also often considered a sacrament of the church but again the method and the necessity of its practice is quite controversial and not specified in the epistles, (as opposed to Spirit baptism).
We will discuss baptism and communion in more detail over the next few blogs. Thanks for joining me today and please come back next time as we continue discuss the structure of the church. Join us again next time and share this important blog with your friends and family!
William C. Stewart, MD
Email - info@teleiosresearch.com
Website - http://teleiosresearch.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos/
Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.
No comments:
Post a Comment