The Church: The Body of Christ

 

The following article was found here.  

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by John H. Gerstner

What, then, is the church of Christ? Although the previous definition is unsatisfactory, the addition of two words will make it quite satisfactory. Thus, the church consists of all who sincerely profess faith in Christ, who are normally subordinate to His officers, and who associate with those of like profession. This definition requires that the person’s profession correspond to his state of heart. Since no officer can tell whether this is so, God alone knows whether the person is sincere, and is therefore truly a church member. For that reason the true church is called “invisible.” This does not mean that true Christians are invisible, but that their “trueness” or genuineness is invisible to man.

For example, the true faith of the eleven apostles was no more visible than the false faith of Judas was (until the betrayal and suicide following Christ’s rejection of him revealed it). So long as a person makes a sound profession and does not belie it by gross sin, we “presume” that he has true faith. The Puritans used to say that we must exercise a “judgment of charity.” The one thing we must avoid is making a judgment of certainty.

Furthermore, I said that the church consists of all who sincerely profess faith in Christ, are normally subordinate to His officers, and are in fellowship with those who make a like profession. Normally, sincere believers in Christ will join the “visible” church because Christ wills it. He Himself attended the synagogue or church of His own day. The New Testament enjoins the assembling of ourselves together. Christ gave gifts to the church after His ascension, according to Ephesians 4, and these were ministers to build up the church.

Such statements indicate that the establishment of the visible church was His will, although He forbade any to join except those who deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. Hypocrites may, nonetheless, profess to do these things and be admitted; but that is no excuse for sincere persons not making the same profession. Christ also commanded His apostles to baptize in His name, thus receiving professing believers by a visible act into a visible organization. So converts to Christ, desiring to do the will of Christ, will receive baptism and join the local church. At least this is normally what they will do.

Is it conceivable that they will not do this? It is not conceivable that they will permanently delay uniting with the church if they realize that it is the will of Christ that they do join; but it is conceivable too that they may be wrongly instructed in their duty. Hearing that they should believe and be saved, they may wrongly conclude that merely exercising and expressing faith is sufficient without joining any organization. They may not realize that belief in Christ means belief to all His commands, including the one to join the church. This is not likely, of course, and a Christian person should not long remain in such a condition. But since it is a possibility, at least in rare cases, and for short intervals, we must agree with Augustine that there may be lambs outside the fold, just as there are wolves inside it.

What complicates the matter is that the Bible sometimes uses the word “church” in the sense of the visible church, and sometimes in the sense of the invisible church. For example, Stephen, in his sermon before the Sanhedrin, referred to all Israel in the wilderness as “the church.” Acts 7:38: “This is he that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received the lively oracles to give unto us.” Now we know that not only were there some hypocrites in that body called “the church,” but almost all of the members were such. That was the generation of which God swore in His wrath that they should not enter into His rest (Psalm 95:11). Only the younger generation was spared; but the rest perished in the wilderness, a symbol of eternal perishing. Yet they were called “the church.”

In the apostolic church itself there were those who were not true believers, as indicated by the Apostle John in 1 John 2:19: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”

On the other hand, the true church is mentioned too. Christ said, “I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The powers of hell not only stand against the visible church, but they often make conquests of it. It is only the invisiblechurch of which Christ’s description is true. Another instance is Ephesians 1:22-23: “And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.” Surely nothing false or evil could be part of the body of Christ, in whom God was well pleased. In spite of this double usage of the word “church,” in and out of the Bible, we must remember that the true church, the saved church, the church in vital union with Christ, is the invisible church.

In addition to the description already given of the true, invisible church, we find other characteristics mentioned in Scripture. The invisible church is:

• Infallible: It knows its Masters voice and will not follow a stranger (John 10:5).
• Indestructible: Nothing shall separate it from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39). And no one shall take it out of His hand (John 10:28).
• Indivisible: “That they may be one as we are one” (John 17:11). And “I am the vine, ye are the branches” (John 15:5).
• Invincible: “The gates [the defensive weapons] of hell shall not prevail [or stand] against it” (Matthew 16:18). And “the meek shall inherit the earth” (Psalm 37:11).
• Universal: “Out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9). “The field is the world” (Matthew 13:38). And “God so loved the world” (John 3:16).

Putting this together, we would have a definition of the church of Jesus Christ as this: The church is the invisible, infallible, indestructible, indivisible, invincible, and universal body consisting of all those who truly believe in and adhere to their Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. In the vast majority of cases, they are members of the invisible church.

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Thoughts?

Interesting Church Sign

I came across this picture of a church in Louisiana, and I really liked the way that they refer to their assembly on this sign.  ”A church of Christ”.  There’s a big difference in that, and in the way that others call themselves the “Bobville church of Christ”.  The use of the article gives an impression that is correct in what they are trying to communicate.

Psalm 36

I read Psalm 36 as a part of my daily Scripture reading today.  What a great Psalm!  I wanted to share it with the readers of the blog as an encouragement for those who love Him.

Psalm 36

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
      your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
      your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
   All humanity finds shelter
      in the shadow of your wings.
You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
      letting them drink from your river of delights.
For you are the fountain of life,
      the light by which we see.

Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;
      give justice to those with honest hearts.
Don’t let the proud trample me
      or the wicked push me around.
Look! Those who do evil have fallen!
      They are thrown down, never to rise again.

Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.
      They have no fear of God at all.
In their blind conceit,
      they cannot see how wicked they really are.
Everything they say is crooked and deceitful.
      They refuse to act wisely or do good.
They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.
      Their actions are never good.
      They make no attempt to turn from evil.

The Love of Christ Shines Through

A couple of months ago, we reported here that Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman’s young adopted daughter had been killed in a tragic accident in Chapman’s driveway.  

Today, I was browsing the internet and came across a story that told about Chapman starting to perform again.  I’d invite you to read this story:

“After the Storm”

Jesus and the Gospel of Grace just shines through the life and ministry of Steven Curtis Chapman, wouldn’t you agree?

Unity in Diversity

“I urge you to…be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”  (Ephesians 4:1-3)

Churches of Christ have opposed written religious creeds or rules on the grounds that they alienate followers of Christ from one another.  How can two bodies, each with a written set of rules that differ, ever meet?  Consequently, we have encouraged each person to study the Scripture for himself.  A search for truth is an open-ended process.  As one probes the depths of God’s Word, we must be free to explore new possibilities, free to outgrow old misconceptions.  But, it is inevitable that academic freedom will lead to diversity of views…no two people are at the same point in their intellectual journey at the same time.

As we live together in one body we are challenged to be of one mind and spirit, but, we have all brought our baggage.  Being pre-conditioned by our past experiences, we have individual concepts.  So, a good bit of energy is required to keep all pulling together…nothing pleases everybody…anything will make someone unhappy.  Can there be unity in such diversity? 

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Read the rest of this excellent article from the North Stafford Church of Christ here…

Maybe They Should Try Satire…

Need a chuckle?

I was reminded today about a couple of online sites that are just as critical of the church as our friends on WSGR, but for a different reason, and they use humor to get their message across.  If you need a good chuckle, check these out.

The Wittenburg Door – the classic satirical magazine.  Probably harder on Benny Hinn than Johnny Robertson.  Note the caution on the right hand side that reads, “Caution:  The Wittenburg Door is not right for everyone, including those who may be pregnant with religiosity or may be thinking of becoming righteous.”  They mean it.

The Lark – The new satirical kid on the block, but they can be pretty funny.  Not offensive.

On both of these, think if Christians ran The Onion.

An Open Letter to Johnny Robertson, Chris Knight, and Charles Roark

On “What Does the Bible Say?”, JR is talking about Chris Knight.
At “The Knight Shift”, Chris Knight is talking about JR.
Here, they are both talking about each other.

Chris and JR:

I acknowledge that this blog has played a part in the inflaming of your differences, and I apologize for that. As I’ve said, I have no personal stake, financial or otherwise, in this blog gaining readers. I admit that I have been wrong for letting this be a place where that flame has been fueled – although I’m not sure exactly how I could have stopped it.

Chris and JR, both of you men consider yourselves to be Christ-followers, even if one may not consider the other to be. Please prayerfully consider your actions and words. And remember what Paul encourages those who follow Christ…

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…” Colossians 3:15

Incidentally, the interesting thing in all of this is Charles Roark. Knowing both men, he was in a position, sitting directly in the middle of Chris and JR, to mediate things. Instead, he chose to inflame things, apparently for the sake of attempting to gain more viewers to his TV station. That’s not surprising, but it is disappointing.

Charles, if you read this blog (and I don’t know if he does), it’s not too late for you to be an agent of healing and reconciliation rather than division.

Saul Becomes Paul

 

Saul on the Road to Damascus

“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.  And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’  So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ 

“And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.  So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’  And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. 

 

It’s Back… Musical Instruments in Worship

I remember my first visit to a no musical instruments in worship church of Christ several years ago.  I was new to a certain city, and was visiting churches, looking for a church home.  This particular church of Christ looked nice enough.  On Sunday mornings there seemed to be plenty of cars in the parking lot.  So I decided to pay them a call.  

My first impressions were very favorable.  The sanctuary was air conditioned and brightly lit, the people were very open, warm, and welcoming, and I enjoyed participating in the singing during worship.  

But the service was just so… quiet.  I found myself to be terribly distracted by the silence during key moments of worship – Lord’s Supper, during the collection of offerings, etc.  

It’s not that I was used to a lot of noise, but instrumental music has always been a part of the worship experience for me, and so (for example), when the men collected the offerings and there was nothing but silence, it was very strange to me.  I realized that music (be it organ, piano, guitar) helped me with focusing my thoughts on God during times like the giving of offerings or the Lord’s Supper.  

It was the last time I’d visit an assembly with the name, “church of Christ” on sign outside for quite some time.

It’s not that I had any thoughts whatsoever that the people in that church were doing anything wrong by worshipping without instruments.  As Romans 14 admonishes us, if it is what God has led them to do, then I had no problem with it.  But I didn’t find their arguments against using instruments in worship (the “Law of Silence”) to be particularly compelling, it was not my conviction, and frankly, not my cup of tea.

But, since starting to watch our three local TV hyperconservatives, and subsequently starting this blog, I’ve been introduced to people who apparently think Romans 14 was written for other people.  They feel this incessant need (insecurity?) to condemn those who use instruments as part of worship.  And then they seem to be surprised when people respond strongly back.  

Here is an article I found recently about this issue, with my comments in red:

By Eusebio Tanicala

A Baptist author directs his diatribe against Churches of Christ preachers who believe that it is wrong to have instrumental music in Christian congregational worship. He calls our position as “Instrumental Insanity.”

It would be nice to have some context for this comment.  What exactly did this Baptist author write that qualified it as a “diatribe”?  Is the “insanity” he mentions connected to the fact that people don’t use instruments or that many condemn everyone else who does?

Many instrumental music practioners in congregational worship argue that the term “sing” in its modern meaning automatically calls for an instrumental accompaniment or at least the instrumental accompaniment is not prohibited. It is argued that “where there’s no expressed prohibition a thing or action is allowed.”

This is an incomplete argument.  It’s not just that “instrumental accompaniment is not prohibited” – but it is authorized in the Old Testament, and that authorization is never removed.  Never.  So, musical instruments were a part of past worship.

Not only that, but it’s bookended.  Musical instruments will be a part of future worship.  Thanks to the Apostle John for giving us Revelations 5:8,9; 14:2,3; 15:20 and 18:22.  

These Biblical truths negate Mr. Tanicala’s following argument, but let’s take a look.  Let me preface it by saying that this argument to come is what the hyperconservatives ALWAYS fall back on – that somehow allowing musical instruments in worship will lead to jell-o wrestling during prayer and hamburgers and french fries as a part of the Lord’s Supper, which is simply ridiculous.

The above axiom is a dangerous guide in interpreting the Bible. It opens the gate to virtually any kind of faith and practice in the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. I suggest that we confront this axiom with this illustration.

Step number one: Let’s tell the mechanical instrument user: “Let’s follow your line of argument. You appeal that the modern meaning of ’sing’ calls for an instrumental accompaniment and anything that’s not expressly prohibited is allowed. Since instrumental accompaniment is not expressly prohibited, there’s freedom to use it.”

Step number two: “Churches believe in celebrating the Lord’s Supper. The modern meaning of ‘Supper’ in the Philippines includes serving a plate of rice for each individual, and participants in the Pinoy supper may be served chicken tinola soup, lechon kawali, chopsuey, sinigang na bangus, a glass of water, and softdrinks. These are not expressly prohibited in the New Testament, do you grant freedom to some who believe that the Lord’s Supper may include these food items? May I know your categorical answer please. #

Article found here.

All of this stems from the church of Christ hermeneutical creed, CENI (which stands for Command, Example, Necessary Inference).  The idea that if you don’t have a specific command for something, you mustn’t do it.   You can read more about CENI here.

Friends, if you assemble with a church of Christ that doesn’t use instruments in worship, then I support you fully.  If God has laid that conviction on you and your congregation to worship with just the voice, then go for it.  I love a cappella music, and used to be a part of a choir that sang largely in a capella style.  

But, understand this.  You cannot find any Scriptural justification for judging your brothers and sisters in Christ who choose to worship with instruments.  None.  You can bring up Nadab and Abihu, but it is not a correct understanding of what happened to those two men, nor is it a correct understanding of what most churches who use instruments do.   See this article to understand what I mean better.

What you are doing is in direct violation of Romans 14.  And I realize that a post like mine comes dangerously close to violating Romans 14 as well, but I am not trying to convince you to use instruments or to violate your conscience.  Rather, I am trying to get you to see that you have no grounds to stand in condemnation of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

I leave you with a passage that is becoming one of my favorites.  I’ve posted it before, and I’ll post it again.  

Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.  One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.  The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.  Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand….

For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.  You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.  It is written: 

‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, 
‘every knee will bow before me; 
every tongue will confess to God.’ “  

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Romans 14:1-4; 9-12 

For more good discussion on this subject, visit this website.

World Convention

note:  I’ve still not worked out how Katherine can post her own material, so she sent me the following post which I am putting up for her.  This is Katherine’s material.  - Mr. Answer

As I write this, there are thousands of men and women from over 170 countries who have gathered at the World Convention in Nashville, TN.  Every four years since 1930, those who have a history in the Restoration Movement-which includes the Christian churches, Disciples of Christ, and churches of Christ gather together for this event in different venues.  This is the first time in 16 years that it is being held in the United States.  

I had never heard about this until a few months ago, but as someone who has a vested interest in this movement and heritage, this is VERY encouraging.  I would encourage you to go to their site and read more about the convention, our history, and efforts to unify around the common bond of Jesus Christ.

They describe this gathering as “a time of worship, fellowship, and sharing; but more importantly a time of expressing our UNITY IN DIVERSITY.  There is recognition and appreciation of each others traditions and practices, while at the same time affirming our unity in Jesus Christ and our common heritage in a unity movement which began over 200 years ago”.

They claim that “For over 75 years we have been working to build fellowship, understanding, common purpose and effectiveness within the family of churches known as Christian, churches of Christ, and the Disciples of Christ”.

Lorraine and Lyndsey Jacobs, the former General Secretaries of the World Convention have written a great article entitled “Are We There Yet?”

They claim “Now is an appropriate time to be looking ahead.  As the world moved into the twenty-first century, our global family moves into its third century.  This is our bicentennial era of the Stone and Campbell movements.  And it is also clear that we are ‘not there yet’.  That also makes it ‘map and compass’ time.

You probably know the saying that ‘those who without goals are bound to achieve them’.  Unless we shape our third century (seeking God’s presence and leading under the Lordship of Christ), our third century will most certainly shape us.

The pioneers in our movement were deeply concerned that the church of their time was not effective in proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ.  They saw division of the church, which had broken down even further in many cases into bitter sectarianism, as one of the major obstacles to the church’s witness.  A divided church could not, without hypocrisy, preach the gospel of reconciliation.

How could unity, they wondered-the unity which Christ prayer for ‘that the world might believe’-be achieved?

The question led to their vision of a church united by restoring ‘the ancient order of things’-returning to the New Testament to discover what the church was to be like. Surely, they felt, that would be a sound basis for all Christians to find their unity in Christ.

Unity became their polar star.  Unity was to be an end in itself but unity would guide the church to becoming the serving, witnessing, universal church of Jesus Christ.

In this transformed Christian community (which they at first hoped to achieve from within existing denominations), there would be ‘unity in essentials, liberty in nonessentials and love in all things’.”

There are many churches that have gone back into the bitter sectarianism way and have gone FAR away from the original goals of our movement-of unity and love, of being “Christians only, but not the only Christians”.  They have missed the point of Jesus’ prayer and have decided to separate themselves from anyone that may differ with them.  Some do it unknowingly and some do it willingly.  Many claim no ties to our history whatsoever-which I believe is only to their detriment.  This is especially true for those that claim we are the “one true church” because it would ruin that premise.  We can learn a lot from history-the good, the bad, and the ugly-and move forward from here.  To ignore it is useless-it will still be there.  I love that these people who participate in the World Convention are embracing and learning from history-not letting it shape them-but are coming together to search for ways to unify HERE and NOW amidst our differences, in order to further the kingdom of God.

So, where do we go from here? That will be addressed in the next post…for now, what are your thoughts?