THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH.
The Church is the assembled congregation - called together to receive the law of God. Deut ch 4 v 10. It was the day of assembly when God gave His law. Deut ch 9 v 10 and ch 10 v 4. It was God's own possession from among the peoples. The promise of the Gospel was announced to them. The Greek word for the Church is "Ecclesia." Jesus said that He would build His church and the gates of Hell would not prevail against it. Any meeting is covered by the word assembly. Act ch 19 v 39. The word covers an individual congregation of believers, a congregation assembled for worship or the people of God viewed as a whole.
J. I. Packer says: "The Church is a divinely created fellowship of sinners, who trust a common Saviour and are one with each other, because they are one with Him in a union realised by the Holy Spirit."
Biblical imagery. Christ is central in all images.
1. The body of Christ. Head-ship. Eph ch 4 v 15-16. Jesus knits the body together in love. Eph
ch 1 v 22. He is supreme. Col ch 1 v 18. All are subject to the one head.
2. Representation. Christ is the representative of those who belong to Him.
3. Unity. All are baptised in one Spirit and in one body in love. 1 Cor ch 1 v 13. Eph ch 4 v 16.
4. Diversity. There is a mutual need for one another but still there is diversity and variety. 1 Cor
ch 12 v 1-13.
5. Individuality. Each believer has his own role to play and his own gift to use. Each is important.
1 Cor ch 6 v 15. There is a vertical and a horizontal dimension.
6. Life. Eph ch 4. All life comes from Christ.
7. The Temple. The cornerstone. John ch 2 v 19. John ch 1 v 14.
8. Marriage. The Church is Christ's exclusive possession. 2 Cor ch 11 v 2. Christ gave Himself
for the Church. Eph ch 5 v 25. The holiness of the Church is implied by the marriage image.
9. Christ is the source of the strength of the Church. John ch 15 v 1-10.
The whole World is His but the body image only applies to the members of the Church. Secular theology is taught at the World Council of Churches. The presence of God is not incarnate in the Church but His presence is in the members. The Church must not be deified. It is not an extension of His incarnation. The body is only figurative, as is the wine.
Fellowship. Koinonia. It includes all who have a share in the grace of God and a share in the Spirit. Phil ch 2 v 1. It is a common possession of the Spirit. 2 Cor ch 13 v 4. The gathering together for worship is a work of the Spirit. There is one body and one Spirit.
The word "Church" is used in 4 different ways.
(a) A particular place i.e. the Church at Jerusalem. This may cover a number of congregations in the one town.
(b) The wider reference i.e. the Church throughout Samaria. Acts ch 9 v 31. This covers all believers in a particular region.
(c) The New Testament imagery of a single community embracing the whole body of believers on Earth. Eph ch 4 v 4. The Apostles were for all believers. Eph ch 3 v 10 is about the purposes of the Church throughout the Earth. "You" plural are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor ch 3 v 17. The bride of Christ includes all believers. Eph ch 5. The one flock. Jn ch 10 v 16. One vine. Jn ch 15. There is a danger of stressing the whole body and letting the individual feel too small to be significant. Yet it is good to feel part of a vast number of believers. It is essential to keep the balance right.
(d) The Church transcendent. Occasionally reference is made to the Church throughout all the ages. Mat ch 16 v 18. Eph ch 5 v 27. Heb ch 12 v 23. Only God sees the communion with other believers.
The purposes of the Church.
1. To worship. To give God His worth.
2. To keep God's word. Teaching and learning.
3. To honour and raise the name of Jesus.
4. To love one another in fellowship.
5. To pray against Satan and for God's Kingdom.
6. To witness - mission.
7. To make disciples.
8. To care for others.
9. To build up the body.
10. To do the things Jesus did.
11. To be a light to the nations and fight for the truth.
The Church and the Kingdom.
The Kingdom means the kingly exercise of power and rule. It does not denote the sphere or realm over which the rule is exercised. The Kingship of Christ began on Earth:
(a) His Kingly status was emphasised by the shepherds and men from the East.
(b) His royal nature was seen in the last days on Earth in His authority.
(c) His teaching ministry. He taught that the Kingdom of God was amongst them.
(d) His Kingly rule continues in Heaven. It is comprehensive and embraces all of creation. It is made manifest in the Church. To become a Christian is to pass into the Kingly rule of Jesus. The Church should rule in the power of the Holy Spirit and through the officers of the Church. The original intention of vestments was to display the Kingly rule of Christ.
The Church is not the same thing as the Kingdom. The Church is subject to the Kingly rule. The parable about the Kingdom is not a parable about the Church. The disciples preached the Kingdom and not the Church. The Kingdom is sought, given, possessed, received and preached. These words do not apply to the Church. The Church is merely one special sphere where Christ's rule is exercised. Believers are a body of people loyal to Christ as King and following His exercise of humble service. Hence we inherit the role of Heavenly rule with Him. The Church is a willing servant of God's purposes through whom the World is to be reached.
THE SACRAMENTS.
Its origin is in the Greek word for Mystery. They are ordinances or rites, which presented the mystery of Christ's redemptive work in material signs or symbols. There are two main views on the sacraments:
(a) The Protestant view is that they are outward signs of invisible grace, which do not contain any power in themselves, but strengthen faith in association with God's word. They are only signs of what the believer possesses. Grace is not conveyed.
(b) The Roman Catholic view is that they are visible forms of invisible grace, which contain the grace that they convey and which are the principal means of man’s sanctification. They are themselves a form of grace e.g. the wafer on the recipient's tongue gives grace to the person i.e. the wafer contains grace. There is a whole range of sacraments to cover every stage of life. It is not actually said that the saving cannot take place without the sacraments but this is implied in the urgency to give the sacraments.
Essential elements relating to the sacraments.
1. The sacrament is incomplete without the Word.
2. They must truly represent some spiritual reality or inward grace by means of a material element.
3. They must also represent somehow the redemptive work of Christ.
4. They must be an ordinance instituted by Christ Himself.
5. They must strengthen faith in some way.
6. They must be applicable to all believers in all times.
The Word and the Sacraments. They have no power without the Word.
(a) Baptism is mentioned in connection with preaching and faith. Mat ch 28 v 19-20.
Teaching, preaching and baptism.
(b) The Lord's supper must be taken under the discipline of Christ's word and taken worthily. 1 Cor ch 1
11 v 23-30. Otherwise there is no spiritual value.
(c) Faith is inspired by the Word of God and by nothing else. Rom ch 10 v 17. Faith comes by hearing.
Rom ch 15 v 4. The Word is the primary means and the sacraments are ancillary - just the visible
signs.
(d) If the sacraments are visible signs of invisible grace, they presuppose the grace which they
symbolise. Salvation and new life must come first. The word is therefore primary.
(e) The primacy of the Word of God is shown by the fact that the sacrament must be received in faith and
understanding of them i.e. by the Word of God. It is not to be done blindly but by understanding.
The Roman Catholics add 5 more:
1. Confirmation.
2. Orders or ordination.
3. Marriage.
4. Penance.
5. Extreme unction or the last rites.
These relate to the major stages of life. None was instituted by the Lord but have been brought into the Church. They say that the sacraments convey grace because they are administered by the Church. Mere performance creates effectiveness unless the recipient deliberately places an obstacle in the way.
The Lord's Supper. R. C. view. The Mass is a true, proper and propitiatory sacrifice offered to God on behalf of the living and the dead. It is offered by the priest as the representative of the people. It is the same sacrifice as Calvary offered in a different way and it turns away God's wrath. It obtains the grace of penance and secures freedom from the consequences of sin. It makes real to man now Christ's redemptive act. But the apostles did not represent Christ as a sacrifice.
Transubstansiation. The substances are wholly changed into the body and blood of Christ. The change takes place without affecting the appearance of the elements. "This is my body" is taken literally. But when Jesus said it He was standing in His body. The eating and drinking were purely imagery and illustration and not to be taken literally. Man is to believe in Him to receive eternal life. John ch 15 did not envisage a real vine or a literal door. So it is not literal flesh and blood.
What does happen?
1. The disciples actually received from Jesus, who dispensed the elements.
2. He is there to bless when we are gathered in his name. It is a promise to act upon.
3. It is a rite of the new covenant. God pledges that He will bless.
4. Paul expected the communion to be for the betterment of the Corinthians. 1 Cor ch 11 v 17.
5. Any proclamation of Christ's death brings blessing.
It is deeper than a Remembrance Day service. There is an actual blessing. The single cup represents unity and this is best represented by the breaking of bread, which is symbolic of sharing. Drinking and eating symbolise reception. Handing out symbolises giving. The blessing is not automatic. Much depends on the attitude of the person attending. If man expects nothing, he receives nothing. Nothing in the Bible suggests that it should be dispensed by a minister. The Passover was a ritual meal and not an ordinary meal. The Corinthian letter was attacking disrespect for the Lord, as it was His supper.
BAPTISM.
It was instituted by the Lord Jesus. John ch 4 v 1.
In the New Testament narratives baptism is administered to adults who profess faith in Christ (apart from households like Cornelius.) There is no explicit reference to infant baptism in the New Testament. The historical evidence. The Didache, which was an early handbook of Christian institution gave guidance for baptism and referred to adult baptism only. The first to refer to infant baptism was Tertullien in A. D. 206 approx. Tertullien wrote against it, so it must have been practised then. This tends to support adult baptism.
BAPTISTS. Baptism confirms a prior repentance and faith. At least it is a confession of faith. It cannot precede faith. It is closely related to the work of the Holy Spirit and regeneration. Therefore it can only be for responsible adults. It is a means of grace whereby the believer is brought closer to Christ. Paedobaptists also baptise adults.
PAEDOBAPTISTS. Baptism is both a sign and a seal of faith in Christ. It may be administered to infants on this basis. It rests on a broad basis of Scripture and the idea of the covenant. It is therefore open to adults and infants.
The Covenant and its unity.
(a) The Covenant, which God made with Abraham, came to its fruition in Christ. There was just one covenant. Gen ch 12 v 3. and ch 17 v 1-14. The promise was fulfilled in Christ. The Covenant promise was that they would be His people. Deut ch 7 v 6. It is argued that it is the same covenant today. The promise is in 2 Cor ch 6 v 16-ch 7 v 1.
(b) In the Old Testament the sign of the one covenant was circumcision and this was administered to children. In the New Testament the sign has been changed to baptism but nothing has been said to justify abandoning giving it to infants. The appeal is made to Col ch 2 v 11-12. and Rom ch 4 v 11.
(c) Because of new spiritual equality there is no male or female so that baptism can be given to females also.
These are quite powerful arguments. The replies are:
(a) Circumcision was only admitted to Israelites for national blessing and not for spiritual blessing.
(b) The New Testament speaks of a new covenant. Jer ch 31 v 33. What is new is its inwardness of the heart. It differs in that God goes the extra mile and writes His law on the heart of man as He said He would. The new covenant is with the Jewish people as a people. Deut ch 10 v 16. The heart was to be circumcised as a physical symbol of a spiritual reality. God would do it.
(c) The circumcision of Christ is the death of Christ i.e. the stripping away of the life of Christ. So man’s circumcision is the stripping away of himself. Col ch 2 v 11-12. If the pass-over was the forerunner of Communion, so the circumcision was the forerunner of baptism. Therefore the child should be offered communion. It does not hang together.
Circumcision. The 2 main points of significance are:
(a) It was a sign of promise to Abraham as he looked forward to the Messiah. It sealed his faith. The thing promised was still to come and so it was given in infancy.
(b) It was also a sign of privilege and proclamation. There were special privileges of being a member of Israel. Gal ch 26 v 27. To be in Israel was to hear God speak. This should have been followed by a purifying of the heart. So it is not a once and for all sign. The two signs were for different purposes and under different covenants. Much depends on what a person is born into and there is a need for tolerance. It is not a salvation issue.
Points against infant baptism.
1. The old covenant is for boys only and does not fit.
2. Children were at the Passover but are not allowed at Communion.
3. Children taken to Jesus were blessed by Him and not baptised.
4. All children were circumcised but it pointed only to a new heart. Only a remnant believed.
5. Nowhere in the New Testament is infant baptism mentioned.
6. Jesus taught the Disciples to teach and baptise. Mat ch 28 v 19-20.
7. Where whole households were baptised it does not necessarily include children. 1 Cor ch 7 v 14. The Children were holy.
8. Jesus was both circumcised and baptised. So were the first generation Christians. Therefore it is not a case of one replacing the other.
9. Under the new covenant regeneration takes place in response to the call of the Gospel.
10.The Children of Israel were chosen for a special purpose to be a people and the circumcision was used to keep them together. Baptism is an individual thing, and should be for those born of the Spirit of God.
11. It is a sign of personal determination to live for Christ, made in public.
12.The sacraments are of the Gospel and should be exercised in conjunction with the preaching of the Word of God. Children cannot respond in that way.
13.There is a danger that it becomes a superstition. The children are "done".
OFFICES OF THE CHURCH.
The Elders were appointed. Tit ch 1 v 5. The responsibilities of the officers are indicated in Acts ch 7 v 28. Qualifications for office are listed. Elder-ship is spoken of as an official position of leadership.
Elders. Presbyters. Bishops. Pastors. Overseers. These are all words for the same role. Acts ch 20 v 17 & 28. Elders were to act as shepherds and to care for the flock. 1 Pet ch 5 v 1-4. Some elders were paid for their work 1 Tim ch 5 v 17. This did not put them into another category. Gal ch 6 v 6. 1 Cor ch 9.
Ruling and governing is included in the description of the work of the elder. All the elders rule. Those with special gifts are paid, but all rule. A Bishop does not refer to one who has special authority over the others who rule with him. He is to teach. 2 Tim ch 2 v 2. The role of prophet, teacher and pastor are separate. Eph ch 4 v 11. There were teachers who did not have a pastoral role. Acts ch 13 v 1 i.e. full time teachers. It is not possible to be an elder without teaching. A man should be able to teach before becoming an elder. 3 Functions:
1. Teacher.
2. Government and discipline. 1 Tim ch 3 v 4-5. 1 Thes ch 5 v 12. Leadership. 1 Tit ch 1 v 5.
3. Responsibility for the flock. 1 Pet ch 5 v 1.
(a) Elders were appointed and set apart and officially recognised. Tit ch 1 v 5. Acts ch 14 v 3. Elders should be assessed and then appointed. Qualifications for elders are set out in 1 Tim ch 3 v 1-7 and Tit ch 1 v 6-9. Mention is always in the plural. There is no record of the appointment of a single bishop or elder. The one-man ministry was the direct result of Montanism, when works and prophecy got out of hand. To guard against a word from the Lord by anyone, one qualified person was appointed to speak God's word. This protected the Church from heresy. It was important in days when few were literate. But this is not so today when books are freely available.
(b) It was usually someone in a pastoral office already who had proved himself worthy of the office. Not a recent convert.1 Tim ch 4 v 14 and 2 Tim ch 1 v 6.
(c) There are hints in the New Testament that the appointment did not ignore the feelings of the congregation. The congregation were presented with prospective candidates for approval. Their life should be recognised by the congregation and by outsiders. Acts ch 6 v 2-6 and Acts ch 15 v 22.
(d) Pioneering workers can take the initiative in appointing themselves as elders i.e. a Church planter.
Women elders. There are 3 main approaches.
1. The Liberal view. Any limitation in the New Testament was due to the primitive culture of the day. Now there is a modern culture.
2. The Bible teaches that women have spiritual equality with men. Gal ch 3 v 28. It is the special role of woman that she recognises male leadership. There was no woman in the New Testament so as not to offend Jewish culture or Gentile culture at the time. The role was restricted by history.
3. Conventional view. In the New Testament the male prerogatives in the pastoral office have permanent implications. As the husband is head of the wife, so man has a primary duty to care for God's people. This hangs on 1 Tim ch 2 v 11-12. No woman is to teach or have authority over men, since Adam was formed first and then Eve. It is rooted in the order of creation. Woman sinned first. It is an open question.
Moses father-in-law saw that Moses was worn out and advised him to delegate. This involves trusting the party to whom the work is delegated. If the minister is the pastor, teacher and administrator the other elders are reduced to the role of ecclesiastical postmen. The Bible teaches team ministry. This avoids entrusting all the gifts to one man, makes for less strain on the one person, avoids confrontation if a team policy is set out, encourages different gifts and acts as a check on the error or sinful action of one man.
Deacons.
(a) They are servants with special gifts. Rom. ch 12 v 7.
(b) It is a distinct office and not just a general servant. There are strict qualifications as for an
elder. 1 Tim ch 3 v 8-13.
(c) They are to handle practical matters in the Church.
Acts ch 6 v 6. This was to release the elders to perform their special role.
Envangelists. There is little evidence of this office.
(a) It means communicator of the good news.
(b) Philip seems to have had an itinerant role.
(c) The Apostles did evangelistic work. Eph ch 4 v 11.
(d) The work could be done by a settled pastor. 2 Tim ch 4 v 5.
Being born again is a family term. Believers are born into the family of God. Justification is the legal term to declare believers not guilty. Now they are adopted into the family. The Greek word is begat. Jesus was the begotten Son of God. God begat man. Men begat. Women bear children. The Greek word for again means from above. In his conversation with Jesus, Nicodemus used the word for a second time. Jesus used the word for born from above. God initially created man. Now He begets believers. The first birth was due to man. The second birth is due to God.
The natural birth.
1. Seed. 1 Pet ch 1 v 23. Imperishable seed.
2. Blood. 1 John ch 1 v 17.
3 and 4. Water and breath. This signifies the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit.
5. The will of man. Man has a part to play. He must bend his will to the will of God on every occasion.
The family characteristics - those of Jesus - are built into the new believer.
1. Victory over the World. 1 John ch 5 v 4.
2. Victory over sin. Sin should no longer be a master over you. Saints should not sin willingly.
3. Love for God. 1 John ch 3 v 14.
4. Concern for your enemies. Mat ch 5 v 44.
5. Hatred of the World. 1 Pet ch 2 v 2. A growing love for God should be balanced by an increasing opposition to the ways of the World. Like a natural baby, there is a need to take in physical food, so the new believer has a need to take in spiritual food. It is spiritual death to ignore this need, as it is physical death to ignore the need for physical food. Romans ch 8.
6. The Spirit within a believer placed there by God gives him assurance.
7. A manifestation of the divine nature - growing more like Jesus and having the mind of Christ.
2 Pet ch 1 v 4.
If the institution gains the upper hand people become dependant. It is of no use to growth if one person doses everything and the rest simply listen. Rom ch 12 v 4. Calvin left out the apostles, evangelists and prophets. This left only teachers.