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Thursday, September 21, 2017

Reflections on the Church #3




The Church is unlike any other institution or body in society. That is why the Church must retain its special mission to present Jesus Christ to the world in a clear manner. Many think this is the pastor's job and they are willing to let him do all the work.

Yet it is clear in Scripture that God gives each Christian work to do. The job descriptions are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:27-30. Here Paul explains, “Now Christ’s body is yourselves, each of you with a part in the whole. And those whom God has appointed in the Church are…

First – apostles
Second – prophets
Third – teachers
Fourth – workers of miracles, and so on...

The qualifications for clergy are given in 1 Tim 3:1-13. Here we note that only those who are "in Christ" are to be added to the Church and only those who are mature in faith and stable in their relationships are to lead others.

In 1 Corinthians 3:1-17, Paul warns against bad conduct. Christian leaders to fail to adhere to the high moral standard of the Apostles harm the Church and give Christ haters occasion to speak evil of the Lord and his Church. Those who serve faithfully will be rewarded at Christ’s Judgment Seat.

The pastor is to follow the example of the Apostles. He is to instruct, correct, discern the spirits, rebuke, commend, and proclaim the Gospel. He is to gather the people for worship, for the study of God's Word, and for fellowship that builds the local congregation.

All Christians are to regularly participate in the life of the Church. “. . let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

All Christians are to seek the truth by searching the Scriptures, as did the noble Bereans who "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11

Related reading: All Christians are Ministers; Few are Priests; Reflections on the Church #1; Reflections on the Church #2


Monday, September 11, 2017

Reflections on the Church #2




The Church is the body of all faithful people. They are called "saints" because they are sanctified. The words "saint" and "sanctified" share the same Latin root. Sanctus means holy. The saints are sanctified, that is, we are made holy by divine grace. St. Paul explains this to the believers at Corinth.
“To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.” (1 Cor 1:2)

Paul encouraged the Christians at Corinth to live sanctified lives. Their conduct was to be exemplary. They were to live pure lives in the service of Christ and his Church. Their holiness would stand out in the midst of the sexual immorality that characterized this ancient city. Paul wrote:
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” (1 Cor 3:16, 17)
All forms of sexuality immorality were to be avoided: adultery, fornication, bestiality, onanism, and homosex.

The Apostle's admonition is repeated in the epistle to Timothy.
“. . . so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” (1 Tim 3:15)

1 Timothy 3:1-10 is directed to the leaders of the Church. They are held to a high standard.
Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

Verses 12 and 13 continue the description of the style of life expected of a deacon.
 A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

The call to holiness applies to the Church today as much as to the time of the Apostle Paul. Those who seek to live sanctified lives will stand out in a morally corrupt society. This is one way that the Church witnesses to the world that God grants power to live above the baseness of the prevailing culture. The saint who overcomes by God's grace will be clothed in a white robe of righteousness (Rev 3:5).

Related reading: Reflections on the Church #1; The Wardrobe of Saints


Thursday, September 7, 2017

Reflections on the Church #1





Edward F. Lundwall, Jr.

This is the first of several reflections on the Church.

The word "Church" appears 77 times in the New Testament. Some notable examples include Jesus' promise to build his church (Matt 16:18); the church as an instrument of correction (Matt 18:15-20; Acts 5:1-11); the natural home of the true convert (Acts 2:37-42); and the body that continually devotes itself "to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:41, 42)

The Church is God's creation through the blood of Jesus Christ, and an expression of God's will on earth. Therefore, the Church is a target for evil forces and needs faithful clergy and laity to protect it. The Apostle Paul understood this and experienced demonic attempts to destroy the fledgling congregations that he and other apostles worked so hard to plant and sustain. He experienced the "plots of Jews" to kill him and harsh treatment at the hands of Gentiles. He wrote:

"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things,. .” (Acts 20:28-30)

What is needed in the Church are faithful clergy who will uphold the Gospel, rightly divide the Scriptures, maintain discipline in the churches, gather the people for regular worship, and equip them for ministry. Is this happening in your church?


Related reading: Looking for the True God?A Latent Stumbling BlockContending for the FaithA Historic BattleSatanic StrategiesDefining OrthodoxyThe Spiritual BattlePrinciples Determining Interpretation