The Nature of the Church Bible Study
Read the following passages and answer the questions
below.
Matthew 16:13-20 – "When Jesus came to
the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, 'Who do people say the
Son of Man is?'
14They
replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others,
Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'
15'But
what about you?' He asked. 'Who do you say I am?'
16Simon
Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'
17Jesus
replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you
by humanity, but by My Father in Heaven.
18And I tell you that
you are Peter ["Rock"], and on this rock I
will build My Church, and the gates of Hades ["Hell"] will not
overcome it. 19I will
give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; whatever you bind on earth has been
bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth has been loosed in Heaven.' 20Then He warned His
disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ."
Q1. Why was Simon able to answer that Jesus was "the
Christ, the Son of the living God"?
A. _________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
Q2. What is the rock on which the Church will be built?
A. _________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
Q3. Who will build the Church?
A. ________________________________________________________________________________.
Q4. Whose is the Church?
A. ________________________________________________________________________________.
Q5. Some translations render verse 19 as "I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; whatever
you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will
be loosed in Heaven." What is the essential theological difference between
this rendering and the translation given above?
A.
_________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
*For more on what the
"keys of the Kingdom of Heaven" are, see Luke 11:37-52, particularly
verse 52, and Matthew 23:13. Hint: The key(s) do not have to do with power or
authority over the Kingdom, as the more accurate translation of Matthew 16:19
makes clear, but about Jesus giving us what we need to gain entry into the
Kingdom.
The Nature of the Church Class Notes
What does the word "Church" mean?
New Testament Term for
"church":
ekklhsia (ek-klay-see’-ah) (translated
as “church” in Matthew 16:18; 18:17;
Act 2:47; 5:11
; Acts 7:38; 8:1, 3; 9:31; 11:22, 26; 12:1, 5; 13:1; 14:23, 27; 15:3-4,
22, 41; 16:5; 18:22; 20:17, 28;
Romans 16:1, 4-5, 16, 23; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 4:17; 6:4; 7:17; 10:32;
11:16, 18, 22; 12:28; 14:4-5, 12, 19, 23, 28, 33-35; 15:9; 16:1, 19; 2
Corinthians 1:1; 8:1, 18-19; 23-24; 11:8, 28; 12:13; Galatians 1:2, 13, 22;
Ephesians 1:22; 3:10, 21; 5:23-25, 27, 29, 32; Philippians 3:6; 4:15;
Colossians 1:18, 24; 4:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:1,
4; 3:5, 15;
1 Timothy 5:16; Philemon 1:2; Hebrews 2:12; 12:23; James 5:14; 3 John 6,
9-10; Revelation 1:4, 11, 20; 2:1, 7-8, 11-12, 17-18, 23, 29; 3:1, 6-7, 13-14,
22; 22:16)
Abnormal usage (Acts 19:32, 39, 41)
ekklhsia
– a compound word formed from the word, ek
(ek), meaning “out of” or “from”, and a derivative of the word, kalew (kal-eh'-o), meaning “to call”
ekklhsia,
therefore means _____________________________________________________________
What is the "Church" called out of or
called out from?
John 15:19 – "If you belonged to the
world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world,
but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."
John 17:6 – "I have revealed Your Name to
those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me
and they have obeyed Your word."
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 – "Do not be yoked
together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in
common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and
Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there
between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the
living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will
be their God, and they will be My people.'
17'Therefore come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.'
18'I will be a Father to you,
and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.'
17'Therefore come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.'
18'I will be a Father to you,
and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.'
1Since we have these promises, dear friends,
let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit,
perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."
1 Peter 2:9 – "But
you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging
to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness
into His wonderful light."
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
(see more
references below)
___________________________________________________________________________________.
The Christian life
is to be lived – and is fully realized only – in community with others. (note
the usage of plural nouns and pronouns;
see also Matthew 18:20; John 11:49-52; Acts 1:14; 2:1, 44, 46; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians
2:22; 3:6, 18; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Peter 5:13)
Matthew 18:19-20 –
"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you
ask for, it will be done for you by My
Father in Heaven. 20For
where two or three come together in My
Name, there am I with them."
Ephesians 2:19-22 –
"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's
household, 20built on
the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In Him the
whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the
Lord. 22And in Him you too are being built together to
become a dwelling in which God lives by His
Spirit.
Hebrews 10:25 –
"And let us consider how we may spur one another
on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the
habit of doing, but let us encourage one
another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Who is included in the "Church"?
The Scripture
frequently uses the word "church" to refer to a group of believers in
some particular location (Acts 8:1, 3; 9:31; 11:22, 26; 12:1, 5; 13:1; 14:23,
27; 15:3-4, 22, 41; 16:5; 18:22; 20:17, 28; Romans 16:1, 4-5, 16, 23; 1
Corinthians 1:2; 4:17; 6:4; 7:17; 11:16, 18, 22; 14:4-5, 12, 19, 23, 28, 33-35;
16:1, 19; 2 Corinthians 1:1; 8:1, 18-19, 23-24; 11:8, 28; 12:13; Galatians 1:2,
22; Philippians 4:15; Colossians 4:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2:14; 2
Thessalonians 1:1, 4; 3:5; 1 Timothy 5:16; Philemon 1:2; James 5:14; 3 John 6,
9-10; Revelation 1:4, 11; 20; 2:1, 7-8, 11-12, 17-18, 23, 29; 3:1, 6-7, 13-14,
22; 22:16).
Acts 8:1b – "On that day a great persecution broke out against the
church in Jerusalem, and all except the
apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
However, it
is clear that these particular churches are viewed as being a part of the
whole.
___________________________________________________________________________________.
It is, therefore, "catholic" (universal). (Matthew 16:18; 18:17; Acts
2:47; 5:11; 7:38;
1 Corinthians 1:2; 10:32; 12:28; 15:9; Galatians 1:13; Ephesians 1:22;
3:10, 21; 5:23-25, 27, 29, 32; Philippians 3:6; Colossians 1:18, 24; 1 Timothy
3:15; Hebrews 2:12; 11:39-40; 12:23)
The Church began
now with Jesus' disciples or on the Day of Pentecost.
___________________________________________________________________________________.
Acts 7:37-38 – "This is that
Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.' 38He
was in the assembly [ekklhsia, "church"] in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount
Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received
living words to pass on to us."
Hebrews 11:39-40 (following the "Hall of Faith") –
"These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been
promised. 40God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would
they be made perfect."
___________________________________________________________________________________.
Some people may be a part of a local church or
may fellowship with the Church for a time, but this does not necessarily mean
that they are truly saved and, thus, a part of the Church
(Matthew 7:21-23; 13:24-30; 47-50; 1 John 2:19).
Matthew 13:24-30 –
"Jesus told them another parable: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was
sleeping, their enemy came and sowed
weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When
the wheat sprouted and formed heads,
then the weeds also appeared.
27The owner's servants came to him and said,
'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your
field? Where then did the weeds come from?'
28'An enemy did this,' he replied.
The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
29'No,' he answered, 'because while you are
pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest.
At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them
in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my
barn.'"
1 John 2:19 – "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to
us. For if they had belonged to us, they
would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us."
So not all who are in the local
church are a part of the Church.
In the same way, not all who are
outside a local church are necessarily excluded from the Church. God does not
require church membership for our salvation.
What makes a church part of the Church?
(How can
we recognize a true church?)
____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
Belief in Jesus as "the Christ, the Son
of the living God" is the rock on which He builds His Church (Matthew 16:13-20). (For more on Jesus
as the rock on which the Church is built, see Romans 9:30-32; 1 Corinthians 3:9-16;
Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:4-8) (See also
1 John 4:1-6; 2 John 7-11.)
Jesus is not only the rock on which the Church
is built. He is the finishing touch, as well. The Church begins and is completed with its
belief in Jesus (Matthew 21:42-44; Acts 4:11-12; 1 Peter 2:4-8; Revelation 22:13)
1 Peter 2:4-8 – "As you come to Him, the living Stone—rejected by people but
chosen by God and precious to Him— 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood,
offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to
God through Jesus Christ. 6For in Scripture it
says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in Him
will never be put to shame."
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in Him
will never be put to shame."
7Now to you who believe, this
stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone," 8and,
"A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall."
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone," 8and,
"A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall."
They stumble
because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined
for."
Revelation 22:13 – "I
[Jesus] am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the
Beginning and the End."
____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
(Matthew 21:42; 22:29; 26:54; Luke 24:27, 45; John 2:22; 5:39; 20:9; Acts
8:26-40; 17:2, 11; 18:24-28; Romans 1:2; 4:3; 9:17; 10:11; 11:2; 15:4; 1
Corinthians 15:3-4; Galatians 3:16, 22; 4:30; 1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy
3:15-16; 2 Peter 1:20; 3:16). Besides the above cited references, Jesus and the
Apostles very frequently based their arguments or supported their arguments on
First Testament writings.
Matthew 22:29 –
"Jesus replied [to the Sadducees], "You are
in error because you do not know the
Scriptures or the power of God."
Besides the references cited above, Jesus and the
Apostles very frequently based their arguments on or supported their arguments from First Testament
writings.
______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
What is a "sacrament"?
What is happening in the performance of the
Sacraments? (Look for more on the doctrine of the Sacraments in the weeks ahead.)
___________________________________________________________________________________.
We are called to
be holy, authentically following the teachings of Jesus (John 8:31; 14:23-26; 15:1-17; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 1:2;
Ephesians 1:4; 2:21; 5:3, 25b-27;
Colossians 1:22; 3:12; 1 Thessalonians
4:3-4, 7; 2 Timothy 1:8-9; Hebrews 12:14;
1 Peter 1:15-16; 2:9; 2 Peter 3:11)
John 8:31 – "To
the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to My teaching, you
are really My
disciples.'"
1
Thessalonians 4:7 – "For God did not
call us to be impure, but to live a holy life."
1 Peter
1:15-16 – "But just as He who called you
is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'"
_____________________________________________________________________________.
(Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5,
12-13; Galatians 2:11-14; 1 Timothy 3:15)
Matthew 18:15-17 – "If your brother or sister sins against you, go and show
them their fault, just between the two
of you. If they listen to you, you have won your brother or sister over. 16But
if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by
the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17If they
refuse to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat
them as you would a pagan or a tax collector."
These essentials unify all true
believers in the one Church. Personal and denominational disputes are surface-level
concerns and do not destroy the unity that these essentials provide.
What is the Church to do?
____________________________________________________________________________________
(Psalm 45; Isaiah
61:10; 62:4-5; Jeremiah 2:2, 20-25, 32-33; Ezekiel 16; 23; Hosea;
Matthew 9:14-15;
22:1-14; 25:1-13; John 3:27-30; Ephesians 5:22-33; Revelation 19:7-9; 21:2).
_____________________________________________________________________________.
_____________________________________________________________________________.
____________________________________________________________________________________
(Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 11: 2-16; 12:12-31; Ephesians
1:22-23; 3:6, 4:1-16; 5:23, 29-30; Colossians 1:18, 24; 2:10; 18-19; 3:14-15).
_____________________________________________________________________________.
He is our source.
______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
(1 Corinthians 12,
also see notes above concerning being called together and holding one another accountable.)
The Nature of the Church Bible Study
Read the following passages and answer the questions
below.
Matthew 16:13-20 – "When Jesus came to
the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, 'Who do people say the
Son of Man is?'
14They
replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others,
Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'
15'But
what about you?' He asked. 'Who do you say I am?'
16Simon
Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'
17Jesus
replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed
to you by humanity, but by My
Father in Heaven. 18And
I tell you that you are Peter ["Rock"], and on this
rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades ["Hell"]
will not overcome it. 19I
will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; whatever you bind on
earth has been bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth has been loosed
in Heaven.' 20Then
He warned His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ."
Q1. Why was Simon able to answer that Jesus was "the
Christ, the Son of the living God"?
A. It was not out of himself or any other human power.
It was revealed to him by God.
Q2. What is the rock on which the Church will be built?
A. The belief that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son
of the living God".
Q3. Who will build the Church?
A. Jesus Christ.
Q4. Whose is the Church?
A. Jesus Christ's.
Q5. Some translations render verse 19 as "I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; whatever
you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will
be loosed in Heaven." What is the essential theological difference between
this rendering and the translation given above?
A. In this translation,
humans are taking the initiative and directing what happens first on earth and
then in Heaven as a result. In the translation provided above, the Heavenly
powers [God] directs what happens both in Heaven and subsequently on earth,
through the ministry of the Church.
*For more on what the
"keys of the Kingdom of Heaven" are, see Luke 11:37-52, particularly
verse 52, and Matthew 23:13. Hint: The key(s) do not have to do with power or
authority over the Kingdom, as the more accurate translation of Matthew 16:19
makes clear, but about Jesus giving us what we need to gain entry into the
Kingdom.
The Nature of the Church Class Notes
What does the word "Church" mean?
New Testament Term for
"church":
ekklhsia (ek-klay-see’-ah) (translated
as “church” in Matthew 16:18; 18:17;
Act 2:47; 5:11
; Acts 7:38; 8:1, 3; 9:31; 11:22, 26; 12:1, 5; 13:1; 14:23, 27; 15:3-4,
22, 41; 16:5; 18:22; 20:17, 28;
Romans 16:1, 4-5, 16, 23; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 4:17; 6:4; 7:17; 10:32;
11:16, 18, 22; 12:28; 14:4-5, 12, 19, 23, 28, 33-35; 15:9; 16:1, 19; 2
Corinthians 1:1; 8:1, 18-19; 23-24; 11:8, 28; 12:13; Galatians 1:2, 13, 22;
Ephesians 1:22; 3:10, 21; 5:23-25, 27, 29, 32; Philippians 3:6; 4:15;
Colossians 1:18, 24; 4:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:1,
4; 3:5, 15;
1 Timothy 5:16; Philemon 1:2; Hebrews 2:12; 12:23; James 5:14; 3 John 6,
9-10; Revelation 1:4, 11, 20; 2:1, 7-8, 11-12, 17-18, 23, 29; 3:1, 6-7, 13-14,
22; 22:16)
Abnormal usage (Acts 19:32, 39, 41)
ekklhsia
– a compound word formed from the word, ek
(ek), meaning “out of” or “from”, and a derivative of the word, kalew (kal-eh'-o), meaning “to call”
ekklhsia,
therefore means “called out of” or “called out from”
What is the "Church" called out of or
called out from?
John 15:19 – "If you belonged to the
world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world,
but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world
hates you."
John 17:6 – "I have revealed Your Name to
those whom You gave Me out of the world. They
were Yours; You gave them to Me and they have obeyed
Your word."
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 – "Do not be yoked
together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in
common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and
Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there
between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the
living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk
among them, and I will be their God, and they
will be My people.'
17'Therefore come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.'
18'I will be a Father to you,
and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.'
17'Therefore come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.'
18'I will be a Father to you,
and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.'
1Since we have these promises,
dear friends, let us purify ourselves from
everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness
out of reverence for God."
1 Peter 2:9 – "But
you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of
Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."
We are called out of the
world, out of sin, toward God.
We are called to be
different, to be holy. (see more references below)
We are called together.
The Christian life is to be lived – and is fully realized only – in community with
others. (note the usage of plural nouns and pronouns; see also Matthew 18:20;
John 11:49-52;
Acts 1:14; 2:1, 44, 46; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 2:22; 3:6, 18;
Hebrews 10:25; 1
Peter 5:13)
Matthew 18:19-20 –
"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you
ask for, it will be done for you by My
Father in Heaven. 20For
where two or three come together
in My Name, there am I with them."
Ephesians 2:19-22 –
"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow
citizens with God's people and members
of God's household, 20built
on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In Him the
whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in
the Lord. 22And in Him you too are being built together
to become a dwelling in which God lives by
His Spirit.
Hebrews 10:25 –
"And let us consider how we may spur one
another on toward love and good deeds.
25Let us not give up meeting together, as
some are in the habit of doing, but let us
encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day
approaching.
Who is included in the "Church"?
The Scripture
frequently uses the word "church" to refer to a group of believers in
some particular location (Acts 8:1, 3; 9:31; 11:22, 26; 12:1, 5; 13:1; 14:23,
27; 15:3-4, 22, 41; 16:5; 18:22; 20:17, 28; Romans 16:1, 4-5, 16, 23; 1
Corinthians 1:2; 4:17; 6:4; 7:17; 11:16, 18, 22; 14:4-5, 12, 19, 23, 28, 33-35;
16:1, 19; 2 Corinthians 1:1; 8:1, 18-19, 23-24; 11:8, 28; 12:13; Galatians 1:2,
22; Philippians 4:15; Colossians 4:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2:14; 2
Thessalonians 1:1, 4; 3:5; 1 Timothy 5:16; Philemon 1:2; James 5:14; 3 John 6,
9-10; Revelation 1:4, 11; 20; 2:1, 7-8, 11-12, 17-18, 23, 29; 3:1, 6-7, 13-14,
22; 22:16).
Acts 8:1b – "On that day a great persecution broke out against the
church in Jerusalem, and all except
the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
However, it
is clear that these particular churches are viewed as being a part of the
whole.
The Church
is composed of all believers, everywhere, in every time. It is,
therefore, "catholic" (universal). (Matthew 16:18; 18:17; Acts
2:47; 5:11; 7:38; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 10:32; 12:28; 15:9; Galatians 1:13;
Ephesians 1:22; 3:10, 21; 5:23-25, 27, 29, 32; Philippians 3:6; Colossians
1:18, 24; 1 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 2:12; 11:39-40; 12:23)
The Church began
now with Jesus' disciples or on the Day of Pentecost.
The Church
began when God began to call people to Himself through election.
Acts 7:37-38 – "This is that Moses
who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.' 38He
was in the assembly [ekklhsia, "church"] in the desert, with
the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he
received living words to pass on to
us."
Hebrews 11:39-40 (following the "Hall of Faith") –
"These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been
promised. 40God had planned something better for us so that only together with us
would they be made perfect."
Only true believers, only the elect, are included in the
Church. Some people may be a part of a local church or may fellowship with the
Church for a time, but this does not necessarily mean that they are truly saved
and, thus, a part of the Church (Matthew 7:21-23; 13:24-30; 47-50; 1 John
2:19).
Matthew 13:24-30 –
"Jesus told them another parable: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was
sleeping, their enemy came and sowed
weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When
the wheat sprouted and formed heads,
then the weeds also appeared.
27The owner's servants came to him and said,
'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your
field? Where then did the weeds come from?'
28'An enemy did this,' he replied.
The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
29'No,' he answered, 'because while you are
pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest.
At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them
in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my
barn.'"
1 John 2:19 – "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to
us. For if they had belonged to us, they
would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us."
So not all who are in the local
church are a part of the Church.
In the same way, not all who are
outside a local church are necessarily excluded from the Church. God does not
require church membership for our salvation.
What makes a church part of the Church?
(How can
we recognize a true church?)
The true Church is based on a
genuine belief in and a proper understanding of Jesus the Christ.
Belief in Jesus as "the Christ, the Son
of the living God" is the rock on which He builds His Church (Matthew 16:13-20). (For more on Jesus
as the rock on which the Church is built, see Romans 9:30-32; 1 Corinthians 3:9-16;
Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:4-8) (See also
1 John 4:1-6; 2 John 7-11.)
Jesus is not only the rock on which the Church
is built. He is the finishing touch, as well. The Church begins and is completed with its
belief in Jesus (Matthew 21:42-44; Acts 4:11-12; 1 Peter 2:4-8; Revelation 22:13)
1 Peter 2:4-8 – "As you come to Him, the living Stone—rejected
by people but chosen by God and precious
to Him— 5you also, like living stones, are being built
into a spiritual house to be a holy
priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For
in Scripture it says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in Him
will never be put to shame."
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in Him
will never be put to shame."
7Now to you who believe, this
stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone," 8and,
"A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall."
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone," 8and,
"A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall."
They stumble
because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined
for."
Revelation 22:13 – "I
[Jesus] am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the
Beginning and the End."
The true Church is based on a
proper understanding and proclamation of the Scriptures (Matthew 21:42;
22:29; 26:54; Luke 24:27, 45; John 2:22; 5:39; 20:9; Acts 8:26-40; 17:2, 11;
18:24-28; Romans 1:2; 4:3; 9:17; 10:11; 11:2; 15:4; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4;
Galatians 3:16, 22; 4:30; 1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-16; 2 Peter 1:20;
3:16). Besides the above cited references, Jesus and the Apostles very
frequently based their arguments or supported their arguments on First
Testament writings.
Matthew 22:29 –
"Jesus replied [to the Sadducees], "You
are in error because you do not know
the Scriptures or the power of God."
Besides the references cited above, Jesus and the
Apostles very frequently based their arguments on or supported their arguments from First
Testament writings.
If it can't
be supported in Scripture, it doesn't bear talking about in the Church.
If it is in
the Scriptures, the Church needs to address it.
The true Church is based on a
proper understanding of and administration of the Sacraments.
What is a "sacrament"?
What is happening in the performance of the
Sacraments? (Look for more on the doctrine of the Sacraments in the weeks ahead.)
The true Church is recognized
by the holy lives of its members.
We are called to
be holy, authentically following the teachings of Jesus (John 8:31; 14:23-26; 15:1-17; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 1:2;
Ephesians 1:4; 2:21; 5:3, 25b-27;
Colossians 1:22; 3:12; 1 Thessalonians
4:3-4, 7; 2 Timothy 1:8-9; Hebrews 12:14;
1 Peter 1:15-16; 2:9; 2 Peter 3:11)
John 8:31 – "To
the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to My teaching,
you
are
really My disciples.'"
1
Thessalonians 4:7 – "For God did
not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life."
1 Peter
1:15-16 – "But just as He who called you
is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for
it is written: 'Be holy,
because I am holy.'"
We are
called to help hold each other accountable. (Matthew 18:15-17; 1
Corinthians 5:1-5,
12-13; Galatians 2:11-14; 1 Timothy
3:15)
Matthew 18:15-17 – "If your brother or sister sins against you, go and
show them their fault,
just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won your brother or sister over. 16But
if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by
the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17If they
refuse to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat
them as you would a pagan or a tax collector."
These essentials unify all true
believers in the one Church. Personal and denominational disputes are surface-level
concerns and do not destroy the unity that these essentials provide.
What is the Church to do?
The Church is the Bride of
Christ (Psalm 45; Isaiah 61:10; 62:4-5; Jeremiah 2:2, 20-25, 32-33; Ezekiel
16; 23; Hosea; Matthew 9:14-15; 22:1-14; 25:1-13; John 3:27-30; Ephesians
5:22-33; Revelation 19:7-9; 21:2).
As such, the
Church is to love Christ.
The Church
is to obey Christ out of that love that we have for Him.
The Church
is the Body of Christ, Christ being the Head (Romans 12:3-8; 1
Corinthians 10:16-17; 11: 2-16; 12:12-31; Ephesians 1:22-23; 3:6, 4:1-16; 5:23,
29-30; Colossians 1:18, 24; 2:10;
18-19; 3:14-15).
Christ as our Head means that we gain our origin from Him. He
is our source.
Christ as our Head means that we gain our direction from Him. As
such, Christ uses us, His body,
to continue His work on earth.
The Church, as a single body,
exists for the mutual support and edification of its members.
(1 Corinthians 12,
also see notes above concerning being called together and holding one another accountable.)
No comments:
Post a Comment