#02 – The Church And The Churches

“I WILL Build My Church”

(Matthew 16:18)

      William Barclay’s first statement in his excellent book “More New Testament Words” reads:

“The more I study words, the more I am convinced of their basic and fundamental importance. On the meaning of words everything depends. No one can build up a theology without a clear definition of the terms which are to be used in it. No one can construct a Christian ethic without a close study of the great ethical terms of the New Testament. Christian belief and Christian action both depend on a clear understanding of the meaning of words.”

William Barclay was a recognized Greek scholar; I am not. But, I wholeheartedly agree that a proper understanding and use of the words in the New Covenant Scriptures would go a long way to solve the unacceptable problems of disunity among disciples of Christ today. When division developed in Corinth Paul wrote and urged them to “speak the same thing” (1Co 1:10). However, speaking the same thing is not always understanding the same truth, but it is a big and first step! (Probably few if any words in the Scriptures is more misused, and therefore misunderstood, than the word “church.”)

      Dale Carnegie was one of the most successful teachers of effective speech America has produced. He said and wrote many good things which have influenced my speech and writings. “Effective speech is not for exhibition but for communication,” he urged. I’ve heard and read many excellent presentations at times that were impressive, but not all were relevant to the announced subject. Jesus never wrote (except on the ground twice) but what he said was relevant, understandable, and memorable to those who sincerely wanted to learn. He did not speak as many of the scribes, who quoted one another, and truth varied. Jesus spoke authoritatively, quoting the Word of the Father, and the Truth remained true, for the Word of God does not change.

      Jesus was a Jew but many scholars say that the prevailing language of the culture when He was born was Aramaic. Certain phrases in our English Scriptures are acknowledged to be Aramaic. The writings of the New Covenant Scriptures were penned some decades after Pentecost when Koine Greek had become the common language of the area. I’ve read of the superiority of this Koine (common) language that accommodated the wide facilitation and distribution of the New Covenant Scriptures, probably the most important document ever penned. And so we have Greek manuscripts of the Scriptures that concern the history of the ekklesia (church) that Jesus promised to build. That the Holy Spirit controlled the communication of the apostles with citizens of foreign countries on that great Pentecost day in AD30 is apparent. Luke records:

Acts 2:4 and they (the apostles) were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 ¶ Now there were sojourning in Jerusalem pious men; Jews from every nation under heaven; 6 and when this report came abroad, the multitude assembled, and were confounded; for every one heard them speaking in his own dialect. 7 And they were all astonished, and wondered, saying one to another, Behold! are not all these that speak, Galileans? 8 And how do we every one hear in his own native language: 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and those that inhabit Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphilia, Egypt, and the parts of Africa which are about Cyrene: Roman strangers, also, both Jews and proselytes; 11 Cretes, and Arabians; we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God! (LO)

And later Paul is to write to those in Corinth,

“For who, of men, knows the thoughts of a man, except the spirit of man which is in him: so, also, the thoughts of God no man knows, but the Spirit of God. Now, we (the apostles) have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which comes from God, that we (the apostles) might know the things which are gifted to us by God. Which things, also, we speak, not in words, taught by human wisdom; but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things in spiritual words” (1Co 2:11-13, LO).

Many men today claim that they have received the supernatural ability to “know” the Scriptures, but the very fact that they (these claimants) do not all speak the same things clearly proves that it is not the Holy Spirit of God that informs them. The apostles all – note “all” – spoke the same doctrines. When Bible teachers do not “speak the same things” today I must believe it is not because of their inability, but because of their unwillingness to do so!

The Ekklesia Of Jesus (Mat 16:18)

      Billions of words have been written approving and/or contesting the use of the English word “church”as a correct translation of the Greek word “ekklesia.” Some competent and sincere scholars have refused to use “church” because of its multitudinous corruptions and misapplications, choosing rather community, congregation, etc. (I am not a scholar, but have quit using “church” when if at all possible, for the reasons stated above.) But for this study we will use “church,” with a limited and specific application, i.e., as identifying that group or collection of saved souls in Christ, children of God, saints, heaven bound pilgrims in this world.

      I’m told by reputable scholars that “ekklesia” comes from kaleo "to call," and ek "out from." The compound verb means "to call out from." In classical Greek ekklesia referred to an “assembly” of the citizens summoned by the town crier. It is used in Acts 19:32-41 in its purely classical meaning, where the town clerk dismissed the citizens who had been gathered together by the craftsmen of Ephesus. In its every other occurrence, it is translated in English as "church," the church being looked upon as a called-out body of people, called out of the world of unsaved humanity to become the saved people of God.

The Whole Body Of Saved Souls = THE Ekklesia (Church)

      It doesn’t take a scholar to learn that the word church in our English Scriptures can refer to the entire Body of Christ, the people of God universal and unlocated, members of the Body of Christ, scattered here, there and everywhere. We might emphasize “everywhere,” for only God knows where his children might be at any one time. We’ve seen through the years all kinds of “surveys” that attempt to locate and number God’s children. While the motives may be acceptable, the effort is fruitless and foolish. Probably – just probably – the effort is for commercial or religiously political reasons.

I have lived in a part of the country dominated religiously by the Roman Catholic Church, and, as much as possible they controlled secular government. When one uses the words “the church” in that area, they automatically make reference to the Catholic Church. Although the Catholic Church for political and social reasons no longer claim that saved souls are found only in the Catholic Church, in reality they still believe it. Do not be deceived by this! And so, “the church” in Catholic Church dominated areas means the Holy Roman Catholic Church, under their Pope, the Vicar or substitute for Christ.

Some of you may remember that in south Texas in the 30's and 40's the Catholic Church had mostly taken over the “public” school system with of course the US taxpayer footing the bill. Perhaps you remember “The Herald Of Truth,” and G. C. Brewer, who fought against this, even going to Court at times to gain a correction.

I have lived in a part of our country where the Baptist Church was dominant. As an interesting note, a very successful humorous speaker included in his presentation a comment that “everybody in this part of the country is Baptist unless someone has messed with them.” And then the audience laughed. I heard many conversations where the term “the church” was mentioned. Which church were they referring to? Answer: The Baptist Church.

I’ve never lived in the Salt Lake, Utah area, but I’m guessing that the phrase “the church” is used many times in normal conversation, meaning of course the Mormon Church, i.e., “The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints.” Of course there are other locations where other religious organizations are equated with “the church.”

I’ve actually read that one Bible scholar, so called, teaches that when Jesus referred to his building of “my church” he was simply referring to what some might call “The Caesarean Church Of Christ.” Believe it or not.

      Paul writes the Ephesians that “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (5:25). Who (not what) was this church that He loved? It was – and is – those connected and associated together by all (every one) being a child of the One God (Gal 3:26-28; Eph 5:25; etc.), all serving the One Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 12;11; etc.), and all possessing the One common Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9). Question? Are there unrepentant hypocrites in the church of God? Liars? Adulterers, etc? Think, please.

Saints Located

      The word “ekklesia” is used to identify those as being God’s people “in” a certain location, as:

1. Act 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

The church was the church even when not assembled, single souls, living their normal lives, in their own homes. They were still “the” church, when considered as one of many. The church of the Lord in this area is constituted of all baptized believers in this area, etc.

2. Rom 16:3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: . . . 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house.

There obviously were brethren who gathered in their (Priscilla and Aquila’s) home on appropriate occasions as brethren would naturally do, as opportunity presented itself.

3. 1Co 16:19 The churches (assemblies of Christians in Asia) of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

As defined and illustrated above, there were many groups, congregations, gatherings, collections, etc., that came together as opportunity presented itself, many on a regular basis.

4. Col 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis. . . . 15 Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his (Epaphras?) house.

5. Phm 1:2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church (assembly that gathers) in thy house:

6. We must consider Acts 9:31: 31 “So the church throughout the whole of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was edified <growing in wisdom, virtue, and piety> and walking in the respect and reverential fear of the Lord and in the consolation and exhortation of the Holy Spirit, continued to increase and was multiplied” (amplified version). Some versions have “churches,” plural, but better manuscripts declare it is singular.

      As we search the Record we see the church “in,” and the church “at,” various places. This means simply that some of God’s people were in a certain place or at a certain place. They were God’s People wherever they were. My human family is always my family even when they are separated for various reasons at various times at various places. You can not be one of God’s People one time and not one of God’s People at other times. (More later that address the sins that cause one to be cast away from the Father.)

      Jesus commanded his apostles to “go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” He did not command them to go and build (the word today is “plant”) churches, congregations, groups, etc. Today there are some 63,000 “Churches” registered with our Federal government. It should be obvious that Christ built his church, and is continuing to build even today as sinners respond to the Gospel. Please note that “builders” is used in an uncomplimentary sense in the New Covenant Scriptures because they rejected the “chief corner stone” which made the building unacceptable to God!

Mat 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? (See Mar 12:10; Luk 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1Pe 2:7).

      It should be equally obvious that men build “local churches,” congregations, etc. Even for the moment giving all of these “builders” the benefit of being sincere, well meaning, and in most cases Spirit possessed (Acts 2:38) souls, they are still human. They planned and implemented these plans to begin the assembling of like minded souls on certain days for certain purposes. Groups of saved and spiritually minded people come together (congregate) because of what they are. They are drawn together because of their love and respect for a common Heavenly Father, a common Savior, Lord and Master, a common Holy Spirit, and a common sense of brotherhood. As a magnet draws metal particles to itself, these inherent character qualities draw in a converted soul of similar character qualities, and so groups, congregations are formed. Sometimes in a limited area these collections may be small in number, in others large. In Jerusalem there were 3000 the first day, and multiplied thousands thereafter. J. W. McGarvey guess-timated that there must have been some 30 to 50 thousand believers before the destruction of Jerusalem by Rome drove them away. The Scriptures refer to these as “the” church in or at Jerusalem. (See Acts 8:1; 11:22; 15:4.) The all important point is that “the” indicates unity of the one body, the church. We might understand by thinking of “the” sun, “the” moon, etc., etc., indicating oneness, never division. Nowhere in the Scriptures will you read of “a” church. Why is this so? Can one accurately say that “he saw ‘a’ sun shining in our area today?” “The sun came out for a while today?” Yes!

“Local Churches”

      Going back to the “great commission,” so called because of its greatness, we read that Jesus told his disciples to go into all the world and “preach the Gospel,” or “make disciples.” He did not tell them to go and establish (plant, etc.) local churches. My simplistic understanding of congregations is that they just happen. Inevitably! That is, they just happen when penitent, baptized believers understand what has happened to them! Not so of course when a sinner has been enticed to “join a church.” (Have you ever heard about a doctrine, “let’s baptize them and then we can teach them.” Where from? As an example:

God did not have to tell Adam and Eve to come together and love one another. He did tell them to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Gen 1:28). I doubt there to be an intelligent person who would have doubted that this first couple would produce children, and thereby produce a family. That was as natural as anything could be natural. When sinners are shown the errors of their way and they come to Christ, receive forgiveness of their sins and the Holy Spirit as a gift, they could hardly NOT form a relationship with all others who had experienced the same conversion.

Two Beautiful Terms jump out at us as we study the relationships of brethren in the early days after Pentecost – Together & Of One Accord. Earlier, in Acts 2:44 it is said, "all that believed were together, and had all things common." They were "together." While it is difficult to imagine that the entire number continued indefinitely to come together in one place for "doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers," at this much later date (Acts 8:1) it is still said that they were "the church which was at Jerusalem." Think about this please! -- just "the" church which was at Jerusalem," consisting of the souls that had been saved, forgiven of their sins. No sects or sections, no divisions or denominations, just “the” church at (or in) Jerusalem. Isn’t that the way it should be today? “The” church that the Lord is building!

We hasten to add that these disciples then, even after they began to assemble to share their worship and edification, had no right, privilege or authority to add one word to that imposed upon all baptized believers, concerning their becoming and remaining a child of God, or, their love and support for brethren. There is naturally no such thing as an unstructured “group” or congregation, or it would be only a mob (gang or pack, etc.), or an “aggregation.” Someones, by mutually agreeable means, will, through suggestion and consensus, provide an agenda. “The church is not a democracy,” I’ve heard all my life. No, the Body of Christ, his church, is NOT a democracy. But, groups of believers who have agreed to come together to share their worship of God, honor the Lord, and provoke one another to love and good works (Heb 10:24ff) must use democratic principles to “provoke one another” to love and good works. Overseers chosen by the congregations must not “lord it over others” (1Pe 5:1-5) as Diotrephes was inclined to do. No one among God’s saints must love to have the preeminence! (3Jo 1:9). And yes, there were those in the first century, and we do have today, as John wrote in 3Jo 1:9, “ I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority” (ESV). “who loveth to have the preeminence among them” (several versions).

      And now, on a more important issue, we ask how do groups function amiably and productively for the great Cause of saving souls. In all cases, a child of God is a child of God, answerable to the Lord who is Head of His Church, and has no authority whatsoever to formulate creeds, bylaws, doctrines, rules or regulations that are more than, less than, or different from, that imposed upon ALL Christians everywhere, whether associated with a particular collection of saints (congregation, local church, etc.) or any other collection. The doctrine of “congregational authority” has been prostituted to the point where many communities have congregations calling themselves churches of Christ who have no fellowship with others also calling themselves churches of Christ. This in my judgment is intolerable and inexcusable! (Recently in our area some congregational leaders decided to not support an “area wide Gospel Meeting” because the visiting preacher was “too conservative.” (I attended every assembly of that meeting and heard nothing that I would consider “too conservative.”)

      Who calls brothers and sisters together for spiritual worship, study, prayer, edification, etc. In my lifetime I have known large groups and very small groups. In one small town in Tennessee a spiritually minded lady got permission from the city to use the city jail, and invited brethren whom she had discovered, to meet with her. Within a few years the number grew rapidly, a larger building for assembling became necessary and was built, and the growth continued. When did this group “become A church?” Think, please.

      It is interesting that Alexander Campbell, no mean scholar, identified five “house churches,” or congregations meeting in houses, in Romans chapter 16. It is further interesting that many in our known fellowship today are going backward and forming “house” churches, or in contrast, many smaller congregations are going “forward” and forming “mega” churches, usually combining two or more formerly “local churches.” The Lord is building His church through conversions; men are building their churches through organization and effort. One of the most flagrant sins committed today – note: by my judgment and understanding of the Scriptures – is that men will claim God’s oversight and approval for their “buildings” (works) and then lay it upon innocent and ignorant sheep to accept and usually participate, often financially. The claim is that a sheep is disobeying God if he does not obey the “minister” of God, even in matters that do not relate to the Gospel. (Study Romans 1:16 carefully.)

      Last questions: First, when did Jesus begin to build His church? Second, when will Jesus cease building His church?

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