SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY > ECCLESIOLOGY
The Church: Her Members
A. The Church as the Present Purpose of God
The church in the New Testament is revealed to be the central purpose of God in the present age. In contrast with God’s purposes for individuals and nations of the Old Testament and a larger purpose for the nation of Israel, the church is revealed to be the company of believers formed of both Jew and Gentile who are called out of the world and joined together in one living union by the baptism of the Spirit. In general, the concept of the church falls into two major categories. The principle emphasis in the New Testament is on the church as an organism, a living union of all true believers in Christ. This is the distinctive truth that is presented beginning with the day of Pentecost, with the advent of the Spirit, and concluding with the coming of Christ for His church, in which the church will be caught up out of the world and taken to heaven. Another concept, however, is that of the local church or the organized church. This is a company of professing believers in 236 THE CHURCH: HER MEMBERS 237 any one locality or a group of such local assemblies (1 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:2; Phil. 1:1). The word “church” is a translation of a Greek word “ekklesia” and is frequently used of any assembly or congregation of people whether gathered for religious or for political purposes. The word actually means “called out ones.” In early Greece, cities were often ruled by pure democracy in which every citizen in the town would gather together to act upon matters of mutual interest. As they would be called out from their ordinary occupations to an assembly where they could vote, the word came to mean the result of being called out, or those who were thus assembled. This word is found frequently in the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament, to denote various assemblies in the Old Testament. It is used in a similar sense in such passages as Acts 7:38 and Acts 19:32, where the word is used simply of a crowd that had gathered. When used of the church as the body of Christ, however, it becomes a technical word referring to those called out of the world and joined together with a living union in Christ. This concept is not found in the Old Testament even though Israel sometimes was gathered together for religious purposes. The term when used of the saved applies specifically to the company of those who are saved in the present age whether on earth or in heaven.
B. The Church: A New Testament Revelation
Because the concept of a church formed of Jews and Gentiles alike— all of whom are saved and joined together by eternal life — is not found in the Old Testament, only the New Testament gives the divine revelation on this important subject. In the plan of God it was necessary for Christ to come first, to die on the cross, to be raised from the dead, and to ascend into heaven. With the advent of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, however, it was possible for God to fulfill His purpose of having a special company of believers disregarding the distinction between Israel and the Gentiles and having their own place in the eternal purpose of God. According to Acts 2, as confirmed by the experience of Cornelius in Acts 10, believers in Christ were baptized by the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13) and became members one of another with the advent of the Holy Spirit. From Pentecost on, as each believer became saved he became a member of the body of Christ, as was previously discussed in the doctrine of the baptism of the Spirit. Once the church is complete and caught up in the Rapture into heaven, the divine purpose will return to the normal distinction between Jew and Gentiles who are saved in the period of trial following the Rapture and also in the millennial kingdom.
C. The Jew, the Gentile, and the Church of God
In the present age, the Bible recognizes three major divisions of the human family — the Jew, the Gentile, and the church of God (1 Cor. 10:32). Observing these distinctions are most important to understanding God’s present purpose. 1. The Jews, or the children of Israel, are that nation which sprang from Abraham in the line of Isaac and Jacob, and who, according to divine purpose and promise, are the chosen earthly people of God. This nation has been miraculously preserved to the present time and, according to prophecy, will yet be the dominant, glorified people of the earth in the coming kingdom age (Isa. 62:1-12). The eternal promises of Jehovah to this people cannot be altered. These promises include a national entity (Jer. 31:36), a land (Gen. 13:15), a throne (2 Sam. 7:13), a king (Jer. 33:20- 21), and a kingdom (2 Sam. 7:16). In the faithfulness of God, their promises, which are primarily earthly in character, have been fulfilled to the present hour and will be fulfilled to all eternity; for each of these covenants is said to be everlasting in duration. Four words describe the out-working of the divine purpose in this people — “chosen,” “scattered,” “gathered,” “blessed.” It is obvious that they were chosen and are now scattered among all the nations of the earth. They will yet be gathered and blessed. The peculiar ministry of this people is stated in Romans 9:4-5 (cf. Gen. 12:3). 2. The Gentiles are that vast unnumbered company, excluding the Israelites, who have lived on the earth from Adam until now. Apart from certain individuals, there is no record that during the period from Adam to Christ God sustained any special relation or extended any immediate promises to them. However, the prophecies of the Old Testament predict great earthly blessings to come upon the Gentiles in the yet future kingdom on the earth, and in the present age they partake alike with the Jews in the privileges of the Gospel. 3. The church of God refers, not to the membership of organized churches, but to the whole company of the redeemed who will have been saved in the present age. They are a distinct people because (a) all individuals in that company being born again enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5) and are destined to be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29); (b) they are no longer in Adam partaking of the ruin of the old creation (2 Cor. 5:17), but are in Christ partaking in the new creation of all that Christ is in His resurrection life and glory (Eph. 1:3; Col. 2:10); (c) in the sight of God, their nationality is changed, for they have come upon new ground where there is neither Jew or Gentile, but Christ is all in all (Col. 3:11); (d) they are now citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:3), and all their promises, their possessions, and their position are heavenly (2 Cor. 5:17-18). By so much this heavenly people are distinguished from all other people of the earth.
D. The Church Formed From Both Jews and Gentiles
The respective earthly positions of the Jews and the Gentiles have already been pointed out. To this it should be added that God, during the present age and for the purposes of grace, has placed both Jews and Gentiles upon a common ground (Rom. 3:9). They are now said to be “under sin,” which means that they are now shut up to salvation by grace alone. At the death of Christ the change in the divine program from the recognition of a favored nation to an appeal to individuals, Jews and Gentiles alike, was most difficult for the Jew to understand. He did not understand that his covenants were set aside for a time, but not abrogated. The nations struggles with this problem are recorded in the Book of Acts. The Jew is unadjusted to this age-program to the present time, and it is predicted of him that he will remain blinded in part until the church is called out (Rom. 11:25), after which the Deliverer will come out of Zion and will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. This, it is stated, is God’s covenant with them when He will take away their sins (Rom. 11:26-27). Nevertheless, through the preaching of the Gospel both Jews and Gentiles are now being saved and the church is being completed. The apostle directed that the Gospel should first be preached to the Jew (Rom. 1:16), and his own ministry was ordered according to this program (Acts 17:1-3). As has been suggested, two revelations were given to the Apostle Paul: one, of the gospel of the grace of God —probably while in Arabia at the beginning of his ministry (Gal. 1:11-12); and the other, of the church which is the body of Christ — probably while in prison (Eph. 3:3-6). The vital feature of the second revelation is that out of the two sources —Jews and Gentiles — God is now forming one new body (Eph. 2:15). This was a mystery, or hitherto unrevealed divine secret. That God had purposes for Israel, or for the Gentiles, was no secret since it is the theme of Old Testament prophecy; but the secret “hid in God” was the making of a new heavenly order of beings from both Jews and Gentiles.
The Church: Her Purpose and Commission
By means of the church in the present age, God is now making known His wisdom and manifesting His grace to the angelic host (Eph. 3:10). In heaven the church will eternally be the illustration of what the grace of God can do (Eph. 2:7). Strictly speaking, however, the divine commission of the church is given to individual believers rather than to the corporate body. Christ as the Head of the church is able to direct each believer in the paths of the Lord’s will in keeping with His personal gifts and the plan of God for the individual life. All of this, however, is in harmony with God’s general purpose for the church in the present age. In the church corporately, God is fulfilling a present divine purpose which is unfolding exactly as prophesied in the Scriptures.
A. The Present Divine Purpose in the World
The present divine purpose of this age is not the conversion of the world, but rather the calling out from the world those who will believe in Christ to form the body of Christ which is the church. It is true that the world will be converted, and there is yet to be a kingdom of righteousness in the earth; but according to the Bible, that day of a transformed earth, far from being the result of Christian service, is said to follow rather than precede the return of Christ, and is said to be made possible only By His personal presence and immediate power. It is after the smiting of the Stone —a symbol of the return of Christ — that the God of heaven sets up an everlasting kingdom in the earth (Dan. 2:44-45). It is after the Lord returns and sits on the throne of His glory that He directs the sheep on His right hand to enter the earthly kingdom prepared for them (Matt. 25:31-34). In like manner, it is after He is seen descending from heaven that Christ reigns a thousand years on the earth (Rev. 1 9 : 1 1 – 2 0 : 9 ; cf. Acts 15:13-19; 1 Cor. 15:20-25). When anticipating the peculiar features of this age (Matt. 13:1-50), the Lord made mention of three major characteristics: (1) Israel’s place in the world would be as a treasure hid in the field (Matt. 13:44); (2) evil would continue to the end of the age (Matt. 13:4,25,33,48); and (3) the children of the kingdom —who are likened to wheat, to a pearl of great cost, and to good fish —shall be gathered out (Matt. 13:30,45, 46, 48). Of these three characteristics of the age, it is disclosed that the last, or the gathering out of the children of the kingdom, constitutes the supreme purpose of God in this age. In accordance with this, it is stated in Romans 11:25 that Israel’s present blindness is only “until” the completion of the church (note Eph. 1:22-23), the end of the age of special Gentile blessing. Likewise, the mystery of iniquity,” or evil in the present age, is declared to continue, though restrained, until the Restrainer — the Spirit of God — is taken out of the way (2 Thess. 2 : 7 ) . As the Spirit will depart only when He has completed the calling out of the church, the immediate purpose of God is not the correction of the evil in the world, but the out-calling of all who will believe. Israel’s covenants will yet be fulfilled (Rom. 11:27), and evil will be banished from the earth (Rev. 21:1); but the present purpose of God, for which all else evidently awaits, is the completion of the church. In Acts 15:13-19 the substance of James’s address at the conclusion of the first council of the church in Jerusalem is given. The occasion of this council was to determine this same question as to the present purpose of God. The early church comprised largely Jews, and these were confused with regard to their own national position in the light of the fact that the new gospel was flowing out to Gentiles. James states that, according to Peter s experience in the house of Cornelius the Gentile, God is first visiting Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. “After this,” James continues, the Lord will return and then will fulfill all His purposes for Israel and the Gentiles. The practical bearing of all this upon the subject of this study is that, in the present age, never is the individual believer (much less the church) appointed of God to a world-improvement program; but the believer is called to be a witness in all the world to Christ and His saving grace, and through this ministry of gospel preaching the Spirit of God will accomplish the supreme divine purpose in the age.
B. The Formation of the Church
Christ prophesied that He would build His church (Matt. 16:18), and the Apostle Paul likened the church to a structure of living stones growing “unto an holy temple in the Lord” and “builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:21-22). Likewise, the believer’s ministry of soul-winning and edification of the body of Christ continues, not forever, but “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). The “stature of the fulness of Christ” does not refer to the development of Christlike men, but rather to the development of the body of Christ to its completion (Eph. 1:22-23). The same aspect of truth is restated in Ephesians 4:16, where the members of the body, like living cells in the human body, are represented as being unceasingly active in soul-winning and are thereby making “increase of the body.”
C. The Believer’s Commission
Christ gave a prediction that the seed-sowing which is to characterize the present age would result in but a fourth portion becoming “wheat” (Matt. 13:1-23). Nevertheless, though the preaching of the gospel relates to death as well as to life (2 Cor. 2:16), the child of God is commissioned to be instant in season and out of season in his efforts to win the lost. He is appointed to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15), knowing that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). It is also stated in 2 Corinthians 5:19 that God who was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, has committed to us the word of reconciliation. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). This ministry rests upon every believer alike and may be exercised in many ways. 1. The Gospel may be presented to the unsaved through sacrificial gifts. Evidently there are many earnest believers who would rejoice to win a soul for Christ who have not awakened to the effectiveness’ of giving their substance to this end. The messenger cannot go except he be sent, but the one who sends him is a partner in the service and has taken stock which will pay eternal dividends. 2. The Gospel may be presented to the unsaved in answer to prayer. He who has said “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14) will certainly thrust laborers into the harvest in answer to prayer. It is easily proven that there is no more fruitful ministry possible to the child of God than prayer; yet how very few seem to realize that souls are saved through that service. 3. The Gospel may be presented to the unsaved by word of mouth. Since all are commissioned to this task, there are certain imperative conditions to be observed: (a) the messenger must be willing to be placed where the Spirit wills; (b) the messenger should be instructed as to the precise truths which constitute the gospel of grace which he is appointed to declare; (c) the messenger must be Spirit-filled, else he will lack that impelling passion for the lost which alone prompts one to fearless and tireless soul-winning service. “After that the Holy Ghost is come upon you,” Christ said, “. . . ye shall be witnesses unto me” (Acts 1:8). Apart from this filling, there will be no disposition to witness. But, being filled, there is no staying the outflow of divine compassion (Acts 4:20). 4. The Gospel may be also presented by various mechanical means such as literature, the radio, television, and sacred music. Regardless of means, the truth must be presented in such a way that the Holy Spirit can use it. 5. Undoubtedly, God uses many other means to promote the Gospel such as educational institutions where men are trained to preach, missionary aviation which serves to transport men who are carrying the Gospel, and the printed page. Although every Christian may not be equally effectual in preaching the Gospel directly, every Christian bears a portion of the responsibility of seeing to it that the Gospel is preached to every creature.
The Church: Her Service and Stewardship
A. Her Service Toward God
Service is any work performed for the benefit of another. When this theme is traced through the Bible, a series of similarities and contrasts between the Old and New Testaments will be observed. Almost every doctrine of the New Testament is anticipated in the Old, and almost every doctrine of the Old Testament is incomplete until perfected in the New. The theme of service is no exception; its study will prove to be largely a recognition of the Old Testament type with the New Testament antitype. Service which God appoints, whether of the Old or New Testament order, is committed primarily to a divinely fitted priesthood. In the Old Testament order the priesthood was a hierarchy over the nation, and in their service they were under the authority of the high priest. In the New Testament order every believer is a priest unto God (1 Pet. 2:5-9; Rev. 1:6). The whole ministering company of New Testament priests is under the authority of Christ, who is the true High Priest, of whom all other high priests were but types. Therefore, according to the New Testament order, service is committed to all believers alike and on the ground of their priestly relation to God. In their priestly ministry, the priests of the New Testament, like the priests of the Old Testament, were appointed to serve both God and man. As there was no evangel to be preached to the nations of the earth, service in the period covered by the Old Testament consisted only of the performance by the priests of the divinely appointed ritual in the Tabernacle or Temple. In contrast with this, the New Testament priestly ministry is much broader in its scope, including not only a service to God and fellow believers, but to all men everywhere. 1. The service of sacrifice is strikingly similar in both the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament priest was sanctified or set apart both by the fact that he was born into the priestly family of Levi and by the fact that he, with due ceremony, was inducted into the priestly office, which appointment continued so long as he lived. Likewise, at the beginning1 of his ministry he was ceremonially cleansed by a once-for-all bathing (Exod. 29:4). In fulfilling the antitype, the believer priest is wholly and once for all cleansed at the moment he is saved (Col. 2:13; Titus 3:5) and, by virtue of his salvation, is set apart unto God. So also, he is set apart by the new birth into the family of God. In addition to all this, it is peculiarly required of the New Testament priest that he willingly dedicate himself to God. Concerning his self-dedication we read: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service* (Rom. 12:1). The phrase, “the mercies of God,” refers to the great facts of salvation which have been set forth in the preceding chapters of the Book of Romans, into which mercies every believer enters the moment he is saved; while the presentation of the body as a living sacrifice is the self-dedication to the will of God of all that the believer is and has. That which is thus yielded God accepts and places where He wills in the field of service (Eph. 2:10). According to Scripture, this divine act of accepting and placing is consecration. Therefore, the believer priest may dedicate himself, but never consecrates himself, to God. In connection with the divine act of consecration, it should be observed that the present work of Christ as High Priest — receiving, directing, and administering the service of believers — fulfills what was typified by the ministry of the Old Testament priest in the consecration of the sons of Levi. Having yielded to God and being no longer conformed to this world, the believer-priest will experience a transformed life by the power of the indwelling Spirit, and by that power he will make full proof of “what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom. 12:2). According to the New Testament order, priestly service in sacrifice toward God is fourfold: (a) the dedication of self which is declared to be a “reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1), or more literally, a “spiritual worship.” As Christ Himself was both the Sacrificer and the Sacrifice, so the believer may glorify God by the offering of his whole body as a living sacrifice to God; (b) the sacrifice of the lips which is the voice of praise and is to be offered continually (Heb. 13:15); (c) the sacrifice of substance (Phil. 4:18); (d) the sacrifice of good works (Heb. 13:16). Referring to the cleansing of the priests, it should be noted again that the Old Testament priest upon entering his holy office was once-for-all cleansed by a whole bathing, which was administered by another (Exod. 29:4); afterward, however, though thus wholly bathed, he was required to be cleansed repeatedly by a partial bathing at the brazen laver, and this before undertaking any priestly service. In fulfilling the typical significance of this, the New Testament priest, though wholly cleansed and forgiven when saved, is at all times required to confess every known sin in order that he may be cleansed and qualified for fellowship with God (1 John 1:9). As the appointment of the Old Testament priest was for life, so the New Testament priest is a priest unto God forever. 2. The service of worship, which will be presented at length in a later chapter, may here be considered as part of the service of every believer-priest in the present age, just as it was also a part of the worship and service of every priest in the Old Testament. As the furnishings of the holy place symbolized the worship of the priest in the Old Testament order, and every feature and furnishing of that place spoke of Christ, so the believers worship is by and through Christ alone. Again, in service unto God, the believers worship may be the offering of oneself to God (Rom. 12:1), the ascribing of praise and thanksgiving to God from the heart (Heb. 13:15), or the sacrificial gifts that are offered to Him. In connection with the worship of the Old Testament priests, there were two prohibitions recorded, and these also have typical meaning. No “strange” incense was to be borne (Exod. 30:9) — which speaks typically of mere formality in service toward God; and no “strange” fire was allowed (Lev. 10:1)—which symbolizes the substitution of fleshly emotions in our service for true devotion to Christ by the Spirit, or the love of lesser things to the exclusion of the love for Christ (1 Cor. 1:11-13; Col. 2:8, 16-19). 3. The service of intercession, also to be considered in a later chapter, is an important function of the believer-priest. As the prophet is God’s representative to the people, so the priest is the people’s representative to God. As the priesthood is a divine appointment, the necessary access to God is always provided; however, no priest of the old dispensation was permitted to enter the holy of holies other than the high priest, and he but once a year on the ground of sacrificial blood (Heb. 9:7). In this dispensation Christ as High Priest has through His own blood now entered into the heavenly sanctuary (Heb. 4:14-16; 9:24; 10:19-22) and is interceding for His own who are in the world (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25). When Christ died, the veil of the temple was rent —which signifies that the way into the holiest is now open, not to the world, but to all who come unto God on the ground of the shed blood of Christ (Heb. 10:19-22). Having unhindered access to God because of the blood of Christ, the New Testament priest is thus privileged to minister in intercession (Rom. 8:26-27; Heb. 10:19-22; 1 Tim. 2:1; Col. 4:12).
B. Service Toward Man
There is a divine arrangement in the order of the truth as found in Romans 12:1-8. Here, as in all Scripture, Christian service is not mentioned until the great issues of dedication and consecration are presented. Immediately following the message concerning these fundamental issues, the subject of divinely bestowed gifts for service is introduced, and in this connection it is important to observe the wide difference between the biblical use of the word “gift” and that meaning given to it in common speech. A gift is generally understood to refer to some native ability, received by birth, enabling one to do special things. According to the scriptural use of the word, a gift is a ministry of the indwelling Spirit. It is the Spirit performing a service and using the believer as an instrument. In no sense is it something which is wrought by the believer alone, or even by the believer when assisted by the Spirit. Christian service is said to be a “manifestation of the Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:7), just as Christian character is a “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23). Though every believer possesses some divinely bestowed gift (1 Cor. 12:7; Eph. 4 : 7 ) , there is a diversity of gifts (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; Eph. 4:11). Christians are not all appointed to do the same thing. In this there is a contrast with the priestly office in which all believers sacrifice, worship, and intercede. Though certain representative gifts which are general are named in Scripture (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:8-11; Eph. 4:11) and though some of these have evidently ceased (1 Cor. 13:8), it is probable that the ministry of the Spirit through the believers is as varied as the circumstances in which they are called to serve. Gifts are bestowed that the servant of God may be “profitable” (1 Cor. 12:7), and it is therefore implied that service which is wrought in the energy of the flesh is not profitable. The Spirit’s manifestation in the exercise of a gift is as “rivers of living water” (John 7:37-39) and is the realization of these “good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Without being urged, Spirit-filled believers are constantly active in the exercise of their gifts. Carnal believers, though possessing a gift, are not active in its exercise, nor do they respond to human exhortations. However, when they become adjusted to God by confession of sin, yieldedness of life, and a walk in dependence on the indwelling Spirit, immediately they are Spirit-filled and as a result they desire to do the will of God and by His sufficient power working in them become profitable in that service to which they have been before ordained of God. Christians are not Spirit-filled because they are active in service; they are active in service because they are Spirit-filled. Likewise, it is sometimes the will of God that all activity cease and that the weary servant rest. It was Christ who said, “Come ye apart . . . and rest.”
C. Her Stewardship
The Christian s responsibility in stewardship may be considered under three phases: (1) earning money, (2) possessing money, (3) giving money. Since money earned by toil is human life in concrete form, and since money however gained is a vital factor in both spiritual and material progress, the child of God must face his responsibility as a steward for which he will be judged at the judgment seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10-12). Too often money is acquired, held, or given by the child of God without due recognition of that fundamental relationship which he sustains to God. 1. The earning of money for a Christian must be in a manner worthy of a Christians relationship to God. As the command admonishes us, “whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). It is divinely arranged that all shall engage in toil (Gen. 3:19; 2 Thess. 3:10), and the Christian is not excepted. However, to the spiritual, instructed believer, labor is more than merely earning a living; it is doing the will of God. Every employment, be it ever so menial, should be accepted by the child of God as a specific appointment from God, and to be done for Him, else not done at all. The incidental fact that God is pleased to give His child food and raiment through daily labor should not obscure the greater truth that God in infinite love is committed to the care of His children, and this without reference to their earning power (Phil. 4:19; Heb. 13:5). The saying “God provides for those only who cannot provide for themselves” is untrue. He cares for His own at all times, since all that they have is from Him (1 Sam. 2 : 7 ). In relationships among men there are agreements and salaries to be recognized, for “the labourer is worthy of his hire” (Luke 10:7); but in relation to his Father, the Christian’s highest ideal concerning his toil is that whatever he does, he does at the appointment of his Father, for His sake, and as an expression of devotion to Him. Likewise, whatever is received is not earned, but is rather the expression of the Father’s loving care. Such an attitude is not sentimental or impractical; it is the only basis upon which the believer can sanctify all his toil by doing it for the glory of God, or be able to “rejoice evermore” (1 Thess. 5:16) in the midst of the burdens of life. 2. The possessing of money becomes a great responsibility for any sincere Christian. In view of the appalling need on every hand and the unmeasured good that money may accomplish, every spiritual Christian must face the practical question relative to retaining property in his own possession. It is doubtless often the will of God that property shall be kept in store; but the yielded Christian will not assume this. His property should be held only as God directs, and it should be subject to His control. The motives which actuate men both rich and poor —the desire to be rich (1 Tim. 6:8-9,17-18; James 1:11; Heb. 13:5; Phil, 4:11), the desire to provide against a day of need (Matt. 6:25-34), and the desire to provide for others — are commendable only as they fulfill the specifically revealed will of God in each individual’s life. 3. The giving of money which a Christian has earned becomes an important aspect of any believer’s service for God. Self and money are alike the roots of much evil, and in the dispensing of money, as in its acquisition and possession, the Christian is expected to stand upon a grace relationship to God. This relationship presupposes that he has first given himself to God in unqualified dedication (2 Cor. 8:5); and a true dedication of self to God includes all that one is and has (1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23; 1 Pet. 1:18-19) — his life, his time, his strength, his ability, his ideals, and his property. In matters pertaining to the giving of money, the grace principle involves the believer’s recognition of God’s sovereign authority over all that the Christian is and has, and contrasts with the Old Testament legal system of tithing which was in force as a part of the law until the law was done away with (John 1:16-17; Rom. 6:14; 7:1-6; 2 Cor. 3:1-18; Gal. 3:19-25; 5:18; Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14). Though certain principles of the law were carried forward and restated under grace, tithing, like sabbath observance, is never imposed on the believer in this dispensation. Since the Lord’s Day superseded the legal sabbath and is adapted to the principles of grace as the sabbath could not be, so tithing has been superseded by a new system of giving which is adapted to the teachings of grace as tithing could not be. Christian giving under grace, as illustrated in the experience of the saints at Corinth, is summarized in 2 Corinthians 8:1 — 9:15. In this passage we discover (a) Christ was their pattern. The Lord’s giving of Himself (2 Cor. 8:9) is the pattern of all giving under grace. He did not give a tenth; He gave all. (b) Their giving was even out of great poverty. A striking combination of phrases is employed to describe what the Corinthians experienced in their giving (2 Cor. 8 : 2 ) : “in a great trial of affliction,” “the abundance of their joy,” “their deep poverty abounded,” “the riches of their liberality.” Likewise, concerning liberality in spite of great poverty, it should be remembered that “the widows mite” (Luke 21:1-4), which drew the commendation of the Lord Jesus, was not a part, but “all that she had.” ( c ) Their giving was not by commandment, nor of necessity. Under the law, a tenth was commanded and its payment was a necessity; under grace, God is not seeking the gift, but an expression of devotion from the giver. Under grace no law is imposed, and no proportion to be given is stipulated; and, while it is true that God works in the yielded heart both to will and to do His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13), He finds pleasure only in that gift which is given cheerfully, or more literally, “hilariously” (2 Cor. 9 : 7 ) . If a law existed stipulating the amount to be given, there are those, doubtless, who would seek to fulfill it, even against their own wishes. Thus their gift wrould be made “grudgingly” and “of necessity.” If it be said that to support the work of the Gospel we must have money whether given hilariously or not, it may also be said that it is not the amount which is given, but rather the divine blessing upon the gift that accomplishes the desired end. Christ fed five thousand from five loaves and two fishes. There is abundant evidence to prove that wherever the children of God have fulfilled their privilege in giving under grace, their liberality has resulted in “all sufficiency in all things” which has made them “abound to every good work,” for God is able to make even the grace of giving to “abound” to every believer (2 Cor. 9 : 8 ) . (d) The early Christians, first of all, gave themselves. Acceptable giving is preceded by a complete giving of oneself (2 Cor. 8:5). This suggests the important truth that giving under grace, like giving under the law, is limited to a certain class of people. Tithing was never imposed by God on any other than the nation Israel. So, Christian giving is limited to believers and is most acceptable when given by believers who have yielded their lives to God. (e) Christians in the early church also gave systematically. Like tithing, there is suggested systematic regularity in giving under grace. “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him” (1 Cor. 16:2). This injunction is addressed to “every man” (every Christian man), and thus excuses none; and giving is to be from that which is already “in store.” (f) God sustains the giver. God will sustain grace-giving with limitless temporal resources (2 Cor. 9:8-10; Luke 6:38). In this connection it may be seen that those who give as much as a tenth are usually prospered in temporal things; but since the believer can have no relation to the law (Gal. 5:1), it is evident that this prosperity is the fulfillment of the promise under grace, rather than the fulfillment of promises under the law. No blessings are thus dependent on the exact tithing. The blessings are bestowed because a heart has expressed itself through a gift. It is manifest that no gift will be made to God from the heart which He will not graciously acknowledge. There is no opportunity here for designing people to become rich. The giving must be from the heart, and God’s response will be according to His perfect will for His child. He may respond by bestowing spiritual riches, or in temporal blessings as He shall choose. (g) True riches are from God. The Corinthian Christians were made rich with heavenly riches. There is such a thing as being rich in this world’s goods and yet not rich toward God (Luke 12:21). All such are invited to buy of Him that gold which is tried in the fire (Rev. 3:18). Through the absolute poverty of Christ in His death, all may be made rich (2 Cor. 8:9). It is possible to be rich in faith (James 2:5) and rich in good works (1 Tim. 6:18); but in Christ Jesus the believer receives “the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7), and “the riches of his glory” (Eph. 3:16).
The Church: Her Worship in Prayer and Thanksgiving
As brought out in Romans 12:1-2 and Hebrews 13:15-16, a Christian as a believer-priest is occupied with four sacrifices: (1) the sacrifice of his body (Rom. 12:1-2); (2) the sacrifice of praise (Heb. 13:15); (3) the sacrifice of good works (Heb. 13:16); and (4) the sacrifice of stewardship or sharing as brought out in the expression “to communicate forget not” (Heb, 13:16). God is well pleased with such sacrifices (Heb. 13:16). Having dealt with the sacrifice of good works and stewardship of material possessions in previous discussion, we may now consider the work of the believer-priest in his prayer and praise to God which forms the essential of worship. In the present age, worship is not a matter of form and circumstance, but as Christ said to the Samaritan woman, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Accordingly, worship is not confined to sacred services in great cathedrals, but is the adoration of the heart of the Christian as he expresses his praise and intercession to his Heavenly Father in the name of Christ. Prayer and praise are the principal elements of worship and are acts of direct communion of men with God. The study of the doctrine of prayer and praise in the Old and New Testaments reveals a progressive revelation and increasing privilege.
A. Prayer Before the First Advent of Christ
Though individual and private prayer was offered by godly men in all the ages, it is evident that prayer, in the main, was offered by the patriarch in behalf of his household (Job 1:5) and, during the period between Moses and Christ, by the priests and rulers in behalf of the people. Throughout these centuries the ground of prayer consisted in pleading the covenants of Jehovah (1 Kings 8:22-26; Neh. 9:32; Dan. 9:4) and His holy character (Gen. 18:25; Exod. 32:11-14), and it followed the shedding of sacrificial blood (Heb. 9 : 7 ) .
B. Prayer in Expectation of the Kingdom
The Messianic claim of Christ and the acceptance of the kingdom at His hand were rejected by the nation Israel; but during the early days of His preaching, and when the kingdom was being offered to Israel, He taught His disciples to pray for the kingdom to be set up in the earth. The familiar Lord’s Prayer is stated in Matthew 6:9-13 and includes the petition “thy kingdom come” (Matt. 6:10). This prayer has primarily in view the realization of the kingdom on earth in the millennium when Christ would reign supreme on earth. The doxology as contained in Matthew 6:13 concludes, “for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” This doxology is not found in many ancient manuscripts of the gospel of Matthew and is omitted in the parallel account in Luke 11:2-4. Accordingly, many believe it was added by those who copied Scripture as a suitable way to conclude the prayer. Whether originally in Matthew or not, it correctly states the doctrine of the future kingdom. Because the Lord’s Prayer also includes other items that are suitable for all ages and circumstances — such as the adoration of the Father, petition for daily bread, and for deliverance from temptation — it has often been taken as a model prayer. It is doubtful, however, whether this was the intention of Christ. The real “Lord’s Prayer” is found in John 17, where our Lord interceded for His church in the full recognition of God’s purpose for the church in the present age. Some have held that the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew is improperly used in the present age, and yet its many timeless characteristics and its simplicity have endeared it to many believers; moreover, it is not improper for those living today to anticipate in prayer the coming of the millennial kingdom. However, it must be clearly understood that this kingdom will not come by human effort before the second coming of Christ, as some have taught, but awaits the glorious return of Christ who by His power and might will set up His kingdom on earth.
C. The Prayer of Christ
In John 17 the true “Lord’s Prayer” is presented and reveals the utmost freedom in communion between the Father and the Son. In this chapter Christ is exercising His office as High Priest, and the theme of His prayer is the need of believers on earth in the coming age following Pentecost. While on earth prior to His death, Christ spent long seasons in prayer (Matt. 14:23), even all night (Luke 6:12), and it is probable that the form of His prayer was the same familiar communion with His Father found in John 17. The prayer of Christ does not seem to depend upon the promises or covenants, but rather rests in His own person and priestly work of sacrifice. The prayer of Christ especially in John 17 is, accordingly, a revelation of the intercessory work of Christ at the right hand of the Father which continues throughout the present dispensation.
D. Prayer Under the Relationship of Grace
Prayer is not the same throughout all ages, but like all other human responsibilities, it is adapted to the various dispensations. With the great advance in the revelation provided in the New Testament, prayer takes on the new status of prayer in the name of Christ in the full revelation of His sacrifice on the cross. Among the seven outstanding features of the believers life under grace which Christ mentioned in the Upper Room and in Gethsemane (John 13:1 — 17:26), prayer is included. The teaching of Christ on this most vital theme is given in three passages (John 14:12-14; 15:7; 16:23-24). According to this word of Christ, the present possibility of prayer under grace is lifted out of earthly limitations into the sphere of the infinite relationships which obtain in the new creation. This form of prayer may be considered under four aspects. 1. The function of prayer includes not only praise but the believer presenting his own needs to the Lord and interceding on behalf of others. Rationalism teaches that prayer is unreasonable because an omniscient God would already know what is required better than the man who prays. God, nevertheless, has sovereignly ordained prayer as a means to accomplishing His will in the world and has instructed those who believe in Him to present their petitions. The importance of prayer is revealed in John 14:13-14 wherein Christ promised to do whatever they would ask in His name. Accordingly, God has elevated the importance of prayer to the point where to a large degree God has conditioned His own action on the faithful prayer of the believer. This responsibility in partnership has been established. It is no longer a question of reasonableness; it is a question of adjustment. It is probable that we cannot know all that is involved, but we do know that in the ministry of prayer the child of God is brought into vital partnership in the work of God in a manner in which he could not otherwise partake. Since the Christian may share in the glory that follows, he is given this opportunity of sharing in the achievement. This responsibility in partnership is not extended to the believer as a special concession; it is the normal function of one for whom the sacrificial blood has been shed (Heb. 10:19-20), and who has been vitally joined to Christ in the New Creation. It is not unreasonable that one who is a living part of Christ (Eph. 5:30) should share both in His service and in His glory. It should be noted that it is in connection with this announcement of the new office of prayer as a partnership in achievement that Christ stated, “Greater works than these shall he [the believer] do” (John 14:12), which word is immediately followed by the assurance that He alone undertakes to respond to this ministry of prayer. So vital is this blending of endeavor between prayer and that which is divinely wrought in its answer that the believer is said by Christ to be the doer of the “greater works.” 2. The privilege of praying in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, which under grace is extended to every child of God, lends to prayer a characteristic which lifts it to an infinite degree above every other form of prayer that ever was or will be. Likewise, the present form of prayer supersedes all preceding privileges; for when Christ said, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name” (John 16:24), He dismissed every other ground of prayer that had existed. We may be sure that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ commands the attention of the Father and that the Father will not only listen when that name is used, but will be inclined to do whatsoever is asked to be done for the sake of His beloved Son. The name of Christ is equivalent to the person of Christ, and the name is not given to believers merely as something with which to conjure. Praying in the name of Christ means recognition of oneself as a living part of Christ in the New Creation and therefore limits the subjects of prayer to those projects which are in direct line with the purposes and glory of Christ. It is praying a prayer which Christ might pray. Since prayer in the name of Christ is like signing His name to our petition, it is reasonable that prayer in His name should be thus limited. Having pointed out that sometimes spiritual poverty is due to the fact that we “ask not,” James goes on to state that “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:2-3). Prayer thus may become an appeal either for the things of self or for the things of Christ. The believer, having been saved from self and vitally united to Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-18; Col. 3:3), is no longer concerned with self. This is not to say that the believer’s best interests are abandoned; but it is to say that these interests are now looked upon as belonging to the new sphere wherein “Christ is all in all.” Being in Christ, it is normal for us to pray in His name and abnormal to pray for the mere desires of self which are apart from the glory of Christ. Since prayer is possible only on the ground of the shed blood and by virtue of the believer’s vital union with Christ, the prayer of the unsaved cannot be accepted by God. 3. The scope of prayer under grace is stated in the one word “whatsoever”; but not without its reasonable limitations. It is whatsoever ye ask in the name, according to the purposes and glory, of Christ. Before true prayer can be offered, the heart must be conformed to the mind of Christ. Thus it is said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will (John 15:7), and this is true; for under such heart adjustment the child of God will ask only for those things which are in the sphere of God’s will. Under grace, there is perfect liberty of action given to the one in whom God is working both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). Likewise, there is unlimited freedom of petition to the one who prays in the will of God. To the Spirit-filled believer it is said: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom. 8:26-27). The scope of prayer under grace is not narrow; it is as infinite as the eternal interests of the One in whose name we are privileged to pray. 4. The practice of prayer should be given careful attention by every faithful believer. It is most important that believers observe regular times of prayer. They should avoid any irreverent use of prayer or useless repetitions as characterize the heathen world and follow the divine order prescribed for prayer under grace. This is stated in the words, “In that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23), and prayer is to be “in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 2 0 ) . This order is not arbitrarily imposed. However, to pray to Christ is to abandon His mediation by praying to Him, rather than through Him, thereby sacrificing the most vital feature of prayer under grace — prayer in His name. To pray to the Spirit of God is to pray to Him, rather than by Him, and implies that we are to that degree depending on our own sufficiency. It may be concluded then, that prayer under grace is to be offered to the Father, in the name of the Son, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
E. The Prayer of Thanksgiving
True thanksgiving is the voluntary expression of heartfelt gratitude for benefit received. Its effectiveness depends upon its sincerity, as its intensity depends upon the value which is placed upon the benefit received (2 Cor. 9:11). Thanksgiving is peculiarly personal. There are obligations belonging to us which may be assumed by another; but no one can offer for us our word of thanksgiving (Lev. 22:29). Thanksgiving is in no way a payment for the benefit received; it is rather a gracious acknowledgement of the fact that the one who had received the benefit is indebted to the giver. Since no payment can be made to God for His unmeasured and uncounted benefits, the obligation to be thankful to Him is stated throughout Scriptures, and all thanksgiving is closely related to worship and praise. Under the old order, the spiritual relationships to God were expressed in material ways. Among these, provision was made for the offering, or sacrifice, of thanksgiving (Lev. 7:12,13,15; Pss. 107:22; 116:17). Similarly, in this age it is the privilege of the believer to make sacrificial offerings of thanksgiving to God. However, if while offering the sacrificial gift of thanksgiving the motive should include the thought of compensation, the essential value of thanksgiving is destroyed. The subject of prayer is mentioned many times in the Old Testament and frequently in the Psalms. In the Old Testament explicit direction is given for the thanksgiving offerings (Lev. 7:12-15), and praise and thanksgiving were especially emphasized in the revival under Nehemiah (Neh. 12:24-40). Likewise, the prophetic message of the Old Testament anticipates thanksgiving as a special feature of worship in the coming kingdom (Isa. 51:3; Jer. 30:19). So also, there is ceaseless thanksgiving in heaven (Rev. 4:9; 7:12; 11:17). An important feature of Old Testament thanksgiving is the appreciation of the Person of God apart from all His benefits (Pss. 30:4; 95:2; 97:12; 100:1-5; 119:62). Though so constantly neglected, this theme of thanksgiving is most important and such praise is reasonable and fitting. “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD” (Ps. 92:1). In the New Testament the theme of thanksgiving is mentioned about forty-five times, and this form of praise is offered for both temporal and spiritual blessings. Christ’s unfailing practice of giving thanks for food (Matt. 15:36; 26:27; Mark 8:6; 14:23; Luke 22:17,19; John 6:23; 1 Cor. 11:24) should prove an effectual example to all believers. The Apostle Paul was also faithful in this particular (Acts 27:35; Rom. 14:6; 1 Tim. 4:3-4). Thanksgiving on the part of the Apostle Paul is worthy of close attention. He uses the phrase “thanks be unto God” in connection with Christ as the “unspeakable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15), concerning the victory over the grave which is secured by the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:57), and because of the present triumph which is ours through Christ (2 Cof. 2:14). His thanksgiving to God for believers (1 Thess. 1:2; 3:9), for Titus in particular (2 Cor. 8:16), and his exhortation that thanks be given for all men (1 Tim. 2:1) are likewise object lessons to all the children of God. Two important features of thanksgiving according to the New Testament should be noted. 1. Thanksgiving should be prayer without ceasing. Since the adorable Person of God is unchanged and His benefits never cease, and since the abundant grace of God will redound to the glory of God through the thanksgiving of many (2 Cor. 4:15), it is reasonable that thanksgiving be given to Him without ceasing. Of this form of praise we read: “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Heb. 13:15; cf. Eph. 1:16; 5:20; Col. 1:3; 4 : 2 ) . This feature of thanksgiving is also emphasized in the Old Testament (Pss. 30:12; 79:13; 107:22; 116:17). 2. Thanksgiving should be offered for all things as stated in Ephesians 5:20: “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” A similar command is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (cf. Phil. 4:6; Col. 2:7; 3:17). Giving thanks always for all things is far removed from giving thanks sometimes for some things. However, having accepted the truth that all things work together for good to them who love God, it is fitting that thanks be rendered to God for all things. Such God-honoring praise can be offered only by those who are saved and who are Spirit-filled (Eph. 5:18-20). Daniel gave thanks to God in the fact of the sentence of death (Dan. 6:10), and Jonah gave thanks to God from the belly of the great fish and from the depths of the sea (Jonah 2 : 9 ). The common sin of ingratitude toward God is illustrated by one of the events recorded in the ministry of Christ. Ten lepers were cleansed, but only one returned to give thanks, and he was a Samaritan (Luke 17:11-19). It should be noted here that ingratitude is a sin, being included as one of the sins of the “last days” (2 Tim. 3:2). It is probable that there is true sincerity on the part of many unsaved who try to be thankful to God for temporal benefits; but their utter failure to appreciate the gift of His Son leaves them most unthankful in His sight. It should be remembered that Thanksgiving Day was established in this country by believers and for believers and in recognition of the fact that the Christ-rejecting sinner cannot give acceptable praise unto God.
The Church: Her Organization and Ordinances
A. Church Government
The church, as the body of Christ, includes every Christian joined to Christ as the head of the body by the baptism of the Spirit. The church as an organism is ordered on the same principle as the human body, for each part relates to each other part and the whole body relates to the head directing the body. The body of Christ essentially needs no organization, as its relationship is spiritual and supernatural. In the local church, however, in biblical times as well as today, some church organization seems to be necessary in practice. Three forms of church government are found in the history of the church, each having its roots in apostolic times. 1. The episcopalian form of government recognizes a bishop, or church leader by some other designation, who has power by virtue of his office of directing the local church. This has developed into an extensive organization such as is true in the Roman Catholic Church or a more simple system as found in the Episcopalian Church or the Methodist Episcopal body, where bishops are appointed to supervise the activities of the churches in a given area. A representative form of government recognizes the authority of duly appointed representatives of local churches, usually grouped geographically, and is illustrated in the Reformed and Presbyterian churches. Often representatives of a local group (presbytery) of churches come under the supervision and direction of a larger body, or synod, and in turn the synod comes under the larger body of a general assembly. While rules and extent of power vary, the idea is that duly appointed representatives constitute the authority of the church. 3. The congregational form of government is where the seat of authority is in the local congregation, and important matters are decided by the congregation without respect to authority of other churches or officials. Illustrating this form of government are Congregational churches (United Church of Christ), the Disciples churches, and Baptist churches. While local churches may be subject in some degree to higher bodies, committees, or officials, the concept of a congregational church is that a local congregation determines its own affairs, elects and ordains its own ministers, and directs the use of its own treasury. In the early church all three forms of government are in evidence to some extent. Many of the early churches recognize the apostles as having primary authority. This seems to have passed, however, with the first generation of Christians. Representative government is illustrated in the council at Jerusalem in Acts 15, wherein the apostles and elders in Jerusalem were considered authoritative on the doctrinal questions which the churches raised. Strictly speaking, however, they were neither elected nor representatives of the church in the modern sense. As churches matured and no longer needed apostolic supervision, the government of the churches seems to have passed to each local church itself. This seems to have been true of the seven churches of Asia mentioned in Revelation 2 — 3 which were subject to no human authority although remaining under the authority of Christ Himself. It is questionable whether Scripture authorizes the extensive and complicated government sometimes appearing in the modern church, and a return to biblical simplicity would seem in order.
B. The Order of the Church
The concept of church order relates to those who have authority in the local church and provide leadership for it. The local church in the New Testament included those designated as bishops and elders who were the responsible leaders of the local church. It is probable that the bishops and elders were the same people although the titles were slightly different in meaning. The concept of elder in the New Testament was probably derived from the elders who exercised authority over Israel (Matt. 16:21; 26:47,57; Acts 4:5,23) and indicated a person who was mature in judgment and worthy of an authoritative position. Hence, an elder was one who had the personal qualifications for leadership, while the term “bishop” or “overseer” described the office or function of the person. A bishop was always an elder, but an elder might not be a bishop under certain circumstances — that is, he might have the qualities without the office. Normally the terms seem to have been used in identical sense in the early church (Titus 1:5,7). In apostolic times bishops and elders in the local church were plural although some may have provided more leadership than others. Bishops and elders were charged with certain responsibilities such as ruling the church (1 Tim. 3:4-5; 5:17), they were to protect the church from moral or theological error (Titus 1:9), and they were to superintend or oversee the church as a shepherd would his flock (John 21:16; Acts 20:28; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 5 : 2 ) . Although they were appointed by the apostles, in the early church it seems that as these churches matured appointment was by the church itself, and such appointment was a recognition of their spiritual qualities which qualified them for places of leadership (Acts 14:23; 20:28; Titus 1:5; 1 Pet. 5 : 2 ) . In contrast with elders and bishops, others were designated deacons. In the early church they concerned themselves with charity for the needy and ministering in physical things, although they could also have spiritual gifts (Acts 6:1-6; 1 Tim. 3:8-13). Like the elders they were set aside to their office by the apostles (Acts 6:6; 13:3; 2 Tim. 1:6) or may have been appointed by the elders (1 Tim. 4:14) in the early church. As in the case of elders and bishops, distinction must be made between the office of being a deacon and the ministry which a deacon might perform. Philip is an illustration of one who held the office of a deacon, but who by spiritual gift was an evangelist (Acts 6:5; 21:8). In the church today, some churches tend to recognize a single pastor as the elder and other officials who assist him in spiritual matters as deacons. This does not seem, however, to be based on biblical practice.
C. The Ordinances of the Church
Most Protestant churches recognize only two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Exceptions to this may be found in certain bodies who recognize footwashing, as illustrated in Christ’s washing the disciples’ feet (John 13), as another ordinance. The Roman Catholic Church adds a number of ordinances. Only baptism and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper are almost universally recognized. 1. The ordinance of water baptism, in the history of the church, has been the subject of countless controversies and has resulted in major divisions in the organized church. In general, the arguments have been over two major problems: (1) whether water baptism is merely a ritual or actually bestows some supernatural benefit on the recipient; (2) the question of mode, whether baptism is only by immersion or can also be administered by affusion, referring to baptism by sprinkling or pouring water upon the one being baptized. Those who hold that water baptism is a ritual believe that it represents spiritual truth, but in itself does not bestow any supernatural grace or life upon the recipient. The concept that baptism is a ritual is the better interpretation. Those who hold that water baptism actually administers some special grace vary considerably in the extent of such benefit to the person being baptized. Some believe in baptismal regeneration, that is, that water baptism affects the new birth of the believer, and others held merely that it provides grace or an inclination to faith and obedience to the Gospel. Those who oppose the idea of baptism as only a ritual refer to water baptism as real baptism inseparably related to the baptism of the Spirit and the new birth of the believer. A second problem arises in connection with the mode of baptism. Here the controversy seems to revolve around the question as to whether the ordinance uses the word “baptize” as used in its primary or secondary sense. The primary meaning of “baptize” is “to immerse” or “place in” a body such as water. The Greek word meaning “to dip” is never used of water baptism. Accordingly, some argue that baptism is used in a secondary sense of initiation in which one passes from a former relationship into a new relationship. Christ referred to His sufferings in death as a baptism (Matt. 20:22-23), and the Israelites who passed through the Red Sea without the Water touching them were declared to be baptized in the cloud and in the sea (1 Cor. 10:2). Hence it is argued that physical immersion into water is not necessary for scriptural baptism. In the history of the church there arose the practice of pouring water over the one baptized, in fulfillment of the symbol of the outpouring of the Spirit in salvation, or applying water in less quantity, often referred to as “sprinkling.” Endless arguments have characterized the history of the doctrine. In some cases, as in the instance of Christ being baptized, the implication seems to be that He was immersed. In other instances, as in the baptism of the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:33), it is held that it is extremely unlikely that the jailer and his household would have been immersed in the darkness of the early morning, and baptism would normally have been by pouring while still in the house. Because baptism by immersion is recognized by all as constituting ritual baptism, the tendency has been in many evangelical churches to follow this mode rather than to debate whether affusion is a legitimate mode of baptism. Undoubtedly, undue importance has been attached to the mode of baptism, since the more important question is whether the individual is born again and baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ. Arguments for and against various definitions of both the meaning and mode of baptism can be found in standard Bible dictionaries. Still another problem raised in the matter of baptism as a ritual is the question of infant baptism as opposed to believers’ baptism. Relatively little evidence is found in the Bible for infant baptism. Its adherents usually regard infant baptism as the contemporary expression of setting aside an infant to God much as circumcision was in the nation Israel. Although households were baptized, as in Acts 16, with presumably some children included, there is no clear case of infant baptism in the Bible., Accordingly, most evangelicals prefer a service of infant dedication, with water baptism reserved for recognition of true faith in Christ on the part of those of sufficient age to make such an intelligent decision. Infant baptism when practiced can be no more than an expression of the faith and hope of the parents that their child will ultimately be saved. Baptism of adults should in every case follow evidence of true faith in Christ. Although mode of baptism is not necessarily tied to the question of infant baptism, infants, generally speaking, are baptized by affusion rather than immersion, and those who accept only immersion as a mode of baptism generally also recognize only believer s baptism following faith in Christ. Regardless of mode of baptism, the ultimate meaning is that the believer is separated from what he was without Christ to what he is in Christ, partaking as he does in the benefits of the death and resurrection of Christ. The early church consistently observed the rite of baptism, and practically all branches of the church observe water baptism in some form today. 2. The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper was instituted on the night before the crucifixion of Christ as a symbolic presentation of the believers participation in the benefits of His death. As such, it superseded the Passover, which the Jews have celebrated ever since their deliverance from Egypt. In instructing His disciples to eat the bread, according to the exposition given in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29, Christ told them that the bread represented His body which would be sacrificed for them. They were to observe this ritual during His absence in remembrance of Christ. The cup of wine was declared by Christ to be the new covenant in His blood; in drinking from the cup they would remember Christ especially in His death. They were to observe this, celebration until His return. Endless controversies in the history of the church have characterized the various views of the Lord’s Supper. In general, three principal points of view have been advanced. The Roman Catholic Church has upheld the doctrine of transubstantiation, that is, that the bread and the wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ and the one who partakes of them is literally partaking of Christ’s body and blood even though his senses may recognize the elements as still being bread and wine. A second view is offered by the Lutheran Church and is sometimes called “consubstantiation,” although the term is not usually accepted by the Lutherans. This view holds that while the bread remains bread and the wine remains wine, the presence of the body of Christ is in both elements, and thus one partakes of Christ’s body in observing the Lord’s Supper. A third view offered by Zwingli is called the memorial view and holds that observing the Lord’s Supper is a memorial to His death with no supernatural change in the elements. A variation of this was held by John Calvin, who held that Christ was spiritually in the elements. The Scriptures seem to support the memorial view, and rather than the elements containing or symbolizing the presence of Christ, they are instead a recognition of His absence. As part of this, the Lord’s Supper is to be observed “till he come.” A fitting observance of the Lord’s Supper needs to take into consideration the careful instructions of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29. Observance of the Lord’s Supper must be with due reverence and self-examination. One who partakes of the celebration in an unworthy or careless manner brings condemnation upon himself. Paul states, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup” (1 Cor. 11:28). The Lord’s Supper has been rightly regarded by many Christians as a sacred time of commemoration of the death of Christ and all its meaning for the individual Christian. As indicated by Paul, it is a time of heart-searching, a time of confession of sin, and a time of restoration. It is also a reminder of the wonderful benefits which have come to every Christian through the death of Christ. As the Lord’s Supper points back to the historic fact of the first coming of Christ and His death on the cross, so it also points ahead to His coming again when observance of the Lord’s Supper will cease. While the frequency of observance is not clearly given in the Scriptures, it seems probable that the early Christians practiced it frequently, perhaps as often as each week, as they gathered on the first day to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. In any case, observance of the Lord’s Supper should not be infrequent, but in proper and respectful obedience to the command of Christ to do this until He comes.
The Church: The Body and Bride of Christ and Her Reward
A. The Seven Figures of Christ and His Church
In the Scripture, seven figures are used to reveal the relationship between Christ and His church. 1. The Shepherd and the sheep anticipated in the Twenty- Third Psalm are used in John JO, where Christ is the Shepherd and those who believe in Him are His sheep. According to this passage (a) Christ came by the door, that is, through the appointed lineage of David; (b) He is the true Shepherd who is followed by the true sheep; (c) Christ is also the Door of the sheep, the Door of entrance into salvation as well as the Door which provides security (John 10:28-29); (d) life and food are provided for the sheep by the Shepherd; (e) in contrast, other shepherds are merely hirelings who would not give their lives for the sheep; (f) there is a fellowship between the sheep and the Shepherd — just as the Father knows the Son and the Son knows the Father, so the sheep know the Shepherd; (g) although Israel belonged to a different fold in the Old Testament, in the present age there is one fold and one Shepherd in which Jew and Gentile alike have salvation (John 1 0 : 1 6 ); (h) As the Shepherd, Christ not only lays down His life for His sheep but ever lives to intercede for them and provide for them the spiritual life and food they need (Heb. 7 : 2 5 ) . According to Psalm 2 3 : 1 , “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” 2. Christ is the True Vine, and believers are the branches. Although Israel was related to God in the figure of a vine in the Old Testament, Christ is the True Vine and believers are the branches, according to John 15. The figure speaks of both the union with Christ and communion with Christ. Believers are exhorted to abide in this unbroken fellowship with Christ ( 1 5 : 1 0 ) , and the results of abiding are cleansing or pruning (v. 2 ) , effectual prayer (v. 7 ) , celestial joy (v. 1 1 ) , and eternal truth (v. 1 6 ) . The central truth of the vine and the branches is that the believer cannot enjoy his Christian life or be fruitful in his service apart from a living connection with Christ the true Vine. 3. Christ is the Cornerstone, and the church comprises the stones of the building. In contrast with the Old Testament, in which Israel had a temple (Exod. 2 5 : 8 ) , the church is a temple (Eph. 2 : 2 1 ) . In the figure Christ is pictured as the Chief Cornerstone and individual believers as stones of the building (Eph. 2 : 1 9 – 2 2 ) . It is God’s present purpose to build His church (Matt. 1 6 : 1 8 ) . In the construction of the church as a building, each stone is a living stone because it partakes of the divine nature ( 1 Pet. 2 : 5 ) ; Christ is the Chief Cornerstone and Foundation ( 1 Cor. 3 : 1 1 ; Eph. 2 : 2 0 – 2 2 ; 1 Pet. 2 : 6 ) ; and the building as a whole becomes “an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2 : 2 2 ) . In the figure of the building, the dependence of each believer upon Christ as the Foundation and Chief Cornerstone is evident, and the stones of the building likewise reveal interdependence of believers, with the building as a whole the temple of God through the Spirit. 4. Christ is pictured in the New Testament as our High Priest with the believers as believer-priests. As pointed out in previous studies, the believer-priest has a fourfold sacrifice: (a) he offers a service of sacrifice, presenting himself once for all to God (Rom. 1 2 : 1 – 2 ) ; (b) he offers a service of worship, in giving praise and thanksgiving to God (Heb. 1 3 : 1 5 ) , including a service of intercession, or prayer on behalf of his own needs and others’ (Rom. 8:26-27; Col. 4 : 1 2 ; 1 Tim. 2 : 1 ; Heb. 1 0 : 1 9 – 2 2 ). As our High Priest, Christ enters into heaven through His blood shed on Calvary (Heb. 4:14-16; 9:24; 10:19-22) and now intercedes for us (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25). As members of the royal priesthood, it is important for us to note that believers also offer (c) the sacrifice of good works and (d) the sacrifice of their substance in addition to offering their bodies as a living sacrifice (Heb. 13:16). 5. Christ as the Head and the church as the body of Christ revealing the present purpose of God. This figure will be given separate and extended consideration later in this chapter. 6. Christ as the Last Adam and the church as the new creation is a figure in which Christ, as the Resurrected One, replaces Adam, the head of the old order, and becomes head of the new creatures in Christ. The figure is based on the certainty of the resurrection of Christ and the significance that in His resurrection Christ established a new order. The believer is seen to be in Christ by baptism of the Spirit, in contrast with being in Adam. In his new position in Christ he shares all that Christ did on his behalf by way of providing both righteousness and new life in Christ. Because Christ is the Head of a new creation, it requires a new commemorative day, the first day of the week, in contrast with the Sabbath, which belonged to the old order. 7. Christ as the Bridegroom and the church as the bride is the figure that is prophetic of both present and future relationships between Christ and His church. In contrast with Israel presented in the Old Testament as an unfaithful wife of Jehovah, the church is revealed in the New Testament to be a virgin bride waiting the coming of her Bridegroom. This will be the subject of an extended discussion later in this chapter. Just as the church as the body of Christ is the most important figure revealing the present purpose of God, so the church as the bride is the most important figure revealing the future relationship of the church to Christ.
B. The Church as the Body of Christ
Previous discussion of the baptism of the Holy Spirit brought out the New Testament revelation of the church joined together and formed into the body of Christ by the baptism of the Spirit, as declared in 1 Corinthians 12:13: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” Three major truths are presented in this figure: (1) the church is a self-developing body; (2) members of the body are given special gifts and are appointed to special service; (3) the body is a living union or an organism. 1. As a self-developing body, the church is presented in Ephesians 4:11-16 as comprising individuals who have spiritual gifts. Hence some are apostles, others are prophets, evangelists, or pastors and teachers. The central truth is that believers are not only exhorted to serve God in various capacities, but they are equipped to do a particular work to which God has called them. A believer fulfills his proper service when he fulfills the particular role in the body of Christ which is assigned to him and shares in perfecting the body of Christ (Eph. 4:13). 2. Members of the body of Christ are appointed to a specific service in keeping with their gifts. Just as in the human body different members have different functions, so it is in the body of Christ. It is most important that each believer examine himself soberly to see what gifts God has given him and then use these gifts to the glory of God. Important gifts are mentioned in Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:28. Every believer has some gifts, and believers may have more than one. The spiritual gifts, while sometimes related to natural abilities, are not to be confused with them. For instance, while a person may have the gift of teaching naturally, only God can give the gift of teaching spiritual things. Spiritual gifts are not secured by seeking, but rather by the Holy Spirit apportioning gifts “to every man severally as he wiir (1 Cor. 12:11). In the apostolic church some gifts were given which continue throughout the present age; others were sign gifts which apparently ceased after the first generation of Christians. Every gift, however, is subject to regulation by the Word of God, is not a proper basis for pride, and is a great responsibility for which each believer will have to give an account. While local churches may develop extensive organizations, the work of God is done primarily through the church as an organism, directed by Christ the Head in keeping with the capacities of each individual member. While it is not uncommon for a believer in Christ to be required to do some things in areas where he may not be especially gifted, obviously his highest function is to perform the task for which he has been placed in the body of Christ. As he presents his body to the Lord as a living sacrifice, he can know God’s perfect will (Rom. 12:1-2). 3. The body is a living organism united eternally in Christ. The unity of the body comprising both Jews and Gentiles and people of various races and cultures is set forth in Ephesians 1:23; 2:15-16; 3:6; 4:12-16; 5:30. The church as the body of Christ has a marvelous unity in which the division between Jew and Gentile is ignored, and Gentiles and Jews have equal privilege and grace. The body of Christ contrasts sharply with the relationship of God to Israel and Gentiles in the Old Testament and is a unique situation limited to the present age. Members of the body, according to Ephesians 3, share in the wonderful truth hidden from Old Testament prophets but revealed in the New that Gentiles are fellow heirs and of the same body, partakers of the same promise in Christ by the Gospel as the Jews (Eph. 3:6). The unity of the body emphasized in Ephesians .4:4-7 is an eternal unity which is the basis of Christian fellowship and service in the present age and the ground for eternal fellowship in the ages to come.
C. Christ as the Bridegroom and the Church as the Bride
Of the seven figures of Christ and the church, only the figure of the Bridegroom and the bride has prophetic significance. In contrast with Israel, who is the unfaithful wife of Jehovah, the church is pictured in the New Testament as the virgin bride awaiting the coming of her Bridegroom (2 Cor. 11:2). Christ as the Bridegroom is introduced as early as John 3:29 by John the Baptist. The major revelation, however, is given in Ephesians 5:25-33 to illustrate the proper relationship between husbands and wives in Christ. Here the threefold work of Christ is revealed: (a) in His death, “Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (v. 25); ( b ) Christ is engaged in the present work “that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (v. 26); ( c ) “that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (v. 27). In dying on the cross Christ fulfilled the oriental symbolism of paying the dowry or necessary price to secure His wife. In the present age, by the washing of water, the application of the Word of God, and sanctification to the believer, Christ is preparing and cleansing His bride for her future relationship. At the end of the age at the rapture of the church, the Bridegroom will come for His bride and take her to heaven. There He will present her as the church which reflects His own glory, perfect, without blemish, spot, or wrinkle, a holy bride suitable for a holy Bridegroom. The wedding feast which follows, probably fulfilled in the spiritual fellowship of the millennial kingdom, is one in which all other saints join in celebrating the marriage of Christ and His church. This marriage feast is announced in Revelation 19:7-8 at the very time that Christ is about to come to earth to set up His kingdom. The love of Christ for His church revealed in this figure is an outstanding demonstration of the love of God. Five characteristics of divine love may be mentioned. 1. The eternal duration of the love of God stems from the fact that “God is love” (1 John 4 : 8 ) . He has not attained to love by self-effort or cultivation, nor does He hold love as a detached possession which might be abandoned at will. Love is a vital part of His being. It began when He began. If His love were to cease, a very essential part of the person of God would cease. He is what He is, to a large degree, because of His love. The love of God can know no change. To Israel He said, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3); and of Christ it is written, “Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end” (lit., “without end”; John 13:1; cf. 15:9). In God’s love toward an individual there is neither fluctuation nor cessation. 2. The love of God is the motivation for His ceaseless activity. Though the love of God was once and for all manifested in the sacrifice of His well-beloved Son (Rom. 5:8; 1 John 3:16), what was manifested in a moment of time is, nevertheless, the revelation of the eternal attitude of God toward men. Could we have gazed into the heart of God before the creation of the material universe we would have seen every provision then made for His Lamb to be slain for the sin of the world (Rev. 5 : 6 ) . Could we now gaze into the heart of God we would see the same undiminished compassion for the lost that was expressed in the death of His Son. The momentary death of Christ was not a spasm in the divine affection; it is the announcement to a lost world the fact of God’s eternal, unchangeable love. 3. The love of God has transparent purity. Concerning this aspect of the love of God no human words avail. There is no selfishness in divine love; God has never sought benefits for Himself. He receives nothing; He bestows everything. Peter exhorts believers to love with a pure heart fervently (1 Pet. 1:22); but how very few love God for what He is in Himself apart from all His benefits! How different it is with God’s lovel Judging by ourselves, we are sure He needs our money, our service, or our influence. He needs nothing from us; but He needs us, and only because His infinite love cannot be satisfied apart from us. The title “Beloved” when addressed to believers is most expressive; for, in their relation to God, their highest function is to be laved. 4. The love of God has limitless intensity. The most costly thing in the universe is the blood of God’s only Son; yet God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. The sacrifice of His Son for men when they were “sinners” and “enemies” seems to reach to the outmost bounds of infinity; however, we are told of a “much more” love even than this. It is God’s love for those who have been reconciled and justified through Christ’s death (Rom. 5:8-10)—indeed, nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39). 5. The love of God has inexhaustible benevolence. There is no hope for this world apart from the marvelous fact that God loves even sinners. But divine love is not passive. Moved to an infinite degree by His love, God acted in behalf of those whom He otherwise would have had to banish from His presence forever. God could not ignore the just condemnation of the sinner which His own holiness imposed; but He could take upon Himself the curse which belonged to the sinner — “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13) — and this He did in order that, without violating His own holiness, He might be free to save the guilty (Rom. 3:26). Being free through the substitutionary death of Christ, God knows no limitations and does not cease working until, to His own satisfaction, He places the justly doomed sinner in heaven’s highest glory, even conformed to the image of Christ. Saving grace is more than love; it is God’s love set absolutely free and made to triumph over His righteous judgments against the sinner. “By grace are ye saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8; cf. 2:4; Titus 3:4-5). There is also in God a perfect hatred for sin which, like a counterpart of His love, prompts Him to save the sinner from his doom. In like manner, this same hatred for sin, combined with His love, makes of God a Father who chastens His child. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten” (Rev. 3:19), and “Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” (Heb. 12:6). Because of his living union with Christ (1 Cor. 6:17), the imbeliever is loved by the Father even as Christ is loved (John 17:23), and this infinite love is never decreased even in the hour of correction or trial. In addition to these direct manifestations of the love of God, many indirect manifestations can be cited. There is little reference in the New Testament to human love; its emphasis falls rather upon the imparted divine love which is experienced only by the Spirit-filled believer. The message of Romans 5:5 is that the love of God gushes forth from the Spirit who is given unto us. Since this divine love is “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22), He is its source. Thus passing through the believers heart, the divine love is indirectly manifested. 1 John emphasizes the truth that, if born of God, we will love as God loves; and 1 Corinthians 13 is a description of the superhuman character of that love. There is no ecstasy in this life comparable to experiencing the unhindered outflow of the love of God. It should be observed that love for God is not under consideration; rather it is the love which is God’s own. Concerning this love, certain things should be noted: It is experienced in answer to the prayer of Christ (John 17:26). God loves the lost world (John 3:16; Eph. 2:4), and as certainly He abhors the world-system which is evil (1 John 2:15-17). God loves those whom He has redeemed (John 13:34- 35; 15:12-14; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 5:25; 1 John 3:16; 4:12). God loves the nation Israel (Jer. 31:3), God loves those who have wandered from Him (Luke 15:4,20). God’s love is eternal (John 13:1). God’s love is sacrificial, even giving His own Son (1 John 3:16; 2 Cor. 8:9; Eph. 5:2). In the mystery of this imparted divine compassion, the Apostle Paul was willing to be accursed from Christ for his brethren — his kinsmen after the flesh (Rom. 9:1-3). The exercise of divine love is the first commandment of Christ under grace (John 13:34-35; 15:12-14) and should be the outstanding characteristic of every Christian (Gal. 5:13; Eph. 4:2,15; 5:2; Col. 2:2; 1 Thess. 3:12; 4 : 9 ) . The imparted love of God cannot be cultivated, nor can it be produced by the flesh. It is the normal experience of those who, having met the simple conditions, are filled with the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).
D. The Bride Adorned and Rewarded
Among the many judgments of Scripture, one of the most important portant is the judgment seat of Christ where the church is judged and rewarded. With reference to sin, Scripture teaches that the child of God under grace shall not come into judgment (John 3:18; 5:24; 6:37; Rom. 5:1; 8:1; 1 Cor. 11:32); in his standing before God, and on the ground that the penalty for all sin — past, present, and future (Col. 2:13) — has been borne by Christ as the perfect Substitute, the believer is not only placed beyond condemnation, but being in Christ is accepted in the perfection of Christ (1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 1:6; Col. 2:10; Heb. 10:14) and loved of God as Christ is loved (John 17:23). But with reference to his daily life and service for God, the Christian must give an account before the judgment seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10; Eph. 6:8), which judgment will occur at the coming of Christ to receive His own (1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 22:12; cf. Matt. 16:27; Luke 14:14). When standing before the great white throne for their final judgment, the unsaved are to be judged “according to their works” (Rev. 20:11-15). It is not the purpose of this judgment to determine whether those standing there are saved or lost; it rather determines the degree of penalty which, because of their evil works, shall rest upon those who are lost. Likewise, the saved, when standing before the judgment seat of Christ at His coming, are judged according to their works, and this judgment does not determine whether they are saved or lost; rather, it determines the reward or loss of reward for service which will be due each individual believer. Those who stand before the judgment seat of Christ will not only be saved and safe, but will already have been taken into heaven: not on the ground of their merit or works, but on the ground of divine grace made possible through the saviorhood of Christ. Under grace the character of the believers life and service does not, and cannot, in any way condition his eternal salvation, and so the life and service of the believer becomes a separate and unrelated issue to be judged by Christ — whose we are and whom we serve. When gathered before “the throne of his glory,” there is also to be a reckoning of reward on the basis of merit for both Israel and the nations, but apart from the issues of personal salvation (Matt. 25:31; cf. Matt. 6:2-6; 24:45-46; 25:1-46). There are three major figures used in the Scriptures to reveal the nature of the believers rewards at the judgment seat of Christ. 1. The figure of stewardship is brought out in Romans 14:10-12. Here in connection with the judgment of other believers, the exhortation is given, “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why does thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” In this passage we are exhorted not to try to evaluate the quality of a fellow Christians works. This does not mean that sin should not be judged and rebuked, but it refers rather to the value or quality of his life. Too often Christians indulge in criticism of others in order that their own lives may appear better in their own sight. In other words, they “set at nought” their brother in an effort to exalt themselves. Revealed in this passage is the fact that every Christian will have to render account to God. The figure is that of a steward or a trustee. Everything a Christian has in life — whether it is intellectual capacity, natural gifts, physical health, spiritual gifts, or wealth —is a gift of God to him. The more entrusted to him, the more for which he will have to give an account. As brought out in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Ye are not your own . . . ye are bought with a price.” As stewards of all that God has given to us we will give an account at the judgment seat of Christ and will not be held responsible for that which was given to others, but will be held responsible only for what has been given to us. The key to the judgment is not success or public acclaim, but rather faithfulness in using what God has committed to us. 2. In 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 the believer’s life is viewed as a building built upon Christ as the Foundation. In determining the force of this passage, it should be observed: (a) Only those who are saved are in view. The personal pronouns “we” and “ye” include all who are saved and exclude all who are not saved; likewise, the word “man” refers only to the one who is building on the Rock Christ Jesus. (b) Having presented to the Corinthians the Gospel by which they were saved — which salvation provides the Rock on which the saved one stands — the Apostle Paul likens himself to a wise master-builder who has laid the foundation; but in strong contrast with this, he indicates that each believer for himself is building the superstructure upon the one Foundation which is provided through the grace of God. The appeal, therefore, is to each one to take heed how he builds thereon. This is not a reference to so-called “character building,” which finds no basis in those passages addressed to the saints of this dispensation; their character is said to be “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23) and is realized not by fleshly effort, but when walking by means of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16). The believer is represented as building a superstructure of service, or works, which is to be tested by fire — possibly by the eyes of fire of the Lord before whom he will stand (Rev. 1:14). ( c ) The “work” which the Christian is building upon Christ Jesus may be of wood, hay, or stubble, which fire destroys; or it may be of gold, silver, and precious stone which fire does not destroy and which, as in the case of gold and silver, is purified by it. (d) To the one whose “work” shall abide which he hath built on Christ, a reward shall be given; but the one whose “work” shall be burned shall suffer loss: not of his salvation which is secured through the finished work of Christ, but of his reward. Even when passing through the fire which is to test every Christian s work and even when suffering the loss of his reward, he himself shall be saved. 3. In 1 Corinthians 9:16-27 and especially in verses 24-27, the figure of a race and winning the prize is used to reveal the quality of Christian life and service. Having reference to his own service in preaching the Gospel, the apostle inquires, “What is my reward then?” The true answer to this question most naturally depends upon the nature and quality of the service he has rendered to God. The apostle therefore proceeds to recount his own faithfulness in works (vv. 18-23); no one will deny the truthfulness of his report. He then likens Christian service to a race in which all believers are running, and as in a foot race only one receives the prize — and that through a superior effort. Similarly, in Christian service the believer should exert all his strength that he may obtain his full reward — run, as it were, to surpass all others. Again, as the athlete is temperate in all things that he may obtain a corruptible crown, so the Christian should be temperate in all things that he may obtain an incorruptible crown. The apostle’s self-control is seen in the fact that he kept his own body under subjection lest through some unworthy and half-hearted service for others he himself should be disapproved. The word here translated “castaway” is adokimos, which is the negative form of dokimos; as dokimos is translated “approved” (Rom. 14:18; 16:10; 1 Cor. 11:19; 2 Cor. 10:18; 2 Tim. 2:15), so adokimos should be translated “disapproved.” Since the apostle’s salvation was in no way in question, he was not afraid he would be dismissed from God forever; but he did fear being disapproved in the sphere of his service. The Christians reward is sometimes mentioned as a “prize” (1 Cor. 9:24), and sometimes as a “crown” (1 Cor. 9:25; Phil. 4:1; 1 Thess. 2:19; 2 Tim. 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Pet. 5:4; Rev. 2:10; 3:11). These crowns may be classified under five divisions representing five distinct forms of Christian service and suffering, and the child of God is also warned lest he lose his reward (Col. 2:18; 2 John 8; Rev. 3:11). The doctrine of rewards is the necessary counterpart to the doctrine of salvation by grace. Since God does not and cannot reckon the believer’s merit or works to the account of his salvation, it is required that the believer’s good works shall be divinely acknowledged. The saved one owes nothing to God in payment for salvation which is bestowed as a gift; but he does owe God a life of undivided devotion, and for this life of devotion there is promised a reward in heaven. Although the rewards of the believer are symbolized by crowns, according to Revelation 4:10 crowns as a symbol of reward will be cast at the feet of the Savior in heaven. What then will be the reward for faithful service on the part of the individual believer? The probability is that faithful service on earth will be rewarded by a privileged place of service in heaven. According to Revelation 22:3: “His servants shall serve him.” Believers will find their highest fulfillment in loving service for the Savior who loved them and gave Himself for them. In the illustration of the talents used by Christ in Matthew 25:14-30, the man receiving five talents and the man receiving two talents (both of whom doubled what they had been given by their lord) were told, “Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matt. 25:21,23). While this judgment does not seem to deal directly with the church, the principle may apply to all believers of all ages who are rewarded in eternity. Faithfulness in our service here will result in privileged service in eternity. The central passage on the judgment seat of Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:10-11, reveals that the judgment seat of Christ is one where good works are distinguished from bad works, and on the basis of good works the believer is rewarded. As previously brought out, it is not a matter of sin being judged, because the believer is already justified. It is not a matter of sanctification such as is experienced in present chastisement for failure to confess sin (1 Cor. 11:31-32; 1 John 1:9), because the believer is already perfect in the presence of God. The only remaining issue, then, is the quality of the believers life and the works that God counts good in contrast with works that are worthless. The solemn fact that everv believer must someday stand before God to give an account for his life should encourage present faithfulness and proper evaluation and priorities of life based on the question of how it will be evaluated in eternity.
Source: Lewis Chafer & John Walvoord, Major Bible Themes, (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House, 1974), 236-286.