Coming to faith is generally an individual thing, and we stress the personal commitment involved. But the Kingdom of God is not a collection of individuals; it is a community. (It has always been so: even Noah was not saved from the Flood on his own, but as one of a group.)
But the Church today has an ‘image’ problem.
“One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see her spread out through all time and space and rooted in eternity, terrible as an army with banners. That, I confess, is a spectacle which makes our boldest tempters uneasy. But fortunately it is quite invisible to these humans. All your patient sees is the half-finished, sham Gothic erection on the new building estate...”(C S Lewis: The Screwtape Letters)
For most people in this country, ‘church’ is a building – somewhere that you go to on a Sunday (if you feel so inclined and have nothing more exciting to do), something that is separate from everyday life. It can be quite difficult to break away from that way of thinking. But in the New Testament, the word ‘church’ is used to refer to any assembly of God’s people. ‘Church’ is not a place to go to on Sundays, but something we are called to be - seven days a week.
To help us understand this, the New Testament gives us several pictures of the Church. I want to go through the main ones:
1) The Church is God’s family
2) The Church is Christ's Body
3) The Church is God's new Temple
4) The Church is Christ's Bride
Each of these pictures tells us not only something about the Church, but also something about our relationship to Jesus. He is the firstborn member of the family, the head of the body, the cornerstone of the temple, and the bridegroom.
Monday, 12 October 2009
God's family
I John 3:1
Mark 3:31-35
When we become Christians, God adopts us as His children. And this new relationship with God as our Father automatically brings us into a brother/sister relationship with all other Christians. We are commanded to show love to everybody, but we have a special responsibility towards our fellow Christians (Galatians 6:10).
For an example, see Acts 11:27-30. The famine prediction was not just for the church’s information; it was given so that they could take action. In these days, when communications are so much more rapid, we have no excuse for not helping our brothers and sisters in need all over the world.
But family life doesn’t just ‘happen’. There are enough dysfunctional families around to warn us that things can go badly wrong. Behind the front door and the net curtains, you hope to find warmth, love and acceptance. But in many contemporary households, the various family members may spend very little time actually relating to each other; they sleep, eat and watch TV separately. We must not use this model as the basis for our church family life.
One problem is that, just as in our human families, we don’t always see eye to eye with our Christian brothers and sisters! We can choose our friends, but not our relatives; and though we can these days exert some choice over which church fellowship we belong to, there are still likely to be some members whom we don’t find it easy to get on with. There may even be some ‘black sheep’ that we would all rather disown – but we mustn’t.
Mark 3:31-35
When we become Christians, God adopts us as His children. And this new relationship with God as our Father automatically brings us into a brother/sister relationship with all other Christians. We are commanded to show love to everybody, but we have a special responsibility towards our fellow Christians (Galatians 6:10).
For an example, see Acts 11:27-30. The famine prediction was not just for the church’s information; it was given so that they could take action. In these days, when communications are so much more rapid, we have no excuse for not helping our brothers and sisters in need all over the world.
But family life doesn’t just ‘happen’. There are enough dysfunctional families around to warn us that things can go badly wrong. Behind the front door and the net curtains, you hope to find warmth, love and acceptance. But in many contemporary households, the various family members may spend very little time actually relating to each other; they sleep, eat and watch TV separately. We must not use this model as the basis for our church family life.
One problem is that, just as in our human families, we don’t always see eye to eye with our Christian brothers and sisters! We can choose our friends, but not our relatives; and though we can these days exert some choice over which church fellowship we belong to, there are still likely to be some members whom we don’t find it easy to get on with. There may even be some ‘black sheep’ that we would all rather disown – but we mustn’t.
The Body of Christ
I Corinthians 12:12-28
The human body is a wonderful thing, so complex and yet so well designed that all its diverse components work together and are interdependent on one another. The whole is indeed more than the sum of its parts.
So this picture of the Church is emphasising that there is diversity as well as unity. Each member has an important and individual contribution to make; every part is vital, and none can be dispensed with if the body is to function properly. A healthy church doesn’t exist solely to worship, to evangelise or to undertake social projects: it will have different people performing different tasks, according to their gifts: leaders, preachers, teachers, evangelists, welcomers, musicians, coffee servers, administrators, and so on ad infinitum. Like the parts of the body, we are interdependent and should be working in harmony together – not in competition - to advance the Kingdom of God. Everyone should have at least one role (do you really want to be the appendix – only noticed when you grumble?); no-one should be called upon to do too many, or to take on a task for which they are not suited.
Individuality is recognised and affirmed, but individualism is ludicrous (v 17). A solitary Christian is a useless monstrosity – like a disembodied eye or an amputated foot – and the church that they should be part of is deprived of their contribution. We do actually need each other, and we are responsible for looking after each other. If one part of the body is damaged or diseased, all other parts of the body will be in some way affected.
“Blinkered thinking or limited commitment so often brings disease to the church and stunts its growth. Limbs may suffer from atrophy as they fail to receive nourishment, from paralysis because they never exercise themselves, or from cancer as they enlarge at the expense of every other limb. Some bodies are afflicted with palsy as every limb jerks into independent action. Some bodies suffer arthritis: the connections between the members don’t function. And some are afflicted by asthma: inspiration is almost non-existent.” (Donald Bridge: Spare the rod and spoil the church)
Note that Paul doesn’t say that the Church is a body, but that it is Christ’s body. We are the present-day manifestation of Jesus on earth, and He does His work through us.
The human body is a wonderful thing, so complex and yet so well designed that all its diverse components work together and are interdependent on one another. The whole is indeed more than the sum of its parts.
So this picture of the Church is emphasising that there is diversity as well as unity. Each member has an important and individual contribution to make; every part is vital, and none can be dispensed with if the body is to function properly. A healthy church doesn’t exist solely to worship, to evangelise or to undertake social projects: it will have different people performing different tasks, according to their gifts: leaders, preachers, teachers, evangelists, welcomers, musicians, coffee servers, administrators, and so on ad infinitum. Like the parts of the body, we are interdependent and should be working in harmony together – not in competition - to advance the Kingdom of God. Everyone should have at least one role (do you really want to be the appendix – only noticed when you grumble?); no-one should be called upon to do too many, or to take on a task for which they are not suited.
Individuality is recognised and affirmed, but individualism is ludicrous (v 17). A solitary Christian is a useless monstrosity – like a disembodied eye or an amputated foot – and the church that they should be part of is deprived of their contribution. We do actually need each other, and we are responsible for looking after each other. If one part of the body is damaged or diseased, all other parts of the body will be in some way affected.
“Blinkered thinking or limited commitment so often brings disease to the church and stunts its growth. Limbs may suffer from atrophy as they fail to receive nourishment, from paralysis because they never exercise themselves, or from cancer as they enlarge at the expense of every other limb. Some bodies are afflicted with palsy as every limb jerks into independent action. Some bodies suffer arthritis: the connections between the members don’t function. And some are afflicted by asthma: inspiration is almost non-existent.” (Donald Bridge: Spare the rod and spoil the church)
Note that Paul doesn’t say that the Church is a body, but that it is Christ’s body. We are the present-day manifestation of Jesus on earth, and He does His work through us.
The temple of God
I Corinthians 3:16
I Peter 2:4,5
What is a temple? The dictionary definition is ‘the dwelling-place of a god’.
When God rescued the Israelites from Egypt, he told them to make a special tent, the Tabernacle, so that he ‘could dwell among them’. (Exodus 29:46) About 500 years later, Solomon built a grand Temple to replace the Tabernacle. This first Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar’s armies in 586 BC. It was rebuilt when the Jews returned from exile 50 years later, and it was this second temple that Jesus visited in the gospels. The second temple was completely destroyed by the Romans in AD 70 and has never been rebuilt.
So where is our God living now? In each and every Christian, and in the Church as a whole.
People often refer to the church building as ‘God’s house’, but this is not actually true. God’s dwelling is the community of people. It isn’t something static or physical; it is a dynamic entity. When Jesus was on earth, God was literally dwelling amongst his people (“the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory... full of grace and truth”) Now people should be able to see the glory of God in the love-relationship that we (should) have towards one another. (I John 4:12)
In any religion, a temple is a sacred place, set apart from the outside world. So the church community should therefore also be 'different' from the outside world. (II Corinthians 6:14-7:1) This is the principle of 'holiness' - of which more later.
I Peter 2:4,5
What is a temple? The dictionary definition is ‘the dwelling-place of a god’.
When God rescued the Israelites from Egypt, he told them to make a special tent, the Tabernacle, so that he ‘could dwell among them’. (Exodus 29:46) About 500 years later, Solomon built a grand Temple to replace the Tabernacle. This first Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar’s armies in 586 BC. It was rebuilt when the Jews returned from exile 50 years later, and it was this second temple that Jesus visited in the gospels. The second temple was completely destroyed by the Romans in AD 70 and has never been rebuilt.
So where is our God living now? In each and every Christian, and in the Church as a whole.
People often refer to the church building as ‘God’s house’, but this is not actually true. God’s dwelling is the community of people. It isn’t something static or physical; it is a dynamic entity. When Jesus was on earth, God was literally dwelling amongst his people (“the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory... full of grace and truth”) Now people should be able to see the glory of God in the love-relationship that we (should) have towards one another. (I John 4:12)
In any religion, a temple is a sacred place, set apart from the outside world. So the church community should therefore also be 'different' from the outside world. (II Corinthians 6:14-7:1) This is the principle of 'holiness' - of which more later.
The Bride of Christ
Ephesians 5:25-27
Revelation 19:6-9
This is a picture that looks forward to the future age, when our relationship with Jesus becomes complete and perfect. Like a bride on her wedding day, the very imperfect Church that we know (a bit like Cinderella – dirty, despised, and dressed in rags) will be ‘made-up’ and dressed in her best to become a creature of dazzling beauty.
The relationship between Christ and His Church is one of love. He died for her in the first place, and He now cares for her and is in the process of transforming her into a partner who is fully worthy of Him.
The same picture of a bride is used of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament (e.g. Isaiah 62:5; Jeremiah 2:2). Unfortunately Israel tended to play the part of an unfaithful wife, turning away from God to worship fertility gods and other idols (Hosea 3:1). And Satan is still trying to lead the Church astray by means of false teachings (II Corinthians 11:2-4).
No self-respecting woman would fail to make the necessary preparations for her wedding day! The Revelation passage tells us that we are to be dressed in ‘righteous acts’ – an outfit that Christ will give to us, but we still have to put it on!
Revelation 19:6-9
This is a picture that looks forward to the future age, when our relationship with Jesus becomes complete and perfect. Like a bride on her wedding day, the very imperfect Church that we know (a bit like Cinderella – dirty, despised, and dressed in rags) will be ‘made-up’ and dressed in her best to become a creature of dazzling beauty.
The relationship between Christ and His Church is one of love. He died for her in the first place, and He now cares for her and is in the process of transforming her into a partner who is fully worthy of Him.
The same picture of a bride is used of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament (e.g. Isaiah 62:5; Jeremiah 2:2). Unfortunately Israel tended to play the part of an unfaithful wife, turning away from God to worship fertility gods and other idols (Hosea 3:1). And Satan is still trying to lead the Church astray by means of false teachings (II Corinthians 11:2-4).
No self-respecting woman would fail to make the necessary preparations for her wedding day! The Revelation passage tells us that we are to be dressed in ‘righteous acts’ – an outfit that Christ will give to us, but we still have to put it on!
We believe in one holy, catholic and apostolic church...
What do we mean when we say this? As Archbishop Temple once pointed out, “nowhere does this church exist”. There is at times a very large gulf between what the Church should be and what the Church actually is.
It is very easy to “knock” the Church, because we know that it is far from perfect. The early Church had the same problems – that is why most of the New Testament was written. But that is no excuse for complacency. The Church is not an entity separate from ourselves, that we can poke fun at or complain about. As we have seen, the Church is US.
It is very easy to “knock” the Church, because we know that it is far from perfect. The early Church had the same problems – that is why most of the New Testament was written. But that is no excuse for complacency. The Church is not an entity separate from ourselves, that we can poke fun at or complain about. As we have seen, the Church is US.
The Church is ONE
John 17:20-23
To Jesus, the unity of his Church was obviously very important – a demonstration to the world of the love of God - and yet our modern experience is that the Church is often very far from united. Churches belonging to different denominations regard each other with mutual distrust, squabbles within the Anglican community are regularly reported in the media, and even individual congregations can be split into groups and factions that fight with one another. This sort of problem was evident even in the first century! (I Corinthians 1:10-13)
Over the centuries, splits have developed within the Church for a variety of reasons: doctrinal disagreements, personal rivalries, ethnic and cultural differences, alternative styles of worship and patterns of church government. The first major division occurred in 1054 when the Eastern (Orthodox) churches separated from the Western (Roman Catholic) church. The Protestant Reformation in the 16th century and the Pentecostal movement in the 20th century mean that the Church now has four distinct major strands (and, of course, many more smaller subdivisions).
Ephesians 4:3-6.
The fragmentation of the Church is one of those realities that we have to live with. Denominations are not all bad; they can be a practical and helpful way of organising churches. Unity doesn't have to mean uniformity (Romans 14:1-6). But they must not be confused with THE Church. We need to remember that in the eyes of God there is only one Church - the company of all those in every age who belong to Him through faith in Jesus. There is only one Church because there is only one God. Because of this, we have to work on the relationships that we have with other groups and sections of the Church, so that the rest of the world can also see that there is only one Church.
One helpful illustration is that of a tree: its separate branches and twigs are all joined to the same trunk, and draw their life from the same root.
To Jesus, the unity of his Church was obviously very important – a demonstration to the world of the love of God - and yet our modern experience is that the Church is often very far from united. Churches belonging to different denominations regard each other with mutual distrust, squabbles within the Anglican community are regularly reported in the media, and even individual congregations can be split into groups and factions that fight with one another. This sort of problem was evident even in the first century! (I Corinthians 1:10-13)
Over the centuries, splits have developed within the Church for a variety of reasons: doctrinal disagreements, personal rivalries, ethnic and cultural differences, alternative styles of worship and patterns of church government. The first major division occurred in 1054 when the Eastern (Orthodox) churches separated from the Western (Roman Catholic) church. The Protestant Reformation in the 16th century and the Pentecostal movement in the 20th century mean that the Church now has four distinct major strands (and, of course, many more smaller subdivisions).
Ephesians 4:3-6.
The fragmentation of the Church is one of those realities that we have to live with. Denominations are not all bad; they can be a practical and helpful way of organising churches. Unity doesn't have to mean uniformity (Romans 14:1-6). But they must not be confused with THE Church. We need to remember that in the eyes of God there is only one Church - the company of all those in every age who belong to Him through faith in Jesus. There is only one Church because there is only one God. Because of this, we have to work on the relationships that we have with other groups and sections of the Church, so that the rest of the world can also see that there is only one Church.
One helpful illustration is that of a tree: its separate branches and twigs are all joined to the same trunk, and draw their life from the same root.
The Church is HOLY
I Peter 1:14-16
I Thessalonians 4:7,8
The word `holy' means `set apart'. In the New Testament, Christians are usually referred to as ‘saints’ i.e. ‘holy ones’ or `set-apart ones'. This means that Christians should be different from the rest of the world.
What is holiness? It is not an abstract quality, and it is certainly not any form of withdrawal from the ordinary world. Peter (in one of the passages we have just read) quotes from Leviticus 19, which is a kind of manual of holy living – covering, amongst other very practical things, family relationships, giving to the poor, treatment of the disabled, the duties of employers, farm management, trade, sexual exploitation and consulting mediums, and including at its centre the well-known command to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. Holiness is not an optional extra as far as Peter and Paul are concerned: the Church should be a community whose lifestyle and priorities are those of the Kingdom of God.
Unfortunately this is not necessarily the case. Ronald Sider recently published a book called ‘The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience’ in which he laments the moral status of American Christianity. In the USA, the divorce rate amongst ‘born-again’ Christians is the same as in the general population (about 25%) – and 90% were divorced after they became Christians. A recent study (in 2004) of 12,000 Christian teenagers who pledged not to have sex before marriage found that almost 90% broke their pledge. Another poll found (worryingly) that 25% of evangelical Christians thought that sex before marriage was acceptable and a frightening 13% thought that adultery was OK. Ronald Sider gives many other examples of ways in which American Christians are virtually indistinguishable in their behaviour from non-Christians. And we in the UK cannot afford to be complacent, because we are influenced to such a large extent by what is going on in the States.
Once again, this is not a new problem (I Corinthians 5:1,2) (Incidentally, Paul seems to be less concerned about the immoral behaviour itself than about the church’s lack of response to it)
I Thessalonians 4:7,8
The word `holy' means `set apart'. In the New Testament, Christians are usually referred to as ‘saints’ i.e. ‘holy ones’ or `set-apart ones'. This means that Christians should be different from the rest of the world.
What is holiness? It is not an abstract quality, and it is certainly not any form of withdrawal from the ordinary world. Peter (in one of the passages we have just read) quotes from Leviticus 19, which is a kind of manual of holy living – covering, amongst other very practical things, family relationships, giving to the poor, treatment of the disabled, the duties of employers, farm management, trade, sexual exploitation and consulting mediums, and including at its centre the well-known command to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. Holiness is not an optional extra as far as Peter and Paul are concerned: the Church should be a community whose lifestyle and priorities are those of the Kingdom of God.
Unfortunately this is not necessarily the case. Ronald Sider recently published a book called ‘The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience’ in which he laments the moral status of American Christianity. In the USA, the divorce rate amongst ‘born-again’ Christians is the same as in the general population (about 25%) – and 90% were divorced after they became Christians. A recent study (in 2004) of 12,000 Christian teenagers who pledged not to have sex before marriage found that almost 90% broke their pledge. Another poll found (worryingly) that 25% of evangelical Christians thought that sex before marriage was acceptable and a frightening 13% thought that adultery was OK. Ronald Sider gives many other examples of ways in which American Christians are virtually indistinguishable in their behaviour from non-Christians. And we in the UK cannot afford to be complacent, because we are influenced to such a large extent by what is going on in the States.
Once again, this is not a new problem (I Corinthians 5:1,2) (Incidentally, Paul seems to be less concerned about the immoral behaviour itself than about the church’s lack of response to it)
The Church is CATHOLIC
Galatians 3:26-28
Revelation 7:9,10
What does ‘catholic’ mean? It means that the Church is universal: that its message is relevant to all times and cultures. It therefore includes people of every age, race, nation, culture and status. It doesn’t matter who we are or what our background is; we belong together as members of God’s family, and we are all equally important.
It does not mean that the Church includes absolutely everybody: God’s Kingdom embraces all kinds of people, not all people. Jesus welcomed sinners to repentance.
It is one thing to acknowledge this in theory; it can be surprisingly difficult to work it out in practice. (James 2:1-4) It is perfectly natural to prefer to associate with people who are ‘like us’, whether in appearance, educational level, social class, or whatever. The danger is that we can unconsciously form cliques that exclude certain sections of the community – and we ourselves may not notice.
Revelation 7:9,10
What does ‘catholic’ mean? It means that the Church is universal: that its message is relevant to all times and cultures. It therefore includes people of every age, race, nation, culture and status. It doesn’t matter who we are or what our background is; we belong together as members of God’s family, and we are all equally important.
It does not mean that the Church includes absolutely everybody: God’s Kingdom embraces all kinds of people, not all people. Jesus welcomed sinners to repentance.
It is one thing to acknowledge this in theory; it can be surprisingly difficult to work it out in practice. (James 2:1-4) It is perfectly natural to prefer to associate with people who are ‘like us’, whether in appearance, educational level, social class, or whatever. The danger is that we can unconsciously form cliques that exclude certain sections of the community – and we ourselves may not notice.
The Church is APOSTOLIC
“Apostolic” has two possible meanings:
a) Ephesians 2:19-22
God’s temple is built on a firm foundation: it began with Jesus himself, and was completed by the teaching of “the apostles and prophets”. From our point of view, this means that everything the Church does should be based on the New Testament. The Church of Scientology, despite its name, is not a church in the Biblical sense, because it is based on the teachings of Ron Hubbard. And what about the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints? And what about “prosperity gospel” churches?
Of course, people have been building on that foundation for almost two thousand years now. Some things have stood the test of time; others have turned out to be unhelpful. (I Corinthians 3:10-15) The ‘superstructure’ is, in principle, negotiable; the foundation must not be tampered with.
Although we have to apply the Gospel to our own generation and culture (which means that individual churches may well express it in many and various ways), we are not free to choose which bits we find palatable and which bits we don't!
b) Matthew 28:18-20
The word apostolic comes from the same Greek root as the word `apostle', and means `sent out with a message’. Evangelism is not an optional extra; the Church is missionary by its very nature. The Church is not meant to be a ‘holy huddle’; we are meant to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13-16)
These two meanings are not mutually exclusive: we must look forward as well as backward. There must be continuity with the past, not only in belief but also in mission.
a) Ephesians 2:19-22
God’s temple is built on a firm foundation: it began with Jesus himself, and was completed by the teaching of “the apostles and prophets”. From our point of view, this means that everything the Church does should be based on the New Testament. The Church of Scientology, despite its name, is not a church in the Biblical sense, because it is based on the teachings of Ron Hubbard. And what about the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints? And what about “prosperity gospel” churches?
Of course, people have been building on that foundation for almost two thousand years now. Some things have stood the test of time; others have turned out to be unhelpful. (I Corinthians 3:10-15) The ‘superstructure’ is, in principle, negotiable; the foundation must not be tampered with.
Although we have to apply the Gospel to our own generation and culture (which means that individual churches may well express it in many and various ways), we are not free to choose which bits we find palatable and which bits we don't!
b) Matthew 28:18-20
The word apostolic comes from the same Greek root as the word `apostle', and means `sent out with a message’. Evangelism is not an optional extra; the Church is missionary by its very nature. The Church is not meant to be a ‘holy huddle’; we are meant to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13-16)
These two meanings are not mutually exclusive: we must look forward as well as backward. There must be continuity with the past, not only in belief but also in mission.
Conclusion
The Church has been defined as the place where Jesus is visibly active in the world.
Acts 2:41-47
Ecclesiastes 7:10 tells us not to yearn for ’the good old days’. Nevertheless it is hard, when we read passages like this, not to feel that the Church has lost something.
What did the first believers do?
They immersed themselves in the apostles’ teaching – do we read our Bibles?
They met together regularly and frequently for worship, prayer and fellowship – do we?
They demonstrated their love for one another by meeting each other’s needs, often by sacrificial giving – do we?
And God gave miraculous signs.
Is it really surprising that outsiders wanted to join their community? Wouldn’t you want to be part of a church like this? The main attraction must have been the quality of their relationships – with each other and with God. In such circumstances, growth was natural and inevitable.
Acts 2:41-47
Ecclesiastes 7:10 tells us not to yearn for ’the good old days’. Nevertheless it is hard, when we read passages like this, not to feel that the Church has lost something.
What did the first believers do?
They immersed themselves in the apostles’ teaching – do we read our Bibles?
They met together regularly and frequently for worship, prayer and fellowship – do we?
They demonstrated their love for one another by meeting each other’s needs, often by sacrificial giving – do we?
And God gave miraculous signs.
Is it really surprising that outsiders wanted to join their community? Wouldn’t you want to be part of a church like this? The main attraction must have been the quality of their relationships – with each other and with God. In such circumstances, growth was natural and inevitable.
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