Churches of the New Testament: What God Approves I. Introduction A. Colossians 3:17 B. We have examined the churches of the New Testament 1. Those spoken of in some depth 2. Have examined their locations, history 3. We have seen their situations 4. What was good, what was not, how they related to one another, Apostles C. It remains to pull everything together 1. From all the pieces, what can we say regarding the church in the NT? 2. Let us begin by examining what God approved in the church of the NT II. The Church: Ekklesia A. Matthew 16:18: Jesus describes His body as the ekklesia 1. Term used to name the collective 2. Term most consistently used in the New Testament B. Term further described 1. ekklesia of God (1 Corinthians 1:2) 2. ekklesiai of Christ (Romans 16:16) 3. ekklesia of the Firstborn (Hebrews 12:23) C. Other descriptions 1. Sect of the Nazarenes (Acts 24:5) 2. Body of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33) D. Ekklesia usually translated "church" 1. By custom, not accuracy 2. Valid in terms of the reality that only word in English that defines a religious collective is "church" 3. Otherwise misleading-- ekklesia properly "assembly" (not its derivation, "called out", either) 4. "Church" can mean building-- ekklesia does not 5. "Church" exclusively religious -- ekklesia not inherently religious, without any inherent organization (Acts 19:32, 39) 6. Ekklesia: can refer to an actual group of people together (assemblage) or group of people with shared identity, whether together or not E. As we have spoken of the New Testament "church" or "churches" of the New Testament, we have spoken of the ekklesia/ekklesiai belonging to Christ 1. Assemblies of persons coming together often in the name of Christ 2. Two conceptual NT references: universal and local III. The Nature of the Universal Church A. Collective of God's people called the church (as Greek ekklesia) B. NT usage demands understanding of "universal" and "local" church 1. Not explicitly used 2. Ephesians 4:4, 5:22-33: one body, one church 3. 1 Corinthians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, Galatians 1:2: many churches 4. How can there be one church but many churches? C. Church in the NT seen in both universal and local senses 1. Plenty of ambiguity present, as will be made manifest 2. Let us consider what God has established regarding universal church D. Where church is singular and in reference to Christ, most likely universal E. Conceived of mostly in metaphor 1. Body: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 2. Bride: Revelation 21:2, 9 3. Mixture of the two: Ephesians 5:22-33 4. Temple: Ephesians 2:19-22 F. Imagery allows understanding 1. Universal church as those who belong to Christ, who see Him as Head 2. Christ and church knit tightly together 3. Envisioned as collective of individuals working individually, concomitantly, in local collectivities, looking to Jesus as Master, doing His will, cleansed in His blood G. Temple imagery indicates organization (Ephesians 2:19-22) 1. Christ as Head/High Priest, cornerstone (1 Corinthians 3:11, Hebrews 9:11) 2. Apostles, with delegated authority, providing part of foundation, along with inspired prophets of the age and before (Matthew 18:18, John 14:26, John 16:7-14, Acts 2) 3. Upon this foundation, universal church built-- its constituent members H. Universal church currently as abstraction 1. Only concrete on the Judgment day-- Jesus will return and receive His to Himself (Acts 17:30-31, Matthew 25:31-46, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18) 2. The universal church will then be assembled forever with its Head IV. The Nature of the Local Church A. Presence also of local collectives B. After church grew beyond Jerusalem, expectation that Christians of a given geographic region would come together often (Hebrews 10:24-25) 1. Not perceived as only belonging to universal church, meeting with other locals of the same 2. Defined by each having elders and deacons, as below (Acts 14:23) 3. Colossians 4:16: one could speak of the "church" in Colossae as opposed to the "church" in Laodicea C. Local church, therefore, as those who frequently assemble together in a local area in the name of Christ D. Relationship between universal and local churches never explicitly defined 1. Ideal: local church as manifestation of living members of universal church in a given area, no more, no less 2. Ideal clearly not met, since some in local churches not in the saved (1 Corinthians 5, Revelation 2-3) 3. Likewise, metaphors regarding universal church realized in terms of local churches 4. E.g.: Universal church might be a body, but members work together really in local churches (1 Corinthians 12:12-27) 5. Ambiguity points to the ideal? 6. Ambiguity in view that in the end, there will be no local churches, only universal church? E. Christian, then, should be part of universal church while being identified with a local church of brethren of like faith (Colossians 1:18-23, 1 Corinthians 1:10, 1 John 1:6-7) 1. Held accountable to local brethren (1 Corinthians 5, Galatians 6:2) 2. Need to explicitly identify with a local church F. Organization of the local church 1. Christ is Head (Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 1:2) 2. Apostles as part of the foundation, by own work or in their doctrines (Ephesians 2:19-22, Acts 2:42) 3. Elders (overseers, shepherds): qualified plurality of men overseeing and directing a local church, held responsible for oversight (Acts 14:23, 1 Peter 5:1-4, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:1-8, Titus 1:5-7) 4. Deacons: qualified men who serve the local church (1 Timothy 3:9-12) 5. Evangelists and teachers promoting and teaching God's word-- no intrinsic authority beyond heeding the message as properly preached (Ephesians 4:11) 6. Baptized believers identified with local church make up its members (Acts 2:47) G. Local churches, then, functional concepts of the church that will remain until Christ returns V. The Constituency of the Church A. Universal church 1. From Ephesians 5:22-33, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, etc., we understand that the universal church represents all those saved under the new covenant, those known to God (Hebrews 9, Matthew 7:21-23) 2. From Pentecost to the Judgment day B. The local church is constituted of Christians of a given area who have association with one another through a joint walk in Christ and who assemble together frequently (1 John 1:6-7, Hebrews 10:24-25) 1. Such assemblies may include children of such persons and other interested people 2. Ideally, those who comprise local church also comprise universal church C. Church comprised of people D. Such persons and their lives and conduct addressed frequently in NT 1. Need to be obedient servants of God (Romans 6:16-23) 2. Moral conduct, manifesting fruit of Spirit (Galatians 5:17-24) 3. Help those in need, especially household of faith (Galatians 6:10) 4. To fulfill God's plan in each aspect of life: young and old, man and woman, husband and wife, parent and child, master/employer and slave/employee, and as fellow Christians (Titus 2, Ephesians 5:22-6:9, 1 Timothy 5:1-2) 5. Love fellow man, humbly considering needs of others over self (Philippians 2:1-4) 6. Promote the Gospel in life, defending the hope (Romans 1:16-17, 1 Peter 3:15) 7. In all things, manifesting and being Galatians 2:20 E. Individual Christian to be part of universal and local church 1. Nevertheless, also has individual life outside of the assembly 2. Is to manifest light in darkness (Matthew 5:13-16) F. Church as people; individuals as individuals and part of collective VI. Functions of the Church A. Universal church's function seen mostly in local churches currently 1. Universal church as abstract concept 2. Helps us to realize that we are part of something greater than the local church 3. Establishes the tie of all those in Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33) 4. Function not fully realized until the Judgment and the resurrection, when the universal church will be assembled eternally (Revelation 21) B. Functions of the local church 1. Summed up in Ephesians 4:16: building up of the body in love 2. As we will see, such is the embodiment of all the functions C. Edification 1. Hebrews 10:24-25 2. Encouragement major part of building up in love 3. Not restricted to the assembly, but large and consistent part in regular assemblies 4. Assembling to build one another up (1 Corinthians 14:26) 5. First day of the week to break bread, take collection (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:16) 6. Also preaching (Acts 20:7) 7. Likely prayers of thanksgiving, singing of psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, speaking, teaching, admonishing one another (1 Corinthians 14:14-17, Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16) 8. Orderly and peaceful (1 Corinthians 14:33, 1 Timothy 2:8) 9. Devoted themselves to Apostles' doctrine and the whole Word (Acts 2:42) 10. Assembled at other times also for praying, singing, teaching, preaching (Acts 2:46) 11. Christians would also share meals (Acts 2:46, 1 Peter 4:9) 12. Presupposition of Christians loving one another, spending time with one another, knowing one another as family, able to be there in good and bad times (Philippians 2:1-4, Romans 9:10, Galatians 6:1-2) 13. To care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25-26) 14. Love of brethren makes the difference between strong and weak local churches 15. Intended to be expressed beyond the local church (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10), but always most realized in local body constantly assembling D. Benevolence 1. Building up not limited to only spiritual needs 2. When called upon, local church to provide for Christians in need 3. Antioch for Jerusalem: Acts 11:29-30 4. Macedonia and Achaia for the same: Romans 15:26, 2 Corinthians 8-9 5. 1 Timothy 5:5-10: support of "widows indeed" in the church 6. Christians, expected to take care of own (1 Timothy 5:8, 16), also to collectively support other Christians in need E. Evangelism 1. Building up also refers to addition to the church 2. Support of those who preach the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14) 3. Elders who preached worthy of double honor, payment (1 Timothy 5:18-19) 4. Antioch willingly sent Paul and Barnabas to preach in Cyprus and Asia Minor (Acts 13:1-3) 5. Philippi supported Paul, even when not with them (Philippians 4:15-18) 6. Acts 19:19: disciples heavily involved in promotion of Gospel? 7. Church as facilitating and empowering brethren to fulfill divine mandate (Matthew 28:18-20) F. Functions of the collective, therefore, center around the building up of the collective itself 1. Encouragement in assembly 2. Support of its own in need 3. Addition to itself in evangelism G. Where brethren devoted themselves to these things, churches grew and matured VII. Conclusion A. We have seen what God has approved regarding the church B. We have seen the nature of the church, its constituents, and its functions C. Let us do that which is pleasing to God and strive to build up the body in love! D. Invitation/songbook