The following is a very brief study (from the Scriptures) covering the subject:
THE
Acts
A Scriptural
inquiry into the nature of the
1. WHAT IS THE
2. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE
OF THE CHURCH?
3. HOW IS THE CHURCH TO FUNCTION
OR OPERATE?
The Holy Scriptures (God’s words) are
to be our sole authority and source of information:
2Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth.
Matthew
4:4 . . . . . . It is written, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God.
John 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words
that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
John 6:68
Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
1. WHAT IS THE
ON EARTH: God has a church - He
has chosen to manifest that church locally – but the local church
is not all there is to the “
THE CHURCH BELONGS TO
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST [Matthew
Matthew
Ephesians
24 Therefore as the
churchis subject unto Christ,
so let the wives be to their own husbands in every
thing.
25 Husbands, love your
wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for
it;
26 That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 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.
28 So ought men to love
their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet
hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as
the Lord the church:
30 For we are members
of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Colossians
17 Which are a shadow
of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
18 Letno
man beguile you of yourreward in a voluntary humility
andworshipping of angels, intrudinginto
those things which he hath notseen, vainly puffed up
by hisfleshly mind,
19 And not holding the
Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having
nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
CHRIST PURCHASED THE CHURCH [Acts
Acts
Ephesians
1 Corinthians
20 For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
CHRIST IS ITS ONLY HEAD [Ephesians
Ephesians
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives
be to their own husbands in every thing.
Colossians
THE CHURCH IS: A GREAT MYSTERY:
[Ephesians
Ephesians
THE PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE TRUTH [1 Timothy
1
Timothy
THE HOUSE OF GOD [1Timothy
1
Timothy
THE
1
Corinthians
17 If any man defile the
2 Corinthians
Ephesians 2:19 Now
therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the
saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the
chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are
builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
THE
1
Corinthians
ONE BREAD [1 Corinthians
1
Corinthians
THE BRIDE OF CHRIST [John 3:29; Revelation
21:2, 9]
John 3:29 He that hath
the bride is the bridegroom:butthe
friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him,rejoicethgreatly
because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore isfulfilled.
Revelation
21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her
husband.
Revelation
21:9 Andthere came unto me one of the
seven angels which had the seven vialsfull of the
seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither,I
will shew thee the bride,
the Lamb's wife.
IN CHRIST JESUS [1Thessalonians 2:14]
1
Thessalonians 2:14 For ye, brethren, became followers
of the churches
of God which in Judaea
are in Christ
Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even
as they have of the Jews:
THE BODY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
Christ’s Body [Romans
12:4-5; 1Corinthians 6:15; 10:17; 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:22-23;Ephesians
2:16; 3:6; 4:4-16; 5:30-32; Colossians 1:18-24; 2:17-19; 3:15]
Romans
12:4 For as we have many
members in one body,
and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one
body in Christ, and every one members one
of another.
1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the
body is one, and hath many members, and all the
members of that one body,
being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
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.
14 For the
body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body;
is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body;
is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the
whole body
were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were
hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the
members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member,
where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet
but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the
hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of
you.
22 Nay, much more those members of
the body,
which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body,whichwe
think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow moreabundanthonour;
and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need:
but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour
to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body;
but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one
member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye
are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Ephesians
23 Which is his
body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made
both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Havingabolished in his fleshthe enmity, even the law of commandmentscontained
in ordinances; forto make in himself of twain one new
man, somaking peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both
unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity
thereby:
Ephesians
3:6
That
the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same
body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Ephesians
4:4
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called
in one hope of your calling;
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and
some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Tillwe all come in the
unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Sonof
God, unto a perfect man,unto the measure of the
stature of thefulness of Christ:
14 Thatwe henceforth be no
more children, tossed to and fro, and carried aboutwith
every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunningcraftiness,
whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love,
may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole bodyfitly joined
together and compacted by that which every jointsupplieth,
according to the effectual working in the measure of everypart,
maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Ephesians
31 For this cause shall a man leave
his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be
one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak
concerning Christ and the church.
Colossians
19 For it pleased the Father that in
him should all fulness dwell;
20 And,having made peace
through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcileall
things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things inearth,
or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were sometime
alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 n the body of his
flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in
his sight:
23 Ifye continue in the
faith grounded and settled, and be not moved awayfrom
the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which waspreached
to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul ammade
a minister;
24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings
for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my
flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in
meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to
come; but the body
is of Christ.
18 Letno man beguile you
of your reward in a voluntary humility andworshipping
of angels, intruding into those things which he hath notseen,
vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 And not holding the Head, from
which all the
body by joints and bands having
nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Colossians
The
#2. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH? {The called-out assembly of the saints}
GENERAL MINISTRY TO THE WORLD
1.
SPREAD THE GOSPEL
OF JESUS CHRIST [Paul’s gospel - Evangelize & Missions]
Galatians
12 For I neither
received it
of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Romans
Romans
16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according
to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus
Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since
the world began,
2
Timothy 2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David
was raised from the dead according to my
gospel:
2
Timothy 2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David
was raised from the dead according to my
gospel:
2
Corinthians 4:3 But if our
gospel
be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
1 Thessalonians 1:5 For our gospelcame not
unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the HolyGhost,
and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we wereamong
you for your sake.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 Butwe
are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved ofthe Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you
to salvationthrough sanctification of the Spirit and
belief of the truth:
14 Whereunto he called
you by our gospel, to the
obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians
2:2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them
that gospelwhich
I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which wereofreputation,
lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
1 Timothy
Galatians
2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel
of the uncircumcision
was committed unto me, as the gospel of
the circumcision
was unto Peter;
8 (For he that wrought
effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same
was mighty in me toward the Gentiles)
9And when James,
Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars,perceivedthe
grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas theright
hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen,
and they unto the circumcision.
10 Only they would that
we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
2
Corinthians 11:4 Forif he that
cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached,or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not
received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might
well bear with him.
Galatians
1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that
called you into the grace of Christ unto another
gospel:
7 Which is not another;
but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an
angel from heaven, preach any other gospel
unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so
say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have
received, let him be accursed.
GENERAL MINISTRY TO THE WORLD & TO THE "SAINTS"
2.
MAKE KNOWN THE MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD {The Truth
- The Whole Truth – Nothing But The Truth:}
Ephesians
3:8Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this gracegiven,that I should preach among the Gentiles the
unsearchable richesof Christ;
9 Andto
make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which fromthe beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who
created all thingsby Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent
that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be
known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the
eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12 In whom we have
boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Acts
27 For I have not
shunned to declare unto you all
the counsel of God.
SPECIFIC MINISTRY TO THE SAINTS ONLY {Spiritual Only -Exclusive to the saints (the Body of Christ) - 2 Corinthians 6:14-18}
3.
WORSHIP GOD [God’s Way – {Only In Spirit & In Truth} –
Glorifying The Saviour]
John
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true
worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship
him.
24 God is a Spirit: and
they that worship him must
worship him in spirit
and in truth.
Acts
24:14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way
which they call heresy, so worship I the God of
my fathers, believing all
things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
15 Andhave
hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that thereshall
be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
Philippians 3:3 For we
are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ
Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4. EDIFICATION
OF THE BRETHREN {By & Through the Word Only}
Romans
1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians
Ephesians 4:12 For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Ephesians
4:16 From whom the
whole body fitlyjoined together and compacted
by that which every joint supplieth,according to the
effectual working in the measure of every part, makethincrease
of the body unto the edifying of itself in
love.
1 Thessalonians
Romans
15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbour
for his good to edification.
1
Corinthians 14:3 But he that prophesieth
speaketh unto men to edification,
and exhortation, and comfort.
2
Corinthians 10:8 For though I should boast
somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for
your destruction, I should not be ashamed:
2 Corinthians 13:10 ThereforeI write these things being absent, lest being
present I should usesharpness, according to the power
which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.
Acts
Acts
1 Corinthians 2:13 Whichthings also we speak, not in the words which man's
wisdom teacheth, butwhich the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things withspiritual.
1 Corinthians
Galatians
6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good
things.
Colossians
3:16 Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord.
1
Timothy 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and
consent not to wholesome
words, even the
words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is
according to godliness; {1 Corinthians 10:23; 2 Corinthians 12:19; Ephesians
4:29; 1 Timothy 1:4}
5. DISCIPLING
THE BRETHREN {Producing or re-producing – elders/pastors}
Acts
1 Corinthians
2
Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among
many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Philippians
4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received,
and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
2 Timothy 3:14 But continue
thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a
child thou hast known
the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through
faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 Allscripture
is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable fordoctrine,
for reproof, correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God
may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
2
Peter 3:15 Andaccount
that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as ourbeloved
brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also
in all his epistles,speakingin them of these things;
in which are some things hard to beunderstood, which
they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as theydo
also the other scriptures,
unto their own destruction.
6. FELLOWSHIP
WITH THE BRETHREN {Centered On The Lord & the Word}
Acts
1
Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the
fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our
Lord.
2
Corinthians 8:4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would
receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
Galatians
2:9 Andwhen James,Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars,
perceived thegrace that was given unto me, they gave
to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship;
that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
Ephesians
3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of
the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Philippians
1:5 For your fellowship
in the gospel from the first day until now;
Philippians
2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any
comfort of love, if any fellowship of
the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
Philippians 3:10 That I
may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable
unto his death;
1 John
1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you,
that ye also may have fellowship with us:
and truly our fellowship
is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1 John
1:6 If we say that we have fellowship
with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1 John
1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship one with another, and
the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
“FELLOWSHIP”
WE MUST AVOID
1
Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Ephesians
MINISTRY OF THE SAINTS {Spiritual & Carnal}
7.
SUPPORT OF THE BRETHREN [Spiritual, Physical, & Financial]
{Can be extended to unbelievers – but NOT
to be a SUBSTITUTE for all of the above}
Acts
20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the
Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
1 Thessalonians
The purpose of the church is
not for the entertainment of the brethren (coffee klatches; buffets;
car washes; sewing circles;bake sales; cookie sales;
etc.) nor for carnal pleasures (dances;carnivals; bingos; etc.) or worldly pursuits (Boy Scouts; Girl Scouts;Cub Scouts; etc.) And it certainly is not for the aggrandizement, or
praise, or reverence, or adulation of elders (pastors), evangelists, or
teachers.
#3. HOW IS THE CHURCH TO FUNCTION?
THE SCRIPTURAL OFFICE OF *BISHOP {ELDERS-PASTORS}
1
Timothy 3:1 This is a true saying, If a man
desire the office of a bishop,
he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the
husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour,
given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no
striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well
his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know
not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest
being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have
a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the
snare of the devil.
{*The word bishop (4); bishops (1) and bishoprick
(1) is found 6 times in the New Testament as opposed to the word pastors which is found only once
(plural – pastors - Ephesians
4:11) in
the entire New Testament. The usage of the word “bishop” as indicating a man
and an office elevated above
ordinary elders-pastors with extra-scriptural authority over them is completely
foreign to the Holy
Scriptures and is without any support in the early New Testament churches.
Since the use of the word bishop has been misconstrued, misused, and
abused by the Roman Catholic Church and many mainline
SCRIPTURAL DUTIES
& RESPONSIBILITIES OF: {an elder-pastor}
PERSONAL (Inward)
1.
PRAYER [Addressed - to God]
2. STUDY
[Scriptures – from God]
CONGREGATIONAL (Outward – “the
ministry of the word of God”)
3.
PREACHING [The Word of God] {PURPOSE: Feeding &
Edification–Doctrine & Conduct}
4. TEACHING
[Convincing, Exhorting - Sound Doctrine & the Whole Council of God] {PURPOSE: Feeding & Edification – Doctrine &
Conduct}
5. WARNING[Against: Leaven (False Doctrine), Philosophy, Vain
Deceit, theTraditions of Men,
Science-Falsely-so-called, and the Rudiments of the World, etc.] {PURPOSE: Edification– Doctrine & Conduct}
CORRECTION –
SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY & LIMITS OF: {an elder-pastor}
6.
ADMONISHING [Advise, Caution, or Notify of a Fault] {PURPOSE
- Correction}
7. REPROVING
[To Refute, Disprove, or Convince of a Fault or to Make It Manifest] {PURPOSE - Correction}
8. REBUKING
[To reprehend for faults; to chide, chasten, check, restrain or silence] {PURPOSE - Correction}
Headings 6-8 above describe the absolute LIMITS
OF PASTORAL AUTHORITY (i.e. “Correction”). All matters of Discipline within a church are to be
administered by the whole body (the congregation) – NOT an individual
elder-pastor, or a board of deacons, or any other extra-scriptural council or
committee.
NOTE: All matters of Punishment are to be administered by Almighty God!
In the early church there
was no clergy–laity set up as in almost all
modern day churches. There was no
one individual “pastor” over the church, or in the larger churches – a “senior
pastor”; “assistant pastors”; “youth pastor”; “Choir Director”; or so-called
“Christian Counselors” -dispensing pagan
philosophy within the church,
or today’s’ modern equivalent - Humanism,
Psychiatry, & Psychology.
The leaders in the early
church were called elders and were always plural in number
and they shared whatever power and authority they had – equally. No division existed between the
congregation and elders-pastors. [They (elders-pastors and the congregation) all
were brethren – with no distinctions!]
An elder’s (pastor’s)
authority over the brethren was, and still is, very limited – spiritual only!
An elder (pastor) is not to exercise dominion
over the brethren or over
their faith!
THE SCRIPTURAL
OFFICE OF DEACONS
Since there is so little said about the office of Deacon in the Scriptures -the Scriptural office of a deacon is the least understood of the only two scripturally recognized (and authorized) offices in the church [bishop/elder/pastor] & [deacon]. However, there is enough information in the Holy Scriptures to indicate who is eligible for the office; what the office is; and how it should function.
1
Timothy 3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued,
not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9 Holding the mystery
of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 And let these also
first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found
blameless.
11 Even so must their
wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of
one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 For they that have
used the office of a deacon
well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith
which is in Christ Jesus.
Acts 6:1
And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose
a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were
neglected in the daily ministration.
2 Then the twelve
called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It
is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
3 Wherefore, brethren,
look ye out among you seven men
of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
4 But we will give
ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
5 And the saying
pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy
Ghost, and Philip,
and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
6 Whom they set before
the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
According to the Holy
Scriptures the office of Deacon is to be filled by MEN ONLY, and the physical
and spiritual “requirements” are on the par with the “requirements” for the
office of a bishop/elder/pastor.
According to the Bible, the
primary difference between a deacon and a bishop/elder/pastor is that a
deacon has no authority over the brethren. A deacon’s primary
duty is to “serve” the church in a physical capacity. But, just as a
bishop/elder/pastor is “called” of the Lord to “serve” God and “minister” to
the church; a deacon also is “called” of the Lord to “serve” God and to
“minister” to the church - not the pastor! – And is not “limited” to just
“serving tables” as the scriptural record of Stephen and Philip
demonstrates: {Stephan: Acts 6:8-15
& Acts
7:1-60. Philip Acts
8:5-40}
The Scriptures clearly
indicate that a deacon has no authority, whatsoever, over the church; and is
not to be in “competition” with a bishop/elder/pastor. On the other hand a
deacon is not “limited” to just the “dirty” physical jobs only. Obviously in
most so-called Evangelical” and “Fundamental”churches
in the Western world today, the office of “deacon” barely resembles the
scriptural “pattern demonstrated in the Bible.
NOTES ON THE CHURCH {The Body of
Christ}
The early New Testament
church (referred to by some as the “primitive” church) was an “ORGANISM” (a “BODY”)
– Spiritual in Nature. Paul referred to it as a “great mystery”. This is a great mystery: but I speak
concerning Christ and the church. Ephesians
5:32. [Context -Ephesians 5:23-32]
A New Testament
church is meant to FUNCTION as a BODY (NOT A BUSINESS)
– loving one another and having the same love for one another; caring for each
other and having the same care for each other; having one mind; (having
Christ’s mind). The New Testament church is a BODY with THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
as its only HEAD. Anyone claiming to be that head
(pastors-elders-bishops-etc.) are PRETENDERS and USURPERS and THIEVES and ROBBERS!
When a church(any
church) becomes an “ORGANIZATION” (worldly in nature & form) It will, at
some point, cease to function as an “ORGANISM” and inevitably start down the irreversible
road to apostasy.
Any church can emulate the
“FORM” (copy certain
practices of the early New Testament church) without actually performing the
Scriptural PURPOSE and FUNCTION that God intended for his BODY.
After studying the following church histories: Schaff’s,
LaTourette’s, Eardmann’s, Cunningham’s, Ruckman’s,
and various others; some historical facts become self-evident:
[This
also holds true for every so-called “Christian” Organization created by men.]
There is a “pattern” that all Christian
churches have gone through (and are still going through today) 1st. Doctrinal
– 2nd. a Little Leaven – 3rd. a Turning Away - 4th. Apostasy
– 5th. Reprobate.
No amount
of rules, regulations, restrictions, edicts, ordinances, or laws have been able to prevent
Apostasy. And
no amount of compromise
can bring a church back from it.
Revelation
2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and
repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will
remove thy candlestick out of his
place, except thou repent.
1Samuel
22 And she said, The glory is departed from
1Corinthians