Part I - Overcoming our Identity Crisis
Introduction
The slow decline of church growth was one of the main concerns expressed in the 2004 General Conference of the PAOC in
We quickly realize this is not a new concern. The last decade has been one characterized by an ongoing attempt to initiate changes that would, hopefully, bring about a renewal of sorts; a dynamic transformation that would once again bring us to the place where we witness substantial growth. This growth would be the definitive sign of God’s blessing. If we simply adjust our institutional structures, modify our programs and overall strategy, so that they function more efficiently, then rapid growth will automatically occur.
While I would be the first to admit that change is not an inherently bad thing in and of itself, and can very often be the catalyst for positive results, it is not the be all to end all. That is, it is not the answer to all of our problems.
Simply organizing a denominationally wide functional shift, where we undergo tremendous program restructuring, is really not the solution. While our intentions may very well be pure and our motivations constructive, we must first come to the realization that our symptoms indicate a more serious issue, one that organizational change can never fully remedy. An interior work can not be remedied through an exterior means. One must go to the source of the issue and deal with it there. This is more difficult and time consuming, but it will yield many positive results.
Underlying Issue
If the church is not yielding positive results to the degree we would like to see, responsibility does not lie solely on the shoulders of the programs or organizational systems of the church, both locally and globally. It becomes very easy to point the finger of blame towards a certain leader, program, or structure as the primary reason why growth, in any degree, is virtually non-existent. To do this, however, is to miss the point completely.
Historically, the Pentecostal church has spent more time and effort on the functions of the church, at the expense of its form. Doctrine, what we believe, has largely been determined by its usefulness, with very little attention, if any, given to the importance of the belief itself. For example, what is deemed of primary significance is not the belief in a transcendent God, but on the usefulness of believing in God. In other words, what matters is not God but the practical consequences of believing in God. The most popular books in Christian circles deal with doing (evangelization, church growth, etc), with very few on becoming. This has fostered, perhaps unintentionally, a very low view of the church.
As a result, we have largely ignored biblical teaching and doctrinal studies, because if it is not automatically seen as immediately useful, then why bother? Yet, what we have failed to realize is that an understanding of truth, gleaned primarily from the Scriptures, is of first importance, not secondary. Without the anchor of truth, guiding and directing our functions (tasks), we will find ourselves wandering around aimlessly, much like a hiker without a map and compass. The hiker might especially enjoy the hike and not so much the technical aspects of the journey, but the enjoyment of the journey is fully realized when adequate time is spent learning how to read the map!
The same is true of the Church. To experience maximum enjoyment from the journey, we must first and continually so, learn how to read the map of God’s word. What has often been viewed as a boring and monotonous endeavor turns out to be the very thing we need the most. How can you know what to do if you have no clue as to who you are?
The time has come for the church to allow itself to undergo growth, but from within. It’s not revival we need, but renewal. Rather than focusing our attention on numerical increase, let us focus in on increasing our understanding of who we are! The time has come for the church to define itself, not by what it does (function), but by who it is (form/nature). Who we are is not determined by what we do. What we do is determined by who we are! But how can we know what to do if we have very little, if any, understanding of who we are? We cannot. The underlying issue in the contemporary church is not a lack of programs or a poor organizational structure, but a lack of knowledge of its own identity. We have an identity crisis!
Overcoming the Identity Crisis: Demolishing Myths
The first place to begin as we take time to overcome our identity crisis pertains to our understanding of the Triune God. The contemporary church climate has been increasingly inundated through various literary and musical genres that inform our picture of God. The dominant structure and theme in both streams is determined less by doctrine, theology and biblical studies, and more with experiencing God. Allow me to explain.
A simple comparison of the contemporary music scene with that of the historic hymns of the church, stemming back as far as Martin Luther’s A Mighty Fortress is our God illustrates my point clearly. Not all contemporary worship songs are bad, as not all of the historic hymns are good. There are good and bad in both streams. But what I do find in many of the contemporary songs is an obvious lack of sound, biblical and doctrinal teaching.
Many are shallow, intensely repetitive compositions that, while high in musical quality, are low in content and substance. They reflect the popular touchy, feely papa God theology that runs through various institutions.
Books have often suffered a similar fate. Rather than dealing with topics of value, issues of biblical instruction and right belief, people are more apt to spend their time and money on books that offer little in the way of belief, and more on how to start a revival, and seven steps to living a prosperous life. The popularity of a book or music group does not indicate their rightness. Popularity means little when it comes to the
While I would be the first to admit that God is intensely loving, gracious, kind and forgiving, He is also not to be taken for granted. Popular theology may espouse God as an old man in the sky, showering everyone with blessings, forgiving everyone, even when repentance is not evident, but please don’t be fooled! The last time I checked God remains the Almighty One, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the “I AM”, mighty Creator and Sustainer of all things, who holds the world in His hands. God may indeed love, but He is also holy! The early church understood this clearly as they “lived in the fear of the Lord” (Acts 9:31).
How desperately the church needs to take hold of that holy awe of God! Nothing marked the Reformation more than an awe of the holy, majestic God who called men and women to Himself. It drove them to their knees in fear and reverence. What the church needs today is an accurate understanding of God! One that will lead us all to stand before Him with holy fear! This will prove to be the first and most important step in overcoming our current identity crisis.
The second myth needing our attention as we strive to overcome our identity crisis is this: the church is not a building.
Who does not say “I’m going to church!” We call the place we worship, the church. And when we say “we are building a church,” we mean we are constructing a facility, not that we are building men and women in spiritual maturity. In a thousand common expressions we refer to the church as a place.
This is not some harmless understanding. It both presupposes and conditions our view of the church, creating what some have called the edifice complex, wherein the importance and success of the church is directly measured by the size and grandeur of the structure itself.
For many of us the church is the building where we assemble to worship; its ministries are the programs that we get involved in; its mission is to meet the needs of its parishioners; and its servants are the professional clergy we hire to shepherd us. Church growth has come to refer more to such things as location, marketing, architecture, programs, and head counts than to the maturity of the body of Christ! (See Colson, The Body).
But the perception of the church as a building is only a symptom of a much broader problem – a genuine identity crisis. By seeing the church as bricks and mortar, we misunderstand its biblical character and mission. It is hard to imagine, therefore, a more urgent or critical task than the recovery and restoration of the biblical view of the church.
The third myth in overcoming our identity crisis is this: the church is not a business.
The church is looking for ways to return to the days of rapid growth. Many believe the problem of our current lack of growth is primarily related to the way we do things. So, let’s find new ways that will solve the problem completely. We must quickly realize, however, that there is more at stake here than fluctuating numbers.
The common assumption is that numerical increase is equated with success, but this presupposes a business model for the church, which is dubious at best. This proves that we measure the church against the wrong standard.
That this is the case is validated by the answers to the question, “how are things going at your church?” The typical response often sounds something like this: membership is up by 20%; a hundred baptisms last year; we are starting a new building; we are going to three morning services. Once more, we equate success with size and numerical increase.
The roots of this identity crisis are found in the consumer mentality so pervasive in our culture. Most Canadians are free to choose what church they will attend and join, and choose they do.
Ask people what they look for in a church and the #1 response is fellowship. Other answers range from good sermons, to the music program, to youth activities for the kids, to it makes me feel good. People move about in search of what suits their taste at the moment.
This is what some have called the Mc Church mentality. Today it might be McDonald’s for a Big Mac; tomorrow its Wendy’s salad bar; or perhaps the wonderful chicken burgers at KFC. Thus, the church becomes just another retail outlet, faith just another product. If you don’t like the menu, or think the variety too limited, move on to another location. People change congregations and preachers, and even denominations, as readily as they change banks or grocery stores (Colson, The Body).
This proves to be very telling: spiritual consumers are interested not in what the church stands for (beliefs) but in the fulfillment it can deliver. What many are looking for is a spiritual social club, an institution that offers relationships, but certainly does not influence how people live or what they believe – as if these things are to be determined by majority vote or market surveys.
The questions many are asking these days are: What’s in it for me? What product can you offer? These prove my point exactly – there is an identity crisis in the church; we have no clue who we are!
In his inaugural address, on January 20th, 1961, John F. Kennedy made this statement: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. Likewise, ask not what the church can do FOR you – ask what you can do FOR the church.
We think that the church is a service institution, created to meet our varied needs, whatever they may be. The exact opposite is true! Jesus said it best of Himself: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matt. 20:28). What did Jesus do immediately prior to His farewell address to the disciples in John 13? He washed their feet! His admonition was ‘Do as I have done.’ Not that we have been called upon to literally wash one another’s feet, but to display Jesus’ servant attitude towards each other. To place others before our ourselves (Phil. 2:4).
Such a consumer mentality pressures many churches to respond in kind. If the consumer is king, and the church is a product, then let’s make it the most competitive product out there, whatever the cost. Even if it means abandoning our very nature; our name, symbols, theology and values. Such hot tub religion (JI Packer), changes the very fabric of the church, and we lose our identity. People may be happy in such environments, but not holy.
Such churches may increase in size, but numerical increase is not the definitive sign of God’s blessing! Growth may be a sign of God’s blessing, as we see in the Acts record. But in that day it was the Lord who added to their numbers, not marketing experts. In the end, if we are to overcome our identity crisis, we must understand that the church is not a business.
Rediscovering Our Identity
If the church is not a building, nor a business, than what is it?
1.) 1 Corinthians 1:2 – “To the
2.) 1 Peter 1:1-2 – “To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood.”
This tells us a number of things about the nature of the church. We are:
a.) Called – summoned by God to be a part of His community – ekklesia. The church belongs to God and we are His! To be called means to be incorporated into His gathering of the redeemed. It’s more than Jesus and me, it is Jesus and we!
b.) Consecrated – (sanctified) set apart for God’s purpose and will (reason).
c.) Commissioned – for obedience to Jesus Christ. Obedience is intimately related to our consecration or sanctification. We’ve been set apart by God to walk in obedience to Him. Who we are positionally before God, the sanctified ones, ought to be reflected in our practice (1 Peter 2:9-10)
In order to do, we must know who we are! And, the knowledge of who we are will inform and guide what we do! Our tasks are meant to serve our nature – to promote and reflect our identity.
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Part II: The Church's Worship
Background – The Nature of the Church
We began our study on the Church and focused our attention on foundational issues relating to its nature – what it is. We realized that throughout
Instead, what we really need is a renewal, a re-education in who we are as the church. For only when we understand who we are will we know what to do. We are to be defined, not by what functions we involve ourselves in, but by what the Scriptures teach us concerning ourselves. We need to overcome our identity crisis.
In establishing this understanding, we realized that there are a number of myths we need to address as we attempt to regain our personal identity.
Our
Once we have established a more biblically informed understanding of who we are, we will be in a much better position to know what we ought to do. Who we are determines what we do! There are two basic principles that ought to direct all that we do and say:
a.) Will this serve to further Christ’s work in the world? Will it extend His Kingdom (rule/reign)?
b.) Does it accurately and faithfully reflect our identity as God’s people – His “called out” community?
If we answer ‘no’ to any one of these questions, we should not proceed with the task. It is better we act responsibly and represent our Lord accurately, than to engage in any new venture and misrepresent our Lord and His church.
As we embark on the journey to learn more about the mission of the church, many have found a simple way to help us formulate and more easily remember the four basic categories involved in the process. It is found in the acrostic WIFE.
While I am not the greatest fan of acrostics, this particular one proves its worth in that it reflects the biblical imagery of the church as the Bride of Christ and helps us in understanding its functions. WIFE stands for Worship – Instruction – Fellowship – Evangelism.
Worship:
Worship has two basic components. The first is quite obvious: Song.
a.) Song:
Songs have two dimensions: The first is horizontal in nature. Two texts in particular deal with the horizontal nature of the church’s song – Eph. 5:18 and Col. 3:16. Both have been written by the Apostle Paul and communicate a similar emphasis; that songs should be directed “to one another.”
“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” (Eph. 5:18) – “teach and admonish one another . . . as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” (Col. 3:16).
From these two different passages, directed to two very different churches in different areas, we see a common theme begin to arise. “Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” were meant to be used as a means to teach and instruct one another in the faith!
Colossians clarifies this even more. Here, Paul instructs the church to let the “word of Christ” dwell in them 1.) “As they teach and admonish one another” and as they 2.) “Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.”
The “word of Christ” simply refers to all that Jesus taught and demonstrated during His earthly ministry. It also has in mind what the apostles taught after Christ’s ascension into heaven – as is outlined in Acts and Paul’s letters, etc. Quite naturally, Paul has the OT in mind as well.
Paul taught that this “word of Christ” ought to “dwell in you richly.” Dwell also means to take up residence in; to live and abide. Basically, he was telling them to allow Christ’s teaching, communicated in the Gospel accounts and other letters of the NT, to take up residence within us. This occurs as we “teach one another” and as we “sing.”
In the early church, songs contained and expressed some of the most important aspects of Christian belief (doctrine). In fact, many of the earliest creeds and confessions of the church were recorded by the Apostle Paul in a number of his letters. For example, Eph. 5:14; Phil. 2:6-11;
It is widely held in NT scholarship that these passages are early forms of Christian confessional materials, some of which were probably put to music. In reading them, you will begin to notice that they all teach core aspects of Jesus’ person and life. Right belief and its transmission were very important to the membership of the early church.
They would often formulate these statements of faith as a means of making it clear for all who Christ was and what He had accomplished. They were summary statements of all He was. Because they were short, they could more easily be memorized and thereby provide a vehicle through which they could grasp the significance of Jesus Christ. Right belief was important to the church!
In a day when faith in Christ was under attack, from within and without, and many of Christ’s teachings were being compromised, so much so that the very fabric of the church was at stake, these core teachings preserved in both confessions and songs would strengthen and stabilize believers.
If a certain teaching circulating at the time in any way contravened anything found in these confessions, Christians would be equipped to more easily identify the errors and renounce it. Furthermore, because some of these confessions were put to music, as Col. 1:15-20 is believed to have been, than we can see how ingenious it was on the apostle’s part to aid believers to remember core aspects of this teaching.
While it may be challenging to remember all of Christ’s teachings, one could be able to recall the most essential parts of it if put to music. The rhythmic structure of the material, when combined with music, would have made it much easier to memorize and recite.
Now we begin to see the importance of song within the church. It serves as a vehicle for teaching us biblical content and thus provides us with the means to better discern truth from error. Whether it comes in the form of a psalm, hymn, or spiritual song, they all should serve this greater and higher purpose. All of our songs ought to reflect the clear teaching of Scripture. As we learn to “speak to one another” in these ways, it will serve a unifying purpose; we are called to believe in unison.
Worship is meant to bring the church together under the common banner of Jesus Christ. The variety of form songs can take is meant to incorporate all people into the church’s worship. No one should be left out; no one style should be emphasized to the demise of another. A blending of forms is best! All can participate in such an atmosphere.
Unfortunately, many battles have been fought and even churches spilt, over forms! This is the opposite intention and purpose of worship – which is to unite! When we intentionally blend all forms into our worship, all people, regardless of preference, will be able to participate. In so doing, all will be mutually strengthened as they “speak to one another” the wonderful truths of Christ. This is what it means to “worship in spirit and in truth.”
The second aspect of song is vertical in nature. In both texts mentioned, Paul’s focus was the same: While we sing to one another, we are to sing for God. Here we see the goal of worship.
As we sing about Christ, who He is and what He has accomplished for us, we will find ourselves “giving thanks” to God for this indescribable gift. What else could we do but respond with thanksgiving! As we sing the truth of Christ in unity, it glorifies and honors the Father. One people, one voice, in many forms, unite to sing one song – the song of the redeemed! While worship is individual, its ultimate focus is to foster community. Anytime worship divides, it is not true worship. Only when it unites, and Christ’s truth is proclaimed, is it true worship. Then God is truly glorified!
b.) Lifestyle:
We must always remember that worship constitutes more than singing, it is also a lifestyle. What we teach one another concerning Christ, in order for it to be a true, genuine expression of worship, ought to be reflected in our living. What really matters is how it affects our lives! (See Graham Kendrick – Learning to Worship as a Way of Life – Bethany House Publishers).
Paul highlights this aspect of worship in Romans 12:1:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”
What is he teaching here? In light of God’s mercy, demonstrated in chapters 1-11, here is the only appropriate way you can respond – “offer yourselves.” To offer means to put yourself in the service of. It speaks of obedient service. In light of God’s mercy, demonstrated most clearly in Jesus Christ, put yourself in His service! How? By giving yourself, by yielding and surrendering to Him!
This offering is not partial in nature, but complete. To present our bodies speaks of the entirety of our lives – heart, mind, and will. You are placing yourself at God’s disposal. This is your “spiritual act of worship,” or as the KJV translates it, “your reasonable service.” It means to give your all! Worship becomes a lifestyle!
Conclusion
After first establishing who we are as the church, only then can we accurately begin to understand issues of practice – what we ought to do. While the church is called to express itself in many ways, the core functions can be explained through the acrostic WIFE. The first function is worship.
The church’s worship finds expression in song and in life. The first flows into and directs the second; as truth informs how we live. Regardless of the form, songs have a clear purpose:
- Horizontally, to unite us around the person of Jesus Christ.
- Vertically, to give thanks to God.
And, when it comes to worship, the ultimate goal, in light of God’s mercy, demonstrated in and through Jesus Christ, is complete surrender to Him! We all have been called to offer ourselves to God in humble service! This proves to be the purest form of worship, and it pleases the Lord because our lives are in His hands! We give back the life we owe! The only fitting response to such great mercy!
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Part III: The Church's Instruction
Review
We began our study on the Church by looking into aspects of our nature (who we are), and determined that grasping an understanding of who we are is the only way we can accurately appreciate our mission -what to do.
After focusing on the nature of the church, we began to investigate aspects of the Church’s mission. We found that through using the acrostic WIFE, we can learn the four basic categories of this mission.
W – Worship
I – Instruction
F – Fellowship
E – Evangelism
The first aspect of the Church’s mission focuses on its worship. There we determined that worship has two components: a. Song and b. Lifestyle.
The Church’s song should be directed to one another as we sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Eph. 5:18; Col. 3:16). Here is the arena where we can follow Paul’s admonition to allow the word of Christ, all that He taught and demonstrated, to dwell in us richly, that is, to take up residence within us, through the expression of song. As we teach and admonish one another in this way, we serve to strengthen each other in our faith commitment and thus encourage one another in our mutual concern for Christ and His Church.
We also learned that songs are directed for the glory of God. He is the goal of the Church’s worship. All that we sing, in all of the various forms, should be an extension of thanksgiving for all that God is and all that He has accomplished for us through Christ.
In addition, we learned that the Church’s worship finds its ultimate expression in one’s life. Paul highlighted this in Romans 12:1, where he admonished us to offer the entirety of our lives to Christ – this is our spiritual act of worship; our reasonable service.
The Church’s Instruction
The second aspect of the Church’s mission is I – instruction. As we take time to consider this second feature of our mission, we come to realize that instruction is both foundational and central to all that we do and say. Understanding truth, which is a progressive action, informs, directs and guides our entire lives, in what we believe and how we live in response to that belief. Truth has a way of flowing into our lives and can impact our journey for good.
Like a hiker who utilizes their map and compass, so with the Christian, who takes time to learn God’s word and allow it to shape their lives. I’m reminded of David’s prayer in Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth.” One can only walk in God’s truth after He has taught us His ways!
The concept of truth and its transmission was important to Jesus during His earthly ministry. We see this epitomized in what has since become known as His great commission. Here, we read the basis of Jesus’ instructions to the apostles and to all believers afterwards. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:18-20).
Christ commanded the apostles, and all believers, to go and make disciples. How? By baptizing them (as a sign of their union and commitment to Christ), and by teaching them all that Christ taught. In essence, Jesus stated that the basis of the Church’s teaching ought to be all that He commanded; all that He communicated to the apostles during His earthly ministry.
The basis of our teaching, therefore, follows this same principle: it ought to center in on all that Jesus taught to the apostles and also that which has been communicated through them afterwards, as found in the NT. Centering our teaching in Jesus is crucial because as the only One who can fully reveal God, reading His teachings and hearing about His actions proves to be the only sure way we can come to understand something of God. As John wrote in 1:18, “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.” You want to know what God is like? Listen to Jesus.
The apostles, more than others, knew something of the fullness that Jesus communicated. They didn’t always perceive it at the time, but would come to more fully appreciate Jesus’ words later on. Therefore, everything that Jesus taught them forms the basis of everything we continue to teach others, in our quest to fulfill Jesus’ commission.
Transmitting Jesus’ teachings as communicated by the apostles was very important to the early church. Immediately after Pentecost Luke records this about the believers in Acts 2:42, “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” This is significant! They obeyed Jesus’ command to make disciples (committed believers), and did so by communicating all that He had taught them. While Luke records other activities of the early church, he began with their teaching.
The earliest record we have of the Church’s mission centered on their collective focus - the apostles’ teaching. In fact, Luke records that they devoted themselves to this task. It wasn’t something they just happened to do, if time permitted. It proved to be paramount, foundational to all their other activities. It was the primary activity that essentially formed the basis of their understanding of who they were and what they ought to be doing as Christ’s disciples!
The questions are: have we continued in this tradition? Teaching, passing on all that Jesus’ communicated to the apostles’, was a primary characteristic of the early church! It is ours?
But why was teaching so important? A.) Because Jesus commanded it (Matt. 28:18). B.) It proved to be the only way the church could be the church – what it was meant to be.
Passing on the teachings of Jesus, as we read it in the Gospel accounts and in the remainder of the NT, forms the basis of the Church’s identity. It also informs the Church on how to express that identity in the world, regardless of the context. Without this teaching, the Church will quickly lose its focus, and will have no meaningful way to distinguish itself as the Body of Christ.
As one can only learn how to walk when taught how to do so, so the Church can only faithfully reflect the Lord when we are taught how to do so. In this way, the whole of scripture proves itself to be the guiding principle of all we believe and do! That the early church understood the importance of teaching is validated by Luke’s record in Acts 2:42, which stated that they “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.”
But some might ask, why the apostles’ teaching? What’s so important about their testimony? What about others? Luke’s account in Acts 1:15-22 illustrates why the apostles teaching could be the only credible authority.
In these verses, Luke recorded events that immediately followed Jesus’ ascension and preceded the Pentecostal outpouring in chapter 2. After Judas’, who was one of the 12 apostles, betrayed Jesus and left the apostolic band, only 11 remained. However, it was important that his place be filled with another apostle, so that the 12 could be reestablished as Jesus ordained it. However, in order to be part of the 12, the individual in question would have to fulfill very strict criteria. Those criteria are highlighted in verses 21-22: “Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” In the end, they chose Matthias (v. 26).
Only an individual who fulfilled these specific criteria could be an apostle, with Paul being the only exception (Acts 9). They had to be first-hand eye witnesses of all that Jesus taught and did, including the events surrounding His death, resurrection, post-resurrection appearances and ascension. As an aside, this proves to be the ultimate reason why no modern-day apostles exist within the church – there are no more first-hand eye witnesses of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
Why is it so important? Only such people could accurately and faithfully communicate the essence of all that Jesus said and did! Therefore, only teaching that faithfully reflects and accurately communicates that which was taught by Jesus to the apostles holds any authority for the Church.
This is why the Holy Scriptures are viewed as the primary rule for faith, all that we believe, and practice, how we conduct ourselves in light of what we believe. It proves to be not the only authority, but primary, in that all other teaching expressed in creeds and confessions, etc, is subservient to this primary witness.
As a result, if a certain teaching does not clearly fall in line with that which has been communicated by the apostles, stemming from Jesus, it is to be avoided completely. This illustrates the importance of what Paul called sound doctrine as is recorded in his pastoral letters – 1-2 Timothy and Titus.
1.) 1 Timothy 6:3 – “If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing.”
2.) 2 Timothy 1:13-14 – “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you – guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”
3.) 2 Timothy 2:15 – “Correctly handle the word of truth…”
4.) 2 Timothy 3:14 – “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it.”
5.) Titus 1:9 – “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”
6.) Titus 2:1 – “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.”
Paul used the word sound eight times in these three letters alone. It refers to teaching that is correct, right, true and orthodox; teaching that is in line with that taught by the apostles. It is sound not only because it builds up the faith, but also because it protects against false teaching (Titus 1:9). The importance of keeping the Gospel pure, free of defects, in line with that as communicated by Jesus and the apostles, is clearly portrayed in the passages we read, and was paramount in Paul’s ministry as well (cf. Galatians, Colossians, etc).
Jude echoes this sentiment in verse 3, “I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” Why is the maintenance of truth so important? Because many will attempt to change it, and thereby altar it’s purity and clarity, both from within and without the Church.
Life Lessons
From the earliest of times in the church, truth has been under attack, and this tradition has continued to the present day, and to an ever increasing degree. Paul wrote concerning this situation.
1 Timothy 4:1 – “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.”
1 Timothy 4:3-5 – “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations…”
How true has this become? Not only outside the church, in a society that has increasingly denigrated the Church’s teaching as being old-fashioned and ignorant, but even from some within the Church, who have “abandoned the faith” and followed deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
An attack on the Church’s teaching, as it has come to us through the apostles’ witness, from those outside the Church is to be expected. But, when it comes from those within our ranks, it is much more insidious and harmful, especially when the person espousing the doctrine has a sense of power and seeming credibility.
The Church’s affirmation and blessing of same-sex unions is such an example. The Health-Wealth gospel is another. These are obvious and serious diversions from the clear, orthodox teachings of Scripture. They fall outside the boundaries of the apostles’ teaching, and should therefore be refuted; and not just the teaching, but also “those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9).
I guarantee that such a response will often prove to be unpopular, even by some in the Church, but do not allow yourself to be easily shaken. Stay strong in your commitment to truth! Many will attempt to entice you with what may appear to be sound arguments in favor of their wayward doctrinal positions, but stand your ground! “Guard the good deposit” given you by the apostles’ witness! Stand before the Goliath of adversity and defiance towards God’s truth! Stand under the power and help of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:14).
Remember, truth has never been and never will be, determined by popular vote and market surveys, but by and through what Jesus has taught, and through the collective witness of the apostles, as recorded in Scripture. As the early church practiced, let it be with us. May we, like them, “devote ourselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42).
Part IV: The Church's Fellowship
Review
This is the fourth installment in our series on the nature and mission of the Church. We began by looking into aspects of the Church’s nature; that is, what the church is as opposed to what it does. We determined that understanding the nature of the Church first is most important because it proves to be the only sure way we can more accurately understand what we ought to be doing as the church. From this perspective, a solid, biblically informed understanding of the Church should lead us to a more faithful understanding and implementation of the Church’s mission.
From there we started on our journey towards formulating the general categories of the mission of the Church. These basic categories do not provide us with explicit examples of Church ministries, and were never meant too. What they are meant to do is provide us with a framework that will guide us as we seek to find ways to proclaim the message of the Gospel through a variety of means and methods.
The acrostic WIFE helps us in this regard. Not only does it reflect the biblical imagery of the NT of the Church as the Bride of Christ, but each letter provides us with four marks that should characterize any and every local Christian assembly.
We have already spent time looking at the first two: Worship and instruction. Now we will begin to look at the third aspect of WIFE – Fellowship.
Fellowship Defined
Surveys show that the number one thing people look for in a church is fellowship. Yet, as Charles Colson has indicated in his book The Body: Being Light in Darkness, “what most modern Westerners seek is a far cry from what the Bible describes and what the early church practiced. No term is the Christian lexicon is more abused than fellowship.” This simply means that our contemporary understanding of the word has colored our understanding of the meaning of fellowship; a meaning that is in many ways foreign to that as described in the NT.
Colson continues, “To some it means . . . the warm, affirming ‘hot tub’ religion that soothes our frayed nerves and provides relief from the battering of everyday life. Often with the best of intentions Christians have turned to this social notion of fellowship into an end in itself. For these folks the object of the Christian life is fulfilled when brothers and sisters are ‘together’ or ‘spending time’ – and that can be at an encounter group weekend retreat or on the beach at Waikiki . . . for many others, fellowship means no more than coming together for church events. Instead of happy hours at the club, they have theirs in the fellowship hall.”
What is Colson saying here? In a nutshell – the contemporary church has very little understanding, if any, of the biblical meaning of fellowship. We have a pre-understanding of the term that is unfamiliar to that of the early church. A common interpretive error occurs here: we allow a pre-understanding to color our reading of scripture. It becomes a lens through which we read and interpret the Bible. Rather than seek to find out what the biblical authors intended to teach and derive meaning from that, we impress our pre-conceived ideas and concepts onto the text of scripture and thwart its intended meaning. We take our 21st century understanding of words and ideas and force them onto the text. When we do this, however, we read our own views into scripture, rather than allow scripture to speak for itself. Such a scenario accurately describes our handling of the word fellowship.
As a result, if our understanding of fellowship in relation to the biblical witness is seriously flawed, what does the term mean? What do the scriptures teach us concerning this issue?
The word often translated as fellowship in the NT is koinonia, and in all of its various derivatives, it occurs over sixty times. It has been translated in other ways as well: communion, participation, share a common life and partnership. Its root meaning is common or shared, as opposed to one’s own. Already are we seeing the difference between the biblical and contemporary understanding of the word fellowship.
In the NT it refers to Christians who share a common faith (Philemon 6), who share possessions (Acts 2:44; 4:30), or who are partners in the Gospel (Phil. 1:5). In essence, the term is used to describe the supernatural life that Christians share. It is what causes oneness of faith. For members of the early church, it proved to be one of the chief characteristics that defined their individual and collective experience. We see this explicitly in Acts 2:42, “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Fellowship, in the context of these first believers, was a defining feature of their faith in Jesus Christ and of their expression of that faith. It too has a way of informing us as to who we are and also what we are to be doing.
This double facet of fellowship is seen clearly in 1 John 1:1-7. This passage in John’s first epistle provides for us the foundational aspects of what fellowship means from a biblical perspective. By no means is it exhaustive, but it does paint an accurate picture of its NT significance.
The word fellowship is used four times in these seven verses; twice in verse 3, once in verse 6, and once in verse 7. In verse 3 John provided us with the purpose of the epistle, “so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” John’s primary motivation in writing this epistle is to illicit a response on behalf of the readers; a response that will lead them to attaining fellowship with other believers and God.
What is interesting, however, is that John forms the basis of this fellowship in the apostle’s proclamation of Jesus Christ – the good news. “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that…” The basis of the church’s fellowship centers on the person of Jesus Christ – His life, death, resurrection and ascension. This is what all believers share, what they have in common.
Another interesting feature of verse 3 is found in the statement “And our fellowship is with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.” The significance of this sentence is that it has a time relationship to the former statement, “so that you also may have fellowship with us.” From this time relationship we come to the following conclusion: there can be no fellowship with the Father or with the Son that is not based in the apostle’s witness and teaching. This point is crucial! The witness of the apostle’s, their testimony concerning Jesus Christ, is the basis of the church’s fellowship. The Church’s fellowship is built on the testimony of the apostle’s.
If the readers are to have fellowship with the Father and the Son, they must understand what makes this possible – they must know God personally. This is precisely the place where John begins.
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (v. 5). The message the apostles received directly from Jesus is a statement about the moral character of God. It is a statement about what God is like, His nature and essence; that which God is.
John includes other descriptions of God in his writings that share a similar structure. The first is in John 4:24, “God is spirit.” The second, “God is love” in 1 John 4:8, 16. All three tell us something of God’s nature; things that are intrinsic to who God is. They are not descriptions of things God happens to do, activities that God may or may not engage in from time to time. These are statements that tell us something of who and what God is! It is as close as scripture comes to defining the Triune God.
In our text, John states that “God is light.” Light emphasizes the splendor and glory of God, the truthfulness of God, and his purity. It communicates something of the holiness of God; that God is pure goodness. This element of divine purity is accentuated in the contrasting statement, “in him there is no darkness at all.” He is perfect purity – darkness has no place in the nature of God.
But John didn’t leave it there. As important as it is to believe rightly about God, one must also ask themselves the question, ‘what should my response be to such statements about God?’ If God is indeed holy, perfect purity, light, then what does that mean for those who are in fellowship with Him, i.e., the Church? What impact should it have on our collective understanding and experience of God?
In writing his epistle, John encountered a philosophical ideology that, if left unchecked, would have severely altered the message of Jesus Christ. Many believe that what he faced was an early form of what would later be a full blown heresy in the 2nd century called Gnosticism. Not unlike any belief system, Gnosticism had a number of peculiar components. Perhaps one of the more dominant aspects of this belief structure is one that John refuted in verse 6. “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.”
A dominant belief in Gnosticism is that all matter is evil and only the spirit is good. As a result, how one treated their body was really inconsequential. If all matter was inherently evil and the human body is composed of matter (substance), then do with it what you will. Starve it death, mutilate it or completely abuse it.
The direct consequence of such a belief, especially in relation to Christianity, was profound. The basic and most compelling feature was this: Belief in God and fellowship with Him does not in any way affect one’s life; it does not affect the way in which one chooses to conduct themselves. Belief and conduct have no relationship whatsoever. After all, if only the spirit is good and the body evil, live any way you want. It doesn’t matter what you do to the body, it’s only evil anyway. It’s easy to see how dangerous such an ideology could be to the claims of Christianity, based as it is in a God who is perfect purity.
The underlying assumption of Gnosticism was that belief and life were disconnected. Knowing this to is a false assumption, John declared that genuine Christianity espouses the complete opposite standard. “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.” C.H. Dodd wrote in relation to this, “there is no religion in the Christian sense of the word unless it includes moral endeavor and the criticism of conduct . . . Christians believing in a God of pure goodness accept the obligation to be good like Him.” This means that it is an impossibility to be in fellowship with God, even if you claim it to be so, a God who is perfect light, and yet choose to walk in the darkness.
Later in 2:4, John furthered his argument: “The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but still does not do what he commands is a liar and the truth is not in him.” And again in verse 9, “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.”
Belief and life are not disconnected. Rather, they are intimately connected. The questions are these: how is it possible to believe and have fellowship in a God who is perfect holiness and purity and not reflect those qualities in our daily living? If darkness has no place in God (v. 5), than how can those who live in the darkness claim to have fellowship with God? They cannot! For as darkness has no place in God, so all that is of the darkness is excluded from having fellowship with God.
To claim fellowship with God and yet walk in darkness is to lie, and shows just how little we know about the moral character of God. Anyone who truly knows God and is in fellowship with Him will reflect that relationship in every sphere of life. Living pure lives will have less and less to do with laws and more to do with reflecting the God we serve; a God who is holy.
The concept of reflection is what John attempted to communicate in verse 7: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
The positive test of knowing God is to live in the light as he himself is in the light. God desires that those who are in fellowship with Him reflect His nature. We reflect Him when we connect our belief with our walk; when we allow His holy nature to become our own, in every aspect of life. This is precisely what John reiterated in 2:3, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands,” and also in 2:5b-6, “This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” Belief and life are connected!
It is this connection between belief and life that constitutes the fellowship we have with one another. Fellowship is established amongst us when we all walk together in the light as He is in the light. This is what we have in common; what we share. We are those who walk in a way that reflects our collective fellowship with God; a God who is perfect purity.
Life Lessons
The Gnostics were wrong; belief and life are connected. This is what it means to be in fellowship with God and His Church. When the exact opposite is true, the results can be catastrophic. Brennan Manning put it this way:
The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians; who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.
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Part V: The Church's Witness
Background
In our study on the Church, we spent time looking into aspects of our nature and mission. We determined that it would be appropriate to begin by focusing our attention on the Church’s nature, as a matter of first importance, because only by establishing an understanding of who we are will we be effective in engaging in our mission, what we do.
Doing something for the sake of doing it, with little or no understanding as to the why of the equation, can and often does lead to a sense of disillusionment. This usually stems in part from a lack of understanding related to our nature. You may very well have passion and zeal, but even these things will prove to be insufficient because they are fuelled primarily by emotions, which are unstable and fleeting on there own.
This is why it is so important to first build a solid foundation of who we are, upon which we can more effectively build an understanding of our mission.
In this final installment in our series, we will look in depth at the last component of the Church’s mission. It is the E in the WIFE acrostic – evangelism. According to Millard Erickson evangelism can be defined this way: “the presentation of the gospel with the goal of bringing the hearer to faith in Jesus Christ and thus to salvation.”
Evangelism Defined
Two texts in particular come to mind that highlight this aspect of the Church’s mission. Both come from Jesus and are directed to His disciples.
The first is found in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
The second is found in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in
In these passages from Matthew’s Gospel and Luke’s account in Acts, we read about two different, yet intimately related components of evangelism. We see in these two texts the coming together of what we have been discussing thus far concerning the nature and mission of the Church. It appeals to both the being of the Church, who it is, and also its nature, what it ought to be doing. That is, it speaks of the nature of evangelism and also its mission.
Jesus appealed to His disciples on this subject from two sides of the coin. In Matthew 28 He dealt with the activity of evangelism; what they ought to be doing. Words such as go, make, baptizing and teach illustrate the point clearly. This will certainly reverberate well with much of evangelicalism, and perhaps even more dominantly within Pentecostalism. Both movements have been largely defined by a strong missionary impulse. Therefore, we can easily relate to this aspect of the evangelistic task.
However, in Acts 1:8¸ Jesus had a different focus. While He certainly didn’t disqualify the activity side of the missionary impulse, the doing of missions, He did have a different emphasis. That emphasis addressed the issue of being more so than doing.
Acts 1:8 – “you will be my witnesses…”
Like all aspects of the Church’s mission, so it is with evangelism; what we do is based in an understanding of who we are; and who we are determines what we do.
In evangelism being precedes doing. Charles Colson said it this way: “At the core of our Christian witness in the world lies the reality of who each of us is in relationship to God Himself and in relationship to one another in the new society of God’s people – the church.” This means that evangelism, reaching outside the Church with the ‘good news’ of Jesus Christ, is based in and fuelled by who we are as the Church of Jesus Christ. And only when we grasp this reality will we effectively engage our community and culture.
Jesus challenged His disciples to “be witnesses.” This would prove to be the foundation of their evangelistic endeavors in “
As Colson stated, being a Christian witness in the world has more to do with who we are in relationship to God than it does with engaging in some form of evangelistic activity. From this perspective, evangelism is seen as the state of our very being; something we are as opposed to something we do. We witness when we reflect this relationship with God in every sphere of life. It means that I am a witness! It flows naturally out of the context of our everyday lives. It’s not a set of formulas, techniques, or memorized scenarios. It can’t be put in a box. Evangelism is a consequence of holy living, of our own personal passion for Christ, and flows naturally out of the healthy life of the church. Evangelism is an extension of the Church; it is who the Church is as representatives of Jesus Christ (See Colson, The Body). Unfortunately, most Christians interpret the command “be my witnesses” as an activity instead of what it really is, a reflection of our being.
While we may have many opportunities to witness as an activity, Jesus charges us to first be witnesses. Being Christ’s witnesses involves every aspect of what we are and do, and includes our whole being – revealed in both word and deed.
In the process, we have to be keenly aware of two extremes: At one extreme are those who say plenty about God but don’t live out their faith with the same vigor. They are said to preach God’s word with power, but live that same word in weakness. Their lives lack love, purity, or hope. Yet, as we learned in our last discussion, faith and life are intimately connected! And that what we believe ought to strongly influence how we live. It’s a two-way street.
At the other extreme are those who earnestly live their faith but never articulate the reason for the hope that is in them. People may say of us, “you’re such a nice person,” but if we never tell them about the impact Jesus has made in our lives, never offer them an explanation, they may never know the source of the goodness.
Therefore, we must always keep in mind that our first calling is to be a witness. That is our very nature. But included within that calling is the duty to proclaim a witness. And proclaiming the ‘good news’ is the foundation of our witness; it gives shape to and defines all that we do. We must be the Gospel!
Jesus illustrated the importance of being His witnesses through the use of two things that are familiar to us all. The first is light. In John 8:12, Jesus made this statement: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” As we looked at in our last discussion, light is one of the great metaphorical themes running throughout scripture. At that time read in 1 John 1:3 that “God is light.” It is something that is intrinsic to God’s nature and represents something of His glory, splendor, truthfulness and purity.
Then in Matthew 5:14 we read of Jesus’ charge, “You are the light of the world.” Then He added, “A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (vs. 14b-16).
Jesus declared that His followers are, by their very nature, the light of the world. In 1 John 1:7, we read that we are called to “walk in the light as he is in the light.” That is, we are to reflect the God we serve in all aspects of life. This certainly includes our witness, as Matthew 5:14-16 clearly teaches (“see your good deeds”).
Jesus stated, “You are the light,” not “you need to become the light.” We already are, by virtue of His presence within us. The key thing about light is that its radiance can best be seen in the darkest places. It’s difficult to see a candle in a brightly lit room, but strike a single match in the darkness, and every eye will be drawn to it.
So it is with the Church. When we come together we form communities of light. “And from these communities . . . we take the light to the needy and hurting places where the Gospel flame is not already lit. That can be a mansion in the
The second item Jesus used to illustrate the power of being His witness is salt. In Matthew 5:13 he declared, “You are the salt of the earth.” The difference between light and salt is while the former is clearly visible to all, the latter, when used properly, is not. In the ancient world salt was a vital staple, as a preservative and as seasoning.
The first was particularly critical, since it was the only preservative available. Farmers would slaughter animals, carve the meat, and then rub raw mineral salt into it until the flesh was penetrated and the salt was dissolved. This prevented the meat from decaying.
When it came to seasoning with salt, the principle of penetration also applied. If it was to flavor the food, salt had to penetrate and be absorbed.
The conclusions are obvious: Just as meat exposed to the natural elements of air and sun will decay, so society exposed to the elements of evil in this world will decay. For this reason, Christians are to be ‘rubbed’ into culture, penetrating every aspect of life and preserving and seasoning the society in which we live.
Colson, however, highlights two cautions in relation to this: first, we must be aware of the danger of becoming pillars of salt, where our focus is to build visible institutions so the world can see our accomplishments. Secondly, quoting Jesus in Matthew 5:12-13, we must be careful not to lose our saltiness. To be a preservative, it is essential for salt to keep its quality and character intact. You are the salt of the earth! We must be salt wherever we are!
No discussion of evangelism would be complete without pointing to the source than enables us to be witnesses in this world. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said that His disciples are called to “be my witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth.” Wherever we find ourselves, at work, home, or at play, we are called to be witnesses; to be light and salt in a dark and decaying world. However, we are not left to our own devices!
Immediately preceding this command to be a witness is the promise, “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” Earlier in Acts 1:4, Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as, “the gift my Father promised.” By referencing this gift with John the Baptist, Jesus made this declaration, “John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). We saw this promised fulfilled in Acts 2:4, where Luke records that “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
The gift of power for effective service, the divine enablement of the Spirit to be a witness, is one that continues to be available to this day. It does not complete one’s salvation, nor should the evidence of tongues be the primary focus of attention. The ultimate purpose of the gift is to endue all of Christ’s disciples with the spiritual power needed for effective service as we witness to the person and work of Jesus Christ in our communities and culture. Peter announced shortly after the Pentecostal outpouring, “the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:39).
This gift of the Spirit given as the source of power for service was clearly demonstrated in the ministries of the disciples in the remaining portions of Acts. From that moment on, the disciples, like never before, were witnesses. Their whole lives were dedicated to the command to be witnesses. And so everywhere they went, witnessing to the truth and grace of Jesus Christ took center stage. What they could not do before, now in the power of the Spirit, they did fearlessly. Even in the face of intense opposition and persecution, they witnessed effectively to the person of Jesus Christ. The difference? Now they were clothed with power from on high. The enablement of the Spirit had been given them, and His effects were clearly demonstrated as they witnessed in “
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Concluding Remarks
In this series on the nature and mission of the Church we began by looking into aspects of the Church’s nature. We determined that understanding the nature of the Church first is most important because it proves to be the only sure way we can more accurately understand what we ought to be doing as the church. From this perspective, a solid, biblically informed understanding of the Church should lead us to a more faithful understanding and implementation of the Church’s mission.
From there we started on our journey towards formulating the general categories of the mission of the Church. These basic categories do not provide us with explicit examples of Church ministries, and were never meant too. What they were meant to do is provide us with a framework that will guide us as we seek to find ways to proclaim the message of the Gospel through a variety of means and methods.
The acrostic WIFE helps us in this regard. Not only does it reflect the biblical imagery in the New Testament of the Church as the Bride of Christ, but each letter provides us with four marks that should characterize any and every local assembly: Worship – Instruction – Fellowship – Evangelism.
Each one of these categories informs us of the activities the Church ought to be engaged in as it attempts to faithfully reflect its divine identity as the Body of Christ. What we have endeavored to accomplish in this short series is to define these four categories from a biblical perspective, and hence to root our nature and mission in the Scriptures. In the end, we can begin and end at no better place.
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