THE CHURCH

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
Jon, Gary Williams in his discussion of what the church of the bible is, says: The word "church" found in the New Testament is from the Greek term
ekklesia which means to "call out". People who made up the church were those who had been "called out" of the world of sin and into Christ. This calling came through the "gospel" or word of God. (2 Thess. 2:14). The church was made up of those who had given their lives to Christ; hence, they wore his name and were called "Christians" (Acts 11:26; 1 Pet. 4:16). The church was spiritual in nature and was different than anything the world had ever known.
The church was established by Christ in the city of Jerusalem in about 33 AD. Long before this, however, prophets of the Old Testament foretold its coming. Isaiah prophesied that it would come in the "last days" (the close of the Old Testament era) and that it would begin at
"Jerusalem" (Isa. 2:2-4). When Jesus came he announced, "...upon this rock I will build my church..." (Matt. 16:18). Christ himself was the rock or foundation upon which the church was to be established. (1 Cor. 3:11). It was Jesus who "gave himself" for the church and it was "his own blood" which became the "purchase" price (Eph. 5:25; Acts 20:28). This is why the church is so very important to God — it took the life of his own Son to make it possible!
On Pentecost, just 50 days after Christ's crucifixion, the church came into existence. As Jesus had promised, the Holy Spirit was sent to his apostles to enable them to powerfully proclaim the gospel (Acts 2:1-4). On that day about 3,000 people accepted it by being baptized for the "remission of sins" and as a result they were "added" to the church by the Lord. In the following days more people were continually being
"added" to the church (Acts 2:41, 47).
Jesus had earlier told his apostles that the church would spread beyond Jerusalem and into the far reaches of the world! "And ye shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8) The book of Acts was given to reveal, in part, the story of this tremendous spread of the church.
THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH
Iain Duguid posits that God promised Abraham’s grandson Jacob that He would make his twelve sons into a harmonious worshipping “community of nations” (Gen. 28:3 ) that would be known by his new name, “Israel.” Significantly, the Hebrew word used here for “community” is qāhāl, which the Greek translation of the Old Testament often renders as ekklēsia , “church.” This goal of a worshipping community was reached after the exodus from Egypt when the people came to Mount Sinai. There God declared the Israelites to be His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex. 19:5–6 ). The Lord promised to dwell among them as their God (Ex. 29:45 ). The argument here is that the assembling (church) in the Old Testament is the same church in the New Testament. It must be noted at this time that the assembly in the Old Testament is not continued in the New Testament as the church for the following reasons.
· The religion practiced in the Old Testament was Judaism.
· Secondly the church of the New Testament was prophesied in the Old Testament and as such a church cannot be in existence and yet prophesy about its future existence made.
· Thirdly Paul, the apostle was a judiaser who persecuted Christians before he was converted.
· One of the proofs that the church was not in the Old Testament is that its inception began on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) with the disciples and the Jews that believed their message. They did not join Israel or become part of the temple; they were called out from that.
· In the study of world religion Judaism and Christianity are considered stricto senso two different religions.
· Also the two religions had two different laws. While Judaism is predicated on the Law of Moses, Christianity stands on the law of Christ.
· The death of Christ on the cross of Calvary ended the Jewish religion
· The Church is built upon what Peter said Christ is - The Son of the living God - the eternal one who came in human flesh. Thus it could not exist in the Old Testament, since it is the body of Christ . Gal 3:8 “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith , preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”
After Jesus died for sin and was resurrected He ascended and began a new work, one that he said would be accomplished after Israel rejected him. He sent the Holy Spirit to birth a new entity, the church. Called the Church of God which he had purchased with his own blood (Acts 20:28). He would take those who were Jews that believed and were willing to follow Him to use them to reach out to the Gentiles (all non-Jews) to bring them together in a gathering of newborn people of the Spirit.
A transition from the law to the operation of faith was necessary; this came by the New Covenant. Gal 3:23-25: “But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE CHURCH
.Alan Highers (2007) in spiritual Sword notes on the Aim of Churches of Christ
· The church has the responsibility of remaining the church revealed in the New Testament. Jesus promised to build the church (Matt. 16:18), that he purchased it with his blood (Acts 20:28), and that he gave us an example of the work and worship of his body. This must be maintained.
· The church is out to make people Christians according to bible terms. Mark 16:15-16 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (NIV).
· Another objective of the church is to maintain doctrinal purity. There are warnings throughout the Bible against substituting our own judgment for God’s will and God’s way. “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son” (II John 9). “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (I John 4:1).
· The church has a goal to maintain the sanctity of true worship. Worship to God is to be directed by truth. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). We must worship the right object—God. We must worship from the inner man—in spirit. We must worship according to the right standard—truth. God’s word is truth (John 17:17).
· The church also supports the entity wherein it exists by paying tax; respecting those in authority and teaching sound moral values so as to build a people of integrity and national consciousness.
THE ROLE OF PROPHETS AND EVANGELISTS IN THE CHURCH
The word prophet comes from the Greek word prophetes. Primarily it comes from two Hebrew words: a. nabi: It has the basic meaning of to boil forth. God word is in him boiling forth, he cannot contain it; in Jeremiah. 20:9 “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” b. roeh: It has the basic meaning of seer. One who sees God or has a communication with God and reveals that will of God to man. Exodus 4:15-16; 7:1 “And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. 16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.... 7:1 And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.” However it is worth stating that idea of prophets as seers or one who hears God directly or communicate with God true various means as dreams, visions and the likes has ceased. Therefore anyone who claims to hear from God directly beside the scriptures is a false prophet.
This conclusion stems from the following scriptures. Hebrews 1:1-3 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe (NIV). Furthermore 1 Cor. 13:8-10 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears ( NIV). Having abolished the foretelling part of the idea of a prophet, the forth telling aspect is fulfilled by the evangelist or the preacher
Mitch Rhymer in discussing the work of an evangelist stated the following. Vines expository dictionary notes that an evangelist is a messenger of good - 2 Tim. 4:5 . It denotes a "preacher of the gospel," Acts 21:8; Eph 4:11 , which makes clear the distinctiveness of the function in the churches in relation to pleasing God contributing positively in building a virile society. A messenger of good - 2 Tim. 4:5 - But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. An evangelist is a herald of good news - Rom. 10:14-15 ; a preacher; He forth-tells - 2 Tim. 1:10-11 ; meaning that he is a declarative prophet rather than a seer, Rom. 10:13-14 - For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved… And how shall they hear without a preacher? More so 1 Timothy 2:5-7 - For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not ;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
Moreover both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament prophets and preachers alike are God’s spokesmen telling the people of God’s requirement for building a good family which begets a sound church and a sound church makes for a good society and an exalted nation where tribalism, nepotism leaders self-aggrandizement are eschewed. More importantly diabolism, violence, immorality, selfishness and all forms of unpatriotic attitudes are spoken against in the public and in the church.