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Appendix
10 Now I beseech you, brethren,
by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing,
and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly
joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it
hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of
the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now this I
say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I
of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified
for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
1
Corinthians 1:10-13
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among
you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as
men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos;
are ye not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but
ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I
have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then
neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but
God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that
watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according
to his own labour. 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are
God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 10 According to the grace of
God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the
foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed
how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than
that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:3-11
From these passages of Paul to the
Corinthian
believers, we see a problem of divisions amongst Christians. To start
with, we need to ask ourselves, “What was Paul after?” We can say
unity, but what kind? That concept is misunderstood amongst most
Christians today. The modern concept of Christian unity could well be
called, “Generic Christianity”.
I want to take a look at what this misperception is
and what the Bible calls for.
Associations
The prevailing idea of Christians being able to work
together seems to be on the basis of holding to certain common beliefs.
These seem to be: belief in the same God, salvation the same way and
calling certain excesses of our time sin, such as homosexuality and
abortion. There might be a few other items in the list.
Now the consideration that’s vital is, “Is this
biblical?” Is this the basis of Christian unity Paul was calling for?
If not, can loose associations for special purposes be substituted?
If you read these passages closely, you’ll notice
that divisions were to be abhorred. An association is similar to
putting pieces of different elements together, such as in a checker
board, and glue them within some kind of outer frame. All the different
pieces remain separate unto themselves but give the appearance of being
a single unit. That’s essentially what you have in an association of
different sectarian Christian groups. This still carries the basic flaw
of division. The biblical pattern is like sugar and water mixing
together. They meld together and you have the division diffused as they
become a new element in themselves. This is the kind of union that
isn’t an offense to Paul or Christ.
To get an association to work, sacrifices must be
made. It calls for abdicating certain responsibilities the scriptures
demand of us. Basically it can only be done by disobedience to God.
These are strong statements and much must be understood to begin to
understand why I make such severe statements. The starting point must
be a working definition of what the church is?
The Church
The Church is most simply, those who have come to
know the Lord Jesus Christ. This comprises all the believers over the
world, and back through time. That's the Church universal. Since we
cannot all be together simultaneously, we gather on the basis of
locality. The only grounds for division is to be physical limitation.
We don't all gather together from all over the world in one place
because that would be physically impossible. We can easily understand
this, and this is what the Bible shows. For brevity, let it suffice it
to say the New Testament shows that every town had one church. Even
Jerusalem, of considerable size, was one church. In Acts we see 3,000
added to it in one day (Acts 2:41-47), yet we see it called the church
in Jerusalem in Acts 11:22, not the churches in Jerusalem.
Moving on, the church has more detailed description
of what it actually is, described in the following passages:
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and
foreigners, but fellow citizens 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 a holy temple in
the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of
God through the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22
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, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow
more abundant honor; 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 honor 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
honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now ye are the body of
Christ, and members in particular.
1 Corinthians
12:12-27
The church is a union of believers in which Christ
dwells in us. We are not talking simply about a social club! We are
talking about a living organism, as the passage in Corinthians shows.
We are part of His body, and He is the head. He hasn’t deputed that
responsibility to anyone else!
In the simplest terms, the local church is the
gathering of believers on the grounds of being part of that body. If
you are one of His, you are part of His body. If you gather with other
Christians who live in your locality, you are then gathering on the
only grounds the Bible shows for a church to exist! Does this then mean
that Christians who gather on the grounds of some creed or tradition,
such as the Baptists with their believer’s water immersion or
Lutherans, aren’t Christians? No. There are believers who gather in
these groups because they’re ignorant of the biblical basis for
assembly. They may be saved believers, but their grounds for assembly
are wrong. They follow the course of those Paul was bemoaning in the
first passages we looked at. Though they’re saved however, we must be
obedient to the biblical foundation we’re called to:
20 But shewed
first unto them of Damascus, and at
Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the
Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet
for repentance.
Acts 26:20
This defense of Paul before King Agrippa declared
the basis of Christian union. The three key elements for fellowship
being:
1. Saved the same way - “that they should repent”.
2. Worship the same God - “turn to God,”.
3. Bring forth fruits of repentance - “do works meet
for repentance”.
These are detailed repeatedly throughout the New
Testament, but in this passage we find all of them in a simple nutshell.
The Church In
Operation
Now we have a church. What do we do with it? What is
its function? Does the Bible make any obligations or outlines of duties
He calls for of His members?
As the scriptural comparison of the church is to a
body, we can gain a biblical perspective by viewing it in this way. The
opposite of a true functioning body, with a true flow of life, would be
the man-made form such as that found in civic clubs. These are groups
of people gathering for a common charitable purpose with certain social
niceties added. I thought a side by side comparison might aid in
gaining a better perspective.
1. GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE
CHRIST’S BODY
Christ as head, meaning the group of men maintain
such a mutual interaction that no single man or small group of men take
action without a spiritual consensus and harmony.
CIVIC ORDER
Man centered head such as some particular kind of
leader or president.
2. UPHOLDING STANDARDS
CHRIST’S BODY
An immune system to protect the body demands
openness and response to mutual open interaction. Closed door policy to
hide from the rest of the body isn't natural.
CIVIC ORDER
Head uses bylaws to uphold standards and purpose.
Much less cross accountability and mutual interaction demanding
obedience to bylaws. Less to hold consistent carry through of office
requirements. Can more easily pick and choose what laws will be
followed.
3. CARE OF MEMBERS
CHRIST’S BODY
Diligent care for one another, looking continuously
to see fellow members are appropriately cared for. Health of whole
body. TRUE interest in each other that tops self-interest.
CIVIC ORDER
Pleasure socializing, but mutual responsibility and
care rarely go beyond dealing with extreme catastrophes members may
face. Even at that, sometimes care is only in word. REAL care and pain
for other ultimately missing.
4. PRIORITY/IMPORTANCE OF
ORGANIZATION
CHRIST’S BODY
Care of the body is a #1 priority. Other things
weighed in balance to seeing Christ's body built and prayed for. Strive
for this goal.
CIVIC ORDER
Busy people schedule for some obligations but not #1
priority. Responsibility can become nuisances.
5. MOTIVE FOR ACTIVITY
CHRIST’S BODY
Profitless activity evaluated and corrected. Examine
for fruit and life. Avoids doing things for appearances sake. Seeks
mind of Christ.
CIVIC ORDER
Activity for time consumption and for pleasure.
Soothes conscience with superficial busy work. Follows regulations that
have been commonly accepted as right or worthwhile.
This is undoubtedly a short list, but it addresses
leading points to help evaluate what kind of church life we have. If we
sense we match the Civic Order more closely than the Body, but have
mild concern, this should move us to truly repent and seek God to
restore us to life! Only the spark of life, that body life, can bring
about the right heart and right pursuit!
A living body follows the order of the Head. It has
various systems that work for its profit and preservation. It has an
immune system that watches for possible infections and defends the
body. It processes warning signals of pain to correct these danger
signals. It processes food for strength and upbuilding. It rests when
needed and it fights when needed.
A civic order finds leaders who can strive for
certain degrees of conformity to the bylaws, but when self-will is
sufficiently at interest, the “pick and choose” problem rises to the
surface. They will do it the way they want, and the individuals who
raise objections find no recourse. The Body provides recourse for
concerns. It provides a body of elders who share ultimate
accountability, who truly have the concern of pleasing the head. They
make themselves available to hear concerns and challenges. They gather
to hear so the aspect of open accountability and responsibility must be
faced. Nothing can be lightly ignored without having to face the light
of defending scripturally their reasons for their choice of action.
If you're wondering if your church is a civic order
or a body, ask yourself, “Is there a forum for concerns to be openly
addressed and satisfactorily considered?”
Sectarianism
Biblically there's a cancer that endangers the body.
This is sectarianism. It's a growth that seeks only to build itself and
not the health of the body. In our society, it’s commonly accepted that
the way we choose the church we attend is on the basis of how much we
like their style of worship, or how many teachings we agree with. Kind
of like shopping for clothes. They’re not all bad, but they're not all
to our taste. This speaks of the civic order model. By-laws and systems
to make it flow somehow. Seeing how God is merciful to His erring
children, there’s also the sense of God's touch here and there. Like
the Corinthians who all spake in tongues at once. A spiritual gift used
contrary to God's will. We perceive the spiritual touch and rely upon
it to justify all we do.
Let it be clearly understood that I'm not saying
they’re not Christians in these different sects. What I am saying is
they're not gathering on biblical grounds. When we throw these biblical
grounds away, we do so to our own peril and to the Kingdom of God's
loss.
We look around at the many assemblies of Christians
who gather on grounds other than of the body. By breaking off from this
foundation, they cut themselves off from body functions. They set up
their own “order” and seek occasional association for special
occasions. When such union is sought however, it’s understood that body
life can’t operate, only civic order of a pre-understood set of
by-laws. This isn't life, it's death! It's disobedience to the Head's
orders for grounds of our assembling.
For example: Let's say the one sect holds to women
preachers. The local body has an immune response to “not suffer” such,
as the scriptures call for (1 Corinthians 14:34,35; 1 Timothy 2:11).
When such an association is formed, it’s understood that this sin, the
one sect is practicing, isn’t to be addressed, as a living immune
system in a body would do. The Head is no longer obeyed, and the sin is
tolerated.
Back to the local assembly, a sister decides she
isn’t “liberated” enough, so seeks power. She pushes her way up until
this rebellion is noted. The body deals with her, but hushes mentioning
the same sin in these other brethren, because they’ve agreed to operate
under a different set of standards than God’s Word demanded. Alert!
Alert! To tolerate sin in a “Generic” setting is the same as tolerating
it in the local assembly. You fellowship and keep silent about the sin,
excusing such silence under the “noble sounding” position of the
“Generic” Christianity. The Bible never allows for this in ANY fashion!
I of Christ
What has that formerly called “local” church shown
itself to be. Look back at Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 1:12. Here
we must gain understanding of those three little words, “I of Christ”.
If you read the whole passage, you may wonder what was wrong with this
group. After all, isn’t Christ to be what we are of and for?
Their sin was that of “civic order”. They claimed to
be functioning on the grounds of being Christians, but the reality was
that they had simply set up their own “man energized” club. In an
association, this demonstrates itself by that total setting aside of
the Head’s orders for a new “compromise” ground. A living body truly
founded on the functioning grounds of following the Head, CAN'T do
that. The head has spoken and the body simply obeys. The hands move and
the feet walk, under the Head’s orders. This is body life. To set up
new by-laws is then “civic order” or tokenly saying, “I of Christ”, but
no living reality. A “civic order”, with most of the right rules, is
still a corporation of man, not the living body of Christ!
To set up our own generic Christianity in any “civic
order” is to remove Christ as Head and decide our own way, thus making
ourselves the heads (1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:23,24).
30 He that is not
with me is against me; and he that
gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Matthew 12:30
From this verse, we must take the warning it
carries. If we’re not working FOR the body, we’re working AGAINST the
body! We’re operating on a new-styled sectarian ground, and we’re
promoting sectarian “I of Christ” grounds.
The Question of
Toleration
In such a message, the issue of toleration must be
considered. The grounds of the body isn’t a stand of intolerance. It’s
the body working together as Ephesians calls for:
1 I therefore,
the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you
that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all
lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in
love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in
one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God
and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
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 Till we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the
measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth
be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every
wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness,
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 body fitly joined together and compacted by that
which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the
measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of
itself in love.
Ephesians 4:1-6;11-16
In the first six verses we see our common grounds of
standing and unity in that body. In verses 11-16, we find the work of
toleration and growth toward the harmonious whole. In the body, we
should have the toleration of love but that toleration must stop at
certain levels. At certain levels, it’s no longer love and endangers
the whole. Whatever seeks to overthrow the rule of God’s Kingdom, must
be overthrown itself.
Example: A person who trusts his infant baptism as
sufficient is wrong, but isn’t seeking to overthrow the Kingdom’s rule.
A woman, or man for that matter, who promotes woman
leadership over men is seeking to overthrow the Kingdom’s rule, for the
whole authority structure is twisted (as 1 Corinthians 11:3 shows).
Though they may be sincere, they’re crossing lines that such as Paul
clearly said, “I suffer not”.
The Call of Body Life!
This call of standing firmly on Body grounds,
despite personal appearances or desires, should be our heart’s burning
passion.
If it’s important to God, it should be important to
us! If we treat it nonchalantly, as being too picky, I declare, we have
left our first love! Pleasing the heart of God should burn within us,
which would demand it be important to us!
Can a response of, “Oh, I just don't see it that
way”, with a shrug of dismissal, be sufficient grounds for
ignoring? If we respond this way to any issue, we’re not being honest.
We need to have all our responses soundly based on God’s Word. For
those who honestly question such a stand, examine God’s Word on
accountability to each other and body responsibility. Let His Word
search your hearts.
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 Free to Copy under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND3.0 License by Darrell Farkas
All quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible
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