The Church by Design

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He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good;

and what doth the LORD require of thee,

but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Micah 6:8

“. . . upon this rock I will build my church;

and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”

Matthew 16:18

Simon Says

Observing the woman at Jesus’ feet, Simon responded, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.” [1]  Like the other Pharisees of Jesus’ day, Simon failed to grasp the Master’s design for the church: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” [2]  Turning to the woman, Jesus said to Simon,

Seest thou this woman?  I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.  Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.  My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.  Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.  And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.  And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?  And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. [3]

Headship

Jesus Christ, seated at the right hand of God, is the church’s one and only head.  The principle of Christ’s headship applies to ministry and social order within the church which is his body. [4]  For even Christ in his session, [5] it is to be noted, remains subject to his Father. [6]  The modern dismissal of this order within professing churches has surely undermined their understanding of the triune God, compromised their worship, and diluted their witness regarding marriage and family.

Between His ascension and second coming, Christ continues to communicate with the church through the Holy Spirit and the Word originally spoken to the prophets and apostles but now inscripturated in the Old and New Testaments. This Word is proclaimed by evangelists, pastors, and teachers and increasingly lives and abides in God’s people through their study and meditation upon Holy Scripture.  It is at once their spiritual food and the sword of the Holy Spirit by which they can overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil who wars against them.  Their faith, which cometh by hearing, [7] is their shield by which they are able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. [8]

Invisible and Visible

The New Testament Greek word for “church” is ekklesia, “called-out ones.”  God infallibly determines it. [9]  God’s ways are often hidden from men, and accordingly, men are in for some surprises. [10]  “. . . the LORD seeth not, as man seeth.  For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” [11]  The sixteenth-century Reformers accordingly designated this the invisible church.

Concerning the visible church, John Calvin wrote,

Wherever we see the Word of God purely preached and heard and the sacraments administered according to Christ’s institution, there, it is not to be doubted, a church of God exists. [12]

Government and Sacrament

As depicted in the New Testament, church government is congregationally based.

For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. [13]

In fact, a congregational meeting [14] of the Jerusalem church, as described in Acts chapter 15, resulted in the peaceful resolution of the hotly divisive issue of circumcision which had threatened the survival of the fledgling New Testament churches. James, the brother of our Lord, presided. Representatives of the Gentile churches, including Paul and Barnabas, were present.  Peter’s report on how God bore witness to the faith of the uncircumcised Gentiles “by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us” [15] was a clincher. [16]  But it must not be overlooked that the entire Jerusalem congregation was present concurring with the decision! [17]

Only Jesus Himself has authority to remove a church’s lampstand, thereby terminating a local congregation. [18]  While other local congregations can offer counsel, rebuke, and even withhold fellowship from an errant sister congregation, they are well advised to leave the matter of a congregation’s termination in the Lord’s hands.

Because Christians, as local church members, are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, they are competent to elect their own ruling and teaching elders, and, upon considering the recommendation of those elders, to discern together who are qualified to be church members.  The leaders of a New Testament local congregation, not unlike the Old Testament congregation, [19] are elected by that congregation. [20]  Their authority is limited to the sphere of the local congregation which elected them. The designations of “elders”, “bishops” (overseers), and “pastors” (shepherds) are used interchangeably to refer to the same office in the New Testament. [21]  The office of elder is distinct from the office of deacon. [22]

Christ designated two sacraments [23] for the church, namely, baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  Their efficacy comes through Christ’s command, their visible/tangible association with the Gospel, and their employment in combination with faith.  Baptism is applied even to the infant offspring of believing parents on the basis of the intergenerational family covenant promise [24] and the command to disciple children. [25]  Baptized children are then admitted to the Lord’s Table upon their credible profession of faith.

In anticipation of the marriage supper of the Lamb, the church as the bride of Christ, has a special biblical obligation to uphold the sanctity of marriage, family, and human life in public society [26]

Militant and Triumphant

Christians alive on earth constitute the church militant; whereas those who have passed into glory constitute the church triumphant.  There will be a grand return of Christ for His church, a bodily resurrection of the fallen saints, and a final battle that Satan shall lose after which time he will be cast into the lake of fire with the false prophet and beast. [27] The saints will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and will reign with Christ in glory in garments unstained by sin and forever offer praise to their conquering Savior and Lord.  They will enjoy the eternal pleasures of a new heavens and a new earth. [28]

End Notes

[1]. Luke 7:39

[2]. Matt. 9:10-13

[3]. Luke 7:40-50

[4]. 1 Cor. 11:3f

[5]. “Session” refers in this instance to Christ’s being seated at the right hand of God following his ascension.

[6]. 1 Cor. 15:24-28

[7]. Rom. 10:17

[8]. Ephes. 6:10-20

[9]. 1 Cor. 1:26-31

[10]. Matt. 13:33; 2 Tim. 2:19

[11]. 1 Sam. 16:7

[12]. John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, IV, I, 9

[13]. Heb. 2:11-12

[14]. Acts 15:4, 12, & 22

[15]. Acts 15:8; cf. Acts 10:44-48

[16]. Acts 15:14

[17]. Acts 15:4, 12, & 22

[18]. Rev. 2:5b

[19]. Deut. 1:13-14

[20]. Note that the Greek word rendered “appoint” in Acts 14:23 literally means “to elect by a show of hands.”

[21]. Acts 20:17, 28-29; 1 Peter 5:1-4

[22]. Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1-13

[23]. The English word “sacrament” comes from the Latin sacramentum literally meaning “mystery.”

[24]. Exod. 20:5-6; Luke 1:39-45;18:15;19:9; Acts 2:39; 16:15, 31-34; 1 Cor. 7:14

[25. Ephes. 6:4

[26]. Eph. 5:2-6:4; Heb. 13:4; Gen. 1:27-28; Rev. 19:7-9

[27]. Rev. 19: 20; 20:10

[28]. 2 Pet. 3:11-13

*Scriptures quoted were taken from http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org

**For further study, the reader is referred to Williston Walker’s Creeds and Platforms of Congregationalism published by Pilgrim Press, Philadelphia. Second Printing 1969. Copyright 1960.

About the Writer

David Clark Brand is a retired pastor and educator with missionary experience in Korea and Arizona.  He and his wife reside in Wooster, Ohio.  They have four grown children and seven  grandchildren.  With a B.A. in the Liberal Arts, an M. Div., and a Th.M. in Church History, Dave continues to enjoy study and writing.  One of his books, a contextual study of the life and thought of Jonathan Edwards, was published by the American Academy of Religion via Scholars Press in Atlanta.

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