S U M M E R 2 019 • T H E O LO GY M A G . C O M
TH E C H U R C H , A
U N I O N
W I TH
C H R I ST
J . T ODD BIL L ING S
M ARC US JOH NS ON
The Body of Christ 20
G .K . B E A L E
The Temple and the Church's Mission 28
JARE D W I LS ON
Cultivating Joy in a Joyless Age 32
FEEL FREE TO JUDGE THEM BY THEIR COVERS For once, a monograph series that’s as pleasing to look at as it is to read. Make some room on your shelves for Studies in Historical and Systematic Theology. Preferably somewhere front and center.
Complete your set at LexhamPress.com/Beautiful
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Contents Letter from the Editor
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Introduction to the Belgic Confession
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by Cornelis Venema
The Belgic Confession #27-29
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The Church, A Union with Christ
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by J. Todd Billings
The Body of Christ
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by Marcus Johnson
On Evaluating Church
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by Paul Louis Metzger
The Temple and the Church’s Mission
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by G.K. Beale
Cultivating Joy in a Joyless Age
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The Church: One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic
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by Jared Wilson
by Bryan Litfin
Evangelical, Sacramental & Pentecostal: Why We Need All Three
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by Gordon T. Smith
The Importance of the Church by Stephen Nichols
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The Church Teaching the Church
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by Jonathan Leeman
When You’re Being Hurt by the Church by Gail Emerson
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Letter from the Editor B Y M AT T L A M A S T E R
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In his cover article, J. Todd Billings points us to the
n these days of digital Babel, the Church
body of Christ himself, and shows that in belonging
desperately needs voices which can offer
to Christ, we belong together. Bryan Litfin sits
something intelligible and accessible. We need
us at the feet of the ancient saints to learn of the
thinkers who have something to say about
“One, Holy, and Apostolic” Church they so loved.
things that matter and a way to be heard by those
Jonathan Leeman directs our attention to the task
who need it. Theology Magazine aims to provide precisely that.
ahead: teaching this body of Christ to be what God
Few topics are in more need of such sustained
guides us through the dark valleys of failure and
has called her to be. All the while, Gail Emerson encourages us with visions of more glorious days
thought for the Church than the “Church” itself. Today, our ecclesial conversations often communicate differing, and contradictory, accounts of what the church actually is, how it ought to be, and what it will one day become. Yet, if the church is the “pillar and buttress of truth” (1 Tim 3:16), surely we need clarity.
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ahead. Perhaps by the end of our journey, our appreciation for this unwieldy, otherworldly throng will turn to awe, and awe to love, and love to longing, and longing to belonging.
In this issue, Theology Magazine seeks to provide such clarity by providing views of the church from a variety of perspectives. As experienced curators, our authors guide us through the halls of faith and draw our attention to important, and often neglected, features in the rich mosaic that is the body and bride of Christ.
M AT T L A M A S T E R graduated from Moody Theological Seminary. He is a PhD candidate at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, In. He pastors Southern Heights Christian Church (southernheights.co) in Anderson, Indiana.
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Intro to the Belgic Confession
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B Y C O R N E L I S V E N E M A
BACKGROUND AND SETTING
he Belgic Confession is one of the best known and most loved of the
The Belgic Confession was originally written
Reformed confessions. Philip Schaff, the
by a French-speaking, Reformed pastor, Guido
venerable historian of the church and
de Brès, who had been a student of Calvin’s in
her confessions, observes that it is “upon the whole,
Geneva. Though de Brès was principal author of
the best symbolical statement of the Calvinistic
the Belgic Confession, other Reformed pastors and
system of doctrine, with the exception of the
theologians, including Francis Junius, who was
Westminster Confession.” This Confession is known
later to become a well-known Reformed professor
most commonly as the “Belgic” confession because
at the University of Leiden, contributed to the final,
it emerged from the French-speaking Reformed
received form of the Confession.
churches in the southern “Lowlands” or “Netherlands” (now Belgium). It has served historically as
First written in 1561, copies of the Confession
one of the three confessional symbols of the Dutch
were sent to Geneva and other Reformed churches
Reformed churches. Affection for this confession
for approval. The present form of the Confession
among these churches stems as much from the
stems from the time of the great Synod of Dordt in
poignant circumstances suffered by its original
1618–19, when the text was revised and officially
author and subscribers as from its rich statement of
approved in four languages (the original French,
the Reformed faith.
Latin, Dutch, and German). Not long after it was first written, the Belgic Confession was presented
In our brief sketch of this confession, we will
to Philip II of Spain, who exercised sovereignty over
address both of these features: first, the background
the Netherlands at the time, in the vain hope that
and setting within which the Belgic Confession was
toleration would be extended to the Reformed faith.
produced; and second, the distinctive content of its
From the beginning, this confession enjoyed ready
classic statement of the Reformed faith.
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acceptance among the Reformed churches of the
his faith and witness to the great suffering on the
Netherlands.
part of evangelical and Reformed believers in the Netherlands. These sturdy believers, who could
Shortly before his death as a martyr, the principal
speak of “joy and gladness” even in the midst of
author of the Belgic Confession, Guido de Brès,
severe persecution, declared in the preface to the
wrote from prison the following words to his wife
Confession that they would “offer their backs to
Catherine: “Your grief and anguish, troubling
stripes, their tongues to knives, their mouths to
me in the midst of my joy and gladness, are the
gags, and their whole bodies to the fire,” rather than
cause of my writing to you this present letter. I
deny the truth of the Gospel. That these words were
most earnestly pray you not to be grieved beyond
no idle boast is attested by the fact that an estimated
measure.… If the Lord had wished us to live together
100,000 Reformed believers lost their lives during
longer, He could easily have caused it so to be.
the struggle for the Reformation of the church in the
But such was not His pleasure. Let His good will
Netherlands.
be done then, and let that suffice for all reason…. I pray you then to be comforted in the Lord, to
The purpose for the preparation of the Belgic
commit yourself and your affairs to Him, for He is
Confession and its presentation to Philip II is
the Husband of the widow and the Father of the
of particular importance. In the face of intense
fatherless, and He will never leave nor forsake
persecution by this Roman Catholic sovereign and
you….Goodbye, Catherine, my well beloved! I pray
his magistrates, Guido de Brès and the Reformed
my God to comfort you, and give you resignation to
believers of the Netherlands were anxious to
His holy will. Your faithful husband, Guido de Brès.”
demonstrate that their faith was in accord with the teaching of Holy Scripture and the ancient
These moving words of de Brès were written
consensus of the holy catholic church and her
shortly before he was martyred by hanging for
councils. Consequently, the Belgic Confession has
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an ironic tone throughout, especially in its careful
the Confession first affirms the truth of the Trinity
demonstration of the Reformed faith’s commitment
and of God’s works of creation and providence
to the great biblical doctrines of the Trinity, as well
(Art. 8–13).The central section of the Confession
as the person and work of Christ. Roman Catholic
sets forth the biblical teaching regarding Christ’s
teaching is rejected at critical points, but the aim
person and work, distinguishing the Reformation’s
of the Confession is to persuade its readers that the
understanding of salvation by grace alone through
Reformed faith is nothing other than the historic
faith alone from the errors of medieval Roman
faith of the Christian church.
Catholic teaching (Art. 14–23). The concluding section of the Confession then offers a summary
Another purpose of the confession, which
statement of the person and work of the Spirit,
distinguishes it from the French or Gallican
which includes several articles on the church and
Confession of 1559, with which the Belgic
sacraments as well as a specific article on the divine
Confession shares many striking similarities,
appointment and ministry of the civil magistrate
was to demonstrate that the Reformed faith was
(Art. 24–37).
distinct from that of the “Anabaptists.” Among the Anabaptists, who had considerable influence in the
For the purposes of our brief summary of the
Netherlands in the early period of the Reformation,
content of the Belgic Confession, we will identify
there were those who not only rejected the practice
two major themes that stand out in its testimony to
of infant baptism but also the legitimacy of the
the Reformed faith.
civil magistrate as a servant of God and instrument for exercising his rule. The Anabaptists sharply
First, like the later Westminster Confession of Faith,
distinguished Christ’s spiritual kingdom, the
the Belgic Confession opens with a classic statement
church, from the civil order, and advocated a strict
of the Reformed doctrine of revelation, particularly
separation from the world, which required a refusal
the doctrine of Scripture. According to Article
of military service, the taking of oaths, and the
2, God is “made known” by two means, general
paying of taxes. Some of the most distinct features
and special revelation. Though the creation itself,
of the Belgic Confession indicate that it was written
and the superintendence of history under God’s
to defend the Reformed faith against the assumption
sovereign purposes, testify to God’s everlasting
that it shared these features of the radical fringe of
power and divinity, as a “most elegant book,”
the Reformation.
this general revelation only leaves sinful man in a state of inexcusable ignorance and rebellion before
DIS T INC T IV E C O N T E N T The Belgic Confession is not a confessional statement like the Canons of Dordt that was written to address a particular doctrinal error. Similar to its precursors, Calvin’s Genevan Confession and the Gallican Confession (both completed in 1559), the Belgic Confession offers a comprehensive statement of the Christian and Reformed faith. Broadly speaking, the contents of the thirty-seven articles that comprise the Confession are distributed according to the three articles of the Apostles’ Creed. After several introductory articles that set forth the Reformation view of the inspiration and authority of the canonical Scriptures (Art. 1–7),
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God. Therefore, to make known “more clearly” His will and purpose, especially His redemptive work through Jesus Christ in the Gospel, God has provided His church with the Holy Scriptures. These canonical Scriptures, which were produced under inspiration and possess the full authority of their divine Author, are the only norm for the regulation and foundation of the Christian faith. Second, in its testimony regarding the person and work of Christ, the Belgic Confession not only echoes the ancient consensus of the church but also emphasizes the distinctive Reformed understanding of sovereign and merciful election (Art. 16), and of Christ’s redemptive work for His
people. The doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone is clearly articulated. Of special interest is Article 22, which was slightly revised at the Synod of Dordt in the context of debates regarding the nature of Christ’s righteousness that was imputed for the believer’s justification. This Article specifically notes that Christ’s righteousness includes “all His merits, and so many holy works which He has done for us and in our stead,” thereby clarifying that the righteousness imputed to believers includes what is known as Christ’s “active obedience.” While the justification of believers is clearly distinguished from the grace of sanctification, these two benefits of Christ’s saving work are inseparably joined in the communication of God’s grace in Christ to believers (Art. 24). Though the Belgic Confession bears evident marks of the historical context in which it was first written, it remains among the best historic statements of the faith of the Reformed churches. Evangelical believers would do well to acquaint themselves with this Confession, taking note especially of the difficult circumstances of persecution within which it was written. Sealed with the blood of many martyrs, this sturdy testimony to the Gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ continues to express for many the “living faith of the dead” (Jaroslav Pelikan).
C O R N E L I S V E N E M A (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is President and Professor of Doctrinal Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, Dyer, Indiana. He is also co-editor and frequent contributor to The Outlook and the Mid-America Journal of Theology. This article was originally published in Tabletalk Magazine. Used with permission. The Belgic Confession,
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The Belgic Confession #27-29 2 7 . O F T HE CAT H O L I C C H R I ST I A N CHURCH We believe and profess, one catholic or universal Church, which is a holy congregation, of true Christian believers, all expecting their salvation in Jesus Christ, being washed by his blood, sanctified and sealed by the Holy Ghost. This Church has been from the beginning of the world, and will be to the end thereof; which is evident from this, that Christ is an eternal King, which, without subjects, cannot be. And this holy Church is preserved or supported by God, against the rage of the whole world; though she sometimes (for a while) appears very small, and in the eyes of men, to be reduced to nothing; s during the perilous reign of Ahab, the Lord reserved unto him seven thousand men, who had not bowed their knees to Baal. Furthermore, this holy Church is not confined, bound, or limited to a certain place or to certain persons, but is spread and dispersed over the whole world; and yet is joined and united with heart and will, by the power of faith, in one and the same spirit.
2 8 . T HAT E V E R YO N E I S B O U N D TO JOIN HIMS ELF TO THE TRUE CHURCH We believe, since this holy congregation is an assembly of those who are saved, and that out of it there is no salvation, that no person of whatsoever state or condition he may be, ought to withdraw himself, to live in a separate state from it; but that all men are in duty bound to join and unite themselves with it; maintaining the unity of the Church; submitting themselves to the doctrine and discipline thereof; bowing their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ; and as mutual members of the same body, serving to the edification of the brethren, according to the talents God has given them. And that this may be the more effectually observed, it is the duty of all believers, according to the word of God, to separate themselves from all those who do not belong to the Church, and to join themselves to this congregation, wheresoever God has established it, even though the magistrates and edicts of princes were against it, yea, though they should suffer death or any other corporal punishment. Therefore all those, who separate themselves from the same, or do not join themselves to it, act contrary to the ordinance of God.
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2 9 . O F T HE M A R K S O F T H E T R U E C HURCH, AN D WHEREIN S HE D IF F ERS F ROM THE FA LS E C HU R C H We believe, that we ought diligently and circumspectly to discern from the Word of God which is the true Church, since all sects which are in the world assume to themselves the name of the Church. But we speak not here of hypocrites, who are mixed in the Church with the good, yet are not of the Church, though externally in it; but we say that the body and communion of the true Church must be distinguished from all sects, who call themselves the Church. The marks, by which the true Church is known, are these: if the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein; if she maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ; if church discipline is exercised in punishing of sin: in short, if all things are managed according to the pure Word of God, all things contrary thereto corrected, and Jesus Christ acknowledged as the only Head of the Church. Hereby the true Church may certainly be known from which no man has a right to separate himself. With respect to those, who are members of the Church, they may be known by the marks of Christians: namely, by faith; and when they have received Jesus Christ the only Saviour, they avoid sin, follow after righteousness, love the true God and their neighbour, neither turn aside to the right or left, and crucify the flesh with the works thereof. But this is not to be understood, as if there did not remain in them great infirmities; but they fight against them through the Spirit, all the days of their life, continually taking their refuge in the blood, death, passion and obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ, “in whom they have remission of sins, through faith in him.� As for the false Church, she ascribes more power and authority to herself and her ordinances than to the Word of God, and will not submit herself to the yoke of Christ. Neither does she administer the sacraments as appointed by Christ in his Word, but adds to and takes from them, as she thinks proper; she relies more upon men than upon Christ; and persecutes those, who live holy according to the Word of God, and rebuke her for her errors, covetousness, and idolatry. These two Churches are easily known and distinguished from each other.
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The Church a Union with Christ
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“I BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL, BUT I CAN’T TRUST ORGANIZED RELIGION.” “I LOVE JESUS BUT NOT THE CHURCH.”
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B Y J. T O D D B I L L I N G S entiments like these are common in our day. They often arise from sharply painful wounds, such as the deep betrayal clergy abuse; a sense that the
church proclaims a message of good news, but lives in such a messy and broken way. How can we unite ourselves to the church when it has hypocrites, when it seems filled with animosity, when divisions threaten its unity? It is tempting to opt for Jesus and opt out of the church. But here’s the catch: the church, as the people of God, is actually part of the gospel story. Specifically, the church has been united to the one who is the good news, Jesus Christ. We’ve been adopted as co-heirs of the Son into the household of the Father, through the power of the Spirit. The good news is never less than this union with Christ by the Spirit that brings us into a new family of brothers and sisters. We can’t have a vertical love for Jesus without a communal love for the church, the people of God, warts and all. In the words of John Calvin, “We cannot love Christ without loving him in the brethren.”1 For those of us troubled by the brokenness of the church but committed to being active in its life, we might turn to the imperatives of Scripture to guide us in increasing the church’s faithfulness. What could be a more faithful impulse? And yet, even this can leave us cynical. Following the imperative of Galatians 6 to “bear one another’s burdens” we reform church structures to prevent abuse, and then receive a phone call about another shocking incident of misconduct. We set up new programs for evangelism and church planting, seeking to obey the Lord’s command to “go and make disciples of all
1 Institutes 4:17:38.
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nations” (Mt. 28:19). And then, after years of sweat
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
and tears, we cry out to the Lord about why most
from now on to live for him.” Yes, the church is
of the initiatives failed to reach their goals. What’s
empowered for action for the good of the world.
going wrong?
Faith makes a difference now: through faith, I am “wholeheartedly willing and ready from now
The church is absolutely right to return to scripture
on to live for him.” Yet, our new life seems to
and hear the Lord’s commands anew: bear one
flow from something other than us, individually
another’s burdens, bandage the wounds of the
and corporately. Displacement (“not my own”)
brokenhearted, proclaim the gospel boldly. Again
and union with Christ (belonging to Christ) is
and again, the church is called to repent of her sins,
fundamental. And while the Catechism emphasizes
to seek righteousness, to enter deeply into God’s
that this union is personal (thus, “I belong to him”),
mission for the world. And yet, sometimes we act
it also recognizes that the union is corporate, for a
as if our identity as the church depended upon our
Christian is “a living member” of the community
bold plans and acts of obedience. When that is the
that God “gathers, protects, and preserves for
case, even the pursuit of these faithful paths can
himself” (Q & A 54).
lead to disillusionment and burnout. We need to look deeper: to the gift of our God-given identity,
Why does the catechism emphasize displacement
as adopted sons and daughters of the Father, united
-- I am not my own? That hardly sounds like
to Christ and filled with the Spirit. The fact of this
a promising theme in a culture where self-
identity -- the indicative -- provides the true
actualization has become life’s central goal for
context for the church to live in obedience to the
many non-christians and Christians alike. The
imperatives, the commands of God to the church.
Catechism’s phrase is borrowed from a key passage in Paul’s theology of union with Christ
T HE G IF T O F D I SP L AC E M E N T The Heidelberg Catechism begins with a startling question and answer. In our current context, where the church is so often on the defensive about its image, some might expect a document introducing young people to the faith to start with a call to action, a summons to change the world; or perhaps, a press-release about the good that the church does for the world, so that young people might feel compelled to join. Instead, the Catechism begins by displacing our ambitious and self-protective hopes. Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death? A. That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. “I am not my own, but belong” to Jesus. Indeed, the answer continues, “because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life
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in 1 Corinthians. Specifically, Paul addresses the corruption and sin in the Corinthian church, themes that likely to sound familiar to any churchgoer today. In 1 Corinthians 5, he counsels the church on how to deal with a case of incest among church members -- a case where those involved say that freedom in Christ has set them free from boundaries and rules. Paul will have none of it. Instead, in his argument, extending into chapter 6, he says that the church is united to Christ in a marriage-like union -- both individually and corporately. Paul uses this indicative -- the church’s marriage to Christ -- as the ground for his imperative, to “flee from sexual immorality” (6:18). Because of who we are (those united to Christ), certain consequences for our lives together follow. “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?” Paul asks. “Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, ‘The two will become one flesh.’ But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit” (6:15-17).
Paul’s quotation from Genesis 2 makes a bold
idea that they belong to themselves, cleaving to the
connection. In Genesis, “a man leaves his father and
Lord, with whom we have been united by the Spirit.
mother and is united to his wife, and they become
For our bodies are not our own but are “members
one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). In the same way, those who
of Christ himself” (1 Cor. 6:15), our true life, our
are in Christ leave behind the sinful flesh and cleave
deepest love.
to Christ, becoming “one flesh” with the Lord. To offer their bodies to sin is to give themselves over to other lovers rather than the true spouse.
AD OP TED AN D S TILL G ROAN IN G
Paul then unpacks this marriage-like union in terms
At this point we reach a critical juncture. Yes, the
of displacement and belonging. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
church is the bride of Christ; the church has been united to Christ. But how are we to make sense of the church’s breathtaking shortcomings? If the church is united to Christ as God’s adopted
Therefore honor God with your bodies” (6:19-20).
children, why does the church so often seem to act
In other words, don’t act as if you belong only to
Paul uses the indicative, who we are in Christ as the
yourself, or whatever lovers you choose for yourself. You belong to Christ, your true spouse. Therefore, offer your bodies to God, as a spouse offers his or her body to their beloved in marriage. Indeed, just a few verses later, Paul speaks of marriage in similar terms, that “the wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.” Likewise, as the church is united to her spouse, our bodies do
as if it belongs to another household? As we’ve seen, church, to ground the imperative to offer ourselves to God. And yet, if this is truly the identity of the church -- that she belongs to God and not to the ways of the sinful flesh -- why is the church still such a mess? The first response to questions like these may just be a silent pause. No formula, no theory, no plan can cover over the stinging reality that we are completely unable to be the church on our own
not belong to us, but to the Lord.
power. Left to our own resources, we’re stuck in
But is Paul really speaking about the church here?
the temple enables those who are in Christ to be
This passage speaks of our “bodies” as “temples of the Holy Spirit” -- isn’t this just speaking about the individual’s call to holiness? Paul would consider this to be a false dichotomy. Earlier in the letter, Paul made it crystal clear that the church itself is the temple, the dwelling place of God. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (3:16) Indeed, “you together are that temple” (3:17). When Paul later speaks of our bodies as “temples” (1 Cor. 6:19), he’s still assuming this ecclesial context. In fact, his main focus, even in chapters 5-6, is the church’s response to immorality in its own corporate life. The church has been united to Christ by the Spirit in a marriage-like union. Precisely because of this corporate reality, the church, both corporately and as individual members, is called to renounce the
a pit. Scripture speaks movingly of how Christ a temple together, united to one another by the Spirit as the dwelling place of the Lord. “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (Eph. 2:21-22). And yet, rather than experiencing this oneness, we’re often in enmity with one another -- with members of other denominations, other congregations, even our own congregation. We need to join the Psalmist in crying out, “Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Ps. 10:1-2). And yet, precisely when we lament to the Lord from a desolate place, we may taste a reality that Paul addresses in his theology of union with Christ. Paul
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speaks of the church as crying out and lamenting as
This Spirit-led lament -- for a fallen creation, which
she awaits adoption. Indeed, she wails aloud before
includes the church -- always looks forward. We
the Lord with the rest of creation, “groaning as in
groan inwardly, but we do so in hope. “For in this
the pains of childbirth” (Rom. 8:22). As strange as
hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no
it may seem, this “groaning” appears to be a sign of
hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?”
the Spirit’s work. For “we ourselves, who have the
(Rom. 8:24). We know that the church’s true hope
firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait
will not come from our best efforts, but from the
eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption
fact that we are united to Christ, who has already
of our bodies” (Rom. 8:22-23). We ache and groan,
won the final victory over sin, death, and the devil,
because we are awaiting adoption.
and “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37).
But how could this be? Doesn’t Paul say that the church has been adopted, and that we are already the children of God? Indeed, he does -- just a few verses before these verses about aching and lament: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship” (8:14-15). This adoption to “sonship” means that men and women who are united to Christ, the Son, receive the Father’s inheritance and enter into a new family as God’s beloved children. Indeed, by the Spirit, we not only lament, we are also privileged to “cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit
If we hope in this final victory of Christ, we cannot give up on the church. God himself has claimed the church as his own, united her to his Son by the Spirit, and adopted the church into his household. And yet, should we expect the church to be an “ideal community,” a place free from corruption, and even enmity? We should not. We should expect lament and groan, joining our brothers and sisters in praying “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
that we are God’s children” (8:15-16).
Positively, in the church we experience a foretaste.
As the church, we are God’s adopted children,
Christ has promised to meet us in the Word by his
enabled to call out in fellowship to God as Father. And yet, we are also not yet adopted -- we ache and groan and wail as we “wait eagerly” for our adoption. How could this be? Has Paul contradicted himself over the course of a few paragraphs? Is the
In preaching, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, Spirit, giving us sweet tastes of communion with God and onew another. God does not act through proclamation and the sacraments because his people are holy or worthy, but because he has claimed them as his own for covenant fellowship. Preaching
church adopted or not yet adopted?
and the sacraments matter because the Triune
The answer to the final question is profound: yes.
worship, the bride of Christ receives a small morsel,
The church, as united to Christ by the Spirit, is the communion of the sons and daughters of the Father in the household of God. And yet, reflecting no blemish in God’s own work, the church is also not yet adopted. It’s a mess, and we should lament. When we bring our lament for the church to God -wailing over its acts of sin and neglect and enmity -- we join the Spirit’s own groaning. God’s good creation has become corrupted; we have become corrupted.
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HOP E IN CHRIS T AN D THE CHURCH
God is the central actor in Christian worship. In an appetizer, of the great wedding feast to come. Yet, precisely because we do not hope in ourselves but in Jesus Christ, we can and should expect to lament, not only with, but also for the church in our earthly journey. The church on earth still bears the stains of our sinful corruption, and we wail. Rather than making us apathetic or dismissive toward addressing the church’s shortcomings, lamenting while remembering our God-given identity can
help us persevere. We are not simply trying to prop-up a human institution based on ambitious plans. Thus, we need not hide our public sins when they occur. Groan with the Spirit. Mend the wounds. Call one another to repentance. Reform. As the Lord’s adopted children, hear his imperatives for the church in scripture, and walk in the ways of repentance and new life. Give our whole selves, body and soul, over to Christ. And in all of this, look to the only true source for life and hope and comfort in the church: Jesus Christ. For we are not our own, but belong -- body and soul, in life and in death -- to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ.
J. T O D D B I L L I N G S (ThD, Harvard) is the Gordon H. Girod Research Professor of Reformed Theology at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, and an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America. He is the author of five books, including Union with Christ: Reframing Theology and Ministry for the Church, and Remembrance, Communion, and Hope: Rediscovering the Gospel at the Lord’s Table.
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The Body of Christ
S
BY MARCUS JOHNSON
point is to engender in us a sense of our mutual
urely the most provocative phrase used in
dependence and an appreciation of the diversity of
the New Testament to describe the nature
our gifts. In other words, the church is to function
and reality of the church is “the body of
as a body would, “so to speak.”
Christ.” At least it would be provocative if
the phrase conjured up in our thoughts the reality to
The problem is not so much in identifying Paul’s
which it refers.
“body of Christ” language as metaphorical. Rather, the problem is with the way in which metaphors
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If Paul meant this phrase to indicate the profound
are typically understood. More often than not, the
reality of the church’s actual participation in
term metaphor is used in reaction against what are
the incarnate, crucified, resurrected, ascended,
seen as overly literal or realistic interpretations of
glorified Jesus Christ, then we have here the most
Paul’s terminology. The use of the term is commonly
sublime expression of the nature of the church
employed to downplay the (literal) reality of
that can be imagined. The problem is that we have
the comparison between the body of Christ and
been told time and again that when Paul refers to
the church-as is evidenced by the tendency to
the church as the body of Christ, he is speaking in
refer to Paul’s language as “purely” or “merely”
merely figurative terms, or metaphorically. This
metaphorical. The consequence is that a metaphor
normally means that the language should not be
ends up functioning more like a simile, having a
pressed too far into reality; it is merely an instance
merely nominal or illustrative function, thereby
of Paul’s transferring the ideas derived from one
implying that something is less than real. But surely
kind of reality, a biological body, to another, the
this understanding does violence to the intention
social functioning of the church. Thus, even if we
of a metaphor. After all, metaphors are linguistic
can derive significant meaning from Paul’s use
devices intended to direct us to, not away from,
of this phrase, he certainly does not intend us to
the realities they denote. There is a great difference
understand him in any sense beyond the figurative:
between asserting that “the body of Christ” is
we are “like” the body of Christ, but not in any
metaphorical (which is technically proper) and
sense “really” the body of Christ. Paul’s principal
the common (mis)undrestanding that associates
extension of the incarnation. On the other hand, if we truncate the metaphor, we may end up divorcing the church from any actual connection with the life-giving flesh of Christ, which he assumed, and will forever maintain, for our salvation. It is this latter view-which is predominant among contemporary evangelicals, for whom the metaphor has become empty, a symbol of an unreality. Part of what constitutes the so-called crisis in evangelical ecclesiology stems from an underinterpretation of the union that occurs between Christ and the church. In this underinterpretation, the essential nature of the church is lost to view. If the church is the body of Christ in a merely nominal or illustrative sense only, then what exactly is the reality of the church? Are we bound to say no more than that the church is a “voluntary association of like-minded believers” or that the church exists only on the strength of the shared faith experience and commitment of justified individuals? I believe that as evangelicals, we can and must say much more. I believe we can, together with our evangelical forefathers, confess that we are indeedtruly and actually-the body of Christ. And this mysterious reality constitutes the essential nature of the church. The church is what it is by reason of its union with the crucified, resurrected, living Lord Jesus Christ. Interpretation of the “body of Christ” terminology rests, in large part, on the answer to this question: What is the nature of the union that the church a metaphor with a kind of figurative unreality,
has with Christ? The answer ought to determine
in which case “the body of Christ” functions as a
how far into the realm of being we extend Paul’s
mere simile that bears no realistic connection to
metaphor. If his understanding of the church’s
the actual body of Christ to which it refers, and in
union with Christ is nothing more than a simile (a
which case the metaphor is an empty one.
comparison of two distinct things), then we can assume with good reason that his “body of Christ”
Thus, the question is not whether Paul’s language is
language is employed similarly. If, however, Paul’s
metaphorical; rather, “the question is always how
understanding of the church’s union with Christ
far into the realm of being the metaphor extends.”
is more than this-that the church’s union with
On the one hand, if we over-extend the metaphor
her Savior is, in fact, profoundly real, intimate,
into the realm of being, we may end up with a
organic, and vital; that it is an actual union with the
somewhat wooden identification of the church with
incarnate person for Christ, who has a body-then
Christ’s body, such that the church is viewed as an
we have reason to assume that Paul’s body language
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is similarly realistic (a metaphor that explains a reality). The way in which we understand the nature of our union with Christ ends up determining a great deal about how we understand the nature of salvation. I wish to suggest that the same applies to our understanding of the nature of the church. The way we conceive of salvation ought to determine the way in which we conceive of the church, because ecclesiology is simply the robust application of our christology and soteriology.
MA R C U S P E T E R JO H N SO N (PhD, University of Toronto) is assistant professor of theology at Moody Bible Institute. Along with writing his doctoral dissertation on union with Christ in the theology of John Calvin, he is also the author of One with Christ: An Evangelical Theology of Salvation and the coauthor (with John C. Clark) of The Incarnation of God: The Mystery of the Gospel as the Foundation of Evangelical Theology. He and his wife, Stacie, live in Chicago with their son, Peter, and are members of Grace Lutheran Church. This article was adapted from One with Christ: An Evangelical Theology of Salvation by Marcus Johnson published with Crossway Publishers, 2013, Used with permission. www.crossway.com.
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On Evaluating Church
P
B Y PA U L LO U I S M E T Z G E R
following reflection provides a few guidelines for
erhaps you’ve read the speech by
measuring the quality of your church’s water. In
David Foster Wallace of two young fish
this article, “church water” refers to your church’s
swimming along. An older fish observes
ethos and values.
them swimming and asks, “How’s the
water?” After the young fish swam a little further,
If it weren’t for the question posed by the older fish
one of them turns to the other and asks, “What…is
in the talking fish story above, the younger fish
water?” We are often unaware of our surroundings,
may never have critically reflected on their liquid
including the air we breathe and the water we swim
surroundings. So, it is with us. Language can reveal
in or drink.
our surroundings. In what follows, consideration will be given to various sets of terms, which will
Now some of us may beg to differ about how aware
help us reflect on the quality of church water and
we are of water. After all, Americans are crazy about
our evaluation of the church.
bottled water. I’ve read that it is the most popular
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bottled beverage in the States. Our obsession with
I often hear talk of “significant churches” and
bottled water has been labeled “Bottlemania.” Of
“significant church leaders.” In my experience,
course, not all bottled waters are the same in terms
such significance is associated with the size of the
of quality. If we were to bottle and evaluate the
church, name recognition, the number and quality
water your church drinks, what would we find? The
of programs, among other features. Such features
may be good indicators of a church’s health and
frame their priorities relationally rather than by
vitality, but not necessarily so. A church may be
such power encounters: “Behold, I have given you
large, well-known and have numerous thriving
authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and
programs, but the determining factor for analyzing
over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall
their quality must be Scripture. A significant
hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that
church is one that realizes that its people great or
the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your
small are significant in God’s eyes based on God’s
names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:19-20; ESV).
unconditional love. Such recognition will in turn bear fruit of significant obedience.
Now for those who may think that their names were written in heaven because of their significance
Luke 10 makes clear the right order of our affections
based on wisdom and status, think again. The text
and priorities: God’s significant love leads to
goes on to highlight Jesus’ prayer in this context:
significant obedience. The seventy-two had
“In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit
just returned from a mission trip in which they
and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and
performed significant ministry acts. They were
earth, that you have hidden these things from the
ecstatic that even the demons submitted to them in
wise and understanding and revealed them to little
Jesus’ name (Luke 10:17). While they certainly had
children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious
reason to celebrate, their priorities were wrong.
will’” (Luke 10:21; ESV). 1 Corinthians 1 makes a
The Lord Jesus cautions and encourages them to
similar claim: “For consider your calling, brothers:
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not many of you were wise according to worldly
blessed, but that bankers make the best deacons,”
standards, not many were powerful, not many
Jesus favors the widow who in giving her mite gave
were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish
everything (Luke 21:4; ESV).
in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose
In no way, shape or form does such emphasis on
what is low and despised in the world, even things
relational identity lead to passivity, but rather
that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so
greater activity and involvement in church life and
that no human being might boast in the presence
ministry. In fact, a relationally framed spirituality
of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus,
centered in Jesus motivates believers to guard
who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness
against the mindset that separates people into
and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it
“performers and spectators.” In place of a platform
is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the
for celebrities and entertainers, all God’s people
Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31; ESV).
are participants and serve at Jesus’ table, where Jesus himself serves—not as a servant leader but
The preceding reflections challenge a status and
lead servant. As Jesus instructed Peter and the other
performance-based spirituality and call for filtering
apostles, “let the greatest among you become as
a church’s ‘water’ so that it is relationally pure,
the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For
including the nutrients of God’s unassuming glory
who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one
and humble, unconditional love.
who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke
Such an emphasis on relational identity over
22:26-27; ESV).
against status and performance as the markers of significance also challenges the market ideology
So, how’s your church’s water? What are its values
that defines church members’ value based on
and ethos? How does it define significance? And
how much they give. In place of an emphasis on
which does it emphasize—giving units or priceless
“giving units,” church leadership would do well
union, performers and spectators, servant leaders
to emphasize believers’ priceless union with Jesus
and celebrities on a platform, or participants and
Christ. Who knows? As God’s people are made more
lead servants at a table?
aware of how priceless they are to God, they may give more and share more. After all, they realize
Hopefully, your church has a fish or two who ask,
the price that Jesus paid to purchase them for God.
“How’s the water?”
Peter who no doubt never forgot Jesus’ words to the seventy-two who returned from the amazing missions trip recorded in Luke 12 later puts the matter this way to God’s people: “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 3:18-19; ESV). In addition to Jesus’ precious, priceless blood, God values the quality of a heart’s trajectory, not ultimately the size of the bank account. Contrary to the quip from Sinclair Lewis’ Elmer Gantry, where the pastor had come to realize “that poverty was
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PA U L M E T Z G E R (PhD, King’s College) is professor of theology and culture at Multnomah Biblical Seminary and director of The Institute for the Theology of Culture: New Wine, New Wineskins. He is the editor of the journal Cultural Encounters and the author of Consuming Jesus.
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The Temple and the Church’s Mission
H
BY G.K. BE A L E ow does the vision of the worldwide temple in Revelation 21 - 22 relate to the Christians and their role in fulfilling the mission of the church? We, as God’s
people, have already begun to be God’s end-time temple where his presence is manifested to the world, and we are to extend the boundaries of the new garden-temple until Christ returns, when, finally, they will be expanded worldwide. This is just what Ephesians 2:20-22 asserts: the church has “been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom you are also being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” The church is growing and expanding in Christ throughout the present age (cf. also Eph. 4:13-16) in order that God’s saving presence and “the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known” even “in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:10). Likewise, quite comparably to Ephesians, after referring to Christ as a “living stone” (1 Pet. 2:4), Peter alludes to Christians as “living stones… being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:5) in order to “proclaim the excellencies’ of God (1 Pet. 2:9). In both Ephesians and 1 Peter the church is an expanding, living temple of witness to God’s saving presence.
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How do we first experience God’s presence? By believing in Christ: that he died for our sin, he rose from the dead, and reigns as the Lord god. Then God’s Spirit comes into us and dwells in us, in a similar manner as God dwelt in the temple of Eden and Israel’s temple. How do we increase the presence of God in our lives and our churches? How did Adam maintain God’s presence in his life before the fall? Certainly, remembering, believing and obeying God’s word was crucial to a healthy relationship with God. Remember that after God put him into the Garden in Genesis 2:15 “for serving [cultivating] and guarding”, he gave Adam a threefold statement to remember by which he would be helped to “serve and guard” the Garden-temple: in Genesis 2:16-17, God says, “From any tree of the garden (1) you may eat freely; but (2) from the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, (3) for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” When confronted by the satanic serpent, Eve either failed to remember God’s word accurately or intentionally changed it for her own purposes. First, she minimized their privileges by saying merely “we may eat”, whereas God had said “you may eat, freely”. Second, Eve minimized the judgement by saying, “lest you die”, whereas God said, “you shall surely die.” Third, she maximized the prohibition by affirming, “you shall not… touch it”, becoming the first legalist in history (for God had originally said only that they “shall not eat… it”. Adam and Eve did not remember God’s word, and they “fell”, and they failed to extend the boundaries of God’s Edenic temple. Jesus Christ, the Last Adam and true Israel, however, knew the word and, by obeying it, established himself as God’s temple. Remember when the devil tried to tempt Christ, in Matthew 4? With each temptation Jesus responded to Satan by quoting from the Old Testament, from passages in Deuteronomy where Moses rebuked Israel for failing in their task. Christ succeeded in just those temptations where Adam and Israel failed because he remembered God’s word and obeyed it. Therefore, Christ is the last Adam and true Israel
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who rules by his word as King over evil in the way
temple. But saints are also true Israelites who are
Adam and corporate Adam, Israel, should have
in exile because they still exist in the exile of this
ruled.
old, fallen world. At the end, this old world will be destroyed, and a new world will be created in
Do we come by faith to God’s word daily, as did
which God’s people will be resurrected, completely
Jesus, in order that we may be strengthened
restored to God, and consummately delivered from
increasingly with God’s presence in order to fulfil
exile. They will take their place as the crown of the
our task of spreading that presence to others
eschatoloigcal creation in Christ, the Last Adam.
who don’t know Christ? Believers express their
They will all be high priests, dwelling eternally in
identification with Christ’s Adamic kingship when
the new creational holy of holies and in the midst
they spread the presence of God by living for Christ
of God’s full latter-day presence. Until then,
and speaking his word and unbelievers accept it,
however, we pray as new covenant priests in the
and Satan’s victorious hold on their heart is broken.
New Testament equivalent of the holy place, which is a spiritual sphere of our ministry and witness as a
In addition to knowing and obeying God’s word,
lampstand in the world. We also pray as exiled new
Solomon’s dedication of his temple underscores
Israelites, as we live as pilgrims on the old, fallen
prayer as a crucial function in relation to the temple
earth. In both cases, our prayer is directed towards
(1 Kgs. 8:23-53). Solomon repeatedly makes the
God in his heavenly holy of holies, until it descends
point that, in response to various circumstances,
to fill and encompass the new earth. Prayer as an
Israel was to “pray toward this place [the temple]”,
activity inextricably linked to the temple is what is
and he petitions God “hear Thou in heaven, Thy
behind Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:19-20:
dwelling place; hear and forgive” (1 Kgs. 8:30; so likewise 8:38-39, 42-43). In fact, the mention
“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth
of “prayer” or “suplication” recurs constantly
about anything that they may ask, it shall be done
throughout the narrative (vv. 28, 29, 30, 33, 35, 38,
for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where
42, 44, 47, 48, 49, 52) The reason prayers were to
two or three are gathered together in My name,
be directed specifically to the earthly temple and
there I am in their midst.”
not directly to God in heaven was because God’s presence in the heavenly temple extended to the holy of holies. This is what Solomon appeals to when he recalls that God had said, “My name shall be there,” to listen to the prayer which Thy servant shall pray toward this place” (1 Kgs. 8:29; so also 1 Maccabees 7:37). God’s name represented his character and his presence. Thus, not merely were priests to offer up prayers in the temple precincts but certainly all Israelites, whether in the temple’s outer court or elsewhere in the land or in territories outside Israel in exile, were to pray towards the
Machen Chair of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary. He has published many books, including We Become What We Worship, Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, and commentaries on 1-2 Thessalonians and Revelation.
earthly temple, where God’s presence dwelt.
This article was adapted from The Temple and
This role of prayer is enhanced for Christians who
the Dwelling Place of God (NSBT) by G.K. Beale
now are identified with Jesus through the Spirit as part of the end-time temple. From one perspective, all believers are priests and they function as priests by offering up prayers in the sphere of the spiritual
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G . K . B ea le (PhD, Cambridge) is the J. Gresham
the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of published with Intervarsity Press, 2004, Used with permission. www.ivpress.com.
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Cultivating Joy in a Joyless Age “Un ti l n ow y o u ha v e a s ke d no t hi ng in m y n a m e. A s k , a nd y o u w i l l re c e i v e , t hat y ou r j o y m a y b e f ul l . ” – John 1 6 : 2 4
W
B Y J A R E D C. W I L S O N e live in a joyless age. Yet our joylessness is not for a lack of pursuit of it. We simply swim in a culture of high promise and
low delivery, of exaggerated but empty claims, of self-actualization riddled with self-doubt. Consequently, nearly everyone is unhappy. Why? You and I live daily within an external — and internal — clash of two worldviews. This tension is the exact tension Jesus himself ministered throughout. There is the worldview we might call Materialism that even Jesus’ followers can’t seem to keep themselves away from, and in which the entire unbelieving world continues to swim. And then there’s the worldview of Christianity. So many
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of the disciples’ problems arise from their confusing the worldview of Christianity and the worldview of materialism. And so many of our problems arise from confusing these worldviews too. It’s one reason why taking verses like John 16:23-24 out of context can be so appealing, even though we’re not doing it intentionally. The worldview of materialism kind of thinks along these lines: 1.
Mankind’s greatest need is to have his desires (or feelings) met.
2. Therefore we need things, experiences, and achievements to meet those desires. 3. Then, we will be happy.
It begins with our desires (or appetites). It assumes
2. Therefore, what we need is not things,
that having “stuff” will satisfy these desires. And
experiences, and achievements, but salvation,
then we have these desires met, we will be happy.
redemption, forgiveness, righteousness, rescue – we need primarily the glory of Christ.
Christianity, on the other hand, isn’t totally
3. And once we have Christ (by faith), regardless
disinterested in our desires or feelings – it definitely
of our circumstances or feelings (happy or sad),
speaks to those things – but it starts much deeper
we can have something that runs much deeper
than our desires, and thus it goes much deeper than
than circumstantial feelings. We can have joy.
any other worldview can. Christianity teaches along
“Fullness of joy,” in fact.
these lines: So materialism offers circumstantial experiences 1.
Mankind’s greatest need isn’t unmet desires but
and temporary things to satisfy superficial desires.
actually unrealized glory. Our biggest problem
Christianity offers the glory of Christ to satisfy the
isn’t unsatisfied feelings but actually sin. We
eternal void inside of our souls. The problem as
are disconnected from God, we fall short of his
I’ve said with the materialistic worldview is that
glory, because of our disobedience and rebellion
it doesn’t go deep enough. We’re all searching for
against him.
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happiness but Jesus is offering a deep, bottomless,
of prayer Jesus offers in John 16:
abounding, everlasting well of forever-joy. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, We cultivate joy in our joyless age by daily repenting
truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father
and re-following Jesus. We pursue what really
in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you
matters when our vision of him is more satisfying
have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will
than our vision for anything else.
receive, that your joy may be full. (vv.23-24)
See, the disciples think they’re treasuring Jesus but they only really see the Jesus they want to see,
Whenever we pray – or whenever we expect
the Jesus they want him to be. And so he knows
something from God – we face the clash of
that when he first dies, they will be undone with
worldviews. Will we walk by sight — materialism –
confusion and pain. And he knows that when he
or walk by faith – true Christianity?
ascends to heaven after his resurrection their joy at the reunion will be complicated by the sorrow of
The key phrase in vv.23-24 is the repeated “in my
seeing him depart.
name.”
He also knows they will have to endure a very
Sometimes people treat this like magic words. “The
difficult life in the expansion of his mission after
reason you still suffer is because you don’t have
he’s gone. They will be threatened, accused, exiled,
enough faith.” Or “because you’re not praying hard
in some cases tortured, and in many cases executed
enough.” Like we can add “In Jesus’ name” and get
for their faith.
what we want. Like God is some kind of vending machine for our hopes and dreams. But the whole
But he makes them a promise. A promise that is far
point of vv.23-24 – in fact the whole point of this
greater than earthly rewards and earthly successes.
entire passage – is that our hopes and dreams are not the point. The point is the glory of Jesus Christ!
Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be
When you ask anything “in the name of Jesus,”
sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
what that really means is that you want the name
When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow
of Jesus to be magnified more than anything. And
because her hour has come, but when she has
if that means the Father must say “no” to your
delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the
requests – for healing, for comfort, for “stuff” – it
anguish, for joy that a human being has been born
means the no is better than the yes, if only the name
into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but
of Christ is exalted. Whatever you want, Lord, we
I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,
want! Whatever most brings you glory, Jesus, that’s
and no one will take your joy from you.
what we want.
(John 16:20-22) “Only one life, and soon will pass. Only what’s The pain is a promise. And your pain is a promise.
done for Christ will last.”
One day your tears will not only be wiped away, but
The promise is that if you will align your purposes
they will turn to rapturous joy. He will trade your
and ambitions and prayer requests with God’s
ashes for beauty. Every single hurt your endure will
purposes, you still may fail but he never will. And in
be stored up and returned to you a million-fold in
the end, your sorrow will turn into joy.
heavenly bliss. With that in mind, let us turn to the little theology
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So many of us have our hearts set on temporary happiness. And that’s fine as far that goes. You’d be weird if you only wanted to be sad all the time. You’d be abnormal if you enjoyed getting hurt! So pray for healing, pray for comfort, pray for things you need. But remember that true joy, which you can have despite your hurt, despite your trials, despite your poverty, despite your lack, can be had in any circumstance because you have Christ, who will never leave you nor forsake you. He will never let you go.
J ared C. W i l s o n is an Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry at Spurgeon College, Author in Residence at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, General Editor of For The Church (and host of the FTC Podcast), and Director of The Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church in Kansas City, MO.
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The Church: One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic
O
B Y B R YA N L I T F I N J A M E S E A E Y ne of the most famous quotes in
you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor. 6:18).
church history comes from the ancient bishop Cyprian of Carthage,
Although Cyprian wasn’t actually saying what
who lived in the third century AD.
later generations claimed, this doesn’t mean his
Cyprian said, “He can no longer have God for his
statement should be discarded. The pithy quote
Father, who has not the church for his mother” (On
from Cyprian declares something important about
the Unity of the Church 6). What does this mean?
the way the early Christians thought about church—
The spirituals evidence a relationship with Jesus, a
something that can instruct us too, if we’re willing
valued familiarity and companionship with him as
to hear it.
religious subject. Jesus is the one who knows life as the singers knew it, and one who knows them as
The truth is, we never have God as our Father apart
suffering suppliants as well.
from belonging to the church of Jesus Christ. To be saved is to be incorporated into the family of
In a Roman Catholic context, the quote has often
God. There is no such thing as a redeemed person
been used to defend the idea that membership in
who is not part of Christ’s body. Calling the church
Mother Church is necessary for salvation. Cyprian
our “mother” evokes an image of tender care
was supposedly suggesting that a person has to
and constant sustenance. Unsaved people do not
belong to the outward organization led by the pope,
have this maternal nurture available to them. But
or he doesn’t actually belong to God.
Christians do, since everyone who becomes a son or daughter of God belongs to the church which gives
Of course, this isn’t true. A person has God as his
them life.
Father as soon as he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. “I will be a Father to you, and
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What we are talking about here is weighty and
unified body of Christ. In the Roman Empire, to
important. We need to understand the doctrine
say that a slave was equal to a free person was an
of ecclesiology in a richer way. To achieve this,
incredible inversion of social roles. Yet this is exactly
we should look at what the first generations of
what the ancient Christians insisted on, because
Christians thought about the church’s purpose in
their gospel created a radical new unity through
the world. Gleaning some wisdom from the ancients
Jesus.
will help us understand the church’s mission today. The second key word is holy. Sanctification and In antiquity, the church fathers used to put forth
separation from the world were very important for
creeds that summarized the essentials of the faith.
the early Christians. The ancient church had strict
One of the most important creeds, which many
standards of personal morality. They never coddled
Christians still recite, is the Nicene Creed. The final
sin. Their ethical behavior was the opposite of the
version of this creed comes from the year AD 381. It
pagan world.
provided a fourfold description of the church, using four key words that are still applicable in modern
For example, the early Christians took a strong
times.
stand against abortion and infanticide. When unbelievers threw out their babies whom they
The first key word is one. There is only one church
did not want to raise, faithful believers would
of Jesus Christ. This is obvious when we consider
pick up these castaways from the side of the road
the body language used in Scripture. “For just as
before pimps could come along and collect them
the body is one and has many members, and all the
for prostitution. Unlike Roman society, the early
members of the body, though many, are one body,
church was very devoted to the care of orphans and
so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all
unwanted children.
baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit” (1
The ancient Christians also founded charitable
Cor. 12:12-13).
hospitals. The pagans considered sick outcasts to be cursed by the gods. If someone was rich and could
The ancient Christians realized that doctrinal
afford to hire doctors, clearly the gods had blessed
unity was very important. This meant that all true
them. The poor, on the other hand, deserved their
Christians must hold the same core beliefs, and be
fate. But the Christians disagreed. They founded
baptized into the same story. Creeds were originally
hospitals that gave free medical care to the outcasts
developed for the purpose of baptism. They testified
of society. The church even gave jobs to poor but
to the one Creator God; the Christ whom God sent
healthy men who would go around the streets with
to die and rise again; the existence of the Spirit-
stretchers and carry invalids to hospitals where
filled church; and the promise of Christ’s return
they could receive medical care. Such behavior
for bodily resurrection and eternal judgments or
astounded the pagans and made them marvel. What
rewards. Everyone had to learn the main storyline
merciful deeds do Christians demonstrate today that
of Christian theology before being baptized, then
make unbelievers sit up and take notice?
recite the creed in the water. Doctrinal unity was essential in the early church.
The third ancient word for the church is catholic. This term means “universal” or “worldwide.” Of
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Oneness also meant unity across various social
course, in the first few centuries of church history,
divisions. Although there will always be different
the Christian faith had not yet spread around
ethnicities in the church (“Jews or Greeks”)
the planet. Yet by the work of the Holy Spirit
or socio-economic statuses (“slaves or free”),
and constant evangelistic efforts, it did spread
everyone was viewed as equal before God in the
throughout the known world, which at that time
meant the Roman Empire. Christianity was a fast-
of the Lord’s original followers—no more, and no
growing movement because the early believers were
less.
always ready to bear witness to their Lord. To be apostolic also meant that the first Christians The Greek word for “witness” gives us the English
cherished the writings of the apostles, that is, the
word martyr. This highlights that the testimony
books found in the canon of the New Testament.
of the first Christians was not only made with
The new books were joined to the writings of the
words. Many times, the confession of faith came
Jewish patriarchs, the Old Testament. Together,
through brave actions, even to the point of
these two Testaments formed a single Bible that
shedding of blood. By standing strong in the face of
served as the rule of faith and practice for all the
persecution—whether harsh treatment from a slave
ancient Christians. Their brilliant scholars immersed
master, mockery from friends, discrimination in
themselves in these texts, and their pastors studied
business dealings, or even death by the fangs and
and proclaimed the Word of God to their flocks.
claws of a lion—the early Christians bore witness
Although many of the first Christians could not
to the Lord who had won their ultimate allegiance.
read, they were constantly exposed to the Bible
This courageous devotion was very winsome to the
through public readings and the sermons of great
watching world. No wonder Christianity eventually
preachers. Truly, the ancient church was a biblical
spread to every corner of the globe!
church. This was their way of remaining apostolic.
Our fourth and final term is apostolic. The early
The Nicene Creed’s words, “We believe in one, holy,
Christians had a strong sense of connection to the
catholic, and apostolic church,” is an excellent
disciples who had walked with Jesus. The ancient
summary of ancient ecclesiology. Only within this
church wanted to preach the same gospel as
spiritual body can a believer find the gentle care
the original apostles. As each new generation of
that he or she needs to grow up strong. The church
believers emerged, it proclaimed the same central
of Jesus Christ indeed is like a mother: giving us
idea: the Risen Christ. This was exactly what the
our spiritual food, nurturing us in gentleness,
Apostle Peter had preached in the first evangelistic
and chastising us when we go astray. We can be
sermon. He declared, “God has raised this Jesus to
eternally grateful for Mother Church: not a human-
life, and we are all witnesses of it” (Acts 2:32). The
made organization, but the God-ordained means
ancient Christians were apostolic because they held
for us to flourish in the world. Cyprian of Carthage
to the same faith, doctrine, mission, and preaching
would give a hearty amen to that!
B r yan Li t f i n (PhD, University of Virginia) taught theology and church history for 16 years at Moody Bible Institute and is now an editor at Moody Publishers. He has a ThM in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and a PhD in ancient Christianity from the University of Virginia, and is author of several books, including Early Christian Martyr Stories (Baker Academic) and Getting to Know the Church Fathers (Baker Academic). He and his wife have two children and live in Wheaton, Illinois. You can follow him at www.bryanlitfin.com.
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Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Missional WHY WE NEED ALL THREE
B Y G O R D O N T. S M I T H
G
rowing up in Latin America I was part
It was not just the Catholics; my father was at one
of a Christian community that was
point censored for merely attending a wedding
decidedly and firmly “Evangelical”,
at a Lutheran church because the Lutherans
which meant and was defined as: not
had not sufficiently rejected the “superstitious
Catholic; not Pentecostal.
sacramentality” of Rome. And in terms of the Pentecostals, we assiduously avoided anything that
Our pastor was not ambivalent on this score; he
might indicate that the Holy Spirit was active and
was firm in his denunciations of both. On any
present – in any kind of immediate way. The Holy
given Sunday we could count on him to point one
Spirit had inspired the Bible, centuries ago, and now
direction to the Catholic cathedral or point the
the Spirit was at most present to help us understand
other direction to the “Pentecostal Temple” – and
the Bible. I am almost inclined to say that in my
remind us of the error of their ways. We would be
tribe, we worshiped the Triune God of Father, Son
curious who it would be this Sunday; would he
and Holy Scripture (!).
point to his right or to his left this time around? And we would joke as young people that on special
This might all seem rather quaint now, but recently
Sundays he would denounce both!
I heard about an Evangelical church that was losing members who said that their church was becoming
What emerged from this whole way of thinking,
“too Catholic” because they were exploring the
when it came to other church groups, is that we
possibility of celebrating the Lord’s Table more
defined ourselves as over against the “errors” of
frequently. When I heard this I was stunned by the
the other. Thus, anything that seemed remotely
continued proclivity to assume that the way we are
Catholic was to be avoided and eschewed: No
and have always been is all we need. Are we still
candles! Nothing at all that seemed to indicate any
doing this – defining us as over against the other?
possibility that the sacraments might be a means
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of grace. Nothing by way of visuals or paintings
Is it not an urgent need of our day that we ask: what
on the walls. I could go on; we had quite the list.
can we learn from the other? Where in what ways
might there be wisdom that has been “housed”
And what we will learn, for example – I write as an
within another church tradition or spiritual
Evangelical – is that our deep commitment to the
heritage that might be wisdom for our day and that
Scriptures, however good, needs the complement:
could, indeed, be invaluable for us?
the realization that Word and Table go together, that Christ meet us through the preaching but also in the
My suggestion is that we ask this question with
Holy Meal. And, further, that what was essentially
respect to three essential elements of what it means
the truncated pneumatology of my Evangelical
to be the church. This is not the only way to think of
upbringing, urgently needs a corrective: the deep
the church, but it is one way in which we can foster
and full appreciation of the presence and power
our shared learning from another: to think of the
of the Spirit in the life and witness of the Church.
church through three distinct lenses -- liturgical,
And, I would suggest, those of a more sacramental
catechetical and missional.
perspective or Pentecostal perspective might have something to learn from us about the priority
We are a worshipping community: to be the church
and vitality of the Word in the life of a Christian
is to be the gathered people of God who bring
community.
unbounded praise and adoration to the Triune God. My main point is that we need one another. In a We are a catechetical community: to be the church
post-Christian and increasingly secular society,
is to be a teaching-learning community, where
we need to appropriate grace in every which
we engage the ancient faith and the witness of the
way it might be made available to us. Sure, the
Scriptures so that we know the renewing of our
church needs to be evangelical – deeply dependent
minds.
on the Word preached; but, we also need to be intentionally sacramental, embracing rather than
We are a missional community: to be the church is
resisting the rites and means by which our faith is
to be engaged in the purposes of God in the world,
embodied. And further, we cannot afford to have
acting in word and deed as we, in the name of Jesus,
anything but a full expression of the life and witness
bring light and life to our cities, our countries and,
of the Spirit in our midst: in our worship, in our
indeed, our world.
teaching and learning, and in our witness in word and deed to the world.
And on each of these I wonder: where and in what ways can we acknowledge that we do not have all the wisdom we need? Can we ask how we can learn from those within other Christian traditions who might bring a different perspective that would challenge our assumptions, stretch our vision of what it means to be the church and actually encourage and equip us to more faithfully be the
G ordon T. S mith (PhD, Loyola School of Theology) is the President and professor of systematic and spiritual theology, Ambrose University.
people of God? We do not need to fear the other or, of course, denounce the other. We can come to our sisters and brothers from a disposition of an open heart and mind that assumes that we actually need to learn together and learn from one another if we are going to be faithful to the call of God to be the church in our time – as communities of worship, learning and mission.
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What does the Bible Say about the Church?
M
BY STEPHEN NICHOLS
instruction and teaching about God and his will
ention the church to a group of
for Israel. From the tabernacle and temple, Israel
Christians and you are likely to get
sounded forth loud and joyful psalms of praise and
a mixed response. Some might say
worship to God.
that, while they do love Jesus, they
don’t love the church. Others might respond, “Of
The instructions for building the tabernacle required
course we love the church.”
it to be at the center of Israel’s encampments. Later, Jerusalem, the site of the temple, was seen
God has ordained the church, a fellowship of the flawed, to carry out his purpose and will in the world. When we consider the biblical teaching on the church, we realize the church is vitally important for growing in Christ. Like a branch that grows because of its connection to the tree, we thrive when we stay connected to the church. To explore this issue, it is necessary to consider what the Bible says about the church. T h e C h u rch i n t he Bi bl e : O l d Te s t a ment
tabernacle and temple were not only to be viewed as the geographical center of Israel; they were also intended to be the spiritual center of Israel. Like spokes of a wheel that fan out from the hub, what occurred at these worship centers was to affect every aspect of Israelite life. Th e Ch urc h in th e B ible: Ch r is t a nd the G os pels
Li fe an d Wo r s hi p
The church did not officially come into existence
Before we can look at what the New Testament (NT)
had risen. However, even in the Gospels we learn
teaches about the church, we first need to see what
until the day of Pentecost, after Jesus had died and many things from Christ concerning the church.
the Old Testament (OT) says about life and worship.
Let’s review three.
God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle—a
First, we have Jesus’ declaration, “I will build
portable tent that represented the presence of God dwelling right in the middle of his people. The tabernacle and later the temple were the places where God ordained the sacrifices to be carried out and the festivals to be celebrated. The tabernacle and temple functioned as the central place of
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as representing the center of the land of Israel. The
my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). “Gates” likely represents the power of hell, which is no match whatsoever for Jesus. Second, Jesus hands the church its mission statement and purpose for existence when he gives
the disciples the Great Commission in Matthew
the Holy Spirit, and with the Spirit they received
28:16-20. As the church goes out into the world, it
power. This same Spirit still binds believers together
is called to make disciples, carrying out the task of
and brings us into the family of God (Eph. 4:1-7).
baptizing the new disciples and teaching them all that Christ has commanded. These activities must
The Holy Spirit graciously gives us spiritual gifts,
characterize every local church’s work and life.
according to Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. God has designed the church to be the
The third thing we learn from Jesus concerning the
place where these gifts are discovered, nurtured,
church comes from his high-priestly prayer in John
and used to build up the body of Christ and bring
17. At the end of the prayer, Jesus expresses to the
it to maturity, ultimately for the glory of God (see
Father, “I made known to them your name, and I
1 Corinthians 14). The same Spirit who worked
will continue to make it known” (John 17:26). The
powerfully in the early church continues to work in
NT frequently refers to the church as Christ’s body.
and through the church today.
We are literally the presence of Christ on earth. And the church’s mission is exactly the same as Christ’s
Second, the book of Acts shows how the church
mission: to proclaim God’s name.
functions and what it does. Members of the early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’
The universal church of Christ’s body is visible
teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking
and manifest in local congregations, or churches.
of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). All these
These local churches are to be “incarnational.”
activities are essential to growing in Christ, and all
They are to represent Christ, who was incarnated
occur within the local church.
(that is, born as a human) and walked among us. The incarnational model of the church means that
Th e Ch urc h in th e B ible: Th e Epis tles
we live and behave with the full realization that we represent Christ to the world and to each other.
Having looked briefly at the tabernacle and temple in the OT, and the church in the Gospels and
T h e C h u rch i n t he Bi bl e : T he B o o k o f
Acts, we now come to the NT epistles. With a few
Act s
exceptions, these books were written to churches, stressing again the God-ordained stature of the
Acts tells the story of the church, from its inception
church. In the Epistles, especially the letters of
on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, to ch. 28 with
Paul to Titus and Timothy, Paul clearly could not
Paul at Rome. In between, the church experiences
conceive of living the Christian life apart from the
tragedies and triumphs, sorrows and joys. The
church.
book of Acts tells the story of the young church, persecuted but bold.
Paul and the other NT writers often use word pictures to describe the church. At one point Paul
Two things stand out in the life of the early church.
calls the church the household of God (1 Tim. 3:15).
One concerns the power of the Holy Spirit. At
The church is a family (Gal. 3:28; Heb. 13:1; 1 Pet.
the end of the Gospels we see apostles who were
1:22). The church is a building (Eph. 2:20-22; 1 Pet.
scared, even to the point of hiding. Then in the early
2:4-5). The church is pictured as a flock of sheep (1
chapters of Acts these same apostles boldly turn the
Pet. 5:1-4) (And one of Paul’s favorite metaphors is
world upside down.
of the church as Christ’s body (Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 12:12-27). All of these metaphors contribute to a
The key to understanding what happened to them is
fuller understanding of how to live the Christian life
seen in Acts 1:8 (in Christ’s prophecy), then in Acts
as part of the church.
2 (the prophecy’s fulfillment). The apostles received
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The church is even pictured as a bride (2 Cor. 11:2-
As we come into the church we sometimes imagine
4; Rev. 19:7-9; 21:1-4). It is the bride of Christ—a
that there will be no problems, no conflicts, and no
bride for whom Jesus died. In the context of
frustrations among our community of saints. But we
urging husbands to love their wives, Paul writes
forget that we are a community of flawed people,
that “Christ loved the church and gave himself up
still burdened by our imperfections and failures and
for her” (Eph. 5:25). What more could be said to
sins. It is precisely because of our flaws and faults
underscore and establish the importance of the
that we need each other.
church for the Christian life? T h e C h u rch a s t he C o m m u ni o n o f S a ints From the very beginning of God’s dealing with his people, the Bible has stressed community. In fact, biblical discussion of godly living is almost always set in the context of growing together, in community, as God’s people. For Christians today, and for the last 2,000 years, God has established the local church as the vehicle for that community. Some current movements seek to replace more traditional understandings of the local church, seeing a group of friends meeting together, for instance, as church. That’s not quite the picture that we see in the NT. In the NT, we see young and old mixing, as older women and men are to teach younger women and men. We see people coming together to worship who come from different stages in life, different occupations, and different backgrounds. Paul stressed that the social divides typical of most groups in society have no place in the church. The church should be a place of diversity, where each person can contribute to the whole. Limiting oneself to a circle of peers is not sanctioned by Scripture and does not promote spiritual growth. Sadly, in our day there are churches in which leaders try to dominate their congregations rather than shepherd them in the model of the selfless love of Jesus. But those bad examples do not take away the biblical command to gather and worship as a church. Local churches undoubtedly have their flaws, because they are made up of flawed, sinful people. The Apostles’ Creed refers to the church as a “communion of saints.”
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S teph en J. N ic h ols (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) serves as the president of Reformation Bible College and chief academic officer of Ligonier Ministries. He is an editor of the Theologians on the Christian Life series and also hosts the weekly podcast 5 Minutes in Church History. This article by Stephen J. Nichols originally appeared on Crossway.org and is adapted from the ESV Student Study Bible published by Crossway Publishers, © 2015, used with permission. www.crossway.com.
How to Teach the Church about the Church B Y J O N AT H A N L E E M A N
D
o you teach your church about
members to be the church, or do what God calls the
marriage? What about justification?
church to do, if we don’t do a good job at helping
Or the authority of Scripture? Do you
them understand what the church is.
teach your church about what it means
to be a Christian? My hunch is that if you’re a pastor
Let me give you a few reasons you should regularly
who cares about the Bible and your church, you
teach your church about the church.
teach on these matters regularly. 1 . Why s h ould we tea c h our c h urc h es Okay, last question, do you regularly preach and
a bout being a c h urc h ?
teach about the doctrine of the church? First, we should teach about the church to help Ironically, the church is something that pastors
Christians understand their identity.
often overlook or take for granted in their teaching ministries. Yet how well can we expect our
We often encourage Christians to join a church
45
because it’s good for them, good for their witness
stage. Instead, we need to teach our people what it
to Christ, good for personal accountability, and so
means when we say the church is a family, a body, a
forth. But fundamentally Christians should join a
temple, and a gathering of kingdom citizens. These
local church because they are members of Christ’s
metaphors show that we all have a job to do: both
body. We join a church because we are the church—
toward one another and toward the outside world.
just like we “put on” righteousness because we have been declared righteous.
2 . Wh a t s h ould we tea c h th e c h urc h a bout being th e c h urc h ?
Paul makes this point in Ephesians 2. The first half of the chapter shows how Christ, in his cross and
First, teach your church sound doctrine—ensuring
resurrection, has reconciled us to God (vv. 1–10),
they understand and embrace the items in your
while the second half shows how we’ve been
statement of faith. Your congregation is responsible
reconciled to one another (vv. 11–22). In Christ, we
to protect, preserve, and promote that doctrine.
are one new man. The gospel produces the church.
Second, teach your church about its mission and
If you would teach the gospel, how can you not
its responsibility to evangelize the lost and make
teach about the church?
disciples. Finally, teach your church about its governance, particularly subjects like membership,
Second, we should teach about the church because
discipline, elder leadership, and congregationalism.
this will help our people do the jobs Christ has given to them. You can’t do your job if you don’t know
But remember, a rightly ordered church isn’t
you have one. When I conduct church membership
enough. Our churches also need to be characterized
interviews, I will say something like the following to
by love. For that reason, pastors must also
a prospective member:
teach their people about having God-glorifying relationships with one another. Not a week goes
Friend, by joining this church, you will become
by without my pastor, John, explaining our
jointly responsible for whether or not this
responsibility for one another, asking us to pray for
congregation continues to faithfully proclaim
unity in diversity, charging us to have meaningful
the gospel. That means you will become jointly
conversations, and encouraging us to be willing to
responsible both for what this church teaches, as
confess sin. In other words, it’s up to you to fill out
well as whether or not its members’ lives remain
a corporate picture of the Christian life. You have
faithful. And one day you will stand before God and
to help your church understand how ecclesiology
give an account for how you used this authority.
shapes the Christian life.
You don’t want to just sit back and stay anonymous, doing little more than passively showing up for
3. Wh en s h ould we tea c h th e c h urc h
90 minutes on Sundays. You should want to jump
a bout being a c h urc h ?
in with the hard and rewarding work of studying the gospel, building relationships, and making
Pastors actually have many opportunities to teach
disciples. We need more hands for the harvest, so
their congregations about ecclesiology. Here are just
we hope you’ll join us in that work.
a few.
We need to remind our people that church isn’t
1. Use your membership class to teach on your
like an exercise class, where they come to get their
church’s statement of faith, church covenant,
spiritual work out, but don’t share responsibility
why Christians should join a church, and the
for the health of the other people in the class. We
responsibilities of church membership.
need to remind our sheep that the local church isn’t an event where they watch a performance on
46
2. Use your membership interviews to reinforce
sound thinking on the church. Charge prospective
as members. It means we should exercise church
members to value their membership and live
discipline. Or are you in Leviticus? God uses food
according to the church covenant. Teach about their
laws to distinguish his people from the world. In
responsibility to give financially, attend member’s
the new covenant era, the church uses discipline
meetings, and celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Also use
to keep that distinction clear. In your sermon
this opportunity to show prospective members how
preparation, think not just about individual
to use the church directory as a prayer guide.
application, think about corporate application.
3. Members meetings are another great place
Yes, you can interrupt your regular preaching
to teach about the church. In my own church,
schedule from time to time and do some topical
one elder regularly takes a couple moments to
sermons on the church. But I think, you’re likely
teach about giving. Another pastor takes a few
to accomplish far more in your congregation if you
minutes at the end of the meeting to encourage the
show how all of Scripture shapes our corporate life
congregation, usually focusing on some aspect of
together. In other words, if you’re doing biblical
church life. We place membership additions and
theology correctly, not only will you preach every
resignations at the beginning of the meeting and
text in a Christ-centered fashion, you’ll also
have an elder explain why it’s the most important
demonstrate how many, if not most passages of
thing we do. Elders teach about church discipline
Scripture, are about God’s corporate people.
when cases of discipline emerge. Every moment of a members meeting is a teaching opportunity. 4. Use social media, if that’s your thing.
Jona th a n Leema n (PhD, University of Wales) is
5. Use personal conversations as teaching moments.
a number of publications and is the author or editor
If you’re rubbing shoulders with your sheep you should have plenty of opportunities to remind folks about the importance of attending members meetings, the value of the Lord’s Supper, or the
the editorial director for 9Marks. He has written for of several books. He is also an occasional lecturer at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and adjunct professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
importance of preaching. 6. Use Sunday School classes to teach on the church. Teach courses not only on the doctrine of the church but how those doctrines ought to work out practically in the lives of the members. 7. Most importantly, use your regular weekly sermon to teach about the church. Learn to apply all your sermons corporately. If you’re preaching on holiness in 1 Peter, or fruit of the Spirit in Galatians, or how love leads to obedience in John’s gospel, consider how those passages apply to your whole church, and not just individuals in it. For instance, what does Peter’s call to be holy because God is holy mean for us as a church? It means we should be careful about who we receive
47
When You’re Being Hurt by the Church
M
BY GAIL EMERSON
48
y husband and I grew up in a church which, at the time, felt like a Christian utopia. We thought we had the right doctrine and the right
practice of Christian life. We had deep friendships and accountability. Our fortress was safe from strife. Eventually, our church endured a messy split. Through it, we lost many friendships, despite our efforts to hold onto them. Several years later, there was a scandal. Our remaining remnant of friends scattered. Church pain is one of the worst sorrows. The body of Christ should be a refuge for the wounded. But, as a pastor friend once told me: “Christians can devour their own.” So, how should we respond when we’ve been hurt by the church?
Rememb er yo u ’ re no t a l o ne .
The only utopia that exists is the city God has prepared for us. Being a sojourner means we will
For me, comfort poured through the pages of the
likely not feel at home—even in the one place it
Psalms. It’s raw honesty — anger, depression,
seems we should. This unfulfilled longing isn’t
sadness, and disappointment met me in my darkest
meant to bring despair. It should press us to look
days. I realized I wasn’t alone in my anguish. David
upward to Christ—the One who will make all things
himself was betrayed by his closest friend.
new.
If a n e n em y w e re i ns ul t i ng m e , I c ould
Remember Ch r is t redeems h is br ide.
e n d u re i t; I f a fo e w e re r i s i ng agains t m e , I cou l d hi d e ; But i t i s y o u, a m a n like
Not only has God prepared a city for us, but he
m y s e l f, m y c o m pa ni o n, m y c l o s e s t fr ie nd,
also prepares us, his bride. The flaws we see here
w i th wh om I e nj o y e d s w e e t fe l l o w s hip , at
on earth will be washed away. We will be a bride
th e h ou s e o f G o d , a s w e w a l ke d a m o ng t he
without spot or blemish. There will be unbroken,
w o r s hi pe r s .
unhindered fellowship with our God and with our
Ps a l m 5 5 : 1 2 - 1 4
siblings in Christ.
Suffering is universal and even David experienced
We will join together from every tribe, every nation
the grief of church turmoil. Our world’s brokenness
and sing a new song.
doesn’t suddenly stop at our places of worship. It’s the air we breathe, touching every part of our lives.
And t he y c r ie d in a loud voic e : Salvat ion be longs t o our G od
Rememb er yo u ’ re a s o j o u r ne r.
W ho s it s on t he t hrone and t o t he La mb . Re ve lat ion 7:1 0
In a season of recalibration, we moved to a different city. We immediately embraced the task of finding
Though I’m no longer in triage, healing is an
friends at our new church. We regularly hosted
ongoing process. Some injuries may never quite
dinners and a small group in our home.
turn to a scar, and that’s okay. They are reminders of the larger, imperfect body I’m connected to—the
Yet, I was continually dismayed. Friendships were
body for whom Christ bled, died and will one day,
not growing at the pace I hoped. I was lonely and
make whole.
I often felt out of place. I longed for the Christian utopia I had known and to feel at home. Passages in Hebrews remind us; We are always sojourners on this side of heaven: Pe ople wh o s a y s uc h t hi ngs s ho w t he y’re
G a il Emer s on is an undergraduate student in Christian Ministry at Spurgeon College. She lives in the D.C. area with her husband Tim, and their four children.
l ook i n g for a c o unt r y o f t he i r o w n. I f t he y h a d be e n t hi nk i ng o f t he c o unt r y t he y h a d l e ft, the y w o ul d ha v e o ppo r t unit y t o re tu rn . In s t e a d t he y w e re l o ngi ng for a better c o unt r y — a he a v e nl y o ne . He b re w s 1 1 : 1 4 - 1 6
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