Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to
meet with the first Christians?
One of the greatest blessings this side of
heaven is to gather with others who take God and His Word seriously. We are a
group of believers saved by grace through faith in Christ and His finished work
(Ephesians 2:8-9) who meet simply around the Lord Jesus, seeking to follow only
the directions given in the New Testament. We believe that the church is God's
idea. Christians do not meet in congregations merely because it is desirable or
helpful, but because the Lord has ordained it (1 Thessalonians 2:14).
Our Lord Himself first spoke of the
church when He declared that He was its builder and would establish it on a
sure foundation (Matthew 16:18). He also first spoke concerning the local
gatherings of believers (Matthew 18:17).
There may be some things about a
local church like this that would be different to you. We would appreciate a
few moments to explain how we meet and why.
By the way,
there are many who meet like this
You may have heard of names like
George Muller, the great man of faith; H. A. Ironside, the famous Bible expositor;
Jim Elliot, the intrepid martyr of Ecuador; or W. F. Vine, author of the
well-known Dictionary of Expository Words. These met simply according to the
pattern found in the New Testament, as thousands do worldwide. There is no
division between “clergy” and “laity” in our meetings, because there is no such
division in the New Testament. We want to gather simply as Christ's ones in His
name recognizing no names that would divide God's people. To be gathered in His
name is to meet by His authority, submitting to His Lordship, and following His
Word.
Does the New Testament provide a
pattern?
If you suggested changing any other doctrine, or salvation by faith in Christ,
the deity of the Lord Jesus, or the inspiration of Scripture, for example, it
would invite strong reaction from Bible-believing churches. But somehow many
feel we are free to redesign the church any way it suits us. Yet we have no
more right to make a new way of meeting than a new way of salvation.
At the very outset of the New
Testament it is striking that the Lord Jesus and the apostles labored to
establish only one institution—the local church. Paul stated, “According to the
grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the
foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he
buildeth thereupon” (1 Corinthians 3:10). The local church lies at the heart of
God's program today. Indifference to the doctrine of the church is certainly
indifference to the plan of God. Francis Schaeffer writes, “The church did not
sit there as a group of believers with no form. The New Testament form is
commanded by God. These norms are not arbitrary—they are God's form for the church
and they are to be present in the twentieth century as well as in any century”.
A New Testament
assembly takes the Bible as authoritative and complete
We believe firmly in the historic doctrines of the church. However, rather than
subscribing to man-made creeds, rules, and constitutions, we find the Word of
God to be the only infallible statement of Christian faith and practice (2 Timothy
3:16). The Scriptures should be appealed to directly in a gracious and humble
spirit (2 Timothy 2:25) to settle all disputes, give directives to the
assembly, and provide the basis for all public and private ministry.
A truly
scriptural assembly should be composed only of true believers
By this we mean people who, believing the gospel, have experienced the miracle
of new birth, and know themselves to be “children of God by faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ” (Galatians 3:26). We are “not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans
1:16) and seek to share it with others.
Unconverted people cannot truly
participate in worship or other holy activities of the church, nor could they
be expected to support its testimony by holy living. Christians are exhorted
not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14-18), although we
should do good to them and show them by our lives that we belong to the Lord
Jesus.
Christ is the
gathering center
Although a local church is a gathering of like-minded believers, no fellowship
based on people will work. “Truly our fellowship,” said John, “is with the
Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). Matthew 18:20 states: “For
where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of
them”.
It is so easy to be distracted from
Christ, to find ourselves gathering to a preacher, a set of doctrines, a
sacrament, or form of church government. This is very different from being
gathered to Christ. We want to recognize His headship (Colossians 1:18) in our
assembly practically. We believe He deserves this, for it is His church: “Christ
also loved the church, and gave Himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25).
The Lord's
Supper occupies a central place
As the early Christians did, we come together on the first day of each week to “break
bread” (Acts 2:42; 20:7). Being a divine appointment, it should never be
relegated to a secondary place, or treated as a matter of occasional obedience.
It is to be a time of calling our Lord to mind and declaring His death for us.
It is observed not as a sacrament administered by a clergyman, but celebrated
as described in 1 Corinthians 11. The prime purpose of this time is not to
minister to the saints, as in other meetings of the church, but to minister to
the heart of God through appropriate reading of scriptures, worshipful hymns,
and prayers expressing to God the worthiness of our Saviour.
What about
baptism?
The word “baptism” is the English form of the Greek word hoptizo, which means to submerse or immerse. All converted people
in New Testament times were baptized before taking their place in a local
church (see Acts 2:41; 8:12). Christ had commanded that this should be done (Matthew
28:19). The same pattern is observed by scriptural assemblies today. Converts
should be taught that baptism is the symbol of their being buried with Christ,
and rising (as He rose) to walk “in newness of life” (Romans 6:1-11).
The Holy Spirit
represents Christ on earth
Of course, it is not enough to
recognize the truths of Scripture if we do not act on them. Many claim to be
Bible-believing churches, and we thank God for that. But we must seek also to
be a Bible-obeying church by the work of the Spirit of God in us. It is of the
utmost importance that the Holy Spirit be given His place in the local
assembly. His power is the only power for worship, ministry, or evangelism. It
is easy to displace Him by substituting human arrangements. It is common in
many congregations to have one man to preside as minister or pastor, with activities
under his control. However it is the Spirit who is to direct the saints in
their meetings (1 Corinthians 12 and 14).
For the
guidance of the assembly, elders are appointed by the Spirit
From Acts 20:17-38, we see that the terms “elders” (v. 17) and “overseers”
(bishops, see margin, v.28) are used of the same individuals and are applied to
those who “take heed...to the flock” (v.28). In other words, elders, overseers
(or bishops), and pastors (or shepherds) are all describing the same workers in
the church. Elder emphasizes their maturity; overseer emphasizes their
responsibility; shepherd emphasizes their ministry to heed, lead, and feed the
local flock. These men (the words are always used in the plural) are to fulfill
the qualifications given in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Our elders are to be
respected, prayed for, and obeyed (Hebrews 13:7,17).
There is no
difference in value between men and women, but there are distinct roles
The work of Christ has removed all
human distinctions of privilege (Galatians 3:28). And every believer, whether
male or female, is a priest to God (Hebrews 13:15). As holy priests (1 Peter 2:5)
and royal priests (1 Peter 2:9), we can worship and witness all we desire.
But as in the home, men and women
are given distinct roles in the church. Church order, like chronological or
alphabetical order, has nothing to do with importance. It has been established
by God so “all things [are] done decently and in (according to the) order” (1 Corinthians
14:40).
Men are to come to church meetings
prepared to function publicly as the Spirit leads, representing God to the
assembly in the ministry of the Word (1 Peter 4:10-11) or representing the
assembly to God in prayer and praise. This is to be done carefully so everyone
can add “Amen” (1 Corinthians 14:16). The women are free to speak to the Lord
all they wish, however they must do it silently. (They are only silent as far
as we are concerned. God hears them, as He does the men who are praying
silently). Thus the women have free access to pray and worship as the men do,
but are not to usurp authority from the men or act in the church as a
representative (1 Corinthians 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:11-12).
Why do the
women wear the head covering?
God's glory is to be seen alone in the assembly of the saints. In order to do
this, the men remain uncovered by not having long hair and by removing any head
coverings, because the man is “the image and glory of God” (1 Corinthians
11:7). Any covering on the man would veil God's glory. The women, however, are the
stewards of the coverings.
There are two competing glories in
the church. “The woman is the glory of the man” (1 Corinthians 11:7). And “if a
woman have long hair, it is a glory to her” (1 Corinthians 11:15). Because
there are two symbolic glories to be covered, there must be two coverings. The
first covering [Gk., penhobion] is
the woman's long hair (v. 15b) to hide the glory of the man (the woman
herself). The second covering [Gk., katakalupto]
is to hide her glory—her own hair. In this way, God's authority is declared in
the church. By it the men are reminded that, in their ministry, their glory is
to be hidden. The angels are also instructed by it (1
Corinthians 11:10).
What about
membership?
Strictly speaking, the only church
membership spoken about in the New Testament refers to the act of placing a new
believer into the Body of Christ. This happens the moment one is saved (1 Corinthians
12:27; Ephesians 5:30). We have no member's list, but do receive into
fellowship those whom Christ has already received (Romans 15:7; 16:1-2). The whole
assembly is happy to receive all who confess Jesus Christ as personal Saviour
and Lord; and have a consistent Christian life and testimony.
Being received into this fellowship
means you are ready to embrace the privileges of local church life and willing
to accept your responsibilities with us. These include regular attendance at
the meetings of the church (Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:25). The exercise of your
gift for the up-building of others (1 Peter 4:10). Submitting to one another,
especially in obedience to the elders (Hebrews 13:17), and sharing as the Lord
enables you in the financial needs of the assembly (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians
9:7) as an act of worship (Hebrews 13:16). You will notice that funds are not
solicited, especially not from unbelievers (3 John 1:7).
But there is so
much more!
Obviously in a paper like this it is
not possible to deal fully with all the issues involved in church life. But as
we seek the truth in God's Word, the Holy Spirit delights to show us more. The
Apostle Paul stated the two-fold wonder of God's blessings to the human race: “Unto
me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I
should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make
all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of
the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ” (Ephesians
3:8-9).
May the Lord help us all to enter
more fully into these twin treasures: what we have in the cross of Christ and
what we have in the church of Christ!
