Church

Many different opinions

as to the definition of a church.

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The church will be the Bride of Christ

and the saved ones not baptized by a scriptural church

and the Old Testament saints

will be guests at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

It is a local visible body of baptized believers

who have covenanted together

to fulfill the great commission.

One view was promoted to popularity by C I Scofield

in his Scofield reference Bible.

This view states that "The Spirit forms the church

by baptizing all believers into the body of Christ."

He further states the church

to be "composed of the whole number

of regenerate persons

from Pentecost to the first resurrection,

united together and to Christ

by the baptism with the Holy Spirit."

This is the popular view

held by most Protestant churches.

Another view, not as widely held,

is that of the "church consisting

of all the redeemed in all ages."

From these two views we understand the church

to be universal and invisible.

Baptists, in opposition,

hold the church to be both local and visible.

These two prior views

fail to take into consideration

the difference God makes

between the family of God,

the kingdom of God,

and the church of God.

The family of God

is made up of all born again believers

from Adam until this present time.

The family of God includes all the saved

in heaven and on Earth.

The kingdom of God is made up of all believers

on the earth at any given time.

The churches of God are made up of saved people

who have been scripturally baptized

by a proper administrator

and joined to a local, visible body.

Baptist have long held

to a common definition of the church.

It is a local visible body of baptized believers

who have covenanted together

to fulfill the great commission.

The universal invisible church theory

excludes baptism as necessary for church membership.

It also perverts the meaning

of the Greek word "ecclesia"

which is translated "church" in our English Bible.

The fact that the word "church"

exists in our English version of the Bible

is due to King James of England.

He literally made a rule for the translators

to follow that the word "congregation"

which had been commonly used,

was not to be used,

but in it’s place

they should use the word "church."

The word "ecclesia," "called out,"

means an assembly of people gathered together.

Once this definition is understood and used

the Scriptures using it make perfect since.

Try the two definitions with the following verse.

Acts 8

1 And Saul was consenting unto his death.

And at that time there was a great persecution

against the church which was at Jerusalem;

and they were all scattered abroad

throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Is it local or universal and invisible?

Galatians 1

2 And all the brethren which are with me,

unto the churches of Galatia:

First note Paul uses the word church in it’s plural form,

not universal invisible church of Galatia,

but local visible churches of Galatia.

There are few instances

where the word church has reference to a universal body of believers.

When it does it is referring to a future assembly

that will then be both local and visible.

There are scriptures where the use of the word is used

in an institutional sense

such as in Ephesians 1.22-23 and Ephesians 5.23-27

This usage does not make the church universal and invisible

any more than it makes all husbands and wives universal.

When Did It All Start?

The Church was started

when Jesus was baptized

He was the first member and head of His Church.

The first use of the word "church"

in the New Testament

is found in Matthew 16:18,

which states:

"And I say also unto thee,

That thou art Peter, and upon this rock

I will build my church;

and the gates of hell

shall not prevail against it."

Christ calls it His church.

He is distinguishing it from any other.

It originated with Him,

He organized it, and He is building it.

Mr. Scofield and the Protestants

would have us to believe

the church started on the day of Pentecost.

It is this very fact that gives rise

to the teaching of the universal invisible church theory.

Baptists teach from the Scriptures

that the church began

during the personal ministry of Jesus Christ.

This verse in Matthew

does not teach Peter

was the foundation of the church

as the Roman Catholics would have us to believe.

Instead, it teaches that Peter (little pebble)

should understand that the rock (huge strata)

upon which Christ’s church would be built

was Jesus Christ and none other.

Lets get an additional definition

of what is a Scriptural church.

A New Testament Church

is an assembly of baptized believers called out from the world

by the preaching of the gospel,

accompanied by the regenerating work of the holy Spirit.

Each of the twelve Apostles

and the early disciples

were scripturally baptized by John the Baptist,

as was Jesus.

John was "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

These men were born again and baptized.

When Christ came to this Earth they were called out,

assembled together, ordained, and sent forth at His command.

This fills the definition

of what we know to be a true New Testament Church.

They sang, preached, collected offerings,

had a Pastor (Jesus Christ), baptized,

observed the Lord's Supper,

they had rules and order, conducted business,

and they were given authority

to carry out Christ’s commands.

All of this happened before the day of Pentecost.

Before the day of Pentecost

Jesus was physically the single head of one church.

After the day of Pentecost,

through the ministry of the Holy Spirit,

Jesus Christ was Spiritually the single head

of many churches.

These two views make an extreme difference

in how a church carries out its business,

how it accepts members,

how it observes the rules of the New Testament,

and how it carries out the great commission.

It affects the teachings concerning the Lord's Supper

Baptism, Church authority,

church membership, church associations,

and the perseverance of the autonomy of the local church.

The Pattern Of A New Testament Church

The pattern of a New Testament Church

is to be found in the Bible.

The Bible is our final rule of faith and practice.

It is within the Bible

we will discover the church’s government, purpose, plan,

and directives.

Tradition and history must always be balanced

with the Word of God not vice versus.

The Bible teaches that each church is to be autonomous,

independent, and indigenous.

That means the church is to be self-governing,

separate from all other bodies and organizations,

and local.

The government of a Baptist church

is to be democratic under the direction of its only head,

Jesus Christ.

The local church is to determine its own course of action

apart from any outside interference of other churches,

associations, councils, fellowships, presbyteries,

preachers, or civil authorities.

The Lord’s Churches recognize no higher authority

than their Head, Jesus Christ.

This frees the Church to follow the Lord’s direction

in selecting their own officers,

exercising their own discipline,

and adopting their own courses of action.

This also allows for co-operation

with other true New Testament churches

in carrying out the demands of the gospel,

without relinquishing their independence.

The early church met on the first day of the week.

This is not a Christian Sabbath as some might say.

It is the celebration

of the rising of our Lord from grave

and securing our salvation.

Sunday is the day set aside for the work of the ministry

not the work in the yard.

Sunday is the day set aside for the honor,

worship, and praise of God.

It is on the first day of the week

that we are to bring our offerings unto the Lord.

We are to come and worship God in Spirit and in truth

not in ritual and formalism.

God’s plan for financing the ministry of the church

is through the giving of offerings.

Giving is as much a part of our worship as is singing,

preaching, or praising the Lord.

The Officers Of The Church

There are only two offices in the church

that are recognized within the New Testament,

pastors and deacons.

The pastor may be called a bishop, an elder, an overseer,

or shepherd of the flock.

This office is designated as the overseer of the church of God.

He is the one, which has the responsibility

to teach and preach the word of God

and to equip the saints of God

to do the work of the ministry.

The pastor and deacon, or deacons, are to be chosen, or appointed,

by the church in a democratic method

and may be removed from that office in the same manner

by a majority vote of the church.

The pastor is charged with the spiritual oversight of the church

while the deacons are charged with the physical oversight

that would restrict the pastor or elders

from prayer and ministry of the word.

Not all preachers are destined to be pastors

any more than all servants of God

are destined to become deacons.

The desire to fill the office of pastor

comes from the leading and calling of the Lord

and is confirmed by a call from a local church to that position.

The qualifications of a pastor or elder

are scattered throughout the New Testament.

There are two major portions of Scripture

which deal with specific qualifications;

1 Timothy 3:1-7; and Titus 1:6-9.

The office of deacon seems to have risen

over a dispute concerning the distribution

of material resources as seen in Acts 6.

Rather than requiring the Apostles

to remove themselves from prayer and ministry of the word

they asked the church

to seek out men among themselves to fill these rolls.

It was the church who decided

who should be appointed to these positions

based upon spiritual and scriptural qualifications.

We find these qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.

The Purpose Of A New Testament Church

The Lord began and built His church

because He had a purpose in mind.

There is a design and direction for the church.

He has entrusted the church with the responsibility

of preaching the gospel to a lost and dying world.

He has called upon us to teach and to baptize

those who believe and repent.

This gives us our primary goal

as a New Testament Baptist church.

Matthew 28:18-20 gives us our commission.

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,

All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,

baptizing them

in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Teaching them to observe all things

whatsoever I have commanded you:

and, lo, I am with you alway,

even unto the end of the world. Amen."

The goal of every church

is not to entertain or to provide a social place to gather.

It is to instruct in and with the Word of God

by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This involves caring for and feeding the flock of God.

It involves teaching the whole counsel of God

not just bits and pieces

or those that seem to best suit our purposes

or attract the greatest amount of interests.

While the oversight of such a great task

is given to the pastor

it is not his to do alone.

He is to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry.

An important fact to remember is

that we are talking about the purpose

or mission of the church.

Who is the church?

If you are saved, baptized, and have been added to this,

or any, Baptist church,

the responsibility is yours.

Your mission is obedience to the commands of God

and those commands are to go preaching, baptizing,

and then to teach the all things.

What About It’s Membership?

The first and foremost qualification for membership

in one of the Lord’s churches is to be born again.

Only those who are baptized can be church members

and only those who give proof

of regeneration and conversion

are qualified candidates for baptism.

That gives us both the first and second qualifications

for church membership.

Each member has the privilege and responsibility

to vote in matters of business.

If their vote happens to be in the minority

there is the need to submit to the decision of the majority.

There is no right to stir dissension

or be contentious when there is no violation of the Word of God.

Every member of the Lord’s churches must be aware

they are accountable to the Lord and His church

in matters of doctrine,

practice and the covenant into which they enter.

The Ordinances of The Church

The ordinances recognized by true New Testament Baptists

are baptism and the [[Lord's Supper].

While we hold each as important in their doctrine and practice

we believe neither has any saving merit attached to them.

It is our responsibility to "contend for the faith

once delivered unto the saints" Jude.

We are to maintain the truth and application of both.

We believe both are symbols of spiritual truths.

The Lord’s supper was instituted by the Lord

and is to be observed until He returns to this Earth.

The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration

of the shedding of His blood and His death as our substitute.

This is strictly a church ordinance

to be observed by the members of a local church.

This is a restricted communion,

only to those who are members of a local body.

The elements of the Lord’s supper

are unleavened bread and wine.

We are instructed what to do and how to do it,

but we are given liberty as to the timing.

The Lord said "as oft" as you do it,

do it in remembrance of me.

Some churches may observe the Lord’s Supper weekly,

some monthly, some quarterly, some yearly,

and others at their discretion.

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