BASICS OF SALVATION

How can I meet God?

The only way in this life is to be born again. Since God is Spirit and dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16), to walk into his presence would mean instant death. It would be like flying into the eye of the Sun. But, there is hope. He has provided a way for us to know Him. It involves being born again.

Since God is Spirit and the natural man does not have a human spirit, there is no way for spiritually dead man to have fellowship with Spiritual God. Man must be born again (John 3:3, 7), which means to be spiritually regenerated.

When a person accepts Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit creates in him a human spirit so that he can have fellowship with God. God the Father also imputes Eternal Life and His own Righteousness to the new believer. The person who is born again is a new spiritual species. He is spiritually alive and able to have fellowship with God.

So the answer as to how to meet God is the same as the Lord Jesus Christ gave to Nicodemus. “You must be born again (John 3:7).”

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Does God love me?

Yes, God loves you (John 3:16). Love is the very essence of God. “God is love (1 John 4:16).” God is perfect, omnipotent, eternal; so is His love. So God loves with an infinite love. His love is based upon who and what He is. This is true objectivity. He loves us when we are good, when we are bad, when we are arrogant fools, and when we reject and despise Him. When Jesus was dying on the cross after being physically abused beyond recognition (Isaiah 53:2, 5) and despised and rejected, He said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know not what they are doing (Luke 23:34).”

God’s love for mankind is beyond comprehension, but it is also based upon knowing the whole truth. He knows all and sees all. He knows we aren’t perfect. He knows we are flawed. God has absolute Righteousness while mankind has been polluted by sin and evil (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23). The best and highest of human virtue is incompatible with the divine standard (Isaiah 64:6).

God loves us whether we believe in Him or not, but that doesn’t mean that we have fellowship with Him. God doesn’t coerce our love response. He gives us the choice. He loves us but leaves us free to accept or reject His infinite, eternal love. It is like being separated from someone you love very much or being jilted. When we love someone very much but they reject us, that is like the unbeliever rejecting God’s perfect love.

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How can I know I’m saved?

If you have believed in Jesus Christ, then, on the authority of the Word, you are saved: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; but he who does not believe shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).” “And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life (1 John 5:11-12).”

Salvation is received by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. That means that believing in Jesus Christ is the only possible way to be saved. If you, in the privacy of your own soul, expressed your faith in Jesus Christ, then God has given to you eternal life. But if you did something else for salvation, such as doing good works, going to church, going to confession, or inviting Christ into your heart, then you have not complied with the simple truth of scripture. Such activity will not bring salvation. There is only one way to be saved and that is God’s way. Anything that man does to add to God’s procedure nullifies the result and does not lead to salvation.

Ephesians 2: 8 For by grace you have been saved in the past with the result that you keep on being saved forever through faith, and this not from yourselves. It is the gift from God: 9 Not by works that no one should boast.

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Why am I alive?

Only God knows that, but if you are still alive, then He still has a purpose for your life (Ephesians 4:4)!

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What is the purpose of life?

Everyone was created to resolve the prehistoric Angelic Conflict. When Satan sinned, he was cast out of heaven (Isaiah 14:15; Ezekiel 28:16). He rejected God’s solution to his sin problem. He was sentenced to the Lake of Fire (Matt 25:41; Revelation 20:10). Satan appealed the decision. His arguments were undoubtedly, “How can a God of love sentence me to burn forever?”

Man was created to resolve the appeal. So a man and a woman were created and placed in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8). They used their volition to sin, just as Satan had done (Genesis 3:1-19). They were booted out of the Garden (Genesis 3:22-23) just as Satan had been booted out of Heaven. When God gave them an opportunity to be saved, however; unlike Satan, they accepted it. They believed in the Jehovah-Savior who would come, were saved, and sacrificed an animal to demonstrate it. They clothed themselves with the animal skin (Genesis 3:21) and proceeded to demonstrate the adequacy, Righteousness, and Justice of the Plan of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ was born of a woman and provided salvation for all who would believe. Those who choose to reject salvation (God’s solution) are left in condemnation.

The daily decisions of each member of the human race are used in the appeal trial, which is currently in existence. Each of us can have access to unlimited opportunity by the grace of God. We can choose to accept or reject God’s Plan. When we accept it, we become witnesses to demonstrate the sufficiency of the Plan of God. When we reject it, we demonstrate the arrogance of Satan, who said, “I will be like the most High (Isaiah 14:14).

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Should I feel saved?

A person cannot feel the Spirit, and salvation is entrance into the Spiritual life. Feeling is a physical response from the body. How the body feels has nothing to do with the Christian life. If one is looking for confidence or assurance about salvation, then this grows as one matures in the Christian life. Doubts arise when we fail to believe the truth (Titus 1:2). We take our eyes off the divine solution.

Even in our darkest hour, there is no need to doubt our salvation. It is our rock. It is God’s work – not ours. It does not depend on us. Even in Jeremiah’s darkest hour, he kept from falling apart by recalling the promises of scripture: “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21-23, KJV).

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Can I be saved and lose it?

No. “And I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (John 10:28-29).”

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).”

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SALVATION

Eternal Life

Anyone can have Everlasting Life simply by believing in Christ (Acts 16:31). Faith in Jesus Christ alone brings the gift of Everlasting Life (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Lord Jesus Christ paid for the sins of the world on the cross (1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:2). The door is now open for all who want the gift of Eternal Life. Nothing stands in the way. The gift is available to all who want it (Ephesians 2:8-9). The scripture says, “For in this way God loved the world in that He gave His uniquely-born Son so that anyone who believes in Him will not perish but will have Eternal Life (John 3:16). Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).”

Jesus Christ, the Savior

The Lord Jesus Christ was the uniquely-born Son of God. He was both perfect humanity and undiminished deity combined in one unique personality of the universe (Colossians 2:9). No person has ever been born like this. He was God in the flesh. After mankind sinned, a Savior was promised who would handle the sin problem.

Spiritual Life

The result of sin in the human race was condemnation, spiritual death. Spiritual death simply means the absence of a human spirit. Without the human spirit, there is absolutely no way for man to have fellowship with God, who is Spirit. Mankind has to be spiritual to have fellowship with the Spirit of God. Spiritually dead man is separated from God.

The Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross where God the Father poured out the sins of the world on Christ and judged them. As the sins were being imputed to Christ and judged, He screamed out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Jesus Christ alone, our unique Savior, suffered the judgment of God for our sins. He handled our sin problem on behalf of us. Our sins would have condemned us to eternal separation from God, since God is perfect Righteousness and can have no fellowship with sin. For us to die without a solution to the sin problem would mean separation from God forever.

However, the Lord Jesus as the perfect lamb of God, without spot or blemish, was uniquely qualified to bear our sins. He was impeccable, without sin, in His humanity; and therefore, He met God’s criteria for bearing the sins of the world (1 Peter 1:19). He was qualified to be the mediator of a new covenant between God and mankind.

When Jesus Christ finished bearing the sins of the world on the cross, He announced, “It is finished” (Matthew 19:30). That is, the work of salvation was completed. He had finished bearing the judgment of God for all the sins of the world. He had provided unlimited atonement (1 John 2:2). Every sin ever committed in the history of the human race had been judged in Christ. The justice of God was satisfied: He was propitiated, i.e. He was satisfied with the work of Christ.

Because of the work of Christ on the cross, the door is now open for salvation to all who would believe. There is no sin, or anything else, to separate mankind from God except individual choice not to believe. We have a choice. We can choose Eternal Life or we can remain in spiritual death. The decision is up to us. If we don’t make the decision to accept the gift of Eternal Life, we remain in eternal condemnation (John 3:18). If we die without accepting Christ, we will be sentenced to the Lake of Fire, which was prepared for the devil and his demons. He was the promised Savior (Revelation 20:10, 15).

The Decision to Believe

If you have not made the decision to believe in Christ, please stop and in the privacy of your own soul tell God the Father that you are believing in Christ. The gift of Everlasting Life can be yours. It is a private matter between you and God; but stop and think. It’s free; there is no obligation; and it will affect where you spend eternity (Hebrews 2:3). Only faith in Christ will work; for “There is salvation in none other; there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).”

Everlasting Life

After believing in Christ, the word of God is fulfilled: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life (John 3:36a).” If we meet God’s criteria, He keeps His word. He gives us Everlasting Life and we can never lose it. “I give to them Eternal Life and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand (John 10:28).” We can never lose our salvation because we are held by the power of God, and there is nothing greater.

Regeneration

When the gospel (the good news about Christ and His work of salvation) is heard by anyone who is spiritually dead, the Holy Spirit will temporarily act as the human spirit to make the issue clear. A spiritually dead person would otherwise be incapable of understanding any spiritual information. The Holy Spirit performs a special ministry for the unbeliever to make the gospel perspicuous so that this person can have an opportunity to have Eternal Life.

If a person responds to the gospel by believing in Christ, the Holy Spirit performs the work of spiritual regeneration. The Holy Spirit creates for the new believer a human spirit and God the Father imputes to it Eternal Life. The person is now spiritually alive. This is called being born-again.

Gifts of Salvation

At the moment of salvation God gives a number of things to the believer. The gifts of salvation include:

1. Eternal Life.
2. A human spirit.
3. The gift of God’s own perfect Righteousness.
4. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
5. Positional Sanctification.
6. The indwelling of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
7. The believer becomes a new spiritual species.
8. Adoption as a child of God.
9. The priesthood of the believer.
10. A new title of Royalty.
11. The believer’s soul is filled with the Holy Spirit.
12. The sealing of the Holy Spirit – Eternal Security.
13. An inheritance – portfolio of invisible assets, escrow blessings.
14. One or more Spiritual gifts for service.

The New Life

The new believer is a new spiritual species (2 Cor. 5:17 original Greek). He is a new creation. He is spiritually alive, and the Holy Spirit permanently indwells his body (2 Timothy 1:14) and optionally fills his soul (Ephesians 5:18). The greatest possible life of all the dispensations of history awaits the believer in the Church Age (Ephesians 2:4-7). Nothing like this ever happened or ever will happen again in any other dispensation (Ephesians 3:5).

A dispensation is a period of time in which God deals with mankind according to defined rules. For example, there was the Age (or Dispensation) of the Jews, which lasted from the giving of the Law to Moses till the birth of Christ. The Church Age runs from the day of Pentecost till the Rapture. The Church Age is the only dispensation in which the ordinary believer is indwelt by God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is miraculous and unique!

The Church Age believer is a member of the Royal Priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). As Bride of Christ, the calling of the Church Age believer is the highest of any dispensation – higher than Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, David – or any of the great believers of the Old Testament or the future dispensations. The Church Age believer will have a destiny in Heaven that is higher than Moses. He will live in the Royal Castle with Christ by virtue of being born-again in the Church Age.

Every believer in the Church Age is a priest (1 Peter 2:9). This means that he can represent himself before God. When Christ died on the cross, the curtain in the Temple was torn in half (Matthew 27:51). This was the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. The symbolism was that the Holy of Holies represented Heaven itself, where Christ is today (Hebrews 9:24). The Holy Place was the place where the Levitical Priests ministered. With the curtain torn in two, the implication is that the Church Age believer-priest has direct access to the throne of God in Heaven (Hebrews 10:19).

The Church Age believer as a priest has direct access to Christ, our High Priest (Hebrews 9:11), who is in the Throne Room of the Supreme Court of Heaven (Hebrews 10:12). He can access it anytime through prayer without going through any intermediary (Hebrews 10:21-22). Christ was the only mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 9:15). When he opened the door (tore down the dividing curtain) by means of His work on the Cross (Hebrews 10:20), the door was open for the believer to enter boldly into the presence of God in Heaven by means of prayer.

Unique Opportunities in the Plan of God

The new believer is a child of God. As such, a multitude of unique opportunities are provided compliments of the grace of God. He loves His children and gives them gifts commensurate with His person.

God has a Plan for the life of every new believer that includes a life beyond dreams (Ephesians 3:20). It is a new, spiritual life in a new dimension that is not soulish and not physical. It is powerful and fulfilling. The Plan of God is full of purpose and definition for our life. In it we have a destiny, a calling, a place of service. We are called to be kings and priests, and there is divine provision to develop capacity for these stations. God provides everything for us in grace. He does the work; He gets the glory. We go along for the ride. Nothing depends on us.

So what’s the catch? The only catch is us. We have nothing to offer God. We have to get out of the way and let Him do all the work in grace. We have to accept His terms, which means submission to His Plan. The Bible is the complete description of His Plan. Only by learning and obeying Bible Doctrine can we execute the Christian Life. God has provided pastor-teachers to communicate Bible Doctrine to the local congregation. The new believer must find his right pastor and listen to the communication of Bible Doctrine in order to grow Spiritually and fulfill God’s calling.

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August 7, 1996 – Revised April 4, 2004

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Having considered the work of the Holy Spirit in relation to evangelism and conversion, we move to His active ministry in the life of believers. This chapter is divided into three major divisions:

1. We will examine the active ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers;
2. We will examine the gifts of the Holy Spirit; and
3. We will discuss whether all of the gifts which were operative in the New Testament church are permanent ministries for the church age.

1. THE ACTIVE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE LIFE OF BELIEVERS

After conversion, the Spirit continues to have an active ministry in the life of believers. Here, we will investigate how the Holy Spirit empowers the believer in his battle with the “flesh,” using some New Testament expressions and texts that give us specific information on how this takes place:

1. The Holy Spirit “sets His desire against the flesh” (Galatians 5:16-17);
2. The Holy Spirit empowers the believer to obey God (Romans 8:4-11; Galatians 5:16);
3. The Holy Spirit imparts spiritual truth and wisdom to the believer (1 Corinthians 2:15; 1 John 2:20); and
4. The Holy Spirit produces Christ-like character in the believer (Galatians 5:22-23).

1.1 The Holy Spirit “Sets His Desire Against the Flesh” (Galatians 5:16-17)

The Biblical expression, “sets His desire,” describes a phase of the Holy Spirit’s work within the believer. The word “desire” is the New American Standard Bible’s translation of the Greek epithumia. It means “strong desire,” whether good or evil. When used of the Holy Spirit it refers to good desire, and it follows that this is the desire for the will of God to be accomplished. Notice the tension or struggle this creates:

“… walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit [sets His desire] against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please” (Galatians 5:16-17).

To summarize, this phase of the Spirit’s work is to create a resistance to the desires of the flesh (tendencies to sin remaining from our unregenerate state). Part of His “strong desire” against the flesh is convicting or convincing the believer that a given desire of the flesh is indeed sin (John 16:8). As the flesh resists, this produces a kind of stalemate. In effect, the flesh’s desire prevents you (the believer) from doing “the things that you please,” as a new creation in Christ. Were it not for the Holy Spirit resisting the evil in me, I would find myself in precisely the condition Paul describes in Romans 7:14-24: wanting desperately to do good, but not being able to do it.

1.2 The Holy Spirit Empowers the Believer to Obey God (Romans 8:4-11; Galatians 5:16)

The Holy Spirit empowers the believer to obey God, including:

1. walking in the Spirit;
2. being filled with the Spirit;
3. empowering by the Spirit;
4. setting the mind on the Spirit;
5. being led by the Spirit; and
6. interceding by the Spirit.

1.2.1 Walking in the Spirit

The believer is commanded to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). The “stalemate” between the Spirit and the flesh can be broken by “walking in the Spirit,” that is, depending consciously on the Holy Spirit to energize my resolve and actions. Thus, I will defy the “lusts of the flesh,” and “fulfill the requirement of the law” (do God’s will). The metaphor “walk” is Paul’s term for living; thus walking by the Spirit is living in conscious reliance on Him to enable me as I choose to do what is right.

1.2.2 Being filled with the Spirit

The Bible commands believers to be “filled with (controlled or influenced by) the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Ephesians 5:18-21 implies that the filling of the Spirit is a way of life, not a single, mystical experience. Men, like the seven administrators of the early Jerusalem church (Acts 6:3) and Barnabas (Acts 11:24), were full of the Spirit.

At conversion the believer is indwelt (i.e. baptized) by the Spirit; during his life he needs to be controlled by the same Spirit. At Pentecost, the disciples were “filled” in connection with being baptized (Acts 2:4; cf. the experience of Paul, Acts 9:17). Though the “filling” by the Spirit is commanded, baptism is not; that is, baptism is to be a single once-for-all experience event in the life of a believer, while filling is to be his way of life under the control of the Spirit.

The filling ministry of the Spirit can be divided into two categories:

1. the general filling ministry; and
2. the special filling ministry.

The general filling ministry, which relates to control and spiritual growth and maturation, and into the special fillings, which relate to special movings of the Spirit. Peter was filled with the Spirit when he spoke (Acts 4:8; cf. 4:31), but surely he was already full of the Spirit before he spoke. We can assume that he was living a Spirit-filled life when in critical times he was filled in a unique and special way with the Spirit.

1.2.3 Empowering by the Spirit

The believer is engaged in a battle: the flesh against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. It takes the indwelling Spirit of God to provide the victory (Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:16-17). The Spirit is the secret to victory. This was true in Old Testament times as well, for Zechariah 4:6 reads, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.” It is the Spirit who produces in us the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22f.; cf. Ephesians 5:9; Philippians 1:11).

1.2.4 Setting the mind on the Spirit

Another phrase related to this empowering of the Holy Spirit is a “mind set on the Spirit” (Romans 8:5-6). This is the
believer’s determination to let the Holy Spirit do His work.

1.2.5 Being led by the Spirit

Being “led by the Spirit” (Romans 8:14), according to the context, involves “putting to death the deeds of the body.” That is, saying “no” to sin, and “yes” to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. The early church enjoyed the leadership of the Spirit; the Spirit:

1. disciplined (Acts 5:9);
2. directed (Acts 8:29);
3. appointed (Acts 13:2);
4. made decisions (Acts 15:28); and
5. prohibited (Acts 16:6f).

1.2.6 Interceding by the Spirit

He also intercedes for believers before the Father (Romans 8:26). The Spirit of God does a blessed work in the life of each believer, and believers are cautioned not to:

1. grieve the Spirit through careless sinning (Ephesians 4:30);
2. tempt the Spirit by lying (Acts 5:9);
3. quench the Spirit by restraining His ministries (1 Thessalonians 5:19);
4. insult the Spirit by minimizing the atoning work of the blood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:29); and
5. resist the Spirit by refusing to obey His directives (Acts 7:51).

1.3 The Holy Spirit Imparts Spiritual Truth and Wisdom to the Believer (1 Corinthians 2:15; 1 John 2:20)

Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit to guide them into truth (John 14:26; 16:13). The Holy Spirit teaches the believer from the Word of God by illuminating, or making plain, the Scriptures to him.

All believers will know the truth when they hear it because they “have an anointing from the Holy One” (1 John 2:20). They have the Spirit and, therefore, they do not need some additional special revelation or mystical insight (1 John 2:27).

In 1 Corinthians 2:6-13 the Holy Spirit “reveals” the things of God, and enables the believer (called “he who is spiritual”) to “appraise all things” (1 Corinthians 2:15). The result is that we are able to know the truth or will of God that centers in the Scriptures.

Some add to the Holy Spirit’s ministry guidance in human decision making. However, there appears to be no Biblical evidence of that kind of guidance apart from this work in revealing and making plain the Word of God. This raises the question of whether feelings and impulses come from the Holy Spirit independent of His use of the Word of God. We find no such clear Biblical evidence for this. The exception is Acts 16:6-10 where the Holy Spirit intervenes directly in the travel plans of the apostle Paul. But even this event falls during the apostolic period (before the Scriptures were complete), and cannot be given as the sole support for the normal or regular way in which the Holy Spirit ministers to believers today.

1.4 The Holy Spirit Produces Christ-Like Character in the Believer (Galatians 5:22-23)

This familiar passage on the “fruit of the Spirit” directly follows the passage on walking by the Spirit in Galatians 5:16-21. Previously we said that walking by the Spirit is the way the believer obeys God instead of the desires of his flesh. It appears here that the results of this walk are:

1. love;
2. joy;
3. peace;
4. patience;
5. kindness;
6. goodness;
7. faithfulness;
8. gentleness; and
9. self-control.

This dependence on the Spirit is the means by which the “fruit” is cultivated and brought to maturity in the believer. When we “walk by the Spirit” we allow the Spirit to change our character traits and mold us into the image of Christ.

1.5 Summary

The active ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers is summarized in the following table and picture:
Activity Description of the Activity Scripture Reference
Filling Believers are commanded to be “filled with the Spirit.” The filling ministry of the Spirit can be divided into the general filling relating to spiritual growth and maturation and to special capacities given by the Spirit for special tasks for God. Ephesians 5:18; cf. Acts 4:8; 4:31; 6:3; 9:17; 11:24; 13:9
Guiding Believers are commanded to walk in the Spirit and be led by the Spirit. The Spirit keeps the believer from enslavement to legalism and also provides discipline and direction for the Christian life. Galatians 5:16, 25; cf. Acts 8:29; 13:2; 15:7-9; 16:6; Romans 8:14
Empowering The indwelling Spirit provides victory in the Christian life, development of Christian fruit, and the ability to win against the works of Satan. Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:17-18, 22-23
Teaching Jesus promised that when the Spirit came he would lead believers into truth. The Spirit illuminates the mind of the believer to the revelation of God’s will through his Word. John 14:26; 16:13; 1 John 2:20, 27; 1 Corinthians 2:15

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2. THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit sovereignly gives spiritual gifts to believers for the edification of the church, and for the benefit of all believers (1 Corinthians 12:4, 7-11; cf. Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 4:10f.). Whether or not some of these gifts are still in use today is a source of disagreement among Christians.

The charismatic movement began at the turn of the twentieth century among people who called themselves “pentecostalists,” and it continues today among an even broader group known generally as the “charismatics.” It is characterized by the belief that all, or at least most, of the spiritual gifts listed by Paul in the New Testament are still given today. Only unbelief and spiritual coldness prevent them from being manifested among all believers. {Note: “Charismatic” comes from the Greek term for “gift” in the New Testament, charisma (1 Corinthians 12:4). Another term is pneumatikos, translated “spiritual gift” in 1 Corinthians 12:1. The narrow use of this Biblical term today (used only to label a certain segment of believers) is unfortunate, because, in its true sense, charismatic is descriptive of all Christians who recognize and practice their spiritual gifts.}

On the other hand, certain evangelicals believe that some of the New Testament gifts (typically tongues, miracles, healing) were temporary, and functioned only during the earliest years of the church. Their purpose was to authenticate the ministry of the apostles while the church still lacked the completed Scriptures.

What is true is that the Holy Spirit gives each believer a gift or gifts, and that every gift is for the church’s overall benefit. We will give a brief survey and description of some of the representative gifts.

2.1 A Brief Survey of Some of the Spiritual Gifts

A brief survey of some of the spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament is provided in the following table:
Gift Description Result Example
Prophecy
(Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians14:29-32) Speaking truth directly revealed from God. Understanding mystery (1 Corinthians 13:2) Timothy (1 Timothy 4:14), Daughters of Philip (Acts 21:8-9)
Service, Helping
(Romans 12:7) Aiding others to do God’s work. Giving practical assistance to member of the church. Serving the church and the needy (Acts 6:1) Onesiphorus (2 Timothy 1:16)
Teaching
(Romans 12:7; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11) Communicating the truth and applications of the Scripture. Understanding the Word of God (Acts 18:26) Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:26), Apollos (Acts 18:27-28), Paul (Acts 18:11)
Encouraging
(Romans 12:8) Urging one to pursue proper conduct or to console. Encouragement (Acts 9:27) Barnabas (Acts 4:36)
Giving
(Romans 12:8) Liberally and cheerfully imparting substance to God’s work. Meeting physical needs (Acts 9:36) Dorcas (Acts 9:36)
Leadership
(Romans 12:8) Organizing and administering the work of the ministry. Order (Titus 1:5) Titus (Titus 1:5)
Showing Mercy
(Romans 12:8) Giving undeserved aid to others. Sympathy, compassion toward undeserving Barnabas (Acts 9:27)
Apostleship
(1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11) Being an eyewitness of the resurrected Christ and speaking authoritatively about faith and
practice. Sets forth God’s precepts for the church (1 Corinthians 14:37) Paul (Galatians 1:1), Peter (1 Peter 1:1)
Evangelism
(Ephesians 4:11) Presenting the gospel with clarity and with a burden for the unsaved. Understanding the Gospel Philip (Acts 21:8)
Pastor / Teacher
(Romans 12:7; Ephesians 4:11) Shepherding and teaching the church. Care and godly instruction (Acts 20:28-31) Paul (1 Thessalonians 2:7-12)
The Message of Wisdom
(1 Corinthians 12:8) Perceiving and presenting the truth of God.
Applying God’s Word or wisdom to specific situations. The ability to grasp and apply the revelation given John (1 John 1:1-3)
The Message of Knowledge
(1 Corinthians 12:8) Understanding and exhibiting wisdom from God. Revelation from God about people,
circumstances, or Biblical truth. Truth understood in its spiritual sense (1 Corinthians 2:6-12) Paul (Colossians 2:2-3)
Faith
(1 Corinthians 12:9) Trusting God implicitly to perform unusual deeds. Accomplishment of great tasks Stephen (Acts 6:5)
Healing
(1 Corinthians 12:9) Being able to cure diseases. Complete cures (Acts 3:6-7) Peter and John (Acts 3:6-7), Paul (Acts 20:9-12)
Miracles
(1 Corinthians 12:10) Being able to perform works of power. People fear God (Acts 5:9-11) Paul (Acts 13:8-11)
Discernment
(1 Corinthians 12:10) Distinguishing the power by which a teacher or prophet speaks. Exposure of false prophets (1 John 4:1) Believers at Corinthians (1 Corinthians 14:29)
Tongues
(1 Corinthians 12:10) Speaking in a language not understood by the speaker. Praise to God which is understood by those persons knowing the language spoken (Acts 2:1-12).
Thanksgiving to God which may be understood if someone interprets the language spoken (1 Corinthians 14:5,16, 27-28). The disciples
Interpretation
(1 Corinthians 12:10) Making “tongues” understandable. Confirmation of the foreign language (1 Corinthians 14:27-28)

2.2 Categories of Gifts

Spiritual gifts may be divided into three categories:

1. office gifts;
2. functional gifts; and
3. validation gifts.

2.2.1 Office gifts

Ephesians 4:11 lists:

1. apostles;
2. prophets;
3. evangelists;
4. pastors; and
5. teachers.

This list involves people who function in a certain capacity or office. We may find more than one of these gifts in an individual. For instance, Paul himself worked miracles (Acts 13:11), performed physical healing (Acts 28:8), prophesied (2 Corinthians 12:1), spoke in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:18), evangelized (Acts 13:16-43), and taught (Acts 15:35), all of which are manifestations of spiritual gifts.

2.2.2 Functional gifts

Because they pertain to a specific ministry we term the following “functional” gifts:

1. teaching;
2. evangelism;
3. administration;
4. exhortation;
5. helping; and
6. mercy.

2.2.3 Validation gifts

Some of the more spectacular gifts seem to serve the purpose of confirming the message of the apostolic church. Hebrews 2:3-4 says that God “confirmed” to the second generation of believers (those that were not original eye-witnesses of Jesus Christ) the message of salvation through “signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit.” Believers disagree whether this sort of validation is necessary today, or whether it was a process brought to completion in the apostolic age. That may be implied by the passage in Hebrews 2 just cited. The gift of miracles and the gift of healing fall into this category.

3. THE ISSUE OF THE PERMANENCE OF SOME GIFTS

The question of whether all of the gifts which were operative in the New Testament church are permanent ministries for the church age has been greatly debated, especially in recent years with the upsurge of the so-called charismatic movement.

Modern “non-charismatics” believe that the following gifts functioned only in the early days of the church and are no longer in use:

1. tongues and their interpretation;
2. prophecy;
3. word of knowledge;
4. word of wisdom;
5. miracles;
6. healing;
7. apostles; and
8. prophets.

Some, of course, allow for an occasional extraordinary manifestation of one of these gifts as part of God’s will today but believe that they are not to be expected in the ordinary functioning of the church.

Most charismatics believe that all of these gifts are still in use, although they define some of the gifts differently than those who view them as obsolete (like the gift of “prophecy” and “tongues” especially).

3.1 Different Viewpoints of “Speaking in Tongues”

The different viewpoints of “speaking in tongues” are given in the following table for your information:
Category Traditional Orthodox Pentecostal Charismatic
Nature of
Tongues Tongues in Acts are human languages whereas tongues in 1 Corinthians are either human languages, heavenly or angelic languages, or ecstatic utterances. Tongues in Acts are human languages whereas tongues in 1 Corinthians are heavenly or angelic languages. Tongues in Acts are human languages whereas tongues in 1 Corinthians are heavenly or angelic languages.
Content of Tongues Glossolalia is praying to God in a language that one has not studied. Some believe that New Testament accounts of “tongues” ties it in with a knowable or known language which is addressed to God in thanksgiving and praise. Never is it intended that tongues be equivalent to prophecy in being addressed to people. Tongues may be prayer to God or they may be God’s means of speaking to the people of God, equivalent to prophecy, if interpreted, Tongues may be prayer to God or they may be God’s means of speaking to the people of God, equivalent to prophecy, if interpreted.
Need of
Tongues Dispensationalists believe that tongues had a limited value in the early church to demonstrate God’s change from Israel to the church. Most are in agreement that they were also used to build up the church when accompanied by the gift of interpretation of tongues. They are not needed today. Tongues not only to signify the Spirit’s presence and power but also to provide the ability to speak to God through the Spirit about concerns that the mind is not able to express. The gift of tongues is also given to some Christians to give the will of God. Not all Christians will speak in tongues, and the Spirit is present in every Christian, but special power comes to the Christian by means of releasing the Spirit’s power by tongues, given to some Christians to give the will of God to the church for its edification.
Purpose of Tongues The primary purpose of tongues was to demonstrate the change from the nation of Israel to the nations of all the world. They are not a normative indication that someone has received the Spirit of God or a second baptism of (or in) the Spirit. Tongues are the initial, necessary evidence that one has received the Spirit or the empowering from the Spirit by means of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Further, they are used by the Spirit-filled believer in praying more effectively. Pentecostals differ as to whether one receives the Spirit of God at the moment of conversion or only at the baptism of the Spirit. Tongues are an indicator (but not the only one) that one has the fullness of the Spirit of God. All Christians have the Spirit from conversion, but the fullness comes through one’s letting God take control of one’s life. This is not a second blessing but a recognition of God’s power. Tongues help one to pray in the Spirit.
Duration of Tongues Tongues ceased after the completion of the New Testament. There is no reliable evidence today of the miraculous gift of speaking foreign languages. Tongues have continued throughout the ages, arising again in various periods of the church’s history when greater desire for spirituality has occurred. Tongues have continued throughout the ages, arising again in various periods of the church’s history when greater desire for spirituality occurred.

3.2 Comparison of the Charismatic and Non-Charismatic Views

I would like to provide the reasons for both the charismatic and non-charismatic views in the following table. The readers are recommended to read them carefully and decide which view is correct by themselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Charismatic Non-Charismatic My Opinion
Carl states, “There is the total absence of any definite declaration by the Lord of His intention to cause tongues and other powers to cease shortly after the establishing of the church” (Carl Brumback, What Meaneth This?). 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 says that prophecy and knowledge would “be done away” by “that which is perfect” (a possible reference to the complete New Testament), and that tongues would “cease” (a verb meaning “stop functioning”). Trying to identify what “perfect” refers to presents a problem. The connection between “perfect” and the complete New Testament is only implied. Also, there are no specifics provided regarding when tongues would cease. God may allow for an occasional extraordinary manifestation of one of these gifts.
Speaking in tongues is a sign of spirituality (Acts 2:3-4; 10:44-46). Through speaking in tongues, we can have better communication and relationship with God. If most disciples in the first century were able to speak in tongues, then it is reasonable for us do so now. According to the New Testament, speaking in tongues is the ability to speak in a language previously unknown by the one speaking it. Tongues are not ecstatic utterances which many people today are seeking (read Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 13-14). The New Testament does not encourage us to seek to speak in tongues (1 Corinthians 13-14). It plainly states that not all speak in tongues (1 Corinthians 12:28-30). Further, tongues are listed last signifying they are least in importance of all the gifts listed. Rather, we are strongly challenged to seek the better gifts, those that edify (1 Corinthians 12:31). Furthermore, we are never told to seek this gift – one used especially for the Jewish nation which had been dispersed among the nations of the world where they had to learn a different language (Acts 2:3-8). Instead, we are to seek to edify others through those gifts that minister God’s truth in such a way that everyone can understand (see 1 Corinthians 14:1f). In all of the rest of the epistles that deal with true spirituality and our walk with God, tongues are not once mentioned. In addition, the same kind of ecstatic phenomenon occurs among the unsaved all over the world. The suggestion of 1 Corinthians 12:1-3 strongly warns the Corinthians that they were trying to use the legitimate gift of tongues in the same way they had experienced ecstatic phenomenon before they were saved and caught up in paganism. That in itself should serve as a warning about seeking such an experience. In our century, tongues and healing have both suffered great abuse. They have been emphasized to the exclusion of other gifts by some, and used as criteria for genuine salvation. I agree that God do not encourage us to seek to speak in tongues. We should seek the better gifts, those that edify. The main purpose of using spiritual gifts is to edify other people and minister God’s truth in such a way that everyone can understand. In most cases, those people who are speaking in tongues, is unconscious. If no one can understand the ecstatic utterances (including the one who are speaking in tongues), then it loses the main purpose of edifying others. It is worth noting that if tongues in the New Testament were merely foreign languages that the speaker had not had opportunity to learn by normal means (see Acts 2), then the typical utterances in today’s charismatic churches are counterfeit. Missionaries and experts in Demonology reported that most people who are speaking in tongues, are actually demon-possessed by a evil spirit of tongues (C. Fred Dickason, Demon Possession & the Christian). This should make us suspect of any group that promote this gift for a personal experience (a self-centered purpose contrary to the design and use of gifts) or as a sign of spirituality. Therefore, I recommend all believers should not seek to speak in tongues unless for the purpose of foreign missionaries that the speaker has no opportunity to learn the language by normal means.
Romans 11:29 says that “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” The context of Romans 11:29 shows that God’s covenant promises are irrevocable because of His own faithfulness and this in no way overlooks the fact that individual Jews are either in or out of right relationship to God on the basis of their faith, nor does it mean that they are not accountable in judgment before God. Therefore, Romans 11:29 says nothing about the permanence of spiritual gifts. I agree that Romans 11:29 is misquoted (out of the context) by the charismatics and it is irrelevant to their argument.
Hebrews 2:3-4 says that God “confirmed” to the second generation of believers (those that were not original eye-witnesses of Jesus Christ) the message of salvation through “signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit.” The promise of Christ in the ending of Mark 16:17-20 states that miraculous “signs shall follow them that believe.” Therefore, we should continue to seek for the gifts of divine healing and miracles. Hebrews 2:3-4 implies that miraculous signs had already confirmed the message of Jesus and His apostles, thus the gift of miracles no longer has a function. The miraculous sign gifts are linked with the unique foundational ministry. Hebrews 2:3-4 identifies that salvation as that “which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will.” In this statement three different relations to the message are specified: (1) the Lord began to speak it, then there were (2) those (“them”) who confirmed it to (3) the people (“us”) of the early church. The signs and miracles are specifically related to the second group, the immediate circle around the Lord who confirmed His message, as God’s authentication of their ministry. This special use of these gifts is confirmed by the apostle Paul’s references to working “signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds” as “signs of an apostle” (2 Corinthians 12:12), and to bringing the Gentiles to Christ through preaching the gospel accompanied by “mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God” (Romans 15:18-19). The sign gifts were for this early apostolic era, during which the final word of God concerning the fulfillment of the promised salvation in Christ was not complete and its messengers still needed authentication. Our Lord warned us about seeking after signs rather than simply resting in the truth of God’s Word. To the religious leaders who asked Him for a sign, an attesting miracle, He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! (Matthew 12:39). The interpretation of “miraculous signs had already confirmed the message of Jesus and His apostles” is only implied. In the New Testament, there are no specifics provided regarding when miraculous signs and healing would cease. It is possible that God may allow for an occasional extraordinary manifestation of one of these gifts (e.g. performing miracles and healing) for the authentication of the ministry of foreign missionaries who are preaching the gospel message in remote areas and undeveloped countries. On the other hand, divine healing and miracles have both suffered great abuse in nowadays churches. They have been emphasized to the exclusion of other gifts by some, and used as criteria for genuine salvation. In addition, the sign use of many of these miraculous gifts by the early church is in sharp contradiction to the use made of them by many contemporary advocates. For example, the Apostle Paul healed many as authentication to his ministry (see Acts 19:11ff) but did not – as evidenced in the cases of Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23) and Trophimus (2 Timothy 4:20), who both suffered illness – suggest this gift for the health of the saints; but it is often advertised for such today through healing ministries. Furthermore, the unsaved all over the world can also perform miracles and healing by the power of evil spirits. Does all this mean that God does not perform miraculous things today? Of course not. He is a powerful God and occasionally heals miraculously, etc., but miraculous activity and gifts, as they are being promoted today, have always been the exception and not the general rule. Historically, these signs and wonders as seen in the early church just simply ceased. There were occasional occurrences, but this was not the norm.
It is argued that the needs of the church for the full ministries of the Spirit make all the gifts just as necessary today as at the beginning of the church. Therefore, it is clear that the gift of prophecy, apostles and prophets are still exist in this century for further and better development of the church. There is evidence which suggests that not all gifts were intended for the permanent life of the church. In the first instance, the ministries of apostles and prophets, ranked by the apostle Paul as first and second in one of the lists of gifts (1 Corinthians 12:28; cf. Ephesians 4:11), are declared to be foundational to the church (Ephesians 2:20). Men with the authority of the apostles are not found in the church today. Rather the church is called to obey the doctrine of those unique ministers of the church, who laid the foundation in their inspired witness to Christ. Similarly, prophets, to the extent that they received direct revelation of God for the needs of the church during its infancy, are no longer with us. The validation of the uniqueness of a foundation ministry is seen in the church’s later closing of the canon, which specifically identified and distinguished that which was revealed normative doctrine from that which was built upon it. In the apostles and at least to some extent in the prophets, the principle of the temporary nature of some spiritual gifts is established; and the possibility of other first-century gifts being temporary is open to examination. The church is built upon the “foundation” (Ephesians 2:20) of apostles and prophets. Since the first century none have been generally recognized by the church. This implies that their function ceased once the church was established. The gift of prophecy was essential in the first century for the communication of New Testament truth through the apostles in the early church because there was no completed canon of Scripture at that time. There are many today who believe the gift of prophecy still exists, but I do not believe this is correct. Now that we have the completed canon of Scripture, Old and New Testaments, the gift of prophecy is no longer needed. Since the early church did not have a completed canon, the gift of prophecy was also temporarily active in churches. Included here was the gift of discernment (1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21) to verify the accuracy of the message in others who had this gift. Once God had finished giving the New Testament, the gift of prophecy ceased. Furthermore, the unsaved all over the world can speak in prophecies (e.g. fortune-tellers) by the power of evil spirits. In this connection, I recommend all believers should not seek the gift of prophecy.
Any absence of them, it is concluded, is not due to God’s withdrawal of provision but to the “lukewarmness and unbelief” of God’s people (Donald Gee, The Pentecostal Movement). The general cessation of miracles in the history of the church following the apostolic era substantiates the fact that not all the gifts were to be continued in the same way. The rejection of this conclusion, by insisting that the unspiritual nature of the church caused the diminishing of these ministries and that the need of the church for them remained constant, is negated by God’s use of miracles in Biblical history. Instead of a record of continual miracle working among God’s people, the Scriptures show that miracles were prominent in three main periods: the time of Moses, that of Elijah and Elisha, and the New Testament era of Christ and the apostles. Men such as Abraham, David, and John the Baptist performed no miracles, according to our knowledge. Apparently, miraculous signs were used by God for authentication during certain epochs more than others. There is a peculiar absence of these gifts in the record of church history. Their absence cannot be attributed to lack of spirituality, for the church has gone through many revivals since the first century. Great spiritual leaders such as: Martin Luther, John Wesley, John Calvin, D.L. Moody, etc, did not perform any miracles. The conclusion is that some spiritual gifts have not been in use since the apostolic age.

3.3 Conclusion

On the basis of both the Biblical and historical evidence, it seems most reasonable to conclude that certain of the spiritual gifts active in the early church are no longer given to God’s people. This is not to circumscribe the Spirit’s activity and certainly not to deny divine miracles. God can and has worked miraculously throughout the history of the church, but these miracles are not necessarily the manifestation of these early gifts. For the most part, the practice and theology today associated with the sign gifts bear little resemblance to the New Testament pattern. I conclude that God occasionally heals miraculously, etc., but miraculous activity and gifts have always been the exception and not the general rule.

4. REFERENCES AND RECOMMENDATION FOR FURTHER STUDY

1. Survey of Theology I, Lesson 13, Moody Bible Institute, 1990, by William H. Baker.
2. Lectures in Systematic Theology, Chapter XXVII, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1992 Edition, by Henry C. Thiessen.
3. A Theology of the Holy Spirit, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1970, by Dale Bruner.
4. The Church in God’s Program, Chapter 7, Moody Press, 1972, by Robert Saucy.
5. Charts of Christian Theology & Doctrine, p. 71-74, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1992, by H. Wayne House.
6. How can our church learn to speak in tongues?, Biblical Studies Foundation, 1997, Internet Edition.
7. How does the gift of prophecy fit with Hebrews 1:1 as it seems the role of prophets ended with the coming of Christ?, Biblical Studies Foundation, 1997, Internet Edition.
8. What do you think about the ‘signs and wonders’ we are seeing today?, Biblical Studies Foundation, 1997, Internet Edition.
9. How does one support cessationism in light of Acts 2:17?, Biblical Studies Foundation, 1997, Internet Edition.

The Nature of the Church

The Bible presents several metaphors for the church, each making a contribution to our understanding of its nature. The two concepts dealt with and alluded to more than any other, are the metaphor of the “body of Christ” and the concept of organization.

Some recent writers in theology, like Lawrence Richards and Clyde Hoeldtke, believe that the primary concept of the church is that it is an organism or body, and that organization, the ordinary concept, is antithetical to that of organism (Lawrence Richards and Clyde Hoeldtke, A Theology of Church Leadership, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1980). The fact is that the New Testament sets forth a structure of leadership, which implies organization of some sort, although this organization may indeed function quite differently from that of a goal-oriented organization like a small business or large corporation.

1. THE CHURCH AS AN ORGANISM

The primary Biblical text for this concept is 1 Corinthians 12, though the word body as a reference to the church is found several other places. The church as a living organism suggests the following important ideas:

1.1 Unity in Diversity
“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13).
Unity is taught by the reference to one body, which elsewhere in the chapter is seen to be composed of many diverse parts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 14-20), all working harmoniously toward mutual benefit.

Diversity is further illustrated by the ethnic reference to Jew and Greek. This is the closest Scripture comes to a relationship that might correspond to racial issues. (Note: Other limited references are Acts 8:27 where Philip is sent to preach the gospel to a “Cushite,” or Ethiopian, and Titus 1:12 where a people called Cretans are cast as being always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”)
Class distinctions are to be overlooked also, according to the words, “slaves or free.”

In summary, the church is composed of a great variety of people of different ethnic backgrounds and classes, all working together to promote each other’s spiritual growth and world evangelism through a diversity of gifts given by the Holy Spirit.

1.2 Interdependence and Indispensability
“If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body… the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you” (1 Corinthians 12:15, 30).
Each member needs the other (interdependence), and we cannot really “get along” without each other (indispensability), for each has his unique contribution to make. Though a dismembered body can compensate and function in a limited way, it is nevertheless handicapped.

1.3 The Prominence of Certain Members
“And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles….” (1 Corinthians 12:28).
Such verses as 1 Corinthians 12:19 seem to say that no one is more important than another in God’s sight. Therefore, I prefer the words “more prominent” to describe the function of members like those listed in 1 Corinthians 12:28. This list is augmented by the offices of evangelist and pastor in Ephesians 4:11, and the activity they all have in common is speaking. They are leaders, and their leadership is exercised by speaking the Word of God to the rest of the body They are prominent because most of their speaking is to larger groups of people; they are in the “limelight” so to speak.

1.4 The Training Function of the Prominent Members

Another reason the prominent members of the body are in the limelight is suggested in Ephesians 4:12, where the speaking members are given to the church “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”

This is a striking and fundamental concept. Traditionally, for example, men we call “pastors” are regarded as those who do the work of service (ministry) and build up the body of Christ. Here, however, they train the saints (the rest of the congregation) to minister and build up. In other words, they are to be more like coaches and recruiters!

This concept of “equipping the saints” is confirmed by the fact that one of the primary functions of the church is to “disciple.” Jesus and Paul spent far more time discipling than evangelizing. This is a much more effective approach to evangelism, because you are producing more and more evangelists who multiply in the process.

Ephesians 4:11-12 could be visualized as follows (Ray C. Stedman, Body Life, Revised Edition, Discovery House Publishers, RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1995):

In conclusion, the church as an “organism” teaches us the following things: we are vitally related to each other in a process of growth that involves those already present in the body in edification and the addition of new members through evangelism.

2. THE CHURCH AS AN ORGANIZATION

2.1 The Meaning of “Organization” as Applied to the Church

The word organization as applied to the church means that God has designed a structure of authority intended to establish responsibilities for the welfare of the church. Jesus taught that leadership in the church was to differ fundamentally from leadership in the world (Matthew 20:25-28). In other words, the management techniques of the business world are not the same as those employed in the church.

2.2 Leaders

Organization in the church provides for the exercise of authority (Hebrews 13:17), the assignment of responsibility (John 21:15), and orderly functioning (1 Corinthians 14:40). Toward this goal, Jesus Christ has appointed certain offices of leadership, which in the New Testament are called “elders” and “deacons” for the local church, and “apostles” for the church at large (I regard the authority of the apostles to have been limited to one generation and non-successive. However, their authority functions today through Scripture, which they left behind.).

2.3 Headship

The final aspect of church organization is the headship of Christ. Ephesians 1:20-23 says that God the Father:
“… raised [Jesus Christ] from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named.., and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body the fulness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:20-23).
This headship is communicated to the rest of the church through two extremes: (1) through the leaders to the members and (2) directly to the members, with the leaders as encouragers and trainers exclusively. I believe Jesus Christ, the Head, utilizes both of these means, so that they are not mutually exclusive or an “either-or” situation. The church is wise, then, to be sensitive to this headship, so that what the body does is precisely what Jesus Christ, the Head, wants it to do.

I believe the primary agency of this headship is Scripture, and that individual ideas about how the general commands of Scripture are to be implemented is a matter of corporate consensus and agreement. These ideas can come from leaders and “laymen,” but the two must be united in every task they undertake.

3. REFERENCES AND RECOMMENDATION FOR FURTHER STUDY

1. Survey of Theology II, Lesson 7, Moody Bible Institute, 1990, by William H. Baker.
2. Lectures in Systematic Theology, Chapter XXXV, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1992 Edition, by Henry C. Thiessen.
3. The Church in God’s Program, Chapters 1-5, Moody Press, 1972, by Robert Saucy.

The Function of the Church

1. THE MANDATES TO THE CHURCH

The mandates for the function of the church are in the gospel passages containing:

1. the “Great Commission” (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21); and
2. in the charge of Acts 1:8.

1.1 The Commission of Matthew 28:18-20

The most complete form of the Great Commission is found in Matthew 28:18-20:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, lam with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

This mandate contains the following elements:

1. believers obey through the “authority” Christ gives them, ensuring their success if they act in dependence on the Holy Spirit;
2. believers have one major command – “make disciples”; and
3. believers accomplish this primary command in three ways – “going,” “baptizing,” and “teaching.”

The Greek verb translated “going” is actually in a different tense than the other two verbs, as the following possible translation demonstrates: “after you have gone, make disciples of all nations, by baptizing.., and teaching ….”"Go” is therefore not the focus of the mandate, and it need not be limited to going to a foreign country. It simply pertains to the activities of life that place the believer in contact with unbelievers.

Thus, “baptizing” and “teaching” are the primary means of “making disciples,” implying also that we have not fully obeyed until the people we reach with the gospel have become bona fide, consistent followers of Jesus Christ. I believe this is initiated by “baptizing,” a term used by Jesus Christ and the early church to encompass all we mean by evangelism. That is, baptism was the culmination of the evangelistic process when the convert confessed with his mouth, “Jesus is Lord” (Romans 10:9). Immediately the baptized disciple is taught the things of Christ to make him a productive disciple. This becomes a life-long process.

1.2 The Charge of Acts 1:8

Just before He ascended into heaven, Jesus is reported by Luke to have expressed the Great Commission in terms of witnessing:

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The major elements of this command are:

1. witnessing is to be done in the power of the Holy Spirit (note the phrase “all authority” in Matthew 28);
2. witnessing is simply an accurate report of what one has seen and heard. In regard to the gospel, it pertains primarily to the resurrection in the book of Acts. For believers today who are not eyewitnesses, it is a witness to what the risen Christ has done for us; and
3. the strategy of world evangelism is implied in the words, “in Jerusalem (one’s neighborhood and city), and in all Judea and Samaria (one’s nation), and even to the remotest part of the earth” (foreign mission).

2. THE THREEFOLD FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH

There are three basic functions in the church’s mandate to “make disciples”:

1. evangelism (“baptizing”);
2. edification (“teaching”); and
3. exaltation or worship.

Evangelism promotes growth by adding disciples to the body of Christ, while edification trains those members to be productive disciples. Worship is putting God first as the ultimate value.

2.1 Evangelism

Evangelism includes three essential elements:

1. strategy;
2. method; and
3. content of the message.

2.1.1 Strategy

Matthew 28:19 stated that making disciples is accomplished by “going.” This mandate established a radical departure from the manner of witnessing done in the Old Testament. The nation of Israel, its way of life and its unique worship, drew people from all over the world to receive a “witness.” The easiest way to compare the Old Testament method of witnessing with that of the New Testament is to describe the Old Testament witness with the word “come,” for Israel was never commanded to carry a message to anyone. The mandate to the church is “go.” This implies a more aggressive strategy, with no emphasis on a building.

2.1.2 Method

Good evangelism must be done in an environment of influential involvement with people. The believer’s oral message must be affirmed by his quality of life in order to be effective. In essence, people want to know if our beliefs make any difference in our lives.

Acts 2:47 very interestingly sets forth the only reference to evangelism in this section, which describes the activities of the early church. The early believers were “praising God, and having favor with all the people.”

Furthermore, good evangelism allows God to do His work, as we have already seen. He, not the believer, is the one who adds to the church those being saved (Acts 2:47b).

2.1.3 Content of the message

The actual message must be no more or less than what God has prescribed. I fear that today’s evangelism is often insufficient to produce genuine converts. A summary of the apostolic message as found throughout the book of Acts and clarified in the epistles is in order.

The apostolic message contained a “core” truth about Jesus: His death and His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 10:9-10). A survey of the evangelistic messages of Acts reveals other important elements related to the knowledge of the various audiences. Jewish listeners knew the Old Testament truths about God, sin, and the meaning of sacrifice. Gentiles, however, needed to know more about the nature of God and sin. All audiences were told to respond either with repentance or faith.

Let’s visualize the evangelistic message in the following picture:

From the picture, we can see that:

1. Sermons to Jews contained the “core” and “response” truths.
2. Sermons to Gentiles required the “necessary adjunct truths” due to their ignorance of the Old Testament.

Twentieth century people would fit this scheme also. Religious church-goers would correspond with the Jewish listener of the first century; the average pagan today would correspond roughly with the pagan Gentile of the first century. Thus, in order to be effective when we preach the gospel, we must be sensitive to our audience.

2.2 Edification

The distinction between evangelism and edification has been summarized by Gene Getz (Gene Getz, Sharpening the Focus of the church, Wheaton, III.: victor, 1984):

“Evangelism is done principally when the church scatters, while edification takes place when the church gathers.”

Edification means “building up,” and it corresponds with “equipping the saints” or “discipling” (in the narrow sense of bringing converts to maturity, not in the sense of Matthew 28:19-20).

According to Acts 2:42-46, edification consists of the following elements:

1. teaching;
2. fellowship;
3. the Lord’s Supper;
4. prayers; and
5. discipline.

2.2.1 Teaching

“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching.” This for us today includes both the Old and New Testaments. Biblical teaching is the bedrock of edification.

2.2.2 Fellowship

Fellowship is demonstrated by sharing, more than anything else, in verses 43-46. These believers shared their time and possessions so that no one suffered need. It is a mistake to assume communal life took place here, for they continued to meet “from house to house” (Acts 2:46). Also, the extensive pooling of material resources met a temporary need. The rest of the New Testament affirms and assumes the stewardship of personal property (see 1 Timothy 6:17-19). The point is, unselfish sharing is a part of healthy fellowship.

2.2.3 The Lord’s Supper

Luke defines this ordinance as the “breaking of bread,” to be distinguished from merely “taking meals together.” This would have been both a celebration of the believers’ unity (1 Corinthians 10:17-18), which is an aspect of fellowship, and of the death of Christ, which is an act of worship.

2.2.4 Prayers

When they gathered, the early believers prayed. The word translated “prayer” is actually plural, which might imply a widespread participation in prayer by all or most of the believers gathered in small groups “from house to house.”

2.2.5 Discipline

Though not mentioned in Acts 2:42-47, no less vital an element in the edification of the body of Christ is the discipline of its erring members. Acts 5:1-11 demonstrates the importance of discipline when two hypocritical members of the church are severely punished in a unique way for the sake of making them an example.

Discipline, as gleaned from numerous passages of the New Testament, has several phases before it reaches the stage where the whole church becomes involved. The purpose of discipline is:

1. to restore the erring member (Matthew 18:15; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Timothy 1:20; 2 Timothy 2:25); and
2. to maintain a public testimony (Romans 2:24; 1 Timothy 5:20; 1 Corinthians 5:6).

First of all, discipline must be done in a spirit of concern and humility (Galatians 6:1). There are three phases of discipline, and every believer should be involved in two of these phases:

1. personal, private admonition, in which each believer sooner or later must rebuke, admonish, encourage, or counsel some fellow-believer (Matthew 18:15; Luke 17:3-4; Galatians 6:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-14);
2. the group admonition, in which a believer who fails to respond to the private admonition is approached by several others (Matthew 18:16; 1 Timothy 5:20; 2 Thessalonians 3:6); and
3. church exclusion, in which the whole church willingly cooperates in refusing to fellowship with an offender who has resisted all other efforts to restore him. The majority of the congregation must participate in exclusion for it to be effective (2 Corinthians 2:5-8).

What sorts of offenses should constitute an occasion for some form of discipline? Generally speaking, it is conceivable that any kind of offense could. On the personal level, anything that constitutes an offense against another believer demands “rebuke” (Luke 17:3-4). In the New Testament the examples of public, corporate discipline usually entailed some socially crucial scandal like incest (1 Corinthians 5), but conceivably any offense – gossip, for example – could so disrupt the life of the church that exclusion from fellowship would be necessary for the talebearer.

In all cases, God promises that the church’s efforts to discipline are backed by His authority (Matthew 18:18-20).

2.3 Exaltation or Worship

In the various activities such as devotion to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer, something else takes place called “worship.” Though worship is edifying to the believer, it also is something which he renders to God, something which God Himself desires. Worship can take place, of course, outside the assembly of believers privately, but worship is also a corporate thing.

The word “worship” comes from the Anglo-Saxon “worthship” which means “attributing worth to God.” The Greek word translated “worship” literally means “to bow down.” In its broadest sense worship is putting God first as the ultimate value; thus materialism or covetousness is a form of idolatry.

In the Old Testament, worship involved formal acts of praise, singing, instrumental music, and recitations of praise in a formal manner as seen in the Psalms. Such forms of worship are not as obvious or explicit in the New Testament’s description of the early believers’ meetings, but it is certain that they used them. Thus, there have developed more ritualistic churches with elaborate liturgies, while others have avoided some of the more formal rituals.

Acts 2:42 mentions the worship of the early believers in the form of the “breaking of bread” or the Lord’s Supper which is the clearest worship activity of the four listed. Acts 2:47 refers to the believers’ praise of God which led to God’s adding to the church. Acts 4:23-31 quotes a corporate prayer in which God is praised or worshiped. What did their worship consist of besides these things? Did they have a ritual or liturgy?

Few clues are available. One example of the role of music is found in Ephesians 5:19, clearly a reference to corporate worship (“one another”). Most ideas of liturgy come from tradition, but this fact must not necessarily be discounted, because early tradition may often reflect the apostolic age when little detail of apostolic liturgy is available.

3. REFERENCES AND RECOMMENDATION FOR FURTHER STUDY

1. Survey of Theology II, Lesson 8, Moody Bible Institute, 1990, by William H. Baker.
2. Lectures in Systematic Theology, Chapters XXXVI and XXXVII, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1992 Edition, by Henry C. Thiessen.
3. The Church in God’s Program, Chapters 6-9, Moody Press, 1972, by Robert Saucy.

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