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The Work offhe .Church:
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I.
INTRODUCTION
A. Differences regarding what the New Testament teaches about the work of the church
has generated a great deal of controversy over the years.
1.The New Testament shows that the work of congregations was very limited, and
primarily spiritual in nature.
2.Churches today, however, are engaged in works of almost every conceivable kind
and nature, from spiritual, social, political, recreational to entertainment
3.The problem generating the controversy over the years is whether congregations of
the twentieth century are authorized by God to engage in all of these activities or
are they limited to doing the same things performed by first century congregations?
a. Essential to this, of course, is whether congregations are obligated to have
authority for all they do in their work; or,
b. Are they free to perform any work they consider "good" and which their
members may want them to do?
B. The division that has occurred in congregations over this problem suggests it is not
easily resolved.
1.Any collective, like a congregation, must have agreement on what they are to do in
order to act as one.
2.But that agreement must come, not on the basis of tradition, past practices, or good
intentions, but on the basis of what is taught in the word of God.
II.
BODY OF LESSON
A. Before we can begin to answer these questions we must first define what we mean by
"church."
1."Church" is a collective noun, like "herd," "club," "flock," "school," etc.
2.A collective noun suggests a group of things, like a "chain" is a group of "links" that
are connected to each other.
a. A "herd" is a group of cows that are related to one another (that is, they all
belong to the same farmer).
b. A "PTO" (Parent-Teachers Organization) is a group made up of the parents
and teachers of children in a given school.
3.A "church" is a group of people who sustain a relationship with one another.
a. The "universal" church is made up of all people of all time who have been
saved from their sins by the blood of Christ.
Acts2:47. praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily those who were being saved.
Acts20:28. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit
has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own
blood .
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"
(1)This is entirely a spiritual relationship that exists solely because of the
fellowship that exists between the saved individual and God.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
(2) If all saved people have fellowship with God on the basis of their
walking in the light, then those same people have fellowship with one
another on the same basis.
(3) The ones composing this relationship were never intended by God to
all be collected together physically (not even possible because of
separation by time and space.
b. A "local" church is also made up of people who are related to one another by the fact that
they have been saved, but additionally in the fact that they live in close enough proximity to
one another to be able to come together regularly for the purpose of collective worship and
work.
All saints who live in an area may not be members of a particular local congregation, but all
who are members of it must live in the area so as to be able to participate with the others in
collective worship and work.
(1)New Testament local congregations were:
(a) The "church of God at Corinth ... those who are sanctified ...
called to be saints," 1 Cor. 1:2v
(b) The "saints who are in Ephesus ... faithful in Christ Jesus," Eph.
1:2.
(c) "All the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops
and deacons," Phil. 1 :1.
(d) "The "saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse,"
Col. 1:2.
(e) "The church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ," 1 Thess. 1:1.
(f) "And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by
the church, the apostles, and eiders," Acts 15:4.
(g) "In the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets
and teachers," Acts 13: 1.
4.A local congregation must be organized in order for a group of people to work
together as one.
a. The ones who will compose the congregation must agree that they will act
together as one in the relationship,
1 Cor.1:10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all
speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined
together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (I Corinthians 1: 10
b. Acts 6:5 - "And the saying pleased the whole multitude."
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b. They must agree that they will all submit to a common oversight for the
coordination of their group activities.
(1)Acts 4:35 - "and laid them at the apostles' feet."
(2)Acts 6:5,6 - Seven men were chosen to take care of the daily ministration
c. They must agree to pool their resources for the accomplishment of the
collective work they choose to do, Acts 4:34 -- "brought the proceeds of the
things that were sold"
d. The uses to which the things that are pooled are put is the collective action
of the group.
(1 )Acts 4:35 - "and they distributed to each as he had need"
(2)Acts 6: 1 - "the daily distribution" to the needy widows in the congregation
B. A distinction must be made between individual and collective action.
1.Some say, "Whatever the individual Christian does is what the church does;" or, "The
church can do whatever the individual Christian can do."
2.The Bible, however, makes a distinction between individual activity and collective
(congregational) activity.
a. This distinction is seen in Matt. 18:15-17 in describing what is to be done
when one brother sins against another.
(1)Individually, the brother who was sinned against is to approach the
brother who sinned against him to try to get him to rectify his sin. This is
just individual activity; the church (congregation) is not yet involved.
(2)lf that attempt is unsuccessful, the offended brother is to take one or two
others who are aware of the offense with him to talk to the offending
brother to try to get him to correct what he did. Notice that, even though
"collective" action of two or three Christians is involved in this step, it is
still not the church at work.
(3)lf both prior steps fail the matter is then to be taken to the church
(congregation) so that the church might put forth an effort to get the
brother to repent, but if this fails the offending brother is to be regarded
as a "heathen and a tax-collector."
b. The distinction is also seen in 1 Timothy 5:16.
c. 1. If a man has a widowed mother, daughters, sisters, etc. who are
destitute it is his personal responsibility to see that their needs are met,
and the church (congregation) is not to be burdened with their care.
2. By not having to assume the burden for the care of widows who have
individuals to care for them, the church then might use its available
funds to care for those who are "really widows.
C. We also need to understand that a collective (a congregation) can act in two ways.
1.lt may engage in actions that result from the whole group's participation.
As in corporate worship, Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; 1 Cor. 11:33; Acts 4:23-31.
But there are works to be accomplished that cannot be done by the whole group
acting as one (visiting, preaching, benevolence, etc.
3
In the latter case the group performs the task by means of an agent acting in its
behalf.
a.Luke 10:30-37 - The parable of the good samaritan.
(1) At
first he acted personally in caring for the man who had been beaten and
robbed.
Afterwards, though, he employed an agent (the innkeeper) to care for the man
on his behalf, furnishing him with the resources needed to do so.
b. Acts 6: 1-6 -- The seven servants appointed by the apostles to administer the
daily distribution were acting as agents on behalf of the Jerusalem
congregation.
c.Phil. 2:25; 4:18 - The Philippian congregation, as a group, could not go to
Rome to deliver their contribution to Paul, so they sent Epaphroditus to Rome,
acting as their agent to deliver the money to Paul.
d.Actually, in such a case, members of a congregation are acting together, not in
the doing of the thing itself, but in causing the thing to be done by making
provision for its accomplishment; see Acts 13: 1-3.
(1) In agreeing upon the task and determining to do it.
(2) Securing the agent to act on its behalf.
(3) Providing necessary funds and/or supplies to make it possible for the
agent to work in its behalf.
(4) In receiving reports on results of the work done, Acts 14:27.
D. How to determine the work of the local church: "All duties of a Christian, which rest
upon grounds peculiar to his being a Christian, and which are authorized for
performance together with other Christians, are also duties which a local congregation
is authorized to perform and/or make provision for" (W.L. Wharton, Jr.).
1."All duties of a Christian" - for the collective action to be authorized, the individual
unit must also be authorized.
a. Anything said to the "church" must also be said to the individual.
b. But one might address a "church" without necessarily implying collective
action.
c. An individual Christian might be charged with a responsibility without
necessarily authorizing collective responsibility.
2."Which rest upon grounds peculiar to his being a Christian"
a. Not all of a Christian's duties are the result of his being a Christian.
(1)A husband is to love his wife because he is a husband.
(2)A person is to obey the laws of the land because he is a citizen.
(3)Benevolence
is a humanitarian
responsibility;
not a Christian
responsibility, Rom. 1:31.
b. The local church does not exist to expedite the dOing of these things and
has no authority to make provision for doing them.
c. Eph.2:10(1)Christians are God's "workmanship."
(2)They are in connection with Christ; that is, they are "created in Christ
Jesus."
(3)Work of the local church - "for good works which God prepared."
",_,.
3. "And which are authorized for performance together with other Christians" - Not all
duties of the Christians are authorized to be performed in company with other
Christians.
a. The individual is to provide for his own family, and the collective (the
company of other Christians) is not to be charged with this responsibility, 1
TIm. 5:8,16.
b. Benevolent responsibilities, James 1:27.
c. The care of needy saints is a responsibility which is authorized for
performance in company with other Christians, Acts 4:34-37.
4. "Are also duties which a local congregation is authorized to perform and/or make
provision for."
a. Saints may be working together in a common goal, but not necessarily
acting in a 'together" capacity.
b. What is equally the duty, though, of all and is authorized for performance
together is authority to collective action.
E. The work of the local congregation.
1.The edification of the saints is a responsibility we owe to one another on the peculiar
basis of the fact that we are all Christians.
a. Rom. 12:10 - "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love."
b. Eph. 4: 11-16 - "for the perfecting of the saints"
(1)Unto the work of ministering
(2)Unto the building up of the body of Christ
(3)To bring all to the unity of the faith
(4)So we all will no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about
with every wind of doctrine.
(5)But speaking truth in love
(6)So we may all grow up in all things into Him who is our head.
(7)AII of which is accomplished by "what every joint supplies, according to
the effective working by which every part does its share."
(8)And this results in "the growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."
c. 1 Cor. 14:12,26 - This work is done when, through the organizational
arrangement
of a local church,
brethren
select teachers,
make
appointments, prepare and/or obtain and distribute suitable study materials,
provide a place, etc. When one is so appointed and acting, it may be said
that the collective is edifying the individual members.
d. How this is accomplished in the public worship.
(1)Singing, Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16 - This is peculiarly a "Christian" duty, and it
is authorized to be performed in company with others, and, therefore,
the church is authorized to collectively provide for such by securing a
place, song books, selecting someone to lead, etc.
(2)Prayer, Acts 12:12; 1 Thess. 5:17; 1 TIm. 2:1,2,8 - Prayer is peculiarly a
Christian duty, and is authorized to be performed in company with other
Christians, and, therefore, the local congregation may act collectively to
provide for the time, place, leaders, etc.
(3)The Lord's supper, 1 Cor. 11:20,25,26; Acts 20:7 - The observance of the
Lord's supper is peculiarly a Christian duty (and privilege), and is
authorized for performance by Christians in company with other
Christians, and so the local congregation may act collectively to provide
for its observance.
(4)Teaching and preaching, Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 14:3,5-7,12,13,19; Heb.
10:24,25 - The work of Christians teaching fellow Christians in spiritual
matters is peculiarly a responsibility that rests on the ground that they
are Christians, and in the New Testament we find them coming together
(as a collective) in order to do this, so this is something that the local
congregation is authorized to provide for.
2.Evangelism - The proclamation of the gospel is an obligation that is peculiar to
Christians, 1 Thess. 1:6-8
a. Providing the situation in which this is done may be done collectively, 1 Cor.
. 14:23-25.
b. The local congregation, then, may provide for the time and place, select
teachers, etc.
c. Or, it may send funds for the support of gospel preaching in other places,
Phil. 1:5; 4:15-18.
3.Benevolence - Supplying the material needs of fellow Christians who are destitute is
peculiarly a responsibility of Christians, Rom. 12:13; Acts 4:34-37}.11:28-30; 1 Cor.
16:1,2; Rom. 15:25-27.
a. General benevolence is a work not peculiar to the fact that we are
Christians, but is a humanitarian responsibility.
(l)The Gentiles before Christ were condemned for being unbenevolent (or,
unmerciful), Rom. 1:31.
(2)The Good Samaritan was neither a Christian nor a Jew, but was
commended for recognizing his humanitarian responsibility toward the
man who had been beaten and robbed, Luke 10:30-35.
(3)We have a God-given responsibility to be benevolent toward all people of
the world, but not because we are Christians; rather it is our
responsibility because we are human beings.
b. Special benevolence directed toward the saints is a work peculiar to
Christians, Rom. 12:13.
(l)"Together" action is authorized for accomplishing this work, 1 Cor. 16:1,2;
Rom. 15:25-27; 2 Cor. 9:12-14.
(2)Therefore, the congregation is authorized to determine to do this work
and to make provision for its accomplishment.
4.When finances are required in order to perform the congregation's work, it is
authorized to create and maintain a treasury from which necessary expenditures
may be made.
a. 1 Cor. 16:1,2 - Individual Christians were obligated to "lay by in store" to
create a treasury that would make it possible to provide for the needs of
poor saints in Jerusalem.
b. This passage provides the only information for how a local church is to raise
funds for the accomplishment of its work, and so such a contribution on the
first day of the week is the only way for raising funds that we know is
authorized and safe.
(1)We cannot know that raising funds by any other means is authorized.
a. Lotteries, bingo, carnivals, etc.
b. Selling goods, investing money, etc.
(2)The funds collected in this way constitute a treasury, out of which
expenditures may be made to accomplish the "together" activities of the
group, see Acts 4:34,35.
III.
CONCLUSION
A. The local congregation is authorized to act when it can be shown that the task brethren
would undertake is a responsibility that rests on the ground of their being Christians
and that they are authorized to act together in its accomplishment.
B. This principle does not allow the congregation to do any good work its members may
wish to do.
1.The work of the local congregation is limited to what Christians did in New Testament
times when they were acting together.
2.People are ever anxious to appropriate the organization and resources of the local
congregation to accomplish their pet projects, but it not allow itself to become the
tool of such well-intentioned desires.
a. There is always a danger that the congregation's focus could be changed
from its primarily spiritual goals and purposes to those things that are merely
social, material and recreational.
b. When the congregation's resources (money, time, efforts, etc.) are used for
unauthorized
purposes, there remains that much less for use in
accomplishing its authorized functions.