What is the purpose of the church? Well, I have been told emphatically numerous times the answer to this; I just have yet to find the scriptural support to back it up as emphatically as others. Maybe it is my error. Maybe I am in the wrong here on this topic.
"The purpose of the church is to win souls". "The purpose of the church it to win the lost to Christ". This all sounds good! This all sounds right doesn't it. What Christian would hear this statement in a public setting and disagree? Maybe 1 out of 100, maybe more, maybe less? Look, I don't disagree with leading a man to the Lord Jesus Christ in the least, but is it the sole purpose of the body of Christ?
I used to think this way. But is this really our purpose? The church, the body of Christ, the assembly of brethren, what is the purpose for existence? In the Pauline Epistles, it is much more about building a working body then saving the world. I know how that sounds to most Christians, and I know how hard it is for some of you to hear that but this is extremely important to understand.
I am to the point of seeing this so strongly now I don’t understand how people can not see as much as they claim to read. Its about giving him Glory. So do we witness to the lost? Of course. It is a role we can all play in adding to the body of Christ, but it is not our sole reason for being.
The body IS comprised of all people who were all at one point lost. I say that to say again, of course I believe in winning the lost! What Christian doesn’t want to see others have what they found in Christ? It should be natural. You truly don’t understand it until you are in HIM.
What about the Bible picture and pattern we see? A small, unified community or assembly, a body, growing from the inside out not the outside in, believing in HIM, pressing towards the mark of the high calling, a heavenly calling, obtaining crowns, loving his appearing, in unity, edifying the body, exhorting in love, reproving and rebuking with all longsuffering and doctrine, while submitting themselves one to the other. Being ready always to ANSWER man. Testifying and witnessing of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Where they lived, worked or ended up was their ministry locale. They knew the languages of those they preached to. Others felt compelled and led of God to reach to regions abroad due to a burden. It wasn’t only when they were in certain places at certain times. They were testifying of the gospel and Jesus Christ. In Acts, some men went places because they were sent of men, some sent of God by dreams and visions, and others instances, men just wanted to go, Lord willing of course.
Paul said, to testify the gospel of the grace of God!
Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Till we all come into the unity of the faith.
There was something quite magical about the early church that I feel I will never see in this state of apostasy that we are in. What about the principle of simply meeting once a week, breaking bread, giving to the poor, having the Lord’s supper, edifying one another, preaching and fellow-shipping? Imagine no preeminence or division. Real tenderness towards one another. True heartfelt affection and sympathy to hardships.
There was a continual giving among the body. These were natural edified Christians, growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. Through this growth, their witness, testimony, and power was natural and uncoerced.
This is how the body was designed to work. This is how the saints will strive for perfection. This is how the body will increase. This is how souls will be attracted to our lights and will actually ask us of the reason of hope that is within us. The body, fitly joined together, an effectual working, a light unto the world.
The knowledge of the Son is what Paul wanted us to know. We need to have faith in the word of God! If we had real simple faith in his word, maybe we would see the need of eliminating all of our traditions! If we had simple child like faith to trust the design and order of God’s holy Word, we would trust him to allow the body to work the way it is designed.
Acts 11:29 shows that all men sent relief according to their own ability (gifts, talents, abilities, trades, careers.) What if the idea or pattern was to stay where you were as you grew? So people that you already have report with, or that you have known for years could actually see it, your salvation, your profession of faith and your growth as you develop spiritual maturity.
Unbelievers won’t be able to explain some changes. They will notice a difference. It is supposed to go that way. And that right there is why “they ask”. And it’s those instances right there that are the doors of utterance the Bible speaks of.
Many times, it is much more then just preaching. Men study how you live. Men have a sharp skeptical view when they find out you are a Christian, especially in these last days. Salvation is not confined to our churches and alter calls. Preachers think people come to church to hear them. Many times, it’s the life of the Christian in the preachers church that makes them interested to hear the preaching of the preachers in the church.
These verse are where these examples are best illustrated.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Colossians 4:6
That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 1 Timothy 6:18
Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, Titus 3:1
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 1 Peter 3:15
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:12
While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 1 Peter 3:2
No mention of answering some call, going or preaching here and yonder, just clean living, clean speech, clean manners, doing good to your neighbors because you LOVE your neighbors and all that stuff that Jesus spoke about, just our works, the fruit of our lives in Christ, our good works. Alms deeds. Charity. Love. Cheerful giving. Do we have faith to believe the simplicity that is in Christ?
No mention of preaching, but mention of our speech being always with grace, so we can answer. No ministries here, just good works, and being willing to communicate. But who communicates when we can just preach at em, show them out of a Bible how they are fornicators, and push for decision. It’s being ready to good works and being ready to answer with meekness and fear.
2 Corinthians 2:17
For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:2
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
These verses are commonly used to reference the Bible correctors and scholars. The teachers of higher criticism who say God could not leave mankind his words. Biblically, these verses have nothing to do with Bible correctors or the battle with new modern translations of the word of God.
We can do this! We can corrupt his words! Yes we can hold a King James Bible today and have his inherent word, but we can also handle the word of God deceitfully. One has to but open his eyes to see this. Us, the very professing sort who claim to be Bible believers! If we boast of fruit and numbers while not maintaining the authority of his word, no matter our nobility, we are guilty of corrupting his Word? I ask, what good is it if we twist His word to perform a service. Whether we are doing good deeds or not, is God pleased with our responses and attitudes with His word? Why have a authority if it is not revered and respected? We boast of a commission and it’s charge, while handling the actual verses around it all deceitfully? How can we truly say we are Bible Believers by doing this?
These above verses are references to those who, even in Paul’s day, were twisting and distorting the word or scriptures, to fit into their “banished” religion, those men who were keeping the brethren and the unbelievers under a yoke of the law that was no more. How relevant are these verses today? Not to the bible correctors, but to the private interpretations of men. What do these verses teach us of our own traditions and manners of worship and service to our Lord? Saying a commission was directly passed down, and transferred to the body of Christ, as the disciples were given, is “handling the word of God deceitfully”!
How are the very words of the Bible being corrupted? How is the word of God being handled deceitfully? We do it the same way the other denominational churches are deceived. We think we are exempt. We think we are the ones who are not deceived. We are held under a flawed system that was adopted out of Roman Catholicism to Protestantism, all the way up to every modern Church setting under the sun.
Our denominational teachings and congregational adherences have corrupted our focus. Even though us proud Baptist boast of not being issued forth from the great mother church in Rome, we cannot deny our denominational, and congregationalist teachings that we gobbled up from all other denominations which came out of Protestantism. Contrary to what many think, the Reformers keep many traditions that we still practice today.
We claim to not be of the Protestant line, but we clearly are in practice and traditions. Our faith missions, our ways of collecting money, our ways of denying individualism of a believer, our ways of deputation, our way of evangelism, our use of the Great Commission, our modern missions ministries.
Many of these things did not originate from the Baptist at all. We adopted them from other congregational churches and other men. And shockingly, many believers would find it interesting to know that what we call “missions” is a fairly new deal. Of course, we all know how to make every passage in the gospel, or Acts have to do with a harvest or have a ring of missions.
We know how to convince every convert that missions is all through the word of God. In any given Independent Baptist Missions Conference, you will here as much distorting, and removing passages from the text of God’s word as you would at any other “unscriptural”, religious congregation out there. Things must be reexamined!
If I say the focus in the New Testament is NOT primarily going everywhere warning the lost of judgment to come and showing the Nations the multitudes of their sins, I may be accused of teaching heresy.
It’s interesting to see how people respond to things. If I say, “the focus in the New Testament is not winning souls to God.” many of our brethren would scoff at such a remark. In fact, many believe it is our sole duty as Christians. Many believe it is why we are saved, for the express reason to win others and to have fruit after our own kind. Though I agree that Christians should win others to Christ, I differ strongly, and adamantly in the methods of how this is carried forth. The fact remains, the process of winning souls is nearly always introduced strictly associated with the commission or like passages.
We have a very narrow view of Christianity and world history. We know so little, and only concern ourselves with how we know things to be in our short life time of 80 years or so. Every generation can be guilty of this. We don’t ever consider things were well off the tracks before we were ever saved, and became a member of a local congregation of Christians.
It is why it is so hard today to bring these points out. Of course Christians would defend their pastors, and churches positions, but at the risk of rejecting the order, and integrity of God’s words? How can we be so bold? We don’t have it all figured out, King James Bible believers or not!
There are times in history where shifts in service and worship occurred in the midst of Christianity. And no on was the wiser. But yet, many of us think we are following “old paths” and “straight and narrow” ways, when we are in fact following age old traditions of men which appear to be doctrinal for us. We take pride in the fact that we do things like the great missionaries of old, but we are not even doing that. We like to have the appearances of doing it like the old timers.
I think the answer to this question, as scary as it may sound, is that it is easier to keep the funds rolling in, while so much “good” is being done right? Hold the position, and dismiss the heretic that is trying to be critical and could eventually, over process of time erode and decay the entire system, and those in the trade craft may be threatened. I even hate discussing things this way.
I am absolutely at a loss for words or understanding when it comes to why we continue headlong into absolute disorder. This now, to me, can be the only answer. The money side of it. Now I am not a total reject, I am aware we need funds to do things for God, but this is totally wrong the way we are going about it.
And thats what we are seeing, men doing exactly what they claim to be doing, USING the word of God for all matters of faith and practice. The terminology and phrasing is so deceitful with this commission talk. Now we have generations following the same traditions except they now view it be wholly sound doctrine, and a mandate for them to affect on tot heir callings.
Now sons are taking over pulpits from fathers just because of blood, legacy and the commissions charge to go and do something, somewhere. The same colleges and institutes keep teaching it perpetuating their student enrollment and drive. No real call, no desire to actually obey the word, no reverence to the scriptures, no inclinations of the holy Spirit, no natural creations of positions in the body as the holy Spirit guides! We are doing none of that stuff today! Just men deciding for other men and themselves. We have fabricated positions, found scripture to support them, and made them OUR own traditions. Conclusion in my mind now is we were not reconciled to God to finish or to fulfill any Great Commission!
Even as I read the word of God again, years after changing this position, it seems to be reaffirmed over and over as I read. I spent years thinking I was wrong, and just hadn’t figured it or grasp all the concepts. I would read, and God would say with that spirit lead still small voice that whispers as you read, “See son, my scriptures, the holy book has your back if know one else does. You are on the right track, keep searching, keep reading!” Now this wasn’t a voice, but the word of God give that kind of affirmation. Comparing scripture with scripture, rightly dividing, studying to shew thyself approved. Studying to be quite and doing my own business. Reading, re-examining church history, and the word of God again in light of the cognitive dissonance that had sprung in my mind concerning these things.
Look beyond the few converted. Look beyond the glory in the “call”. Look beyond our own assumptions of things. Look behind the prayer letters and support updates. Anyone can’t paint a picture to say what they want it to say.
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