The Church and the Individual

 

Introduction.  Let’s begin our lesson with some background information:

•  While on earth Jesus declared his intention to build his church (Matthew 16:18).

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

•  In this he fulfilled prophecies that promised the establishment of an eternal kingdom, by the Messiah (Daniel 2:44).

“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”

•  In describing this establishment Jesus used a term that applied to a group (or congregation) of people.  The Greeks used this term in reference to a political assembly.  In the Greek OT it was used of the assembly of God’s people assembled for worship and work under God (e.g. there were rules regarding who could “not enter the assembly” Deuteronomy 23:1-3). 

•  After Jesus’ ascension those who obeyed the call of the gospel were added to this “church” by God (Acts 2:47).

“…praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” 

•  Smaller groups of those in the Lord’s church worshipping in a specific place were also called “churches of Christ” (Romans 16:16).

 “Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.”

•  Paul told Timothy that his writings gave instruction to know how to “conduct” oneself in the church. (I Timothy 3:15).

“…I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

In Scripture, we find commands and restrictions that concern the church collectively but do not apply to members of the church as individuals.  By the same token, there are liberties and works that apply to members of the church as individuals but are not open to the church collectively.  This evening let’s consider some issues which concern the individual and the church.

 

I.  What Is the Work of the Church?  We can tell a great deal about the work of something by consideration of how it is described.  Note: in this text “pillar and ground of the truth.”  Pillar—upholds something.  Ground—underlies something.  One of the primary purposes of the church is…

A.     Teaching the gospel (Ephesians 4:11-16).  This involves teaching, as Paul described it to the Ephesian elders, “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).  Part of this involves what Christians do collectively as well as teaching proper behavior as individuals (e.g. visiting the sick, comforting those who mourn, encouraging interaction with one another).

We can also tell about the work of something by seeing those things that it supports financially.  Note some things…

B.     Support of preaching and eldership. (Philippians 4:15-19; I Timothy 5:17-18).

C.    Relief of needy saints. (II Corinthians 8:1-4); Romans 15:25-26).

D.    Discipline of the disorderly (II Thessalonians 3:6-15).

E.     Worship of God. The church assembled on Sundays (Acts 20:7), Paul gives instructions from I Cor. 11-14 about what was to be done when the Christians in Corinth came “together as a church.”  These included things about the Lord’s Supper, things about prayer, things about singing, and things about teaching. 

These things are fairly straightforward, and clear, but this leads to the question…

 

II.  Are there are things that are individual but not church duties?

A.     Care of family (I Timothy 5:3-16). Church supported some widows—others were not to be “taken into the number.”  Note: “do not let the church be burdened.” 

This is a very important matter when it comes to understanding the role of the church.  There are some things with which the church should not “be burdened.”

B.     Common meals (I Corinthians 11:17-22). There is no question that Christians ate together (“breaking bread from house to house” Acts 2:46) but Paul rebukes the fact that the Corinthians, when they came “together as a church” were turning the Lord’s Supper.  This shows there are things that people can do as individuals which they cannot do “as a church.”

 

III.  Can the Church Do Everything That the Individual Can Do?

A.  Can the church parent children?  (Ephesians 6:4).  Note: This is aimed at fathers.  They are members of the church.  Can the church raise children?  Can the church discipline children?  The church must teach how parents are to behave but it is not the responsibility of the church to raise and discipline children.

B.  Can the church run a business?  (I Peter 2:18-21). The church must teach members how to be good employees and employers but that doesn’t mean that it can start a retail business or a fast food business.  Its members as individuals certainly can, but the church cannot.  We could ask the same type of thing in other areas…

C.    Can the church pursue a hobby?

D.    Can the church take a vacation?

E.     Can the church pursue entertainment?

All of these things are fine in and of themselves, yet it is clear that they are activities that are the work, liberties or responsibilities of the individual and not the church.  This is not an easy thing for everyone to sort out in their minds.  Many churches don’t even address these issues.  Why?  Perhaps because of how they answer another question…

 

IV.  If Something is a “Good Thing,” Does That Authorize the Church to Do It? Here is where the struggles have come.  Some want to imagine that anything that is not intrinsically sinful, immoral, or condemned is acceptable for the church to carry out.  This has served as a major issue of division among brethren in this generation.  Consider a few issues of this nature that continue to divide brethren:

A.     Support of human institutions.  These might include benevolent institutions, teaching institutions, medical institutions, publishing houses, etc.  Does Scripture ever teach that the church can support any institution of man?  If it is the work of the church—shouldn’t the church do it?  If it is not, what right does the church have to support it. 

That doesn’t mean that individuals can’t make choices about what to support and what not to support.  But it is not the work of the church. 

B.  Providing social activities for members.  I Cor. 11 shows that there are aspects of our personal life that are not the work of the church.  Some of these the church should encourage.  We should spend time with one another.  We should influence and care about one another.  The church should teach this.  The church should not assume the responsibility to provide and sponsor these things.  Note: Difficult to find the balance here.  How do you encourage something but not give the impression that it is the work of the church?  Announcements? Bulletin board?—These are matters of judgment.

C.  Extending benevolence to non-Christians (Galatians 6:10). There is no example in Scripture of the church providing benevolence to non-Christians.  This flies in the face of our “soup kitchen” age of religion that imagines that the church should fulfill this work.  As individuals we should do what we can—remember there are some things with which the church should not be burdened.

 

V.  What Difference Does It Make?

A.  The Principle of Apostasy. (II Timothy 4:3).  Scripture promises that there would be a “turning away.”  A student of church history can see this departure early in and throughout history.  We must always make certain that we are holding to the authority of Scripture and avoid this apostasy.

B.     The Tendency Towards Expansion.  It is a human tendency to imagine that “bigger is better.”  If you are talking about material things that is often the case.  Example: Big gun is better against a big animal.  In an accident a larger car, often will not be damaged in the same way a small car will.  In spiritual matters we are not talking about the same rules.  Jesus said the way to eternal life is “narrow” and “few”  will find it (Matthew 7:14). 

Just as there is a common tendency to depart from the pattern of God’s word, there is a common desire to grow at any cost—and to expand the activities of the church. This might be compared to what happens in government. Ask any politician who has tried to pull the funding for any of these expansions of government if it is easy to “roll back” those expansions?  In the same way, churches now operate businesses, schools (secular and religious), publishing houses, hospitals, entertainment centers, ball teams, soup kitchens, and on and on.  Are these things intrinsically evil?  Not necessarily.  Are they the Scripturally authorized work of the church?  Absolutely not.  Can we participate in these types of things on an individual level?  Perhaps, but they are things with which the church should not be “burdened.”

 

Conclusion.  A number of struggles between brethren in this generation have revolved around these questions that all concern what the Bible authorizes with respect to the work (or liberties) of the individual in contrast to what the Bible authorizes regarding the work of the church.  Unfortunately, these are not “obsolete” issues. Instead these are issues which we must continually reexamine and evaluate because of the tendency of each generation to test the bounds of Scriptural authority.