What Does The Bible Say?
30 Minute Discussions Of Bible Subjects
What Does The Bible Say?
What Does the Bible Say About Christ's Church or the Churches of Men #2?
In this episode, Arnie, Fred and Glenn continue to discuss Christ's Church and begin with the fact that Christ ordained or prescribed certain things relating to His Church. First, we note that Christ named His church using a number of terms. Some relate to His ownership, and some relate to certain characteristics of His church. We note that there are some names that relate to the location of local churches or assemblies of the Lord. We take some time to discuss where these names are mentioned in the Bible. We next talk about the organization of these local bodies. We find they are all organized in the same way and are autonomous. Each local church in the New Testament has elders which are also called bishops and pastors. We note that these terms refer to the same individuals and what they do in the local congregation. We also find that Bible tells us about deacons in the local church. We talk about the term deacon and what the Lord gave them to do. We also find the Bible mentioning preachers or evangelists. As with the elders and deacons, we look at the work the evangelists do. We close out this episode with a discussion about the doctrine or teaching we find taught, its completeness and whether anything else is acceptable. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we are saying. For your convenience, there is a transcript of this Buzzsprout episode provided.
This is a presentation of the Woodland church of Christ, meeting at 3370 Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina. We meet for worship on Sunday at ten thirty am and five thirty pm. We meet for bible study at nine thirty am on Sunday and seven pm on Wednesday. If you have questions or comments on this lesson, you may email them to Fred Gosnell at fgosnell@ftc-i.net or to Arnie Granke at agranke440718@twc.com or to Glen Landrum at scbamaboy2003@yahoo.com.
Arnie:Good afternoon. This is Arnie Granke and Fred Gosnell and and
Glenn:Glen Landrum.
Arnie:Glen Landrum! And this is what does the Bible say? We're brought to you by the church of Christ at Woodland and and we certainly hope that you would come and and worship with us on on the Lord's day, but we're glad to have you listening to us this afternoon. And we began last Lord's day, talking about Christ's Church. And we still have some things that we want to say in that regard, some some things that we want to point out with regard to the differences in various denominations and and in in the Lord's Church. So we hope that you'll stay tuned with us on that and then, and you're also welcome to come worship with us. We're at 3370 Broad Street Extension here, just about two miles east of the Shaw Air Force Base main gate. So we're pretty easy to find and and easy to get to. And so with with that in mind, let us also mention the fact that if you're interested in subscribing to a free Bible lesson, we'll be glad to send it to you. Just give us a call at 803-840-6693, and or or drop us a drop us a card at 3370 Broad Street Extension, and we'll be glad to put you on to the free, free set of Bible classes. Glen. You look like you have some thoughts here.
Fred Gosnell:Well, let me, let me start it off and I'll pass it to Glen.
Arnie:Okay.
Fred Gosnell:You know we're going to start start off by talking about the the the name of the Lord's church. And a couple of passages, first in the First Corinthians, chapter one, verse two, Paul starts out there. He says, Unto the church of God, which is at Corinth and to them that are sanctified in Christ, Jesus called saints with with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus, Christ, our Lord, both theirs and ours. And then Paul to Timothy, says, First, Timothy, 3, 15, If I tarry long that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. So there's a couple of passages there that that talks about the church, and there's a couple of different names that are given to it, but, but those aren't the only ones. There's a lot of other references in the in the Bible, of course, Glenn, I think, has got those for us.
Glenn:Yeah, I, you know the title of our program is, what does the Bible say? Now we've given it that title, not to be cliche or anything like that. We've given it that title because that's what we focus on, what the Bible says, and that's what we think everyone should focus on. Now today, there's over 2000 denominations in our country that claim to follow Jesus and follow God and believe in them. So we have to have a way to identify ourselves. But the the name that you find on on our buildings, that's in churches of Christ is one actually, that you'll find in in the Bible. More often than not, I or anything else, more often than not what you'll find in the Bible is just it's referred to as The Church. And when you think of that name, that title, The Church, it identifies that there's one, and that is that it is The Church. And some of the scriptures that you could look to to see that would be Matthew 18m 17, Acts 5, 11, and Acts eight, one, and it simply refers to The Church. But we do not, we do find other titles, or actually identifiers, I would call them for The Church. When you hear or read them, pay attention, because they tell of one of three things, who owns the church, or the location in which the church happens to be in, or an identifier, or what the church actually actually is. And some of those that you'll find in the Bible are the body of Christ in Romans, 12, five. And we've talked before about the body of Christ being also the church or the kingdom of Christ referred in Isaiah, 60, 21, is referred to as the branch. And that would be referring to Jesus as being the owner. Jesus is, is, is called the branch in Zechariah three, eight and Zechariah 6, 12. It's also called the bride, or the Bride of Christ. It's called the dwelling of God in Ephesians. 2,22, the family of Heaven in Ephesians. 3, 15, the flock in Isaiah. 40, 11;the General Assembly in Hebrews, 12, 23, God's building. First, Corinthians, three nine, God's field. First, Corinthians, three nine, the heavenly Jerusalem in Hebrews 12, 2. A holy city in Revelations. 21 two, the house of God in Hebrews 102, 1. The household of God Ephesians, 2, 19, and first, Timothy, 3, 15, the Israel of God in Galatians, 6, 16, and the lamb's bride in Revelation 19, 7, 21, nine. And you could also see that reference to bride. So you see each of these identifies ownership. Who owns, owns the church, or it identifies what it is. Now you will find also a few references to where the church is located, and particularly you''ll look in Revelation two and three, and referring to the churches of Asia that John was prophesying about and talking about, and the messages to them; it mentions the church that was in that particular location, such as Ephesus or Pamphilia things like that. So we find those things, and this is important for us, we never in scriptures find the Church of Christ referred to by other names, such as Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic or universal, and many other names. It's always referred to by ownership or location or explaining what it is.
Fred Gosnell:And of course, that point here, when we read Romans 16,16, there, Paul says, Greet one another, the holy kiss, the churches of Christ, greet you. So. So there, that's a reference to the local congregations, as Glenn mentioned that in Revelation two and three, there's seven local churches there. So so Jesus only built one church and and of course, he said that my kingdom is not of this world. It's often referred to as his kingdom, but there's only one of them. So we need to make the understanding that there are local congregations, but there's only one church that the Lord built. And of course, in Acts two, verse 47 when those people, there's 3000 people, obeyed the gospel, and it says The Lord added to the church daily, such as, were being saved. And that's the spiritual body of Christ, the only one that he he established. It's in existence today. It will always be in existence until he returns. So we want to understand that the church that way Jesus owns it, and the name either glorifies Him, identifies him or identifies a place where it is the local church is located.
Arnie:Not only does he own it and and not only does it locate, identify where it's located, but But it tells you about the head of the church. Who is in who is the head of Christ's church? Well, obviously, I guess that if you were guessing, you'd say, well, is it Christ? And that would be exactly right. In in Ephesians, chapter one, and in verse 22 it says, Hath put all things under his feet and gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth, all in all. So Christ is the head and and so for looking for the organization, sometimes, you know, we were interested in, in how things were organized, if we were talking about the the country say, Well, how's the the country organized? Maybe one of the first things you'd come up with is like, well, we've got a we've got a President. Well, it's the same the way with with Christ's church. Christ is the head of the church. There are other responsibilities in there, there's some elders that are appointed to to oversee and and spiritually lead or feed the local church, but Christ is one who's the head.
Glenn:To to reiterate what Arnie just said about Christ being the head, when, when Peter preached his first gospel sermon, this is one of the points that he made about about Jesus Christ. He said,This Jesus hath God raised up. Whereof we are all witnesses, therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth his blood, which we now see and hear. So Peter was now was saying that Christ had had been raised, and was sitting on the right hand of God, ruling that that kingdom, that body, that church. So the next passage we want to take and take a look at is Acts 20, or Acts 14, verse 23, And when they had ordained them elders, and Arnie mentioned elders a few moments ago, and when they had ordained them elders in every church and had prayed with fasting, they commanded them or commended them to the Lord on whom they believed. And also in Acts 20, 20 verse, 28, Paul was speaking to these elders and giving them some advice. And he says, Take heed, therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood. And Arnie mentioned this a moment ago, that the the elders would be ones that would lead and feed the church of God, the church being the people, the body of Christ.
Fred Gosnell:Yeah. And then, of course, there are others that are mentioned in, for instance, Philippians, one verse one. Matter of fact there. Notice that all of the members of a local church are mentioned in when Paul writes to the Philippians, he says, Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, which at Philippi with the bishops and the deacons. Of course, bishops is a word translated meaning, meaning overseers. So so they are the overseers or the elders are mentioned, and the saints are mentioned, and the deacons. The word Deacon, here is a word that is translated. It's really transliterated, and it means those who, those who serve and in in in Acts chapter six. The first reference to those who serve is Acts chapter six. And notice, notice, what, what, what they did. This was a problem that they had. There were Grecian widows there that were not being provided for, of course, the there were people there for Pentecost, they obeyed the gospel. They weren't there. They weren't prepared to stay longer. So in Acts six in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a mummering of the Grecians against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration and the 12 called the multitude of the disciples to them and said, It is not reason that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren look out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, to the ministry of the Word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen a man full of faith and Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicholas, a proselyte of Antioch, whom they set over them before the apostles, and whom they prayed and they laid their hands on them. And the their work was to serve tables, and they were to they were servants to provide for those and the deacons handle benevolence, those who in the congregation that need that they serve in that capacity. There are servants who do that work, and then, of course, later on, we're going to see that they were certain requirements that they had to meet to become a quote deacon or a servant of the church.
Arnie:Well, obviously, in churches, you have people who who are teachers, predominantly, one of the terms that's used in the Bible for for them is is preachers or evangelists, and Paul writes to to Timothy in Second Timothy, chapter four and verse five, he says, Watch thou on all things. Endure afflictions. Do the work of an evangelist. Make full proof of thy ministry. So there's some interesting things just in that passage. Obviously, his Timothy's work is defined as as being an evangelist or a as or a teacher. But, but also, we need to understand that sometimes there are afflictions that accompany being a Christian, and that was the case a lot of times in the New Testament, where there was harassment brought by local people that were that were against the the church. They they wanted to interfere with the the church. Some, many of them, did obey the gospel, but there were those who did not, and so it that required that that those disciples be committed, or they might become frightened away because of the anxiety that we may be caused by some of those that are right there in the community.
Glenn:Yeah, I think one, one of the passages that that is is real clear on this, about about the preachers or the evangelist, is Romans, 10, 13, and 14. So for who, whosoever shall call call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe on Him and whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher. So the preachers are very important, because they're the ones that proclaim the Word of God, God to us, and we need that. We need people to proclaim the Word to us. Many times it's good that we can read, but it's good to have someone that is that is well versed in that area and can can preach the Word to us. Now we've mentioned the name and the organization. Those those things are very important in the in the church, and it's a one of the or two of the ways that we can identify the church that we find in the Bible by the name and the organization that it that it has. If we find a church that's wearing a different name, or if we find a church that has some different organization than simply the elders, the deacons, the preacher and the members, we know that there's something different about it than the church we find in in the Bible. Now we want to move on to to doctrine. Doctrine is actually that teaching that we find in in the Bible, what it is we do, how we do it. And one of the the first passage we want to look at is Matthew 28, 18 through 20. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go you therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Now, when Christ is saying that, that he's teaching them to observe all things, and then he says whatsoever I've commanded you, these are the things that both he said while he was here on earth, and the things that he has authorized His apostles and others that that have been authorized to pass that word on. So when we read the scriptures, not only is it Matthew Mark. Luke and John, where we find the doctrine, but we also find doctrine in all the epistles.
Fred Gosnell:Yeah, and and, of course, when Paul wrote to Timothy concerning scripture in Second Timothy 3, 16, and 17, there, he said that, All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect or complete, throughly furnished unto all good works. So so all of the scripture is inspired. And of course, at the time he wrote this, the only thing that they had was the Old Testament. And Paul was and the rest of the apostles were providing the New Testament, what Glenn just just wrote about, and a matter of fact, Paul, one of the things Paul said in First Corinthians, 14, verse 37 he said that If any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. So so so the Lord's commandments were not just what was in red letters in the King James Bible, the Lord's commandments were included in all of the rest of the writings that the inspired writers provided to us. Of course, we have them now and then we have it to such an extent that the man of God may be perfect or complete. Everything that we have that we need to be complete is in the scriptures.
Arnie:As a matter of fact, just drawing on that point, Fred, Second, Peter, chapter one mentions the completeness of God's Word. And beginning in verse one, it says, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness. And notice it's not some things or things that pertain, it's all things that pertain to life and and godliness. And lost my place there, and in reading it, Through the knowledge of him that have called us to glory and and virtue. So we need to understand that the scripture is not growing there's not going to be another chapter come in, or another book that's going to be written at some point in in the future, all of it is is given. We have exactly the same thing today that they had 2000 years ago with with the first disciples, that that obeyed the the gospel. And then the rest of that sentence is tha,t It's through the knowledge of him who have called us to glory and and virtue. Nothing else is acceptable. Uh, we we're not concerned about opinions. You shouldn't even be concerned about Fred and and Glenn's and my opinions. Look it up in the Bible and go based on what the Bible says and, and let us know if you find any kind of difference between what it says and and what we've been have been telling you. But in first, First Peter, Second, Peter, chapter one and verse three, According as his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue. Important for us to understand that and and accept that. And let me give you one other passage that relates to that. Because we, we we've indicated nothing else is acceptable and and in the book of Revelation, chapter 22 this is right near the end of the of the New Testament, Paul, or the not Paul, John is writing and and he says in beginning, in verse 18, I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. That should be a good warning. We don't want to add or subtract from what what God has has said, and and then in the very next verse, he said, For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book. If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in in this book. So let's be cautious about that. And, and. And not take liberties with what God has
Glenn:You know that's so important, that that we said. understand that, that we have everything we need within the within, within, within the The boundaries of this this book, from front cover to the back cover, we have all that we need, as Fred had read, we have everything we need for life and godliness. And some people might say in this, this passage that Arnie read in Revelation 22, 18 and 19, that that only applies to the book of Revelation, but we we have the basically the same words given by God in in the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy four, verse two says, You shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish ought from it that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you. Therefore we, we know that God has always had this, this policy, if you want to call it a policy, that we as as people, man, women, any, anybody, people, we do not have the authority to add to God's Word or take anything from it. He has given us everything we need. We need to understand that so that we can can read and hear and understand exactly what what He wants us to do with with with that. We have many people today that claim to be be receiving new revelation. We we have people that claim to be the the vicar of God, the the ones who who receive new information and pass it on. Friends, there is no new information. It is all right here in the scriptures that we have what have with us. And if we understand that, we read and understand those, we can, we can know how to live and please God. So that covers our our subject of doctrine. The next subject we have is in the worship. And we want to talk about the the things that we do in order to worship God, the things that God has authorized us to do within His scriptures in order to worship. The first we want to take a look at is is singing, and we're going to find that in Colossians 3, 16 it's a verse a passage. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. You know we we learn a lot from this passage, we also have a lot missing from this passage that a lot of people think are included in worship to God. Simply look at the at at the passage. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, in hymns, spiritual songs, singing. There's nothing else required, there's nothing else authorized, but singing that's with with our voices.
Fred Gosnell:Yeah, and remember, Paul said, the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. So the Lord gives us these commandments in words, and the words he uses mean things. So we need to make sure we pay attention to what the words say. And of course, one of the things that we notice is that in the beginning of the church, there in Acts, chapter two, verse, verse 42 notice, notice what we're told that that that they did after there were 3000 that obeyed the gospel. It says that they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine. Notice, it's the apostles doctrine that they are following here and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers, so So part of the worship of the New Testament Church is prayers that that were included and at the very beginning of the of the gospel that was mentioned there so prayers are part of our worship, and those prayers we find throughout the New Testament.
Arnie:Well, we hope that you'll take the things that we've discussed this afternoon to heart. Look them up in your Bible. Give us a call or write if you could reach us at 803-864-2293, or you can send us a note at 3370 Broad Street extension here in Sumter, or one Cherokee Road in Sumter. 29150, we'll be glad to respond to that and and we look forward to hearing from you, and until next Lord's day, we hope that you'll think about the things that we've talked about, and we'll look forward to being with you again at that time.
Glenn:And real quick. If you'd like to participate in a Bible study, or you'd like to learn more about the Bible through a study, we can get, get you access to a study and simply use the the address and you know that Arnie gave you a moment ago. Or you can look online and find out what our address is and a way to get in touch.