by Don Hooton
A major problem in evangelism is a shared problem we all have in communication. And as we began this conversation about the New Testament church in our first article, we want to explore more about who is this “New Testament church.”
As I said before, with this series I am not trying to evangelize unbelievers, but train believers – namely for the purpose of evangelizing unbelievers. We need to understand how to talk to those in the world to rescue them. If we just talk in our own lingo about what we already understand we will never teach them anything. So remember that this conversation is to equip the Christian to help those who are not.
So, the first point we raised about being a New Testament church is that we must adopt the view that the writings of the New Testament were given to the church so that we could be a New Testament church. We must be drawn to, directed by, and determined to follow fully what we do from the New Testament because there is no other way to be a Christ follower or a church that follows Christ than to be among a New Testament church because the New Testament points the way of Christ – because – it is His way.
If that is the case, then we move to the question about who belongs to a New Testament church.
When the Bible uses the word ekklesia where church is the English translation, it is a group of people. Peter said these who were ‘added to the number’ (Acts 2:47) were the people who were responding to the preaching he and the Apostles shared. And these people were told to “repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins” (2:38). It was Jesus who told Nicodemus that he “must be born of water and the spirit” (John 3:5). And Paul was told, “Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16). So those who are “in” this ekklesia are people who have been “baptized” in response to these teachings. A New Testament church is people who have been baptized for the forgiveness of their sins.
Further, the ekklesia are people who aim to “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1John 1:8) and who “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). It is not a static relationship where we walk as we want. Instead. Churches are responsible for fulfilling their divine mission and assembling with the same “manner worthy” of the Lord’s cause. Just as we noticed in the last article, the New Testament is the Divinely given spread sheet for our functioning. While it is not a business document, it is given so that Christians and churches would not how to be about the Lord’s business. So, a church that chooses its mission, structure and worship outside of that teaching is not demonstrably trying to walk in the light of that word.
Some challenge this “New Testament” concept by saying then that a truly New Testament church should carry out every practice recorded in the New Testament, right? Like, foot washing or greeting one another with a holy kiss or meeting in a Temple or in private homes? Consider these guidelines for answering this challenge.
First, if the practice was done universally and consistently in the New Testament, it should be followed today. Timothy was sent to remind the Corinthians of things Paul had practiced and preached ‘everywhere in every church’ (1 Corinthians 4:16,17). This was the case with head coverings in 1 Corinthians 11:16 and with women remaining silent in the church meeting (1 Corinthians 14:33,34). The same instruction was shared by Paul to the Timothy and the churches he served (1Timothy 2:8-15). Consequently, the instructed rule of a woman’s role in the church meeting cannot be thrust aside as culturally oriented, no matter how devout, sincere or well-intentioned the followers of the liberation movement may be. On the other hand, foot washing, a lesson of humility and service taught to the disciples by our Lord, is never evidenced in Scripture as a practice the Apostles obligated on the church. We certainly must manifest humble serving in our culture but we don’t need to de-sock at every assembly. And the same thing can be said for meetings. Churches met in various private homes (Romans 16:3-16; Philemon 2, etc.), the Temple (Acts 2) and in various synagogues for a time, and in the school of Tyrannus (Acts 19:9). We must conclude that the church met wherever it was convenient to do so, and that no one kind of meeting place was superior more spiritual than another.
Second, another challenge made is Paul’s practice of refusing financial support at times when he “made tents.” Since Paul ‘made his tents’ does this necessitate – as once was said to me – that we do likewise? The real question was if Paul was obligated to work or did he choose to work? In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul clearly established the right of every minister of the gospel to be supported by those to whom he ministered. Paul chose to forego the right of personal support in order to preach the gospel so as not to offend or burden the work in which he was engaged. We must not compel others to do what Paul did voluntarily as a matter of Christian liberty. We must look at the context of these items we consider – to determine not only if they were universally obligating – but whether or not the practice of it was to create an example to follow.
Who, then, is a New Testament church? They are a church that looks to the inspired Word of God, not only for their doctrines as they relate to the individual in His relationship with God, but also for the principles by which the collective church is to be governed and to carry on their task in the world. And that church is full of those who have put on Christ in baptism and walk in their lives with the light of His Word.