THREE KINDS OF BIBLICAL NEW COVENANT CHURCHES (Part Three):

These three kinds of churches are also distinguished by the following:

 6.THE VOCAL PARTICIPANTS IN THEIR GATHERINGS:

     A. When the church which is the Body of Christ is gathered together:

           I don't know of any scripture which specifically addresses the matter of vocal participation when the  whole Body of Christ is gathered!  When the Lord comes and the whole Body is gathered together   for the first time, I'm sure He will give us all the instructions we'll need!

     B. When the whole church, the church of God in a city is gathered together:

          I Cor. 11:20-34 and 14:23-40 regulate such gatherings. (See I Cor.11:20,22 and 14:23 in the KJV, Darby`s “New Translation”, or Zodiates` “Word Study New Testament”.)

         The regulations of gatherings of whole churches of God in cities:

            - teach that such gatherings are not for eating the Lord’s supper. I Cor.11:20 This is to be done  when the saints come together to eat in their homes (Acts 2:46b; I Cor.11:22,33,34)

            -require men to be the vocal participants and require women to be silent.  They are to ask their questions of their husbands at home.

            -all speaking (prophesying, teaching, speaking in tongues, interpretation, revelation) is to be done one speaker at a time and when another has something to say, the first is to be silent. Thus there  is no reciprocal, conversational, or two way communication in such gatherings.

           -allow any male believer to speak, as long as they do it within the guidelines of scripture:

                In order that all in these very large gatherings may be edified:

                              -there is to be only one speaker at a time

                              -tongues speakers are to be silent unless there is an interpreter,

                              -there is to be speaking by no more than 3 prophets  and no more than 3 tongues speakers,

                             -other prophets are to judge/discern that which is spoken by prophets.

*It is interesting to note that God places such importance on these instructions that anyone’s claim to be a prophet or a spiritual person is to be judged by whether or not they acknowledge that these things are the commandments of the Lord!  I Cor.14:37

       

     C. When saints gather as churches in houses:

        There is to be exhortation, edification, provocation to love and to good works, loving, comforting one another and  praying for one another. (Hebrews 10:24,25) Because "each man" (the generic  term "every one", not every male) has received a gift from God  for the edification of the body and those who speak are to speak as the "oracles of God" and those who  minister are to do so as "good stewards of the manifold grace of God", (I Peter 4:10,11)there is opportunity for ministry from every one.

         

           All "one another" commands and instructions:

                               -include men and women,

                               -indicate actions which are mutual and reciprocal,

                               -indicate that all may participate audibly in the particular activity.

        In order that all believers in the gathering may be edified, exhorted, comforted, stirred up to love and good works, in order that all who need prayer may be prayed for, in order that there may be weeping with those who weep, and in order that there may be rejoicing with those that rejoice,

       There are no restrictions on:

         -the number who may be speaking at one time. (Ministry often takes place in a number of small  conversations, homilies or dialogues at one time - especially at meal times!

         -the number of tongues speakers or prophets who may speak, (While every person present does  not necessarily HAVE TO participate,  church gatherings in homes should be small enough so every one MAY participate if they have something to contribute for the edification of others.)

         -the vocal participation of women in teaching, prophesying, speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues,  praying or asking of questions. (A gathering in a house is the place where questions, conversation and dialogue all have their place!) See examples in Acts 1:10-2:4;  4:31; 10:44-46;  12:12-17; 16:34;  18:26;  2:17 with 21:9)

7. OTHER SCRIPTURAL DESIGNATIONS FOR THESE CHURCHES:

A. THE CHURCH WHICH IS CHRIST'S BODY IS ALSO KNOWN AS:

   1. The house or habitation of God: Ephesians 2:22;  I Tim.3:14,15

   2. A holy temple: Ephesians 2:21;  I Cor.3:16,17;

   3. A building: I Cor.3:9; Ephesians 2:21

   4. The household of God, or household of faith: Ephesians 2:19; Galatians 6:10

   5. The church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. I Tim.3:15

   6. "My (Christ's) church":  Matthew 16:18

   7. The general assembly and church of the firstborn. Hebrews 12:23

B. THE CHURCH OF GOD IN A CITY IS ALSO KNOWN AS:

   1. The whole church: Acts 15:22;  Romans 16:23; I Cor.14:23

   2. The church which is “in” or “at” a particular city or “of” the people in a particular city:  Jerusalem Acts 8:1; 11:22;  Antioch 13:1; Ephesus  Acts 20:17; Revelation 2:1, Cenchrea Romans 16:1;  Corinth I Cor.1:2; II Cor.1:1; Thessalonica I Thessalonians 1:1; II Thessalonians 1:1,  Babylon I Peter 5:13;  ,  Smyrna Revelation 2:8,  Pergamos Revelation 2:12,  Thyatira Revelation 2:18;  Sardis Revelation 3:1, Philadelphia Revelation 3:7, Laodicea Revelation 3:14

  

    Gatherings of the church of God in a city are designated by the following terms:

    1."All with one accord in one place" Acts 2:1; 

    2. The multitude of the disciples (in a particular city): Acts 6:22.

    3. "Gathered the multitude together"  Acts 15:30

    4. "when ye come together into one place" I Cor.11:20,

    5. “the whole church come together into one place” I Cor.14:23

C. A CHURCH IN A HOUSE IS ALSO KNOWN AS:

   1. The assembling of yourselves together (for provoking one another to love and to good works, and exhorting one another) Heb.10:24,25

   2. Your assembly:  James 2:2  (in which one could be seated by a footstool, v.3)

Fellowship among New Covenant believers in Jesus Christ cannot help but be demonstrated. Everyone in the whole world who is enjoying fellowship with Christ and other saints will be endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Eph.4:3)

Everyone who is enjoying union with Christ will be nurturing fellowship with other saints to which He has joined them in their community (regardless of the denomination from which they have come!) As we have opportunities to gather with all believers across our communities, we need to be prepared to allow God to rule and regulate such gatherings so that unbelievers who walk in off the streets will worship God, fall down on their faces and confess that, "God is in you of a truth!" I Cor.14:25

But it will be through churches in our homes, scattered across our communities, where deep and costly fellowship is forged, nurtured and protected,  that the love of Christ will be demonstrated so that unsaved neighbours around us will know that we are Christ's disciples because we love one another! John 13:34,35

(Beside the three kinds of biblical churches described above, do you know of any other kind of church found in the Bible?  If so, please leave a comment at the end of this post with the scriptural designation of such a church and the appropriate scripture reference where such is found.)

THREE KINDS OF BIBLICAL NEW COVENANT CHURCHES (Part Two):

These three  kinds of churches are also distinguished by the following:

3.THEIR COMPOSITION:

    A. The church which is Christ's Body: is composed of all believers (both Jew and Gentile and both those who have died and those still living on earth) since the Holy Spirit was sent down at Pentecost:

       I Corinthians 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

      

     B. The church of God in a particular city:  is composed of all the believers in that city:

        At Rome:  Romans 1:1,7 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, ... To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called  saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

        At Corinth:  I Corinthians 1;1,2  Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,  Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints,

        At Ephesus: Ephesians 1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

        At Philippi: Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi,

        At Colosse: Colossians 1:1,2 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse:

        In every place: I Corinthians 1:2 ...with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.

    C. The church in one's house: is composed of the saints who gather in that house:

          Romans 16:3-5 the church that is in their house.

         1 Corinthians 16:19  the church that is in their house.

         Colossians 4:15  the church which is in his house.

         Philemon 1:1,2  the church in thy house:

         

4. THEIR GATHERING PLACES AND THEIR GATHERING TIMES :

    A. The church which is Christ's Body will  be gathered together:

          -in the air, at the last trump , when saints who have died are raised and living saints are changed and all are caught up  when the  Lord Jesus comes back through the clouds to the earth.   Zech.14:1-5;  Matt.24:30,31;  I Cor.15:51-58;  I Thess.4:13- II Thess.2:3

     B. Churches of God in particular cities gathered together:

          -in any place in the city commodious enough to accommodate them:

                    -in the temple (Solomon's porch) in Jerusalem Acts 2:46a;  5:11-14

                    -in a school in Ephesus  Acts 19:9

                    -in a building owned by Gaius.  Romans 16:23

          - any time there was a need or purpose for which they were called together

                    -daily the church in Jerusalem gathered with one accord in the temple  Acts 2:46a

                    -the apostles called the church in Jerusalem together to deal with the matter of care of the widows Acts 6:1-6

                    -the church at Antioch was gathered together to hear a “missionary report” by Paul and Barnabas.  Acts 14:27

                    -the church at Jerusalem gathered together to settle the question of circumcision relative to Gentile believers Acts 15:4-29 (especially verses 12 and 22)

                    -the letter from the church at Jerusalem was read to the multitude of the brethren (the whole church) at Antioch. (Acts 15:30)

          

       C. Churches in houses gather:

             -in houses (of course!) There was no "holy day" set aside especially for gatherings! New Covenant believers  have no days that are holier than others because they are a holy people called to be holy and to live holy lives all  the time!   See Romans 14:5,6  The saints in the church at Jerusalem broke bread in their homes daily. Acts 2:46b

5.THEIR PURPOSES FOR GATHERING:

   A. The church which is Christ's Body will be gathered together:

        -to meet the Lord I Thess.4:13-18

        -to rest from our tribulations II Thess.1:7

        -so Christ can be glorified in His saints and admired by all the world in all them that believe  II Thess.1:10;  Rev.1:7

        -to appear before the judgment seat of Christ to give account of ourselves to God Rom.14:10-12

        -to have our works tried by fire and rewarded by the Lord I Cor.3:12-14

        -to be presented as a chaste virgin to Christ, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing Eph.5:27

        -for the marriage supper of the Lamb Rev.19:7-9

   B. The churches of God in cities gathered together in the first century and it is still God’s desire and intention that they be gathering together:

       -to provide for the needy among them Acts 2:44

       -to praise God Acts 2:47

       -to deal with matters concerning the whole church:

            -caring for the daily needs of widows among the saints and appointing deacons to serve the widows Acts 6

            -to hear reports from missionaries who have gone forth serving the Lord Acts 14:27 and 15:4

            -to settle doctrinal matters and disputes which divide what God has joined  Acts 15:5-33

            -to edify the whole church -by ministry to the Lord from His people (tongues, interpretation, psalms, hymns)

                                                      -by ministry to the people from the Lord (prophecy, doctrine,  revelation etc)  Rom.16:23;  I Cor.14:23-40

             -prayers for all men, for kings and authorities by the men (males) of the church I Tim.2:1-8.  (I Tim.3:14,15 indicates that the previous context is written to guide believers’ behavior in the church of the living God  (the gathering when the entire church of God in the city gathers together into one place.)

         

    C. Churches in believers' houses gather together:

         -to wait on the Lord in response to His commands. Acts 1:4 & 1:12-2:1

         -to give and receive teaching, (the apostles' doctrine), for daily fellowship and breaking of bread (full meals) in remembrance of the Lord Jesus   Acts 2:46;  20:7-11; I Cor.11:26; Hebrews 3:13

         -for mutual and reciprocal fellowship centered around the person of Christ,  (see N.T commands for "one anothering": some are noted below)

         - when ever there is a need for concerted prayer Acts 1:13,14;  2:1; 4:

         -to instruct other believers Acts 18:26; 20:20

         -to show hospitality Acts 16:15 &34

         -considering one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,  and

         -exhorting one another, Hebrews 10:24, 25

         -loving one another, John 13:34, 35

         -comforting one another, 1 Thessalonians 4:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:11 

         -every one ministering to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (gifts received by each one)  I Peter 4:10,11

         -rejoicing with those who rejoice,

         -weeping with those who weep, Romans 12:15

         -confessing faults one to another, James 5:16

         -avoiding partiality James 2:1-5

         -to pray, Acts 2:42; 4:24-31; James 5:16

         -to be involved in "homilies" concerning Christ. Homilies in scripture are always conversations involving a number of people! A homily is never a monologue lecture! (See  the Greek word "HOMILEO" translated "talked" and "communed" in  Luke 24:14,15; "talked" in Acts 20:11; and "communed" in Acts 24:26.)

        -to be involved in preaching. ("Preaching" among the saints is dialoguing NOT monologue sermonizing!)  Paul's "preaching" in Acts 20 was the Greek word "dialegomai".

(To be continued in Part Three.)

THREE KINDS OF BIBLICAL NEW COVENANT CHURCHES (Part One):

The essence of the new covenant is fellowship which is possessed and enjoyed between God and His people and fellowship which is possessed and enjoyed among the people of God. In a world that is littered with broken relationships, we are called to demonstrate the love of Christ in a loveless world.

God has designed that fellowship (the obvious connectedness to Christ and others of His people which they enjoy) be demonstrated  to principalities and powers in heavenly places and to a lost world through  the "churches", a "called out company" of the redeemed! (Ephesians 3:9&10) God has designed three kinds of churches through which to make known His manifold wisdom:

1. Across the entire planet, God is calling out one church, "the church which is Christ's Body". (Ephesians 1:22,23; Colossians 1:18,24) (This first church is the “big one” and the other two are subsets within the first.)

2. In every city or community where there are believers, God has one church which includes every child of God in that community. He calls it "the church of God". (Acts 20:28; I Cor.1:2; 10:32; 11:16&22; 15:9; II Cor.1:1; Gal.1:13; I Thess.2:14;  II Thess.1:4; I Tim3:5,15;

3. Scattered across every community are homes of believers which are to be beacon lights of hope to next door neighbours and  the folks down the block.  Maybe it is God's desire that there be a  "church in your house"!!!  (Acts 8:3; Rom.16:5; I Cor.16:19; Col.4:15; Philemon 1:2)

-Scriptural churches are never defined in scripture by ACTIVITIES (although believers and  churches are instructed and commanded to DO many things.)  

-Nor are they ever defined in scripture by DISTINCTIVES  (i.e. doctrines, creeds, practices, rituals, forms, meeting places,  stated purposes or reasons for gathering, or their favourite teachers which distinguish or divide them from others!)

-Rather, scriptural churches are defined by the relationship or the fellowship (the obvious connectedness to Christ and others of His people) which they enjoy.  (see Romans 12:4,5 “members in one body”; I Cor.1:2 “them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints”, “all who call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours”; 12:12-31 “the body is one and hath many members”; Ephesians 1:22,23 “the church which is His body”;  Philippians 1:1“all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi”; Colossians 1:2 “the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which  are at Colosse”;  II Thessalonians 1:1 “the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” etc)

 THESE CHURCHES MAY BE CLEARLY DISTINGUISHED BY THE FOLLOWING:

1. THEIR SCRIPTURAL SUMMARY STATEMENTS:

I believe that every scriptural doctrine is stated in the very words of scripture and contains the word or expression by which the doctrine is known. It will be one complete sentence and also the most comprehensive statement of that doctrine found in scripture. On this basis, the summary statements in scripture for the doctrines of "the church which is His Body", "the church of God" and "the church in thy house" are as follows:   (It is interesting that the largest church , The Body, has the longest summary statement while the smallest church, the church in thy house, has the shortest!)

   A. The church which is His (Christ's) Body:

        Colossians 1:21-29And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:  to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:  whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

  B. The church of God:

      I Corinthians 1:1-3 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,  unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:  grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and  from the Lord Jesus Christ.

   C. The church in thy house:

        Philemon 1:1-3 Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and  fellowlabourer,  and to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:  grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. THEIR NUMBER:

   A. The church which is Christ's Body is one: Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 10:17; 1 Corinthians 12:12,13, 20; Ephesians 2:16; Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 3:15 

   B. Churches of God are plural in number: 

         There is no example of more than one church of God per city:

         Ephesus: Acts 20:17,28  And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church....Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church  of God, which he  hath purchased with his own blood.

         Corinth: 1 Corinthians 1:2  Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

          2 Corinthians 1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of  God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

        Jerusalem:1 Corinthians 15:9  For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted  the church of God.  

       Galatians 1:13  For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the  church of  God, and wasted it:    (The church which Saul persecuted was the church of God at Jerusalem. Acts 8:1-4)

        There are multitudes of churches of God and there may be several churches of God in a region:        I Corinthians 11:16  But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

       “The churches of Asia”       I Corinthians 16:19; Rev.1:4,11

       “Churches of Galatia”  I Cor.16:1;

       “Churches of Macedonia”  II Cor.8:1

       “Churches of God in Judea”   Galatians 1:22; I Thessalonians 2:14 

       

      C. Churches in houses are also plural in number:

     There was a church in Aquila and Priscilla's house: Romans 16:3-5;  1 Corinthians 16:19 

      There was a church in Nympas' house: Colossians 4:15 

      There was a church in Philemon's house: Philemon 1:1,2 

(How does what we have considered today compare with what you have been taught or believed about the church previously? Click on “Comments” below to leave your comments, suggestions or questions.

(To be continued in Parts 2 and 3.)