Chapter 23 - New Testament Church

Vertical Divider

“[Jesus Christ] … is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” (Colossians1:15-18)

God created the New Testament church in eternity. He established the church on earth in the fullness of time. It was appointed to occur in the latter part of the Gentile Age, on the first day of Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ. (Acts 2:1-47) Thus, the Church Age began during the late spring of 33AD.

Function and Form

The function of the New Testament church was to facilitate shared life fellowship between God and mankind. In order to accommodate His life (zoe) on earth, He provided it with the form of an organic, spiritual body.

Purpose and Mission

For the enjoyment of God and mankind, the purpose of the New Testament church was the practice of intimate, shared life fellowship. Consequently, His nature would be vindicated and His kingdom repopulated.

The corresponding mission of the New Testament church was to cultivate and protect its privilege of eternal, shared life fellowship with God.

Vertical Divider

Eternal

The New Testament church on earth is eternal in nature. It was both conceived and completed in the eternal realm before the foundation of the world. (cf. Hebrews 4:3) The New Testament church did not change when it was mirrored on earth.

Emphasis

The eternal church was designed to have a singular emphasis; Jesus Christ. He is the “Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 22:13)

Covenant

The New Testament church was critically important to the eternal plan of God. Therefore, it was secured before the foundation of the world according to the unconditional benefit of His gracious, redemptive covenant of life (zoe), the Eternal Covenant.

The fundamental benefit of the Eternal Covenant was new law and new life. The new law of the Eternal Covenant was the “law of Christ.” It is often referred to in this book as the “rule of life. The new life was life shared with the mediator of the covenant, Jesus Christ.

By gracious benefit of the Eternal Covenant, the New Testament church enjoyed heavenly position and privilege beyond compare. Sharing life with Jesus Christ, the mediator of the covenant, it was “blessed….with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 1:3)

Calling

The New Testament church has a dual calling. God called it out from His condemnation and wrath and called it together into an intimate, shared life community.

Description

The New Testament described the church by some very distinct concepts and figures. Consequently, its eternal, shared life community was among other things a household, body, field, building, temple, bride, pillar, and support of the truth, priesthood, and flock.

Design

The New Testament church was not designed to be a complex religious organization. On the contrary, it was a living (zoe) organism suitable for animation by the indwelling life (zoe) of God.

In contrast to organizational complexity, the New Testament church was organic. Therefore, it was made to be simple in function, form, emphasis, manifestation, cultivation, government, doctrine, order, and practice. Relative to the simple nature of the New Testament church, its spiritual fruit was profoundly abundant.

Headship

Concordant with the new law and new life of the Eternal Covenant, the New Testament church was positioned under the gracious headship of Jesus Christ. By its new covenantal law it was legally positioned under His representative headship. Through its new covenantal life the church was organically positioned under His representational headship.

Vertical Divider

Body

The New Testament church was comprised of co-equal brothers and sisters united to God and one another by indwelling, eternal life (zoe). It was supported and served by co-equal elders and deacons.

Legal Suitability

The co-equal brothers, sisters, elders and deacons of the New Testament church body were redeemed by the blood of the Eternal Covenant. As a result, they were justified from all sin; past, present and future. Therefore, they were made legally suitable with God.

Organic Compatibility

Legally suitable, the co-equal brothers, sisters, elders and deacons of the New Testament church body were prepared for a relationship of shared life with God. Through the divine act of regeneration, they were made organically compatible with Him. By spiritual birth the elect of the New Testament church were joined to God through the impartation of His indwelling, spiritual life (zoe).

Faith

The New Testament church was a people of faith. It lived and moved by faith alone. Therefore, its life was not lived by man for God, but by God with man. His work within the New Testament church occurred by grace alone. (John 3:16; Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Corinthians 15:10; Philippians 2:13; Hebrews 13:21) As a result, humanity was privileged to cooperate with God by faith alone. (Romans 12:3; 14:23; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 2:6-7; Hebrews 11:6)

Apostolic Teaching and Tradition

The New Testament church was utterly privileged to know Jesus Christ personally through apostolic teaching and tradition. Generally, He was revealed to the church through apostolic teaching and personally experienced through its practice of apostolic tradition.

Destiny

The age of the New Testament church will end when “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” (Romans 11:25) Its purpose satisfied by the vindication of the God’s nature and the repopulation of His kingdom, the New Testament church will be removed from the earth and transferred into the immediate presence of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:1-9; Revelation 4:1) Therefore, its eternal destiny is characterized by heavenly, unrestricted fellowship with God in Christ, face to face. Thus, the destiny of the New Testament church is glorious beyond description.

© 2023 James Hiatt

Vertical Divider