The Real New Testament Church
  • Home
  • Contents
  • Preface
  • Plan
    • Kingdom >
      • Chapter 1 - Beginning
      • Chapter 2 - Errant Reasoning
      • Chapter 3 - Consequence
      • Chapter 4 - Adaptation
      • Chapter 5 - Original Earth
      • Chapter 6 - Renovated Earth
      • Chapter 7 - Degenerated Earth
      • Chapter 8 - Time, Space and Representation
      • Chapter 9 - Early Ages
      • Chapter 10 - Israelite Age
      • Chapter 11 - Gentile Age
      • Chapter 12 - Tribulation
      • Chapter 13 - Regenerated Earth
      • Chapter 14 - New Earth
    • Covenant >
      • Chapter 15 - Covenant
      • Chapter 16 - Major Covenants
      • Chapter 17 - Eternal Covenant
      • Chapter 18 - Renovation Covenant
      • Chapter 19 - Old Covenant for Israel
      • Chapter 20 - New Covenant for Israel
  • Church
    • Preparation >
      • Chapter 21 - Parables
      • Chapter 22 - Kingdom of Heaven Parables
    • Foundation >
      • Chapter 23 - New Testament Church
      • Chapter 24 - Church Covenant
      • Chapter 25 - Eternal or Temporal
      • Chapter 26 - Calling
      • Chapter 27 - Description
    • Legality >
      • Chapter 28 - Law
      • Chapter 29 - Transgression
      • Chapter 30 - Justification
    • Life (zoe) >
      • Chapter 31 - Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 32 - Progression of Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 33 - Birth
      • Chapter 34 - Perfect Example
      • Chapter 35 - Church Life
      • Chapter 36 - Sanctification
      • Chapter 37 - Rule of Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 38 - Life According to the Spirit
      • Chapter 39 - Return to Law
      • Chapter 40 - Faith
    • Composition >
      • Chapter 41 - Covenantal Headship
      • Chapter 42 - New Covenantal Headship
      • Chapter 43 - Practical Headship
      • Chapter 44 - Body
      • Chapter 45 - Women
    • Incarnation >
      • Chapter 46 - Function and Form
      • Chapter 47 - Purpose and Mission
      • Chapter 48 - Manifestation
    • Doctrine and Practice >
      • Chapter 49 - Apostolic Teaching
      • Chapter 50 - Apostolic Tradition
    • Apostolic Teaching >
      • Chapter 51 - Values
      • Chapter 52 - Prayer
      • Chapter 53 - Works
      • Chapter 54 - Giving
    • Apostolic Tradition >
      • Chapter 55 - Governance
      • Chapter 56 - Simplicity
      • Chapter 57 - Biblical Gatherings
      • Chapter 58 - Practical Gatherings
      • Chapter 59 - Supper: Celebration and Sign
      • Chapter 60 - Supper: Apostolic Tradition
      • Chapter 61 - Assembling Together
    • Growth >
      • Chapter 62 - Biblical Church Growth
      • Chapter 63 - Practical Church Growth
      • Chapter 64 - Exponential Growth
    • Simulation >
      • Chapter 65 - Temporal Simulation
      • Chapter 66 - Simulated Church History
      • Chapter 67 - Confirmation of Scripture
      • Chapter 68 - Sovereignty of God
    • Warfare >
      • Chapter 69 - Warfare
      • Chapter 70 - Utter Defeat
      • Chapter 71 - Freedom
      • Chapter 72 - Position
      • Chapter 73 - Descriptive Armor
      • Chapter 74 - Cooperative Armor
      • Chapter 75 - Armor Abridged
      • Chapter 76 - Armor Paraphrased
      • Chapter 77 - Armor Appropriated
      • Chapter 78 - Full Armor
      • Chapter 79 - Power of Position
  • Reformation
    • Chapter 80 - Formation, Deformation and Reformation
    • Chapter 81 - Law and Life
    • Chapter 82 - Practice of Law
    • Chapter 83 - Practice of Life
    • Chapter 84 - From Law to Life
    • Chapter 85 - Doctrine, Desire and Dependence
    • Chapter 86 - Design, Decentralization, Demonstration and Divestment
  • Conclusion
    • Chapter 87 - The Real New Testament Church
  • Endnotes
  • About
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Chapter 34 - Perfect Example
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The practice of religion does not require dependence on God. It doesn’t even require His presence.
    
​Performed independently from God, religious activity is incapable of contributing to the eternal purpose of the New Testament church. Consequently, the religious are generally without purpose. As a result, the eternal mission of the church remains a mystery.

The purpose of the New Testament church is to practice intimate, shared life fellowship with God. The corresponding mission of the New Testament church is to value, cultivate and protect its practice of fellowship with God above all else.

​By eternal design, God assembled the New Testament church to cooperate with Him in the fulfillment of its purpose and mission. Relative to Scriptural standard, it requires both the living (zoe) presence of God and faith that He will satisfy His stated purpose and mission. Therefore, the New Testament church must embrace a lifestyle of dependence.

 
The incarnate Christ provided a perfect example of dependence for His future body, the New Testament church. By the Spirit, He faithfully emptied Himself of His divine authority and practiced unwavering dependence on His indwelling Father.
  
                                                    Divine Authority
 
There are two types of divine authority manifested on earth. “The two basic forms of authority are intrinsic authority (belonging to one's essential nature) and derived authority (given to one from another source). Since ‘there is no authority except from God’ (Romans 13:1), every kind of authority other than that of God Himself is derived and, therefore, secondary to God’s power (John 19:11). God's authority is absolute and unconditional (Psalm 29:10; Isa 40:1). He has authority over nature (Job 38), governments (Daniel 4:17, 34-35), and history (Acts 1:7; 17:24-31); and He has the power to send people to hell (Luke 12:5). Jesus Christ has the same intrinsic authority as the Father … (John 10:25-30).” [1]
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                                    Messianic Authority
 
The incarnate Christ did not live and serve on earth in accord with His own intrinsic authority. Instead, Jesus faithfully emptied Himself of His intrinsic authority and chose to depend on authority derived from His indwelling Father:
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Scripture
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“Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”
John 5:19
"I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”
John 5:30
"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 
John 6:38
“So Jesus answered them and said, ‘My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.’”
John 7:16
So Jesus said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him." 
John 8:28-29
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. 
John 8:42
“For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.  I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”
John 12:49
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.”
John 14:10-11
"He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me. 
John 14:24
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In order to live on earth in submission to derived authority, Jesus walked by dependence on the indwelling Spirit of God:
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Scripture
Reference
“After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him”
Matthew 3:16
(cf. Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32)

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” 
Matthew 4:1
(Luke 4:1)
​“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
Matthew 12:28
“And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.”
Luke 4:14
“…until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.”
Acts 1:2
“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power”
Acts 10:38
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The incarnate Christ did not live in accordance with the will of the heavenly Father by effort of human flesh. Instead, He consistently yielded to the authority of His indwelling Father by the Spirit through means of dependent faith. Therefore, His words and deeds always honored and pointed to His heavenly Father. It provided a perfect example for the future church.
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                                      Derived Authority
 
By the Spirit, the incarnate Christ emptied Himself of His own initiative and authority. The Apostle Paul clarified to the ecclesia in ancient Philippi, “…although He existed in the form of God, [Christ Jesus] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8)
    
According to the Apostle Paul, the incarnate Christ “existed in the form of God.” (Philippians 2:6) The Greek word translated “form” is morphe. Stressing “the inner essence or reality of that with which it is associated,” it means that Jesus possessed the very nature of God. (cf. Mark 16:12) Thus, Paul plainly communicated that Jesus was God in human flesh.
    
Nevertheless, Paul revealed that the incarnate Christ did not regard “equality with God a thing to be grasped.” (2:6) The Greek word translated “grasped” is harpagmos (har-pag-mos'). It generally means “held on to forcibly.” Thus, Jesus chose not to hold on to His “equality with God.” (2:6)
    
Instead, the incarnate Christ “emptied Himself” of His equality with God. (2:7) The Greek word translated into English as “emptied” is kenosis. Consistent with the concept of servanthood, it means “to make empty” or “to make of no reputation.”
    
The writings of both the Apostle Paul and the New Testament in general clarify that the incarnate Christ “emptied Himself” of His divine authority and took the “form of a bond servant.” (vs. 7) Although His servanthood was by personal choice, Jesus Christ was nonetheless a servant. Generally, servanthood is characterized by a complete lack of personal reputation, position, or authority. Recognized predominantly by the reputation, position, and authority of his master, a good servant is known for submission to his master.
    
Though within His right and ability, Jesus did not embrace His divine authority. He chose to live on earth as a servant in perfect submission to authority derived from His heavenly Father.
    
Paul further indicated that Jesus was “made in the likeness of men.” (vs. 7) The Greek word translated “likeness” is homoioma (hom-oy'-o-mah). It is indicative of the fullness of human nature. However, Paul's specific usage of homoima clarifies that He was not exactly like every other human being. Christ differed by His constant obedience to the Father. (cf. vs. 8)
    
The incarnate Christ not only possessed the fullness of human nature but was fully human in appearance. The Apostle states that Jesus was “found in the appearance of a man.” (vs. 8) The Greek word translated “appearance” is schema. As quoted in Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Meyer says the use of schema indicated that "men saw in Christ a human form, bearing, language, action, mode of life... in general the state and relations of a human being, so that in the entire mode of His appearance He made Himself known and was recognized as a man". Thus, Jesus Christ was fully human in both nature and appearance.
    
The Apostle Paul reveals that the incarnate Christ, fully human in both nature and appearance, performed the ultimate act of servanthood. He “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death.” (vs. 8)

    
​Although existing in the form of God, the incarnate Christ:
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Scripture
Reference
“did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped”;
vs. 6
“emptied Himself”;
vs. 7
took “the form of a bond-servant”;
vs. 7
was “made in the likeness of men”;
vs. 7
was “found in appearance as a man”;
vs. 8
and “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death.”
vs. 8
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While on earth, the incarnate Christ emptied Himself of intrinsic authority and lived by the Spirit in faithful submission to authority derived from the heavenly Father. “… Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God (possessing intrinsic authority), did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself (of His intrinsic authority), taking the form of a bond servant (one without authority), and being made in the likeness of men (without intrinsic authority). Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself (taking a position devoid of authority) by becoming obedient to the point of death (the ultimate emptying of oneself) …” (Philippians 2:5-8)
 
                                  Beyond Philippians
 
Beyond the kenosis passage from Philippians, the entire context of the New Testament also indicates that the incarnate Christ did not choose to live according to His own authority. The Gospels reveal that when He healed the sick; cast out demons, performed miracles, and suffered death by crucifixion, He did so as a “man under authority”:
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“… the centurion said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, ‘Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.’”
Matthew 8:9; (cf. Luke 7:8)
“But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.”
Matthew 9:8
"For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
John 5:26-27
“Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.  This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.’”
John 17:1-3
“For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.”
1 Corinthians 3:21-23

“But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 11:3-4

“I also have received authority from My Father”
Revelation 2:27
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cf. Matthew 7:29; 8:9; Mark 1:22; 1:27; 2:9-11; Luke 4:32; 4:36; 5:24; 7:8; John 10:16-18
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                                                                                Restored Authority

The post-resurrection authority of Jesus Christ was very different from the derived authority He exercised while on earth. He again exercised the intrinsic authority He possessed before His incarnation:                         
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“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore (on the basis of His intrinsic authority delegated) and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’"
Matthew 28:18-20
“These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
Ephesians 1:19-23

“He is the head over all rule and authority;”
Colossians 2:10
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© 2023 James Hiatt
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