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Chapter 31 - Simplicity of the Eternal Church on Earth |
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The distinct church of the New Testament is not a complex religious organization. On the contrary, it is a living (zoe) organism suitable for animation by the indwelling life (zoe) of God.
In contrast to organizational complexity, the New Testament church is simple. It is simple in function, form, emphasis, manifestation, cultivation, government, doctrine, and order. Relative to the simple nature of the New Testament church, its spiritual fruit is profoundly abundant. Simple Function and Form God created the simple function and form of the New Testament church before the foundation of the world. The function of the New Testament church was to facilitate fellowship with God. Its corresponding form was a spiritual body. The simple function and form of the New Testament church provide for the body of Christ to collectively pursue fellowship with God in Christ. The form of the New Testament church serves to enable spiritual fellowship with God. Consequently, it accommodates the manifestation, ministry, and fellowship of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 12:4-7; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:1). As stated, the distinct church of the New Testament has a simple function and form: |
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Simple Emphasis
The simple, singular emphasis of the gathered New Testament church is Jesus Christ. He is the head of His body and the animating life (zoe) source for its small group community. Without Him, the ecclesia is a headless and, therefore, lifeless (zoe) body. Thus, it is essentially indistinguishable from any other religious group in existence. The purpose of the collective gatherings of the New Testament church is not merely to perform religious activity for God. Instead, it is to allow for the pursuit of the living (zoe), indwelling Christ together. Consequently, the gathered are privileged to experience His edifying ministry of life (zoe) and the resultant cultivation of living (zoe) community. Too often, believers view the activities of the gathered church, such as the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, prayer, worship in song, fellowship, and time spent in the word of God, as the goal of collective church gatherings. They are sadly missing the point. God graciously designed every activity of the ecclesia with one purpose in mind; to support the unparalleled practice of intimate fellowship with Christ (cf. John 5:39-40). Thus, ultimately, He is both the purpose and mission of every church gathering, and each activity of the church was eternally designed to point to Him. Relative to His nature, Jesus demands, deserves, and desires the full attention of His ecclesia. Concordant with the fullness of His indwelling Spirit, the gatherings of the New Testament church intentionally and consistently recognize Him as the immediate head and animating life (zoe) source of His body. It is an act of faith alone. The simple function and form of the New Testament church are fulfilled by a simple emphasis: |
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Simple Manifestation
The New Testament church was primarily manifested on earth in small group community from house to house. Relative to its life shared with God, its manifestation in small group community is representational of divine life (zoe) on earth. The communities of the New Testament church are comprised of small groups of believers and their children. They constitute the gatherings of a spiritual family. Unbelievers are not typically a part of the small group manifestation of the ecclesia. Instead, it presents a safe, secure place where a spiritual family can grow together in the Lord without distraction. Rather than part of family gatherings, outreach to unbelievers occurs when the collective community cooperates as a team to share the love of God with friends and neighbors. The representational small group communities of the New Testament church allow for the collective submission of the spiritual family to the immediate headship of Christ in accordance with the fullness of His indwelling Spirit. Therefore, they are conducive for spiritual life and, as a consequence, favorable for spiritual governance by divine life (zoe), the spiritual fellowship of divine life (zoe), spiritual quickening by divine life (zoe), the spiritual ministry of divine life (zoe) and, as a result, the spiritual fruit of divine life (zoe). Representational of divine life (zoe), the small group communities of the New Testament church are inviting, flexible, mobile, cross-cultural, inexpensive, and capable of surviving persecution. Thus, they are ideal for the reproduction of eternal life (zoe) around the world. The simple function, form, and emphasis of the New Testament church are accommodated by a simple manifestation: |
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Simple Cultivation
The New Testament church does not grow by increasing the size of its gatherings through the complexity of organizational principles and precepts. Instead, it increases in size by the simple cultivation of eternal, life (zoe) based community. By God’s eternal plan, the cultivation of spiritual community in the New Testament church occurs by intentional, interactive cooperation with the Spirit of God. The simple function, form, emphasis, and manifestation of the New Testament church are accommodated by simple cultivation: |
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Simple Government
The simple government of the New Testament church is theocratic. Therefore, it is characterized by divine headship and the gracious rule of indwelling life (zoe). The rule of indwelling life (zoe) is mediated on earth by the ordered equality of its brothers and sisters and, when necessary, the supporting counsel of eldership. The simple function, form, emphasis, manifestation, and cultivation of the New Testament church are recognized by a simple government: |
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Simple Doctrine
The doctrine of the early New Testament church was divine in origin. Although it was received from God without adulteration, the New Testament reveals that it was soon distorted by the unwarranted contribution of mankind. The early New Testament church could not turn to the Bible to resolve doctrinal distortion contributed by man. It did not yet exist. Instead, the first-century church received the Word of God through the foundational teaching of the apostles and prophets in the ruins of the ancient temple of Solomon (Acts 2:42; 6:4-5a; Ephesians 2:20). The purity of church doctrine was initially protected through willing collaboration between the Spirit of Christ and the apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20). Afterward, God entrusted it to “faithful men” to teach to the early small group communities beyond Jerusalem (2 Timothy 2:2). In time, the responsibility to protect the doctrine of the New Testament church was given collectively to the Spirit-filled brothers and sisters of each small New Testament church community. In case of doctrinal question or dispute, the mature men of the ecclesia, the elders, provided prayerful support (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). Today, as the members of each New Testament church community mature together spiritually, they learn to trust God to keep them from drifting into doctrinal error. If or when they do, they know He will gently guide them back to the truth by His indwelling Spirit, confirming the completed canon of Scripture, the protective framework of the Spirit indwelt brothers and sisters of the community and support from the elders (John 14:16-17, 26; 16:13-15; Acts 2:42; 1 Timothy 2:2; 3:2; Titus 1:9; 1 John 2:27). Dependence on the Spirit to protect and preserve doctrinal truth requires a lifestyle of active faith, prayer, and sensitivity to the indwelling Spirit of God. Thus, the protection of doctrinal purity is a collective, faithful, Spirit-filled endeavor. In contrast to the early church, the New Testament ecclesia of today has the luxury of being taught from the completed canon of Scripture. Nevertheless, Bible teaching continues to be effective only to the extent that faithful men understand that they are not the source of teaching. By faith alone, the spiritually mature teacher recognizes that the indwelling Spirit of Christ is the only source of teaching that is eternally significant. The simple function, form, emphasis, manifestation, cultivation, and government of the New Testament church are recognized by a simple doctrine: |
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Simple Order
From an earthly perspective, the gatherings of the New Testament church might appear spontaneous. However, they are not. New Testament church gatherings are subject to an eternal order. Concordant with New Testament revelation, the order is graciously derived from the Spirit of God by mutual submission to the headship of Christ and one another; the fullness and consequent movement of the indwelling Spirit; dependent, faith; and prayer (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:26; Ephesians 5:18-21; Colossians 3:16; etc.). According to the Apostle Paul, “…all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner” (1 Corinthians 14:40). The simple function, form, emphasis, manifestation, cultivation government, and doctrine of the New Testament church are characterized by a simple order: |
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Simple Practice
The simple practice of the New Testament church is a celebration of shared life with God. Congruent with the teaching and tradition of the apostles and fervent prayer, it is fulfilled by collective submission to the immediate headship of Christ. By the fullness of His indwelling Spirit, the simple practice of the New Testament church is characterized by the interactive ministry of eternal life (zoe) through the spiritually gifted involvement of every member of the body. The primary activity of the New Testament church gathering is the celebration of the Lord’s Supper together as a full meal. The early church referred to it as the “Love Feast” (cf. Matthew 26:26; Acts 2:46; 20:11; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; 2 Peter 2:13; Jude 12). All other activities of the gathering are generally considered part of the “Love Feast.” For example, while partaking of each course of the “Love Feast,” the gathered joyfully seek God in the fullness of His Spirit through purposeful prayer; intentional community interaction; the Lord’s Supper as a full, celebratory meal; the fellowship of the Spirit; reading and discussing Scripture; participatory praise and worship in song; spiritually-gifted interactive ministry to one another; the joyful giving of material goods and finances to meet actual needs; corrective spiritual discipline; and cooperative discipleship (2 Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:1; etc.). The typical gatherings of the New Testament church are intergenerational. Therefore, rather than being segregated in special classrooms, children are an integral part of the gatherings of the ecclesia. The simple function, form, emphasis, manifestation, cultivation, government, doctrine, and order of the New Testament church are recognized by a simple practice: |
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