WHAT SAY THE SCRIPTURES?

After dinner on that day, Robert and Mary Davis prayerfully and reverently began a study on the New Testament church. They had not, as we have intimated before, made any particular effort to ascertain what the Scriptures had to say about this subject. It was not until circumstances forced the issue upon them that any particular concern about it entered into their minds. On this day, however, they began a most earnest investigation of the matter. They had determined beforehand to accept whatever the Scriptures had to say about it, and to abide by their teachings.

“I have a concordance ready, Mary,” said Robert, “so let us begin. May God direct us in this Bible study.”

“I shall bring the Scripture textbook and the Bible,” said Mary. “I am ready.”

“I suppose that we may as well take the first text in the concordance,” said Robert. “It is Mat:18.”

“’And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,’” read Mary.

“I have heard a few discussions about the ‘rock’ of this text,” said Robert. “Some affirm that it means Peter, others that it means Peter’s confession, and still others that it means Christ. I do not know which is right, but I believe Christ is the real rock. Anyway, Mary, it teaches that Christ did build a church, doesn’t it? and that it should not be overthrown. Read Acts 2:47.”

“’Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved,’” read Mary. “Then the church was built by this time, wasn’t it? ’And the Lord added to the church,’ Then I wonder if they joined the church? How did the Lord add them?”

“I do not know,” said Robert, “maybe there was no joining in that day. It may be that as soon as they were saved they were counted members of the church. There are several texts here in Acts about the church. ’There was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem,’ (Acts 8:1); they ‘ordained them elders in every church’ (Acts 14:23); Paul ‘saluted the church’ (Acts 18:22), etc. Well, there was an early church, judging from these texts, which corroborates the words of Jesus who said He would build a church.”

“What was the name of that church?” asked Mary. “Are there any texts that show what it was called?”

“Let us see. Here is a text Acts 20:28. See what that verse says,” replied Robert.

“’Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood,’” said Mary.

“Here is another text 1 Co:2,” said Robert.

“’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,’” read Mary.

“Here is another with ‘church of God’ in it 1 Co:32, and another in Ga:13; also one in I Ti:5. All of these have ’church of God’ in them. Oh, yes, I skipped one text in I Co:9,” said Robert. “That is a good name. It shows that it is God’s church.”

“What have we learned so far?” asked Mary. “We have learned that Christ built the church, and that it was named the church of God. What else can we learn about it? I would like to know who the members were, and how they were made members.”

“Maybe there are Bible answers to these questions,” said Robert. “See Co:24.”

“’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.’ This says the church is His body. Are there any texts to explain that?” said Mary.

“Try Co:18,” said Robert.

“‘And he is the head of the body, the church,’” Mary read.

“Read Ep:22, 23,” said Robert.

“’And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.’”

“I guess we shall have to look up the word ‘body’ to find out just what it is,” said Robert. “Here is I Co: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.’”

“Try Romans 12:4, 5,” said Robert.

“’For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.’”

“This makes it plainer,” said Robert. “As I see it now, Christ’s body is the church, and the church is His people. That is logical. Just like my body, it has a variety of members, yet it is just one body. So Paul says the church is.”

“How do persons get into this church of God? Mr. Jones asked us to join the church. So did Mr. Perkins, and Mr. Johnson. They said that they would open the door and receive members. But, Robert, I feel, yes, thank the Lord, I know that I am saved, and yet I am not a member of any church. How can this be?” asked Mary.

“I do not know about that, Mary,” replied Robert. “Maybe you are a church member, after all. Let us see another text. Yes, don’t you remember Acts 2:47, which said that ’the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved’? If salvation made them members then why does not salvation make us members now? Why, Mary, surely it does. This must correspond with Paul’s saying that we read from I Co:13, about the Spirit baptizing us all into one body. I begin to see now that we get into the church that Jesus built by being saved through the Spirit, and that salvation makes us members of the church. Well, praise God for these truths! They fit right into my heart.”

“Now another point seems plain,” resumed Robert, “the church, in order to be pure, must have only saved members. And Jesus would not add any but saved members. I see that.”

“And more than that,” said Mary, “if Christ adds the members, then every Christian is bound to be a member, isn’t he?”

“That must be right,” said Robert.

“But that would make one big church, Robert, and you know everybody cannot see alike about the church,” said Mary.

“Why not, Mary? If Jesus built a church, and if He adds the members, and if all the members are saved, and if the Spirit puts them all into one body, and that body is the church, and if He named it, why then would it not be the right church? I do not see how anyone could be a Christian without being in this church,” said Robert.

“Is not the church of God what Pastor Jones called the ’invisible church’ and are not all the denominations together the visible church?” asked Mary.

“Invisible church! Why, was all that early church invisible, Mary? Impossible! Paul persecuted the church, it says. There was something visible to persecute, was there not? Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. Surely there was something to write to. What puzzles me, though, is where this church is today. It is plain enough that the early New Testament church was visible, and that it was organized, and had ministers and government. It had power and grace also, and it grew rapidly, and spread over much of the Roman Empire even before the death of the apostles. But where is it now? This is a mystery to me,” and Robert was troubled.

“What have we found so far through reading the Scriptures this afternoon?” said Robert. “Let us make a summary of the points we have found, and write them down. Get some paper, please, dear. Let us keep a record of our findings. We promised the Lord to abide by His words. Jesus said one time: ‘Thy word is truth’; so, whatever the Scriptures say must be right.”

“Here is paper and pen and ink,” said Mary.

“Very well,” said Robert, “thank you. Put down

“1. Jesus Christ promised, or affirmed that He would build a church, one which was to be His church (Mat:18).

“2. That church was to stand forever (same text).

“3. The Lord added members to that church (Acts 2:47).

“4. Salvation made them members of the church (same text).

“5. The name of that church is, or was, the church of God (Acts 20:28, and other texts).

“6. The church of God was visible in New Testament times (1 Co:2).

“7. The church was the body of Christ (Ep:22, 23; Co:24).

“8. The Spirit placed every saved one in this one body (1 Co:13; Ro:4, 5).

“9. Hence, it must have contained all the Christians.

“10. And, therefore, the apostolic church of true believers the spiritual body of Christ; and the church-members the collective body of worshippers, were identical. When you saw one, you saw the other.”

“That is as far as we have gone, Mary. But we are not through the New Testament yet. I was just counting, and there are about one hundred texts in which the word ‘church’ occurs. But, it seems to me we have learned a great deal. I can see plainly enough that there was only one church in the early era of Christianity. All the ministers were welcome in every congregation. They all went by one name. There was probably only one congregation in any one city. I do not know whether they had a class-book or not, but they were united in Christ. Well, fold that sheet up, Mary; that contains the summary of our work this afternoon. We may derive some value from it later on.”

“But, I am really puzzled,” continued Robert. “Something certainly has happened to the church since the apostles’ day. It is all divided now. I believe some said that there are hundreds of denominations in the world now. But I am determined on this that I will not join any church until this mystery as to its history has been cleared up, and I can see definitely the will of God in the matter. It is possible, Mary, that this church of God, which this paper stands for, may be what we are looking for. It has a Bible name, which is one thing In its favor. But we shall wait. I take my stand, here and now, God helping me, for Christ’s pure church. I will look until my dying day to find it on earth, and will pray Almighty God to establish a congregation of this church here in order that it may show forth what God can do for men.”

So powerfully was Robert moved that he proposed that they pray. In prayer, Robert renewed his covenant to walk in all of God’s light.

“Dear heavenly Father,” he said, “we have been studying thy Word in an effort to find out which church we should join. Lead us, guide us aright in this matter, we pray. Our souls crave spiritual communion with thy saints. Show us Thy people. Plant such a church as we have found in the Scriptures and which we know existed in Bible times; plant a congregation of Thy church in our midst, O Father. Do not forsake us, but lead us. Amen.”