Why so much about Church?
For more than three decades, I have studied the Bible, methodically and meticulously. The more I study the New Testament, the more I am impressed with the emphasis it puts on the church. It’s everywhere. In the middle of His ministry, Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Mt. 16:18). At the end of His earthly ministry, He gave the Great Commission (Mt. 28:19-20). As has been pointed, according to the book of Acts, that was done by establishing churches.
That is only the beginning. Paul addressed most his epistles to churches. The subject of 1 Corinthians is “disorders in the church.” Galatians deals with error in churches. The theme of Ephesians is “our calling to the church.” The subject of 1 Timothy is “conduct in the church” and the point of Titus is putting things in order in churches. Hebrews exhorts believers not “forsake the assembling of yourselves together” (Heb. 10:25). First Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, and Revelation are addressed to churches. Does God put a premium on the church? Well, Christ died for the church (Eph. 5:25).
Why all the emphasis on the church? Among other things, consider what Paul told the Colossians. The purpose of his struggle for them was “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and understanding” (Col. 2:2-3).
Being knit together in love produces a “full understanding,” the conviction and confidence that one comprehends the truth and that it is the truth he or she comprehends. The expression “knit together” suggests that God’s revelation cannot be understood “in isolation from the fellowship of other Christians” (Vaughan), that the revelation of God cannot be known apart from the “brotherly love within the community” (Bruce). According to Paul, a believer cannot be spiritually mature or wise apart from being part of a loving community of believers, called a church (see also Eph. 4:11-16).
Robert D. Putnam, a Harvard professor, has written a book entitled Bowling Alone. According to the Los Angles Times, this political scientist believes that he has “identified a central crisis of our times, the decline of group activity.” Since 1977, the proportion of married Americans who usually eat dinner with their families has dropped from 50% to 34%. “Picnics per capita” have plummeted by 60%. The consequences are an increasingly disconnected society, increasing individual malaise, physical illness and even suicide. He claims that American life has become too disconnected making us less happy, less healthy, and less wise. In an effort to get Americans to reconnect with each other, he urges us all to join something. Robert sounds like Paul.
You cannot believe in the New Testament and not believe in the church. You cannot practice what it teaches and not belong to and be active in a church. You cannot be spiritual mature apart from a loving church. Hence, the emphasis on the church.
© G. Michael Cocoris, 10/31/2000
That is only the beginning. Paul addressed most his epistles to churches. The subject of 1 Corinthians is “disorders in the church.” Galatians deals with error in churches. The theme of Ephesians is “our calling to the church.” The subject of 1 Timothy is “conduct in the church” and the point of Titus is putting things in order in churches. Hebrews exhorts believers not “forsake the assembling of yourselves together” (Heb. 10:25). First Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, and Revelation are addressed to churches. Does God put a premium on the church? Well, Christ died for the church (Eph. 5:25).
Why all the emphasis on the church? Among other things, consider what Paul told the Colossians. The purpose of his struggle for them was “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and understanding” (Col. 2:2-3).
Being knit together in love produces a “full understanding,” the conviction and confidence that one comprehends the truth and that it is the truth he or she comprehends. The expression “knit together” suggests that God’s revelation cannot be understood “in isolation from the fellowship of other Christians” (Vaughan), that the revelation of God cannot be known apart from the “brotherly love within the community” (Bruce). According to Paul, a believer cannot be spiritually mature or wise apart from being part of a loving community of believers, called a church (see also Eph. 4:11-16).
Robert D. Putnam, a Harvard professor, has written a book entitled Bowling Alone. According to the Los Angles Times, this political scientist believes that he has “identified a central crisis of our times, the decline of group activity.” Since 1977, the proportion of married Americans who usually eat dinner with their families has dropped from 50% to 34%. “Picnics per capita” have plummeted by 60%. The consequences are an increasingly disconnected society, increasing individual malaise, physical illness and even suicide. He claims that American life has become too disconnected making us less happy, less healthy, and less wise. In an effort to get Americans to reconnect with each other, he urges us all to join something. Robert sounds like Paul.
You cannot believe in the New Testament and not believe in the church. You cannot practice what it teaches and not belong to and be active in a church. You cannot be spiritual mature apart from a loving church. Hence, the emphasis on the church.
© G. Michael Cocoris, 10/31/2000
