For the believer who accepts apostolic doctrine and practice as his sole guide and authority in the christian pathway, the ground of gathering for fellowship and service is clearly identified in Scripture as the local church or assembly. For others, the tracing of divine intention in this regard may prove confusing, with common failure to distinguish in the New Testament between local testimony (1 Cor.1:2) and the church which is His body (1 Cor.12:13, Eph.5:23-27), sometimes mistakenly called the universal church. This in turn blurs the distinction between the scriptural pattern for local church testimony and the error of Christendom. (The church in its wider, heavenly, aspect includes all believers, and is essentially eternal in concept and character, the greater part of it being now in heaven awaiting completion and the day of presentation).
That God has pre-determined the nature of local christian gathering and everything pertaining to it, as He did for His earthly people Israel, would be hard to deny on the evidence of Scripture. The greater part of the New Testament (the letters to local churches) is devoted to the subject and its precepts and principles constitute the commandments of the Lord (1 Cor.14:37).
The Assembly Identified:
Whilst not a letter to a local church, the epistle to the Hebrews is helpful in tracing the divine pattern for present testimony, in that it treats of the new order revealed in the christian system, showing the necessity for the Hebrew Christians to go forth from the camp of (pseudo) Judaism in order to gather to the Lord (Heb.13:13). Though God-given Judaism had long been degenerate in the hands of the nation, it scarcely seemed credible to the new christian converts that their national religion had forfeited the right to divine presence and blessing. Its tragic decline was marked, significantly, by departure from the scriptural pattern laid down by God (Jer.9:13). When God left the Jewish system, albeit for a season, it marked a turning point in the outworking of divine purpose and the introduction of a new and spiritual order – Christianity. It is at this juncture that the believer can identify with the disciples in John 1:38 to ask, “Master, where dwellest thou?” The divine response, “Come and see”, may be considered an invitation to the seeking believer to search the Scriptures in order to discover God’s dwelling place in the present outworking of eternal purpose. Diligent searching of New Testament Scripture brings to light the relevant context of 1 Cor.3:9-16, in which the local church is revealed to be the place where God has set His name – it is His garden, His building and His temple. The divine credentials of the assembly are thus firmly established for all who are willing to acknowledge the primacy of Scripture in these matters (2 Tim.3:16).
The Assembly and Christendom:
The nature of the christian system as an identifiable entity now becomes clear; it has been enshrined by God in the simple yet spiritually profound local gathering of believers meeting in accordance with the divine pattern laid down in the New Testament. This is the wisdom of God and, as such, proves to be a stumbling-block to many. If, therefore, the practice of Christianity is revealed to be assembly-based by divine decree, it follows that all organised “Christian” activity outside this God-ordained sphere is not strictly speaking Christianity at all, despite its posturing as such. Rather it is humanly-devised religion utilising the Bible and the name of God to suit its purpose – it is Christendom. For those who have not hitherto recognised that Christianity and Christendom are quite different and wholly opposed systems, it should now be made clear that Christendom describes the sum of professing christian sects and denominations popularly supposed to represent Christianity in the world. Their common ground is that they count religious tradition more important than the divine revelation of Scripture. On account of its counterfeit nature, Christendom is identified in Scripture as a satanic agency that will one day be the subject of God’s wrath and judgment (Rev.18:21). It is freely acknowledged that there are many believers in Christendom, and it should not be thought that they will be subject to this same judgment. If they do not come out beforehand in response to such divine promptings as 2 Cor.6:14-18 and Rev.18:4, they will be separated by the direct intervention of God at the coming of the Lord for His church (1 Thess.4:16-17).
Divine Character:
As we have seen, I Cor.3 presents the assembly in three distinct ways – as God’s husbandry (tillage) or garden, as His building and as His temple. Now, the things of God are spiritually discerned (2:14) and it is thus that we approach the context of this chapter for spiritual instruction. Viewed as the divine garden, the assembly takes its place in the line of God’s gardens from Eden to Revelation (a most profitable study), showing us that God ever had in view the ideal environment for the new man, a divinely appointed place for growth and fruit-bearing, a sphere in which He could function as Father to His people (2 Cor.6:17-18) and in which fulness of blessing could be known.
The assembly as God’s building brings before us the truth of believer-location, the place for living stones (I Pet.2:5) showing that the local church is a spiritual building composed of believers, an edifice for and of God. (That the building in I Pet.2:5 may be considered by some to be the wider church of all believers, the mystical body of Christ, does not alter the fact that the same truth applies equally to the local church; the offering of spiritual sacrifices is an assembly exercise). It is not enough, therefore, to have been placed by God into the heavenly edifice; our present calling is clearly to the local sphere of God’s purpose on earth, the assembly.
Then thirdly, the assembly has the character of God’s temple, teaching us that it is the place of divine presence, God in the midst of His people, the appointed sphere of service where worship is wont to be made. God has made a spiritual habitation for His people in the present outworking of divine purpose, and its position is clearly defined as being outside of and separated from the camp of man’s religious system. Happy indeed are they who find it and become purposeful for God in Christian service that stands the test of His Word; this is genuine and demonstrable leading of the Spirit.
Preserving the Character:
In studying the Bible it is most important to distinguish the things that differ. Having identified three entities, the assembly, the Church which is His body, and Christendom, we are able to clarify important truths having a practical bearing on the christian’s walk in assembly fellowship. For instance, we see that the only qualification for membership of the Church, the mystical body of Christ, is divine life and that being a part of it is not a matter over which we exercise any choice; once we believe, we are in it by God’s choice. With the local church, however, it is quite different, for we find that fellowship is based on light (I John 1:17), that body of truth – the apostles’ doctrine – referred to in Jude 3, and membership is a matter of personal exercise and choice within that framework.
Again, the believer cannot be excommunicated from the body of Christ, but he can be put out of the local church (I Cor.5:13, 1 Tim.1:20). Confusion over these differing entities inevitably leads to error.
Consider for instance the practice of some assemblies which receive believers from Christendom to the breaking of bread meeting. Their claim is that life in Christ, or in some cases new life plus baptism, is all that is required. Now this is at odds with the doctrinal basis of fellowship and with the divine statement that worship must be “in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Others suggest that the scripture, “Let a man examine himself ….” (I Cor.11:28) implies that the responsibility for participation at the breaking of bread lies solely with the individual believer, and that anyone can therefore take part. That this is a travesty of the truth and represents abdication of responsibility on the part of overseeing brethren will be apparent to many. Clearly, the apostle is addressing those already in fellowship, and the examining has to do with ensuring a right appreciation of the spiritual nature of the emblems, something the Corinthians were signally failing to do at the time of the apostle’s warning.
Believers from Christendom, who judging by their associations do not subscribe to God’s order and have no intention of doing so, may by all means attend the meeting for the breaking of bread, but it should be made clear that their place is that of an observer and not a participant in a fellowship with which they have so little sympathy. In thus beholding godly order it may be that they will be convicted by the Spirit as to the truth of the assembly position.
Responsible Service:
Assembly fellowship (“walking in the light, 1 John 1:7) carries with it responsibility to uphold the scriptural pattern thus embraced (Jude 3) and so effectively precludes any thought of participation in the denominational activities of Christendom. A believer can hardly claim to subscribe to the truth of the assembly position with its implied condemnation of all else and at the same time have fellowship with a system that is contrary to the mind of God. Notwithstanding, some have sought to justify preaching the gospel on denominational platforms by appealing to the universal commission of Mark 16:15. It must be pointed out that such an interpretation of this scripture contradicts the servant’s responsibility to do God’s work in God’s way, that is, to serve within the framework of scriptural church principles. It was never divine intention that the gospel should be seen as a frenetic activity discharged at any price and regardless of circumstances to the compromising of both Scripture and servant. There is no scriptural warrant whatever for those who have taken the assembly position to dabble in the sects and missions of this world, no matter how socially and evangelically excellent such work may appear to be. To engage in this type of activity is to betray and deny all that God’s assembly represents; perhaps it is not too much to say that it is rebellion.
This principle applies in fullest measure to such activities as the “Mission England” crusade, spearheaded by Christendom’s foremost evangelical instrument of ecumenicalism. Responsible brethren are accountable to the Chief Shepherd to see that the assembly and all it stands for in divine purpose is not compromised by involvement in any of these excursions. The believer is not seen in Scripture as a freelance agent doing his own thing. God is not to be trifled with in matters affecting His temple, and the principle of judgment beginning at the house of God must ever be borne in mind when weighing these issues (1 Cor.11:30-32).
There is a mode of spiritual conduct befitting assembly fellowship (1 Tim.3:15) that is all too little in evidence in these days of gross departure. The truth that Christ died for the church, His bride, is equally true of the assembly. How exceedingly precious, therefore, is the local church to God (Acts 9:4-5) and how correspondingly faithful we should be in handling assembly matters. Slackness in divine things leads to spiritual degeneration. So, on the authority of God’s Word we can state unequivocally that the assembly is God’s uniquely appointed place of fellowship and service for believers, heaven’s declared sphere of christian operation on earth.
Sovereignty and Service:
There is little doubt that some will have difficulty in reconciling these truths with the obvious fact that God uses the sects and campaigns of Christendom to the saving of souls, and blesses initiatives of faith outside His appointed sphere of operation. How then can they be wrong if God’s approval appears, on this evidence, to rest upon their efforts? It is an apparent contradiction that requires an answer. This view supposes that divine blessing is indicative of divine approval; it also poses the question of how a righteous God can use an unrighteous instrument for the accomplishing of divine purpose in salvation, without compromising His righteousness.
The answer, primarily, is that God, unlike the believer, is sovereign and so has the ability and the right to take up whom He will for His purpose; believer or unbeliever, obedient or disobedient, even one in outright opposition. Is He not the God who used Pharaoh for His purpose (Rom.9:17), who gave blessing despite the disobedience of Moses (Num.20:8-12) and who has said that His gifts and calling are without repentance (Rom11:29)? He is indeed. The failure of believers to respond aright to divine revelation will never cause divine purpose to be frustrated.
A further consideration in this matter is that God has committed power for the outworking of eternal purpose to His Word, so that no matter who may use it and in whatever circumstance, it is powerful and effective. God may righteously use whom He will because He is God, and is committed to honour His Word and the principle of faith, irrespective of the circumstance. Clearly, God’s sovereign overruling in Christian failure in no way signals that we may embark on indiscriminate service; far be the thought! Rather, it is the case that blessing in gospel work and full-time endeavour that is contrary to the pattern of Scripture demonstrates the sovereignty of God operating in circumstances to which we are not called.
Despite this, it is not uncommon to hear brethren state with conviction that they have been led or called to some particular work outside the sphere of the assembly. In the light of Scripture we can say with respect that such convictions are wholly mistaken, for God never calls or leads anyone contrary to His Word. That is not to deny that many who have ventured forth in admirable zeal and enthusiasm have seen blessing, but then as we have seen, Moses had to learn the bitter lesson that blessing is not indicative of approval.
Let us see to it then, that we abide by the divine pattern in our service, having first been prepared for it by God and then ideally commended to it by our brethren. Need, of itself, never constitutes a call.
True Service:
Finally, it is no coincidence that the context of 1 Cor.3 includes reference to the divine evaluation of christian service in a future day. God clearly counts obedience – the true nature of the believer’s call – to be vital in the matters of the faith. Gold, silver and precious stones are what He desires. The reality of service is often so very different – worthless wood, hay and stubble, the stark result of pseudo-christian activity. Zeal and enthusiasm are admirable qualities but they will never be acceptable as substitutes for doing God’s work in God’s way. In all our movements for Him, therefore, God would have us to be motivated by intelligent appreciation of the divine pattern, that way of simple obedience that bespeaks our recognition of the obligations placed upon us by the words of our Lord, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). So will we gladden His heart and be able with confidence to contemplate that soon-coming day of appraisal.