Parousia, The End of the World- What is the Church?
What is the Church?
If you lose Heaven, you lose everything; if you gain Heaven, you gain everything. God tests and proves us by the common occurrences of life. It is the little things which reveal the chapters of the heart. It is a great thing to be a child of God, and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ.
The Bible calls the church “the body of Christ” that He nourishes and cares for as He does Himself (Eph. 5). The church is His glorious temple, in which He is pleased to dwell (Rev. 21:3). It is His fullness, in the sense that the Father in heaven promised Jesus a great reward that includes His church.
Luther’s view of the church and its ministry are both grounded in the Word of God, the promulgation of the gospel. The church exists wherever the Word of God is proclaimed, and the church is a spiritual community oriented to and shaped by this Word in its life by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We believe that a true Christian church is a union of believing and baptized Christians, who have covenanted to strive to keep all that Christ has commanded, to sustain public worship, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to choose among themselves shepherds or overseers, and deacons, to administer baptism and the Lord’s Supper, to practice Christian church-discipline, to promote godliness and brotherly love, and to contribute to the general spread of the gospel; also that every such church is an independent body, free in its relation to other Christian churches and acknowledging Christ only as its head.
In his On Councils and the Church (1539), Luther spoke directly about this circular relationship between gospel and Church: “God’s word cannot be without God’s people, and conversely, God’s people cannot be without God’s word.”
The Meaning of the Church
The word church is used quite loosely at times, some even applying it to the edifice where believers may meet for worship. Such a structure may be a church building or something that serves for the purpose of assembly, but it certainly could not be the “church.” The church is composed of individuals who are “called out” from the world. They heed the call to come out, and then find a home in what the Scriptures designate the “church.” The church, then, is made up of living persons banded together in Christian fellowship. It is composed of those who espouse the cause of Christ, who believe in the teachings of Jesus, and who pledge themselves to propagate “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
The Greek word for church is ekklesia, and really means “assembly.” The word is so rendered in Acts 19:32, 39, 41. This word is used also in the Septuagint Version of the Old Testament and is rendered “assembly” in Deuteronomy 18:16 and 2 Chronicles 30:23; and “congregation” in Psalm 22:22 and 107:32.
The word “church” is a term used to characterize God’s people, not only in New Testament days, but also in the days of Moses and David. Luke in his story in the book of Acts calls attention to “the church in the wilderness” at the time the Angel of the covenant was leading the children of the Most High. (Acts 7:38.) It is referred to in the songs of Israel, where we read, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints.” Psalm 89:7. The word “assembly” in this text is from the Greek word ekklesia, which in the New Testament is generally rendered “church.”
The Scope of the Church
God’s church has an even wider significance than in its application to men and women gathered out of this world of sin; it applies also to the millions of the angelic host. In the book of Hebrews the writer pictures “an innumerable company of angels” and “the general assembly and church of the firstborn.” The latter expression refers to God’s church on earth, to those whose names are written in heaven; the expression “the innumerable company of angels” has reference to a large assembly of angels in the courts above. The Authorized Version hardly indicates this, but the Greek text does. The Interlinear translation renders this phrase “to millions of angels, [the] universal gathering.”
The thought that God has a church on earth and a church in heaven is expressed in the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy as follows:
“The church of God below is one with the church of God above. Believers on the earth and the beings in heaven who have never fallen constitute one church. Every heavenly intelligence is interested in the assemblies of the saints who on earth meet to worship God. In the inner court of heaven they listen to the testimony of the witnesses for Christ in the outer court on earth.”—Testimonies for the Church 6:366.
God plans to exhibit His victorious church to the unfallen worlds throughout the days of eternity. Even now the church is a spectacle and a wonder to the hosts above.
“The angels of God, seraphim and cherubim, the powers commissioned to cooperate with human agencies, look on with astonishment and joy, that fallen men, once children of wrath, are through the training of Christ developing character after the divine similitude, to be sons and daughters of God, to act an important part in the occupations and pleasures of heaven.”—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 18
But throughout the endless ages they will be an eternal evidence of God’s mighty power to save. The church will reveal to the hosts of angel beings, as well as to the inhabitants of those sinless realms, the glory and power of that matchless redemption which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!
The Foundation of the Church
The church of God is built upon a solid foundation. It could not be otherwise. The church is the church of God, and if it is God’s church, it is His property; it surely would have a foundation as enduring as He Himself. One could not conceive of anything but this. Nothing earthly, nothing sinful, nothing ephemeral, could provide a foundation for the church of the living God; only God Himself could provide and be such a foundation. This was clearly emphasized by Christ Jesus in His talk with Peter and the apostles when He was here on earth.
“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.” Matthew 16:18.
It is upon the Rock that the church of Christ is to be founded. The people of God in the days of Jesus were well acquainted with this expression as it applied to Jehovah. It is to be found repeatedly in the Scriptures of truth. “He is the Rock” (Deuteronomy 32:4); He is “the Rock of his salvation” (verse 15); He is “the Rock of Israel” (2 Samuel 23:3); He is “the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2); He is the “rock of ages” (Isaiah 26:4, margin). He is the Rock that was with Israel in all their wanderings (Psalm 78:35). As God the Father is designated the “Rock,” so also is God the Son. He was the Angel of the covenant, the Angel of the presence of God; He was the Angel of the Lord in all His relationships with Israel. God’s name was in His Son (Exodus 23:21), and so Christ the Lord is called the Rock, just as is the eternal God. In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul, in reviewing some of the experiences of God’s ancient people, remarks, “And that Rock was Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10:4.)
“The apostles built upon a sure foundation, even the Rock of Ages.”—The Acts of the Apostles, 596.
“Christ, the true foundation, is a living stone.”—Mount of Blessing, p. 216,
“Christ, the Word, the revelation of God, the manifestation of His character, His law, His love, His life, is the only foundation upon which we can build a character that will endure.”—Ibid. pp. 213, 214.
But we read also that the apostles and prophets were the foundation of the church:
“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.” Ephesians 2:20.
This, of course, can hardly mean that the apostles and prophets constituted the foundation of the church. They could, however, and did lay the foundation. Paul makes reference to this in his letter to the church at Corinth in the following words:
“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation.” 1 Corinthians 3:10.
A sacred responsibility was entrusted to the apostles of Christ. God certainly made a wonderful revelation to them. He revealed to them His eternal purpose, for the apostle Paul mentions concerning the gospel he preached:
“Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” Ephesians 3:5.
Their work was of such an enduring character that it will be remembered throughout eternity. Their names actually appear in the foundations of the New Jerusalem. In describing it the apostle John mentions:
“And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:14.
The writings of the Spirit of prophecy also comment on this as follows:
“Upon the foundation that Christ Himself had laid, the apostles built the church of God.”—The Acts of the Apostles, 595.
“The apostles built upon a sure foundation, even the Rock of Ages. To this foundation they brought the stones they quarried from the world.”—The Acts of the Apostles, 596.
Some undoubtedly will raise a question about the words that Jesus addressed to Peter. The words as we find them in our Bible are: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.” Matthew 16:18.
Some have maintained that inasmuch as the name Peter means “rock,” then Peter must be the rock upon which the church is built. This, however, would present rather poor prospects for the Christian church. In the Old Testament church, Jehovah, the infallible God, was the foundation; now, in the New Testament church a poor fallible man is to be the foundation. One could hardly conceive that our God would ordain such a plan. If the infinite and mighty God was the Rock of Israel, and Peter is the rock of Christendom, then the gospel period has surely sunk unspeakably and miserably below the period that preceded it. No, such a thing could never be. This gospel age is glorious; now we are in the full blaze of the revelation of God’s purpose. Things that in other ages were not made known to man, are now revealed in the full light of the glorious gospel of the Son of God.
How, then, are we to understand the words of Jesus? What does He mean when He addresses Peter and says, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.” Is it on “Peter” that the church is built? Is he the rock? It is true his name means “stone,” but in the Greek language it is a different word from what Jesus used when He said, “Upon this rock.” This will be apparent when the wording of the text is given, and the Greek words for Peter and rock are introduced. Notice the following: “And I [Jesus] say also unto thee, that thou art Peter [petros], and upon this rock [petra] I will build my church.”
Here are two Greek words: petros meaning “a stone,” this word being in the masculine gender; and petra, meaning the “solid rock,” this word being in the feminine gender. In other words, we have a small stone and a mighty Gibraltar.
If Jesus had meant us to understand that He was building His church on Peter, He could have said, “Thou art Petros, and upon this petros I will build My church.” That at least would have been consistent, and no one could have misunderstood it. But He did not say that; neither did He say, “Thou art Peter, and upon thee will I build My church.” But He said what He meant to say, and His words were quite natural. Peter had said concerning Him, “Thou art the Christ”; now Christ says to Peter, “Thou art Peter.” Peter had made a unique and remarkable confession, that Christ was the Son of the living God. That was the truth, and He is the rock of our salvation, the rock upon which the church is founded. Mrs. E. G. White in her writings has given some helpful paragraphs concerning this.
“Jesus continued: ‘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.’ The word Peter signifies a stone,—a rolling stone. Peter was not the rock upon which the church was founded.”—The Desire of Ages, 412, 413.
“God has never given a hint in His word that He has appointed any man to be the head of the church.”—The Great Controversy, 51.
“Human power and human might did not establish the church of God, and neither can they destroy it. Not on the rock of human strength, but on Christ Jesus, the Rock of Ages, was the church founded, ‘and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’”—Prophets and Kings, 595, 596.
The Symbols
In order more fully to impress the hearts of His people, God has given many symbols, or figures, to set forth the work of the church. They set forth also the relation the church sustains to Him, the living Head, and they illustrate also the relationship He sustains to the members of His body. Some of these symbols are being listed as follows:
- The Church as an Army (Illustrative of Aggressive Warfare)
Every believer in Jesus, every member of the church of God, is a soldier of Christ. It is God’s purpose that he be a “good soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:3, 4.) Paul refers to Epaphroditus and Archippus as fellow soldiers in the conflict with the evil one. (Philippians 2:25; Philemon 2.) Christ our blessed Lord is the “captain” (Hebrews 2:10); He is the “leader and commander to the people” (Isaiah 55:4). Every soldier of the cross enlists under the command of our mighty General, and he is provided with full equipment for both defense and offense in the warfare against unrighteousness. Heaven’s provision is the “whole armor of God,” and this is complete equipment for the contest.
The accoutrements of the Roman soldier consisted of the following: the girdle or belt, the breastplate, the helmet, the shield, the sword, the shoes, including the leather shields for the legs, and the lance or spear. In the listing he gives in Ephesians 6 Paul mentions all these items of equipment except that of the spear. Here were items for the comfort and convenience of the warrior, such as shoes, leggings, the breastplate, and the girdle; there were parts of the equipment for defense, such as the helmet and the shield; there were also two important weapons for aggressive action, the sword and the spear. In Paul’s mention of the soldier’s armor he compares the various items to gospel truths, such as salvation, truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and the word of God. He refers also to prayer, urging the Christian soldier to pray always, “with all perseverance.” Might this be an indication of the use of the spear or the lance? The sword was for hand-to-hand conflict; the spear, which was thrown, for long-range service. Might this not indicate that while he was engaged with the enemy at close quarters, using the sword of the Spirit, he at the same time threw out the spear of importunate prayer in his earnest plea for divine help and victory? Yes, the “armor of God” is complete. It is the “armor of light” (Romans 13:12); it is the “armor of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 6:7).
“The church of Christ may be fitly compared to an army. The life of every soldier is one of toil, hardship, and danger. On every hand are vigilant foes, led on by the prince of the powers of darkness, who never slumbers and never deserts his post….
“All who enter the army are not to be generals, captains, sergeants, or even corporals. All have not the care and responsibility of leaders. There is hard work of other kinds to be done. Some must dig trenches and build fortifications; some are to stand as sentinels, some to carry messages. While there are but few officers, it requires many soldiers to form the rank and file of the army; yet its success depends upon the fidelity of every soldier.”—Testimonies for the Church 5:394, 395.
Christ, our mighty Captain, is the one who leads in this conflict, and He is a leader who never fails. The ultimate will be that the church will overcome “by the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 12:11.) Our Leader is invincible. He is the “captain of the Lord’s host.” (Joshua 5:15.) The marginal reading of verse 14 gives the word “prince,” and this is the same word used in the book of Daniel where reference is made to “Michael your prince.” (Daniel 10:21.) Here, then, is Michael, the Archangel (Jude 9), with a drawn sword in His hands, leading the hosts of God forward to triumphant victory.
- The Church as a Flock (Illustrative of Implicit Obedience)
This is one of the most beautiful symbols by which the church of Christ is known. The Lord speaks of His people as a flock, and encourages them with the words: “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32.
The shepherds are “to feed the flock of God” (1 Peter 5:2); they are “to feed the church of God” (Acts 20:28). Jesus says they are to “feed my sheep” (John 21:16); and also to “feed my lambs” (verse 15). All are to be provided for. The food is not to be placed so high in the rack that the lambs of the flock cannot reach it. All true shepherds will be “ensamples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:3); and day by day will be on the alert, so that they may adequately and proficiently “take heed … to all the flock” of God (Acts 20:28).
“Christ, the great example for all ministers, likens Himself to a shepherd. ‘I am the good shepherd,’ He declares; ‘the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.’ ‘I am the good shepherd, and know MY sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knows Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep.’ As an earthly shepherd knows his sheep, so does the divine Shepherd know His flock that are scattered throughout the world. ‘Ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, says the Lord God.’”—Gospel Workers, 181.
Our Savior and Lord, thank God, is the good shepherd. The psalmist centuries ago declared in that much-beloved song of praise, “The Lord is’ my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1. This is a wonderful truth. The Lord is not merely our shepherd; He is my shepherd. Not long ago in one of our church schools the teacher asked one of the little boys to recite the first verse of this psalm. He had evidently heard it many times, but his simple recitation expressed a remarkable truth. He said, “The Lord is my shepherd; that’s all I want.” Yes, Christ is a faithful shepherd; He not only cares for the sheep but loves the sheep.
Jesus, our blessed Lord, is not only the “good shepherd” (John 10:11) but also the “chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4). He is also that “great shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20), and still further, the “Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25). The word “shepherd” has a deep meaning for all ministers and church elders, for after all, they are the under shepherds. The Greek word rendered “shepherd” is also rendered “pastor” in both the Old and the New Testament. In Jeremiah 3:15 the Lord promises, “I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” This is the same word rendered “shepherd” in other places. The same thing is true in the New Testament, for when we read in Ephesians 4:11 of “pastors and teachers,” we may know that the word “pastors” is the same word that is rendered “shepherd” when reference is made to Jesus as the good shepherd. What a privilege to be a minister or an elder of the church of God, and yet what a solemn responsibility! How we need to keep close to the “chief Shepherd,” to learn of Him, and ever seek to be faithful shepherds of God’s church.
- The Church as a Temple (Illustrative of Perfect Organization)
This figure of the church brings us several important lessons concerning our church relationships. It is referred to by Paul in his letter to the church at Ephesus:
“In whom all the building fitly framed together grown unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom you also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:21, 22.
All the members of the church are “lively stones” (1 Peter 2:5), “Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20). This cornerstone was foreshadowed by Isaiah in the days of Israel when he mentioned:
“Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believes shall not make haste!” Isaiah 28:16.
This is applied to Christ the Lord by the apostle Peter (1 Peter 2:6), and it is evident from the use he makes of this scripture that he knew who was the rock on which the church was built. Peter never thought of himself in this connection; he knew it was Christ his Lord.
Many lessons concerning the organization of the church and the perfecting of Christian character are seen in the hewing and the shaping of the stones, in the process of polishing, and in all the work necessary for preparing them for their place in the temple of God.
“His church is to be a temple built after the divine similitude, and the angelic architect has brought his golden measuring rod from heaven, that every stone may be hewed and squared by the divine measurement, and polished to shine as an emblem of heaven, radiating in all directions the bright, clear beams of the Sun of Righteousness.”—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 17.
- The Church as a Vine (Illustrative of Intimate Fellowship)
This is another familiar figure, and very well known, not only to the members of the early church, but also to the Israelites of ancient days. In the days of Isaiah, Jehovah declared:
“The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant.” Isaiah 5:7. BSPC 152.3
Jeremiah also records the Lord as saying to His people, “Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed.” Jeremiah 2:21. From Ezekiel also came the word:
“It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.” Ezekiel 17:8.
Then after all the years of tender care and faithful husbandry, the Lord laments through Hosea:
“Israel is an empty vine, he brings forth fruit unto himself.” Hosea 10:1.
When the Savior was here among men He gave to His people one of the most comforting and helpful, lessons of this intimate fellowship He sustains with them:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.” John 15:1
“I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.” Verse 5.
“Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples.” Verse 8.
How we all need to learn the lesson of abiding in Christ. It is not trying to be good; it is not our efforts to do the will of God. What is called for is abiding in Him. This means a restful, quiet yielding to His will, a willingness to let Him mold and fashion us according to the divine pattern. Christ Jesus is the vine stock; we are the branches. May we learn restfully to abide in Him. But such an experience will not be all resting; it will mean also vigilance and earnest labor for God. We must learn to be active in His service and yet be restful in spirit. We need to learn how to “rest in the Lord” and how to work for God at the same time. He desires that we grow in usefulness in His work. He wishes us to bear fruit, to “bring forth more fruit” (verse 2), to grow in experience that we bring “forth much fruit” (verse 5), and also that our fruit might remain (verse 16).
“It was when Christ was about to take leave of His disciples that He gave them the beautiful emblem of His relation to believers. He had been presenting before them the close union with Himself by which they could maintain spiritual life when His visible presence was withdrawn. To impress it upon their minds He gave them the vine as its most striking and appropriate symbol.”—Testimonies for the Church 5:229, 230.
Today the Lord is looking for much fruit from the branches of the vine. May we not disappoint Him, but may we so labor that by and by we may hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
- The Church Is His Body (Illustrative of Sympathetic Union)
This figure appears many times, and it is one of the most freely used New Testament symbols. We read:
“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.” Romans 12:4, 5. This body of Christ is His church, and of this Christ our Lord is the head.
“And he is the head of the body, the church.” Colossians 1:18.
“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 fullness of him that fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:22, 23.
The tender, affectionate relationship that should exist among all the members of the church is beautifully illustrated by the relation that each part of the human body sustains to the whole.
“For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now bath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it bath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.” 1 Corinthians 12:14-22.
“By a comparison of the church with the human body, the apostle aptly illustrated the close and harmonious relationship that should exist among all members of the church of Christ.”—The Acts of the Apostles, 317.
There are several other symbols used to illustrate various aspects of the relationship of Christ to His people, and the following might be studied with profit:
| A garden | 1 Corinthians 3:8, 9 | The Acts of the Apostles, 275 |
| A fortress | Psalm 48:1, 12 | The Acts of the Apostles, 11 |
| A vineyard | Luke 20:9-18 | Christ’s Object Lessons, 296, 297 |
| A woman | 2 Corinthians 11:2; Jeremiah 3:14 | The Great Controversy, 381 |
| A city on a hill | Matthew 5:14 | The Acts of the Apostles, 12 |
| A candlestick | Revelation 1:20 | The Acts of the Apostles, 585 |
| A fountain of life | Ezekiel 47:8-12 | The Acts of the Apostles, 13 |
The Unity
One of the most desirable conditions, and one that we all like to see in the church of God, is a spirit of unity among the believers. Generally speaking, this is a rare commodity on the spiritual market. It may be that the reason we see so little unity in church life is that there is so little unity in the family life of the children of God. One of the tragedies of our time is the wrecked homes we see on every hand. There is a lack of willingness to bear and forbear within the family. To have a greater degree of unity in God’s church, however, will call for a greater degree of unity and love in each Christian family.
This is one of the vital needs to an effective witness by the church. If unity exists, it is a powerful recommendation for Christ and His claims to the world. Jesus Himself reminds us, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” John 13:35.
Mrs. E. G. White has well remarked:
“It is the will of God that union and brotherly love should exist among His people. The prayer of Christ just before His crucifixion was that His disciples might be one as He is one with the Father, that the world might believe that God had sent Him. This most touching and wonderful prayer reaches down the ages, even to our day; for His words were, ‘Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word.’ While we are not to sacrifice one principle of truth, it should be our constant aim to reach this state of unity. This is the evidence of our discipleship.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, 520.
The word “unity” appears but three times in the entire Bible. There is one reference in the Old Testament and two in the New. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesian church, calls attention to “the unity of the faith” and “the unity of the Spirit.” (Ephesians 4:13, 3.) One of these references pertains to doctrine; the other to relationship. The sweet singer of Israel was certainly impressed with the idea of love among the brethren, for he mentions, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133:1.
On the question of doctrine, it is important that the church be united in its teaching. In such matters we need, as the gospel prophet of the Old Testament counsels, to “see eye to eye” (Isaiah 52:8), and as the apostle to the Gentiles reminds us, to “all speak the same thing” (1 Corinthians 1:10).
The prayer of Jesus for His church indicates His own deep longing for an abiding fellowship among His people. No less than five times in His prayer in John 17 do we find an expression like this: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us.” Verse 21. He showed also how this inestimable relationship might be brought about when He prayed, “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.” Verse 23. It is a good thing at all times for the church to move together, to move as a united whole. This will mean much for their influence, not only upon themselves, but upon those who are ever ready to find fault with God’s people. Jesus told us what this would mean to the world.
“That the world may believe that thou has sent me.” Verse 21.
“That the world may know that thou has sent me, and has loved them.” Verse 23.
Unity, however, does not mean that everybody must be cast in or pressed into the same mold. There will be opportunity for each individual to work in his own way and yet maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is such a thing as unity in diversity.
“God has different ways of working, and He has different workmen to whom He entrusts varied gifts. One worker may be a ready speaker; another a ready writer; another may have the gift of sincere, earnest, fervent prayer; another the gift of singing; another may have special power to explain the word of God with clearness. And each gift is to become a power for God, because He works with the laborer. To one God gives the word of wisdom, to another knowledge, to another faith; but all are to work under the same Head. The diversity of gifts leads to a diversity of operations; but ‘it is the same God which works all in all.’”—Gospel Workers, 483.
Such a situation can be brought about, however, only by each member’s remembering that he is part of the general body. He cannot move independently; he must move in concert with others. At times this will call for giving up something; it will mean the surrender of one’s own judgment to the judgment of the church. God’s counsel on this is plain, for He says:
“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves.” Hebrews 13:17.
“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” Ephesians 5:21.
“All of you be subject one to another.” 1 Peter 5:5.
Vital counsel has been given to the remnant church on this question.
“Church relationship is not to be lightly canceled; yet when the path of some professed followers of Christ is crossed, or when their voice has not the controlling influence which they think it deserves, they will threaten to leave the church. True, in leaving the church they would themselves be the greatest sufferers; for in withdrawing beyond the pale of its influence, they subject themselves to the full temptations of the world.”—Testimonies for the Church 4:17, 18.
If you lose Heaven, you lose everything; if you gain Heaven, you gain everything. God tests and proves us by the common occurrences of life. It is the little things which reveal the chapters of the heart. It is a great thing to be a child of God, and joint-heir with Jesus Christ.
The Bible calls the church “the body of Christ” that He nourishes and cares for as He does Himself (Eph. 5). The church is His glorious temple, in which He is pleased to dwell (Rev. 21:3). It is His fullness, in the sense that the Father in heaven promised Jesus a great reward that includes His church.
Luther’s view of the church and its ministry are both grounded in the Word of God, the promulgation of the gospel. The church exists wherever the Word of God is proclaimed, and the church is a spiritual community oriented to and shaped by this Word in its life by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In his On Councils and the Church (1539), Luther spoke directly about this circular relationship between gospel and Church: “God’s word cannot be without God’s people, and conversely, God’s people cannot be without God’s word.”
Parousia, The End of the World- What is the Church?
