02.09. Conclusions drawn from this Study

CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM OUR STUDY OF HOW NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHES RELATE TO ONE ANOTHER

None of the New Testament Churches considered themselves to be independent, and isolated. They were a part of a fraternity, a living organism, the breath of which was the Holy Spirit.

ß Relationships within the local churches, relationships with apostolic and other travelling ministries, relationships between the churches, these were a very real and vital part of their identity. That same perspective continued into the post-biblical era.

ß The relationships were not expressed organizationally. They were expressed organically and spiritually. It was not until the Third and Fourth Centuries that organization became more important than relationships.

ß There was enough conformity of doctrine and practice to give them a rather uniform identity. As members of a family resemble one another, so the churches throughout the Empire resembled one another.

ß Genuine fraternal concern for one another existed among the churches. This was expressed by their praying for one another, assisting one another financially, and encouraging one another through letters and visits.

ß There was unity. Jesus High Priestly Prayer, recorded in John 17:1-26, was answered with a, “YES,” between the New Testament Churches. Of course, there were exceptions to this idyllic picture, but this is the general description of the relationships between the churches.

It is easy for us to make application of these truths to contemporary New Testament Churches. We must be “family” to one another. Here are some ways that we will experience our relationships, ß Praying for one another. Internet and email have made it quite easy for us to alert one another to our special prayer needs. It especially is important to pray for sister churches during the Sunday worship service.

ß Encouraging one another. A phone call, an email, or a letter for no reason other than we are on one another’s minds is a wonderful way to share life together.

ß Assisting one another financially. There may be times in which the Holy Spirit will prompt us to take up an offering for a particular church.29 ß Sharing trans-local ministries. There are certain brothers that God has gifted and called to the ministry of edifying local churches; some are gifted in helping churches to put things in order; some are gifted in evangelism; some are teachers. Local churches should pray and seek God about whether or not to invite and whom to invite.

ß Inviting elders from one church to come and teach at another church. One way for our churches to have a sense of belonging to one another is to receive ministry from one another’s leaders.

ß Recommending or warning against certain teachers. It is dangerous to invite into a local church someone about whom leadership knows little. Great sorrow can be avoided if we ask one another about outside ministries.

ß Helping one another to sort out theologies and movements that seem to rush across the landscape with great speed, these days. Some are blessings, but some distort the truth, in some cases, even “preaching a different Christ.”

ß Respecting one another’s church discipline. If a brother or sister is under discipline in a particular church, sister churches should respect that and not provide a safety valve for the one being disciplined.

ß When members move to another locality, sending letters of commendation to the leadership of the church where they will be living. In summary, let us carry one another in our hearts.

1 “Supra-congregational” is the term that we will use in this section to describe an authority over a local church, something that is above the local eldership. Webster defines supra, “a prefix meaning above, over...”

2 Acts 8:14-17; Acts 8:253 Acts 11:18 b 4 Acts 11:20-285 Acts 14:27-286 We use the term, “revelatory apostles,” to describe those whom the Holy Spirit used to give the foundational revelation of God’s will and the Gospel.

7 Paul: Galatians 1:11-12; Galatians 1:15-17; The Twelve: John 14:25-26; Galatians 2:11 ff9 Paul: Galatians 1:11-12; Galatians 1:15-17; The Twelve: John 14:25-2610 Galatians 2:11 ff The public aspect of Jesus’ choice of the Twelve as his revelators is multifold. This is in contrast to Paul’s being chosen by Christ as a revelator, which, for the most part, was done in private. Note the following, ß The Twelve experienced a forty-two month public ministry with Jesus.

ß At the baptism in the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit spoke through the Twelve.

ß During the earliest months of the Church’s life, all miracle ministry was restricted to the Twelve.

12 Infinitive, aorist, active 13 Knowling, R.J, The Acts of the Apostles, in Volume Two of The Expositors Greek New Testament, W. Robertson Nicoll, editor (Grand Rapids, Rerdmans, 1976) p 328 14 Bruce, FF, The Book of Acts, in The New International Commentary on the New Testament (William B. Rerdmans, Grand Rapids) 1988, p. 299 15 The “necessary things” were determined by the fact that “Moses...has in every city those who preach him...” The Gentiles were not to conform to the Law, but they were to avoid doing those things that offended Jews. The desire, of course, was to remove barriers to the Gospel, as well as do all possible to insure peace.

16 Acts 15:3617 The revelatory function that rested in the apostles now is fulfilled through the Holy Spirit inspired Scriptures.

18 Php 1:12-18 In this passage, Paul notes that some are preaching out of envy. In other words, they were taking advantage of his imprisonment. While he was confined, they were trying to out do him. They were trying to show that they were equal or superior to Paul. However, what they were preaching was the truth. So, Paul did not feel any reason to make an issue of their motive.

19 Examples of such usage: Luke 8:55; Acts 18:2; Acts 20:13; Acts 23:31; Acts 24:23; etc.

20 2 Corinthians 11:4; 2 Corinthians 11:13-1521 Acts 18:24-28; 1 Corinthians 1:12; 1 Corinthians 3:5; 1 Corinthians 4:6 ff; 1 Corinthians 16:12; Titus 3:132; 1 Corinthians 4:6-9 23 Most of the material in this section is a summary of material in Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Volume II (Peabody, Massachusetts, Hendrickson Publishers, 1996; originally published by Charles Scribner & Sons 1858) pages 133f. Also, the original documents involved this period may be found in Lightfoot, J.B. The Apostolic Fathers, 5 volumes (Peabody, Massachusetts, Hendrickson, 1989, originally published by Macmillan, 1889, 1890.

24 Schaff, p 135 25 Fee, Gordon, The International Commentary on the New Testament, I Corinthians (Grand Rapids, William B.

Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987) See footnote 29, page 499.

26 The NIV translators chose to tie this phrase to the next verse, As in all the congregatons of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. All other versions render the phrase, As in all the congregations of the saints… as being the conclusion of the discussion of tongues. For comments on the grammatical preference for the traditional rendering, see Fee, page 698. Which ever position one takes, the point is made that there is uniformity of practice in all churches.