There is a great misunderstanding today concerning the church. Most people believe that the church is a building with pews, a steeple, a cross, a pulpit, and maybe stain glass windows. Or, people may think of the church as a religious organization with religious services, programs, and activities. However, in the Bible it is clear that the church is speaking only of save people called Christians. To complicate things even further, the church in the Bible can be viewed in two different ways, either local or universal, depending on how it is used in the context of the verses.
Spiritual things are not easy to understand, even for the Christian. Lost people cannot understand spiritual things at all (1Cor 2:14), but Christians can only understand spiritual things as they are revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. Jesus told the religious teacher, Nicodemus, that flesh is of the flesh, and spirit is of the spirit. Then as Jesus was trying to help Nicodemus understand the new birth, being born again, He said to him, "If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?" (John 3:12).
Jesus was using an earthly illustration of the wind, how you can't see the wind, but you know it is there, because you can see it's results. And, the Lord says it is the same way with understanding the Spirit. You can't see the Spirit. He is invisible, but He is there, because you see the results, if you will only open your eyes and look. So, Jesus uses an earthly illustration to picture a spiritual truth. He also did this many other times in the Gospels using earthly parables.
Likewise, I want to use an earthly illustration to help explain what the Bible teaches concerning the church, and how we can see the two different views of it. I want us to clearly understand what God's view of the church is in the Bible. It doesn't matter how you see the church, or how I see it, or how most people in the world sees it. My question is how does God see the church? And, as I have stated, God sees the church in two different ways, universally, and locally.
To help us see this clearly, I want to use an earthly illustration that we are all familiar with to help us understand how the church in the Bible is used, and that illustration is the McDonald's Company. I could have used any other company, but I chose McDonald's because they are so common and I know that you are for the most part familiar with the way they operate.
When you look at McDonald's, you have to look at it in two different ways. One is that it is a global company, and the second way is that McDonald's is a local individual restaurant. So, we see it as a universal company, called McDonald's, and we see it as a local restaurant, also called McDonald's. So, when we say McDonald's, which are we speaking of, the company or the local store in your town? Well, it's the same. It just depends on the context in how you refer to it when you say McDonald's.
The McDonald's company started back in 1940. Today, the company has about 38,000 restaurants around the world, but it is still just one company. So, when someone says McDonald's, they can mean: 1) the local McDonald's in town, or 2) McDonald's, the company, all the stores in the world.
When I go into our local McDonald's, I know what to expect. There is an operational practice and a product there that is the same as any other McDonald's that I might go to. Now, there may be somewhat of a difference in operation and menu if you visit a McDonald's in another country, but it would be a minor difference. I have eaten a Big Mac and fries in a McDonald's in Ireland, England, Paris, and Rome, and they all are basically the same. They all have to carry the McDonald's name and produce the same company products within their country. The only differences between countries would be slight and would mostly involve side items. For example, the British McDonald's would offer a more traditional British breakfast. McDonald's food there would have fewer preservatives, and the Big Mac would be smaller than ours.
This uniformity in product and services is not by accident. McDonald's maintains complete control over all it's stores carrying it's brand name. McDonald's states in detail how all it's restaurants must prepare its food, as well as specifying many of the businesses' methods, procedures and standards. That helps ensure that a Big Mac tastes like a Big Mac in every McDonald's restaurant, which is an essential aspect of the company's brand and reputation.
Furthermore, there is a difference in the way the individual McDonald's stores are owned. Only 20% of McDonald's restaurants are owned by the McDonald's company, which are referred to as "company stores." However, about 80% of McDonald stores are franchised out to local owners who have to cough up one to two million dollars to be a franchisee. Even the land is owned by McDonald's and rented to the franchisee. If a prospective franchisee owns property where he thinks a McDonald's will be profitable, then the McDonald's company will survey it for themselves, and if they agree, they will purchase the land from the franchisee and lease it back to him, build the store, and sign a contract with him that he will agree to pay the company the lease payments, monthly royalties, and follow their rules and regulations in running a McDonald's store.
So, the McDonald's franchisee is not really the owner, but an investor in the McDonald's company, who receives profits that the store makes, if any. McDonald's uses management consultants, a sophisticated computer system and a complex operating manual to oversee conditions and maintain complete control of all its stores, including franchisee stores.
Now, when I look in the Bible, I see that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ works in a similar way as in this earthly illustration of McDonald's. Like McDonald's, the Church in the Bible can be seen in two different ways, 1) that it is a local visible church, one that you can see and participate with, and 2) that it is a universal church made up of all true Christians in the world.
In the Bible, we can clearly see that the word church can refer to either the universal church or to a local church, depending on how it's used in it's context. The word church is mentioned only two times in the Gospels and both times used by the Lord Jesus, and both times it is referred to as being something that would happen in the future. Thus, the church did not exist when Christ was on earth when He spoke of it in Mathew 16:18 and in chapter 18:17.
In the first reference, in Mathew 16, the Lord spoke of the Church as universal, "That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Now, clearly you can see that this is not a local church He is to build, but the universal Church, the whole Church, that He will build.
However, in Mathew 18, Christ clearly speaks of a local church, "And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." This is a local church, one that you can speak to, it can hear you, and it can take action against the person doing wrong.
So, what is the Church? The Bible refers to the universal Church as the Body of Christ, and the Bride of Christ. The Church started at Pentecost in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit came down and baptized those early believers into the Body of Christ, and the Church will end at the Rapture, when Christ takes it up to be with Him. Here we are speaking of the universal Church. Common sense tells us that it is not speaking of a specific local church, but the Church as a whole.
However, like the McDonald's company, with many individual stores, the universal Church is also made up of local churches. But, the big difference here is that local churches in the Bible were not franchised out like 80% of McDonald's restaurants are today. The Lord Jesus owns all His local churches. There are no franchise churches! They are all company owned by the Lord. At least in the Bible they were. They were referred to as "churches of Christ" (Rom 16:16) and "churches of God" (1Cor 11:16) for example. There is no reference that they were locally owned and operated like they are today in all these denominations. They were each heavenly owned and heavenly operated by the Lord Jesus, and this was done through His apostles such as Paul, who represented the Heavenly company for the Lord. They were like company executives, checking out each church to make sure it was following proper procedures from the owner, the Lord Jesus.
Listen to what Paul said, "Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, THE CARE OF ALL THE CHURCHES" (2Cor 11:28).
"But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. AND SO ORDAIN I IN ALL THE CHURCHES" (1Cor 7:17).
Paul did not take care of one church or even a few churches, but he took "care of ALL the churches." He saw them as the Lord's churches and he as an apostle to the Gentile churches felt responsible to take care of all these local churches. To do this, Paul, like an executive manager, had helpers, such as Timothy and Titus, who were like regional directors for the Lord's company. They were emissaries of the apostle. Paul as an apostle for the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to the local church at Corinth, and said, "For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, AS I TEACH EVERY WHERE IN EVERY CHURCH" (1Cor 4:17).
Now do you understand what these verses are implying? Just in these three verses here, they indicate that Paul believes he has the God given right and responsibility to go into any church, no matter where it is, and have a say in what is going on there. Why? Because, those churches don't belong to the people. They belong to the Lord Jesus! If they are claiming to be Christians meeting in a local church in the Name of Jesus Christ, then Paul takes that serious and he's going to check them out to see if they are following what the Lord wants in His churches. Wow! We sure don't feel like that today do we? Well, we aren't apostles like Paul, but if we know what the Bible teaches, that they are the words of the Lord given to Paul to the churches, we should at least have something to point out to them from Scripture to address what they are doing.
Same with our illustration of McDonald's, where a company executive would feel perfectly at liberty to go into any McDonald's store in the country and check it out and give instructions according to the company manual. It didn't matter if that store is in the inner city or out in the sticks, or if it's a company store or a franchisee store, the representative felt he had the right to check out that store. Paul felt the same way. If any church claimed to be the Lord's church, then he felt he had the responsibility to check them out and make corrections according to the Lord's manual.
Per our illustration of an earthly company peddling burgers, might we learn something from them, that these churches in the Bible, all company churches that belonged to Christ, and Paul wanted them to operate according to the will of Christ, the owner. They were all to be uniform. If you as a believer went in to visit any of the churches, no matter where they were, they were all to be like any other church, being the same in their practice and beliefs. They were to follow the directions of Paul as he had taught "every where in every church."
Can you imagine a McDonald's in your town deciding to add pizzas to it's menu? The manager or the franchisee decides they want to do this even though all the other stores don't, and they don't have permission from the company. Now, how long do you think they would get away with that? No, doubt it would never get that far. The representatives of the company would stopped that long before it every got started. They would say, "You don't have a right to do this." The franchisee would lose his license quickly and never make or sell another Big Mac. The company has very tight controls over it's stores, and it doesn't matter if they are company owned or franchisee stores. They must follow company policy.
But, churches today can do whatever they want? Right? Well, you might think, "No, they are all just trying to follow the Bible." Well, then why are there so many differences in what they do? Why are there so many different denominations that even have their own brand names that indicate their particular practices and beliefs?
Furthermore, there is a difference in the way the individual McDonald's stores are owned. Only 20% of McDonald's restaurants are owned by the McDonald's company, which are referred to as "company stores." However, about 80% of McDonald stores are franchised out to local owners who have to cough up one to two million dollars to be a franchisee. Even the land is owned by McDonald's and rented to the franchisee. If a prospective franchisee owns property where he thinks a McDonald's will be profitable, then the McDonald's company will survey it for themselves, and if they agree, they will purchase the land from the franchisee and lease it back to him, build the store, and sign a contract with him that he will agree to pay the company the lease payments, monthly royalties, and follow their rules and regulations in running a McDonald's store.
So, the McDonald's franchisee is not really the owner, but an investor in the McDonald's company, who receives profits that the store makes, if any. McDonald's uses management consultants, a sophisticated computer system and a complex operating manual to oversee conditions and maintain complete control of all its stores, including franchisee stores.
Now, when I look in the Bible, I see that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ works in a similar way as in this earthly illustration of McDonald's. Like McDonald's, the Church in the Bible can be seen in two different ways, 1) that it is a local visible church, one that you can see and participate with, and 2) that it is a universal church made up of all true Christians in the world.
In the Bible, we can clearly see that the word church can refer to either the universal church or to a local church, depending on how it's used in it's context. The word church is mentioned only two times in the Gospels and both times used by the Lord Jesus, and both times it is referred to as being something that would happen in the future. Thus, the church did not exist when Christ was on earth when He spoke of it in Mathew 16:18 and in chapter 18:17.
In the first reference, in Mathew 16, the Lord spoke of the Church as universal, "That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Now, clearly you can see that this is not a local church He is to build, but the universal Church, the whole Church, that He will build.
However, in Mathew 18, Christ clearly speaks of a local church, "And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." This is a local church, one that you can speak to, it can hear you, and it can take action against the person doing wrong.
So, what is the Church? The Bible refers to the universal Church as the Body of Christ, and the Bride of Christ. The Church started at Pentecost in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit came down and baptized those early believers into the Body of Christ, and the Church will end at the Rapture, when Christ takes it up to be with Him. Here we are speaking of the universal Church. Common sense tells us that it is not speaking of a specific local church, but the Church as a whole.
However, like the McDonald's company, with many individual stores, the universal Church is also made up of local churches. But, the big difference here is that local churches in the Bible were not franchised out like 80% of McDonald's restaurants are today. The Lord Jesus owns all His local churches. There are no franchise churches! They are all company owned by the Lord. At least in the Bible they were. They were referred to as "churches of Christ" (Rom 16:16) and "churches of God" (1Cor 11:16) for example. There is no reference that they were locally owned and operated like they are today in all these denominations. They were each heavenly owned and heavenly operated by the Lord Jesus, and this was done through His apostles such as Paul, who represented the Heavenly company for the Lord. They were like company executives, checking out each church to make sure it was following proper procedures from the owner, the Lord Jesus.
Listen to what Paul said, "Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, THE CARE OF ALL THE CHURCHES" (2Cor 11:28).
"But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. AND SO ORDAIN I IN ALL THE CHURCHES" (1Cor 7:17).
Paul did not take care of one church or even a few churches, but he took "care of ALL the churches." He saw them as the Lord's churches and he as an apostle to the Gentile churches felt responsible to take care of all these local churches. To do this, Paul, like an executive manager, had helpers, such as Timothy and Titus, who were like regional directors for the Lord's company. They were emissaries of the apostle. Paul as an apostle for the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to the local church at Corinth, and said, "For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, AS I TEACH EVERY WHERE IN EVERY CHURCH" (1Cor 4:17).
Now do you understand what these verses are implying? Just in these three verses here, they indicate that Paul believes he has the God given right and responsibility to go into any church, no matter where it is, and have a say in what is going on there. Why? Because, those churches don't belong to the people. They belong to the Lord Jesus! If they are claiming to be Christians meeting in a local church in the Name of Jesus Christ, then Paul takes that serious and he's going to check them out to see if they are following what the Lord wants in His churches. Wow! We sure don't feel like that today do we? Well, we aren't apostles like Paul, but if we know what the Bible teaches, that they are the words of the Lord given to Paul to the churches, we should at least have something to point out to them from Scripture to address what they are doing.
Same with our illustration of McDonald's, where a company executive would feel perfectly at liberty to go into any McDonald's store in the country and check it out and give instructions according to the company manual. It didn't matter if that store is in the inner city or out in the sticks, or if it's a company store or a franchisee store, the representative felt he had the right to check out that store. Paul felt the same way. If any church claimed to be the Lord's church, then he felt he had the responsibility to check them out and make corrections according to the Lord's manual.
Per our illustration of an earthly company peddling burgers, might we learn something from them, that these churches in the Bible, all company churches that belonged to Christ, and Paul wanted them to operate according to the will of Christ, the owner. They were all to be uniform. If you as a believer went in to visit any of the churches, no matter where they were, they were all to be like any other church, being the same in their practice and beliefs. They were to follow the directions of Paul as he had taught "every where in every church."
Can you imagine a McDonald's in your town deciding to add pizzas to it's menu? The manager or the franchisee decides they want to do this even though all the other stores don't, and they don't have permission from the company. Now, how long do you think they would get away with that? No, doubt it would never get that far. The representatives of the company would stopped that long before it every got started. They would say, "You don't have a right to do this." The franchisee would lose his license quickly and never make or sell another Big Mac. The company has very tight controls over it's stores, and it doesn't matter if they are company owned or franchisee stores. They must follow company policy.
But, churches today can do whatever they want? Right? Well, you might think, "No, they are all just trying to follow the Bible." Well, then why are there so many differences in what they do? Why are there so many different denominations that even have their own brand names that indicate their particular practices and beliefs?
Speaking of them having their own brand names, can you imagine a McDonald's franchisee deciding he wants to change the name of the store. Say his name is Joe, so he wants to change the name slightly to "Joe's McDonald's." Well, again, how long do you think that would last? As soon as he puts that sign up, the company reps are going to be there with a law suit against him, and he just lost his license to sell Big Macs.
But, hey, churches are doing exactly that today. Not only do they all have different practices, but they all have their own denominational brand names. They all say they meet in Jesus' Name, but they have added their own brand names too. Do you think Paul would allow any of this to happen today? No, he would not. It's sick, and we don't see it. More than sick, it's evil, but we don't see that either. Why? Because we have been raised up seeing it to where we think it's normal. But, it didn't happen in the Bible. When the Corinthians got out of hand, and they did quite a bit, Paul was right there correcting them over it. And, guess what? His second letter to them indicates that they corrected their ways and got in line with Paul who was teaching in every church.
Paul said to the Corinthian church that was busy doing their own thing and had gotten out of step with the other churches, "But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God" (1Cor 11:16). In other words, Paul is saying, "in what you are doing, we the apostles have no such behavior like that, neither any of the other churches of God." What the Corinthians were doing was unique with them. They were the only ones doing these things. None of the other churches were practicing the way they were. Paul's command to them? Get in line with the other churches, because they are following my commands from Christ.
Speaking of brand names, we all know that McDonald's is not the only company that makes hamburgers, for there are several others brands that do also, such as Wendy's, Burger King, and many more. Because they all make burgers, that doesn't mean they all taste the same. No, they're all different. If we do a blind folded taste test, I could tell you which one is the Big Mac, and which one is the Whopper. Easy to do.
So, with these different brands, the whole set up, products, services, and so on, they are all going to be different. And, these different chains don't really have anything to do with each other. Why? Because they are different and they are owned by different people. The ownership and authority is different between each company. Can you imagine a McDonald's executive going into a Burger King store and feeling like he had a say in that store? Of course not. He would be no different than any other customer coming into that store. He does not represent the owner of the company.
Now, a variety of hamburger brands may be a good thing for customers because of differences in tastes and prices, but having a variety of churches is not a good thing for Christians. There is only one Church, the Body of Christ, and all local churches should give expression to that fact. Paul felt he had the right to go into any church that claimed to meet in Jesus Name and hold that church accountable to the teachings that he taught in every church. There is absolutely no hint of a church being of a different type or brand, and that would not be good for the Christian going there.
Now, let's get back to the two different views God has concerning His church. The first view of God is that the church is universal, which is made up of all true Christians from Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit baptized them into Jesus Christ. They were referred to as the Body of Christ. His body is still here on earth and if you are saved, then you are a part of the Body of Christ, which will last until the Rapture when He will take up His church from earth to be with Him before He makes His second coming to earth to set up His millennial kingdom.
Now, the universal church, the Body of Christ, is made up of all Christians on earth today, but it also has in it all true Christians that go all the way back across the centuries to Pentecost which include Paul, the apostles, and all other Christians in the New Testament.
Now, I have heard from some today that there is no universal church, but there are only local churches. I have heard denominational preachers say that. They go further to say that the term "universal" is Catholic doctrine, because the word "Catholic" means universal, and their practice is universal. Well, my response to that is that the Catholics are not wrong on everything. They do teach some truth. Hey, they teach that Christ was born of a virgin. Am I going to stop believing that Christ was virgin born because they teach it? Just because they are wrong concerning some things about Mary, they do teach that she was a virgin, which is also what the Bible says.
But, hey, churches are doing exactly that today. Not only do they all have different practices, but they all have their own denominational brand names. They all say they meet in Jesus' Name, but they have added their own brand names too. Do you think Paul would allow any of this to happen today? No, he would not. It's sick, and we don't see it. More than sick, it's evil, but we don't see that either. Why? Because we have been raised up seeing it to where we think it's normal. But, it didn't happen in the Bible. When the Corinthians got out of hand, and they did quite a bit, Paul was right there correcting them over it. And, guess what? His second letter to them indicates that they corrected their ways and got in line with Paul who was teaching in every church.
Paul said to the Corinthian church that was busy doing their own thing and had gotten out of step with the other churches, "But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God" (1Cor 11:16). In other words, Paul is saying, "in what you are doing, we the apostles have no such behavior like that, neither any of the other churches of God." What the Corinthians were doing was unique with them. They were the only ones doing these things. None of the other churches were practicing the way they were. Paul's command to them? Get in line with the other churches, because they are following my commands from Christ.
Speaking of brand names, we all know that McDonald's is not the only company that makes hamburgers, for there are several others brands that do also, such as Wendy's, Burger King, and many more. Because they all make burgers, that doesn't mean they all taste the same. No, they're all different. If we do a blind folded taste test, I could tell you which one is the Big Mac, and which one is the Whopper. Easy to do.
So, with these different brands, the whole set up, products, services, and so on, they are all going to be different. And, these different chains don't really have anything to do with each other. Why? Because they are different and they are owned by different people. The ownership and authority is different between each company. Can you imagine a McDonald's executive going into a Burger King store and feeling like he had a say in that store? Of course not. He would be no different than any other customer coming into that store. He does not represent the owner of the company.
Now, a variety of hamburger brands may be a good thing for customers because of differences in tastes and prices, but having a variety of churches is not a good thing for Christians. There is only one Church, the Body of Christ, and all local churches should give expression to that fact. Paul felt he had the right to go into any church that claimed to meet in Jesus Name and hold that church accountable to the teachings that he taught in every church. There is absolutely no hint of a church being of a different type or brand, and that would not be good for the Christian going there.
Now, let's get back to the two different views God has concerning His church. The first view of God is that the church is universal, which is made up of all true Christians from Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit baptized them into Jesus Christ. They were referred to as the Body of Christ. His body is still here on earth and if you are saved, then you are a part of the Body of Christ, which will last until the Rapture when He will take up His church from earth to be with Him before He makes His second coming to earth to set up His millennial kingdom.
Now, the universal church, the Body of Christ, is made up of all Christians on earth today, but it also has in it all true Christians that go all the way back across the centuries to Pentecost which include Paul, the apostles, and all other Christians in the New Testament.
Now, I have heard from some today that there is no universal church, but there are only local churches. I have heard denominational preachers say that. They go further to say that the term "universal" is Catholic doctrine, because the word "Catholic" means universal, and their practice is universal. Well, my response to that is that the Catholics are not wrong on everything. They do teach some truth. Hey, they teach that Christ was born of a virgin. Am I going to stop believing that Christ was virgin born because they teach it? Just because they are wrong concerning some things about Mary, they do teach that she was a virgin, which is also what the Bible says.
Well, it's the same way with this principle of the universal church. The Bible teaches it so I am going to believe it no matter what the Catholics do with it. They also teach that Christ was crucified. Am I going to stop believing in that because they teach it? Of course not. I'm going to believe the Bible and I don't care what the Catholics do. Same with the universal church. The Bible clearly teaches this principle of the universal church, and I am not going to stop believing in it because Catholics were the first ones to latch on to it and claim it for their church brand name, because it fits in with their attempt at world wide control of Christianity. They are a different company own church that does not reflect the Lord's Church in any way.
Some Protestants have also done the same thing as the Catholics by claiming for themselves Biblical terms such as "Churches of Christ" and "Churches of God." So, we have shied away from using those terms so as not to be identified with them, but I refuse to give up the term "universal" church because of the Catholics claiming that term. It is not specifically used in the Bible, but is only a descriptive term defining what the Church, the Body of Christ is. The word "rapture" is not in the Bible either, but it is a good word that defines what happens to the Church when Christ comes to receive us unto Himself.
Now, the Bible teaches that the Church is the Body of Christ. It's the same thing as saying "universal church. "....and gave him to be the head over all things to the CHURCH, 23 Which is HIS BODY....." (Eph 1:22).
Can it be any more simple than that? This is speaking of the universal church. It is clearly not speaking of a local church, because there is only one body, not many bodies of Christ. "So we, being many, are ONE BODY IN CHRIST....." (Rom 12:5). "For by ONE SPIRIT are we all baptized into ONE BODY......" (1Co 12:13).
Listen. When the Bible speaks of the Body of Christ, it is never in reference to a local church, but always refers to the universal church. The church of Ephesus, to whom Paul is writing this to, is not the Body of Christ. Yes, they are a part of His Body, but they are not his Body exclusively. Jesus only spoke of having one Body on earth, not many bodies on earth.
Look what Jesus said to another church, to the local church at Colossi, "....to the which also YE ARE CALLED IN ONE BODY...." (Col 3:15). Now, is the church at Colossi the Body of Christ? If so, then what are the other churches? Are they each a Body of Christ, making it many bodies of Christ?
No, Paul said to the Ephesian church, "There is ONE BODY, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,....." (Eph 4:4). How many bodies? "THERE IS ONE BODY." So, what it is? Is it one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, but, many bodies? No, just one body! All the other terms are each one, and the body is one also.
What about ".....even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" (Eph 5:25). Well, which local church did He love and give himself for? It is clear this is speaking of the Church universal, His Body. Remember the Lord told Peter, "I will build my church?" Well, which church was that? No, He is speaking of the whole Church, the One Body of all true blood bought saints, from Pentecost to the Rapture.
Well, then what is the local church? The local church is a group of Christians "called out" in a local area to gather together in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ to have fellowship concerning Christ and to follow His commands as a local church. The word "church" in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word "ecclesia" which means "called out ones." Called out from what? From the world. First, we are saved out of the world to become part of the universal church, the Body of Christ. After that, Christians in a local area are called out from the world to gather together in Jesus Name on a regular basis as a local church.
This gathering together in Jesus Name is the local church. But, in both cases, God does the "calling out." Calling us out of the world for salvation, and calling us out of the world for fellowship with other Christians in the local church. "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1Cor 1:9). God calls us unto the fellowship of His Son, to come together in His Name to fellowship with Him. God even puts into our hearts a yearning to gather in Jesus Name, so God is doing the Gathering together, not us. "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together......" (1Cor 5:4). Who does the gathering? God does.
However, today people gather together with a "shopping mall" approach, shopping for the church that appeals to them and their flesh. They choose a church they feel meets their social needs, offering entertainment, activities, programs, and so on. This is not what the Bible teaches. For a new Christian, they are not to choose the church of their choice, as an evangelist might tell them, but they are to look at the Scripture, and pray that God will lead them to the gathering of Christians in Jesus Name to have fellowship with God and one another concerning Christ.
Some Protestants have also done the same thing as the Catholics by claiming for themselves Biblical terms such as "Churches of Christ" and "Churches of God." So, we have shied away from using those terms so as not to be identified with them, but I refuse to give up the term "universal" church because of the Catholics claiming that term. It is not specifically used in the Bible, but is only a descriptive term defining what the Church, the Body of Christ is. The word "rapture" is not in the Bible either, but it is a good word that defines what happens to the Church when Christ comes to receive us unto Himself.
Now, the Bible teaches that the Church is the Body of Christ. It's the same thing as saying "universal church. "....and gave him to be the head over all things to the CHURCH, 23 Which is HIS BODY....." (Eph 1:22).
Can it be any more simple than that? This is speaking of the universal church. It is clearly not speaking of a local church, because there is only one body, not many bodies of Christ. "So we, being many, are ONE BODY IN CHRIST....." (Rom 12:5). "For by ONE SPIRIT are we all baptized into ONE BODY......" (1Co 12:13).
Listen. When the Bible speaks of the Body of Christ, it is never in reference to a local church, but always refers to the universal church. The church of Ephesus, to whom Paul is writing this to, is not the Body of Christ. Yes, they are a part of His Body, but they are not his Body exclusively. Jesus only spoke of having one Body on earth, not many bodies on earth.
Look what Jesus said to another church, to the local church at Colossi, "....to the which also YE ARE CALLED IN ONE BODY...." (Col 3:15). Now, is the church at Colossi the Body of Christ? If so, then what are the other churches? Are they each a Body of Christ, making it many bodies of Christ?
No, Paul said to the Ephesian church, "There is ONE BODY, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,....." (Eph 4:4). How many bodies? "THERE IS ONE BODY." So, what it is? Is it one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, but, many bodies? No, just one body! All the other terms are each one, and the body is one also.
What about ".....even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" (Eph 5:25). Well, which local church did He love and give himself for? It is clear this is speaking of the Church universal, His Body. Remember the Lord told Peter, "I will build my church?" Well, which church was that? No, He is speaking of the whole Church, the One Body of all true blood bought saints, from Pentecost to the Rapture.
Well, then what is the local church? The local church is a group of Christians "called out" in a local area to gather together in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ to have fellowship concerning Christ and to follow His commands as a local church. The word "church" in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word "ecclesia" which means "called out ones." Called out from what? From the world. First, we are saved out of the world to become part of the universal church, the Body of Christ. After that, Christians in a local area are called out from the world to gather together in Jesus Name on a regular basis as a local church.
This gathering together in Jesus Name is the local church. But, in both cases, God does the "calling out." Calling us out of the world for salvation, and calling us out of the world for fellowship with other Christians in the local church. "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1Cor 1:9). God calls us unto the fellowship of His Son, to come together in His Name to fellowship with Him. God even puts into our hearts a yearning to gather in Jesus Name, so God is doing the Gathering together, not us. "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together......" (1Cor 5:4). Who does the gathering? God does.
However, today people gather together with a "shopping mall" approach, shopping for the church that appeals to them and their flesh. They choose a church they feel meets their social needs, offering entertainment, activities, programs, and so on. This is not what the Bible teaches. For a new Christian, they are not to choose the church of their choice, as an evangelist might tell them, but they are to look at the Scripture, and pray that God will lead them to the gathering of Christians in Jesus Name to have fellowship with God and one another concerning Christ.
By the way, did you know that the word "heresy" means "to make a choice." Instead of doing what the Bible says, we choose something else to do, you know make a choice. So, when they tell a new convert to choose the church of their choice, then they are telling them to commit heresy because the Bible doesn't give us a choice in the matter, but tells us how we are to meet in Jesus Name.
I don't think I need to spend time here listing many, many examples of the word "church" as used in view of a local church. Just look at the context and you can see it is referring to a specific local church. Other times you look at church and you can see it used for the Body of Christ which is composed of all believers throughout the world and throughout time, such as "Jesus loved the church," or "Jesus will build His church," and so on.
However, one of the most important things to remember out of all of this is that the meeting of the local church is to give expression to the universal church. The local church should be a picture of the universal church. It should not take away or detract from this representation of the universal church, the Body of Christ.
Same with our illustrations of McDonald's. If you go into any McDonald's restaurant, then that store should give expression to the McDonald's Company as a whole. They should not add or take away from it in any way, but be a good representation for the Company. Same with the local church. Any of the Lord's local churches should give an expression to the universal church, the Body of Christ. It should not take away from it in any way.
Look at some examples from the Bible.
"But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. 13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. 14 BUT WHEN I SAW THAT THEY WALKED NOT UPRIGHTLY ACCORDING TO THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" (Gal 2:11-14).
When Paul saw Peter, Barnabas, and other Jewish Christians separating from the Gentile Christians when they were visited by Jewish big boys from Jerusalem, and separated themselves unto them, Paul took action against this. It really upset Paul. He didn't just take Peter aside to be corrected privately, but Paul blasted Peter right in front of everyone. Why? Because "they were not walking uprightly according to the Gospel." Their actions, or walk, was not representative of the Gospel. It was not a picture of the Gospel, that there is no longer a partition or wall between Jews and Gentiles, so it was wrong for the Jews to separate from the Gentile believers.
The death of Christ has torn down that wall and now Jews and Gentile believers are ONE in Christ, both are part of the ONE Body of Christ. Thus, a local church in everything they do, should picture and represent this Oneness in Christ. How? Well, how do we do that? It's in the Owner's Manual, the Word of God as given to His apostles.
Baptism is another good illustration here in seeing the oneness, yet there is a difference in the local and universal church. The Bible is clear that there is only One Baptism, "....One Lord, one faith, ONE baptism" (Eph 4:5). It is clear that when we are saved, we are ALL spiritually baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were BAPTIZED INTO JESUS CHRIST were baptized into his death?" (Rom 6:3). However, after salvation, the Bible says we are to be baptized in water to show, display, or picture this being spiritually "baptized into Jesus", showing our union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. So, are there two baptisms? No, Ephesians 4 says there is only one baptism.
I don't think I need to spend time here listing many, many examples of the word "church" as used in view of a local church. Just look at the context and you can see it is referring to a specific local church. Other times you look at church and you can see it used for the Body of Christ which is composed of all believers throughout the world and throughout time, such as "Jesus loved the church," or "Jesus will build His church," and so on.
However, one of the most important things to remember out of all of this is that the meeting of the local church is to give expression to the universal church. The local church should be a picture of the universal church. It should not take away or detract from this representation of the universal church, the Body of Christ.
Same with our illustrations of McDonald's. If you go into any McDonald's restaurant, then that store should give expression to the McDonald's Company as a whole. They should not add or take away from it in any way, but be a good representation for the Company. Same with the local church. Any of the Lord's local churches should give an expression to the universal church, the Body of Christ. It should not take away from it in any way.
Look at some examples from the Bible.
"But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. 13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. 14 BUT WHEN I SAW THAT THEY WALKED NOT UPRIGHTLY ACCORDING TO THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" (Gal 2:11-14).
When Paul saw Peter, Barnabas, and other Jewish Christians separating from the Gentile Christians when they were visited by Jewish big boys from Jerusalem, and separated themselves unto them, Paul took action against this. It really upset Paul. He didn't just take Peter aside to be corrected privately, but Paul blasted Peter right in front of everyone. Why? Because "they were not walking uprightly according to the Gospel." Their actions, or walk, was not representative of the Gospel. It was not a picture of the Gospel, that there is no longer a partition or wall between Jews and Gentiles, so it was wrong for the Jews to separate from the Gentile believers.
The death of Christ has torn down that wall and now Jews and Gentile believers are ONE in Christ, both are part of the ONE Body of Christ. Thus, a local church in everything they do, should picture and represent this Oneness in Christ. How? Well, how do we do that? It's in the Owner's Manual, the Word of God as given to His apostles.
Baptism is another good illustration here in seeing the oneness, yet there is a difference in the local and universal church. The Bible is clear that there is only One Baptism, "....One Lord, one faith, ONE baptism" (Eph 4:5). It is clear that when we are saved, we are ALL spiritually baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were BAPTIZED INTO JESUS CHRIST were baptized into his death?" (Rom 6:3). However, after salvation, the Bible says we are to be baptized in water to show, display, or picture this being spiritually "baptized into Jesus", showing our union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. So, are there two baptisms? No, Ephesians 4 says there is only one baptism.
Furthermore, after the mention of Baptism by the Spirit in Romans 6:3, the next two verses give us the picture of water baptism, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection" (Rom 6:4,5).
It seems to me that Romans 6:3 is referring to being spiritually baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit, and verses 4 and 5 refer to our water baptism, "planted together in the LIKENESS of his death. So, spiritual baptism is what happens to us positionally, something God did for us, placing us into Christ, and water baptism is what we do to express or display to others what has happened to us, that we died, were buried, and raised up with Christ, that "we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." Why? So, "we also should walk in newness of life."
Some have argued over this saying there is only one baptism and that is water baptism, but I don't agree with that. Water baptism is an expression of the spiritual baptism. God uses this principle many times explaining to us the spiritual or positional side, then giving us an earthly practice or picture for it. But, my point in this is it works the same way with the church whether it's the universal church or the local church. There is still only One Body, One Church. "I will build My Church," Jesus said.
Another example would be the Lord's Supper where Jesus said that the bread is His body, and the cup is His blood, but we all know you can't take that literally. When we partake of the emblems, we are not really "eating His body, or drinking His blood." We know that the bread and juice are pictures of His physical body and blood that were given for us. So, the bread is not His body as the Catholics say, but they are pictures of His body. I might show you a picture of myself and say this is me, but you know it is not really me, just a representation of me. It's just a piece of paper, even though I say "this is me." And, this is what Jesus meant when He said, "This is my blood, this is my body."
Same with the Church. There is only one church, but it is expressed in two different ways. They are both real, but one is spiritual, heavenly, and the other is the earthly expression of it. One is positional, the other is practical. I belong to the universal Church that is the Body of Christ, but I also belong to the local church which is an earthly practical expression of that Body on earth. Or, it should be. If not, then it's just a fake picture or a fake representation of the real. Like showing you a picture of an orange and saying this is a picture of the apple I ate. That doesn't match, but then these denominational local churches don't match either with the Body of Christ as depicted by the Bible.
So, the local church is visible and tangible, something we can experience with our senses, such as see, touch, and hear. But, the universal church is not something visible or tangible to us, but it is invisible to us, because only God can see it. Only He can see all the Christians in the Body from Pentecost to the Rapture. Remember, "ecclesia" means "called out from" and to "be gathered unto." And, there is an appointed time in the future when we will all be gather together in Heaven as a complete Body of Christ to stand before Him as the Church, His Bride. Wow!
Ephesians 5:25 says, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the CHURCH, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious CHURCH, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
Sounds like the Lord is doing what He told Peter He would do, "I will build my Church...". The Lord is "sanctifying," "cleansing," "washing," and will one day "present it to Himself" as a glorious unblemished Church as His Bride. Will this happen here on earth? Well, yes, but it won't be this earth. There will be a new Heaven and a new Earth (Rev 21:1,2,9).
So, let's look at some difference between the universal church and the local church.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UNIVERSAL CHURCH AND LOCAL CHURCH
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: Started at Pentecost (Act 2, 6); LOCAL CHURCH: Where 2 or 3 gather in Jesus Name (Mat 18:20)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: In Heaven and Earth (Acts 2:47); LOCAL CHURCH: Earthly (Phil 1:1)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: Lord adds members (Acts 2:47); LOCAL CHURCH: We "join" ourselves to (Acts 9:26)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: All members are Saved (Heb 12:23); LOCAL CHURCH: All Members are not Saved (Rev 2:2, 15, 20)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: Satan cannot prevail (Mat 16:18); LOCAL CHURCH: Satan often prevails (Rev 2:5, 3:16)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: Only one Shepherd (John 10:16); LOCAL CHURCH: Under Shepherds (1Peter 5:2)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: Believer cannot be kicked out (Jn 6:37); LOCAL CHURCH: A Believer can be put out (Mat18:15-17; 1Cor 5:1-5)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: Unity, no division (John 17:21-23); LOCAL CHURCH: Great divisions (Acts 20:29, 30; 1Cor 1:12, 13)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: Will never apostate (Eph 5:25-27); LOCAL CHURCH: Can apostate, most will (Rev 2, 3, 17)
Jesus Prayed that we all might be One
"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; (That's us) 21 That they all may be ONE; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be ONE in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be ONE, even as we are ONE: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in ONE; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me" (John 17:20-23).
Five times our Lord mentions the word "One" in His prayer to God, that we all might be One with Christ, the Father, and with other believers. Well, was His prayer answered? Yes and no. Yes, positionally, we are all one, but only in the universal church, for only believers are a part of it. So, God answered the prayer of Jesus. However, in another sense, the answer is no, when you only look at local churches, for they are greatly divided within churches and between churches. They do not picture or give true representation to the universal Church. They are not One.
We can in a sense see local churches in this prayer where Jesus says, "that the world may believe that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." This is referring to local churches on earth, because that is all the world can see. The world cannot see the universal church nor the oneness in the universal Church, for they don't even believe it exists. This lack of faith in the one Body of Christ is the direct result of them seeing how "Christians" and "churches" today are so deeply divided.
It seems to me that Romans 6:3 is referring to being spiritually baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit, and verses 4 and 5 refer to our water baptism, "planted together in the LIKENESS of his death. So, spiritual baptism is what happens to us positionally, something God did for us, placing us into Christ, and water baptism is what we do to express or display to others what has happened to us, that we died, were buried, and raised up with Christ, that "we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." Why? So, "we also should walk in newness of life."
Some have argued over this saying there is only one baptism and that is water baptism, but I don't agree with that. Water baptism is an expression of the spiritual baptism. God uses this principle many times explaining to us the spiritual or positional side, then giving us an earthly practice or picture for it. But, my point in this is it works the same way with the church whether it's the universal church or the local church. There is still only One Body, One Church. "I will build My Church," Jesus said.
Another example would be the Lord's Supper where Jesus said that the bread is His body, and the cup is His blood, but we all know you can't take that literally. When we partake of the emblems, we are not really "eating His body, or drinking His blood." We know that the bread and juice are pictures of His physical body and blood that were given for us. So, the bread is not His body as the Catholics say, but they are pictures of His body. I might show you a picture of myself and say this is me, but you know it is not really me, just a representation of me. It's just a piece of paper, even though I say "this is me." And, this is what Jesus meant when He said, "This is my blood, this is my body."
Same with the Church. There is only one church, but it is expressed in two different ways. They are both real, but one is spiritual, heavenly, and the other is the earthly expression of it. One is positional, the other is practical. I belong to the universal Church that is the Body of Christ, but I also belong to the local church which is an earthly practical expression of that Body on earth. Or, it should be. If not, then it's just a fake picture or a fake representation of the real. Like showing you a picture of an orange and saying this is a picture of the apple I ate. That doesn't match, but then these denominational local churches don't match either with the Body of Christ as depicted by the Bible.
So, the local church is visible and tangible, something we can experience with our senses, such as see, touch, and hear. But, the universal church is not something visible or tangible to us, but it is invisible to us, because only God can see it. Only He can see all the Christians in the Body from Pentecost to the Rapture. Remember, "ecclesia" means "called out from" and to "be gathered unto." And, there is an appointed time in the future when we will all be gather together in Heaven as a complete Body of Christ to stand before Him as the Church, His Bride. Wow!
Ephesians 5:25 says, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the CHURCH, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious CHURCH, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
Sounds like the Lord is doing what He told Peter He would do, "I will build my Church...". The Lord is "sanctifying," "cleansing," "washing," and will one day "present it to Himself" as a glorious unblemished Church as His Bride. Will this happen here on earth? Well, yes, but it won't be this earth. There will be a new Heaven and a new Earth (Rev 21:1,2,9).
So, let's look at some difference between the universal church and the local church.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UNIVERSAL CHURCH AND LOCAL CHURCH
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: Started at Pentecost (Act 2, 6); LOCAL CHURCH: Where 2 or 3 gather in Jesus Name (Mat 18:20)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: In Heaven and Earth (Acts 2:47); LOCAL CHURCH: Earthly (Phil 1:1)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: Lord adds members (Acts 2:47); LOCAL CHURCH: We "join" ourselves to (Acts 9:26)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: All members are Saved (Heb 12:23); LOCAL CHURCH: All Members are not Saved (Rev 2:2, 15, 20)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: Satan cannot prevail (Mat 16:18); LOCAL CHURCH: Satan often prevails (Rev 2:5, 3:16)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: Only one Shepherd (John 10:16); LOCAL CHURCH: Under Shepherds (1Peter 5:2)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: Believer cannot be kicked out (Jn 6:37); LOCAL CHURCH: A Believer can be put out (Mat18:15-17; 1Cor 5:1-5)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: Unity, no division (John 17:21-23); LOCAL CHURCH: Great divisions (Acts 20:29, 30; 1Cor 1:12, 13)
UNIVERSAL CHURCH: Will never apostate (Eph 5:25-27); LOCAL CHURCH: Can apostate, most will (Rev 2, 3, 17)
Jesus Prayed that we all might be One
"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; (That's us) 21 That they all may be ONE; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be ONE in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be ONE, even as we are ONE: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in ONE; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me" (John 17:20-23).
Five times our Lord mentions the word "One" in His prayer to God, that we all might be One with Christ, the Father, and with other believers. Well, was His prayer answered? Yes and no. Yes, positionally, we are all one, but only in the universal church, for only believers are a part of it. So, God answered the prayer of Jesus. However, in another sense, the answer is no, when you only look at local churches, for they are greatly divided within churches and between churches. They do not picture or give true representation to the universal Church. They are not One.
We can in a sense see local churches in this prayer where Jesus says, "that the world may believe that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." This is referring to local churches on earth, because that is all the world can see. The world cannot see the universal church nor the oneness in the universal Church, for they don't even believe it exists. This lack of faith in the one Body of Christ is the direct result of them seeing how "Christians" and "churches" today are so deeply divided.
If today's churches were more representative in the oneness of the universal church, then this would result in the lost world seeing that God "has sent the Son and does love us." But, this part of His prayer is not being answered because lost people in the Name of Christ are destroying visible local churches on earth. And, the world can see these divisions, and because they can see that, they don't believe, and they don't want to have anything to do with it. Can you imagine if the whole world saw all Christians believing and practicing the same things in all churches? No divisions. That would be such a powerful testimony of God sending His Son to the world.
What Should We Do?
To answer this question, the first verses that jumps out in my mind is Ephesians 4:3-6, "Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."
First of all, again, notice the oneness. In John 17, Jesus used the word "one" in His prayer to God for our unity with Him and the Father and with other Christians,. Here in Ephesians 4, the word "one" is used seven times, the idea of completeness and perfection. It's God's perfect desire that we be one because He is One. Everything about Him is in unity and perfect harmony. There is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God. It's not seven different things, but seven Spiritual things in a perfect unity and Oneness. And, we are to work hard at keeping this unity. The word "endeavor" means to work hard. So, endeavor, work hard at keeping the unity of the One Body. Make your practice here on earth match what is in heaven. As a Christian and as a local church, don't do anything that takes away from the universal church, the One Body of Christ. Let everything be done that gives expression of the unity of His Body. I pray that God will give you wisdom and direction in how to do that.
In Jesus Name,
James B. Sparks
jb5sparks@aol.com
What Should We Do?
To answer this question, the first verses that jumps out in my mind is Ephesians 4:3-6, "Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."
First of all, again, notice the oneness. In John 17, Jesus used the word "one" in His prayer to God for our unity with Him and the Father and with other Christians,. Here in Ephesians 4, the word "one" is used seven times, the idea of completeness and perfection. It's God's perfect desire that we be one because He is One. Everything about Him is in unity and perfect harmony. There is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God. It's not seven different things, but seven Spiritual things in a perfect unity and Oneness. And, we are to work hard at keeping this unity. The word "endeavor" means to work hard. So, endeavor, work hard at keeping the unity of the One Body. Make your practice here on earth match what is in heaven. As a Christian and as a local church, don't do anything that takes away from the universal church, the One Body of Christ. Let everything be done that gives expression of the unity of His Body. I pray that God will give you wisdom and direction in how to do that.
In Jesus Name,
James B. Sparks
jb5sparks@aol.com
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