The Bible is the Basis of the Local New Testament Church Matthew 16:13-18 - Ephesian 5:23-27 by Cooper Abrams

Introduction:    It is a very important to determine what is the foundation for one's beliefs about the church? We need to establish what we believe and why we believe it. For most of us what we know about the church came from the churches we attended and what they taught influenced what we believe. Some have looked to their denominational leaders and others to pastors to tell them about the church.

            The question we need to ask is "Can we rely on what we have been taught?" Who can we trust to tell us what is right. (I think you can see where we are headed?) Christians should want to know what God wants a church to be in its beliefs and practices. We need to make sure what we do is based on the Bible and then proceed to do the same.

            We need to Scripturally know who is the Head and who are members of the church? What is its polity (government or organization)? Who are its leaders and why was it formed. Who started it and what is the church suppose to do. There are a host of other good questions that need answering. A good question is what do we call ourselves Independent Fundamental Baptists.

            Let's use another word. What is the "authority" for what you believe about the church? Supposed we went to a denomination and ask them what is right. Could you trust their answers? Well, the reason there are denominations is because each denomination believes differently about the what the church should be! Go to ten denominations and you will get ten different answers.

            I have heard many people say that we do not need denominations and there are some "Non" denominational churches formed in protest to denominationalism. Well I say that denominations are good. Why? Because when you hear what denomination a church is or a person belongs to you know what they believe. It is a good way of dividing sound churches from those who are in error or teaching false doctrine. By the way, you cannot really know what a "non denominational" church believes. The ones I know are generally accept every belief and practice and are not doctrinally sound.

            What then is the answer! How can we know for sure, in a world in where there is so much confusion and difference of opinion, as to what is God's will?

            We have a way, a sure and absolute way. That way is the Bible, God's Word. The problem is not that we can not know what is correct. We can know. The problem is some have declined to accept the true source as the absolute authority. Others are confused not "rightly dividing the Word of God."

            The Bible is God's Holy Word. The Bible tells us the church was established by Christ Himself. He did not leave us in the dark as to what the church should be. He left His Word and complete instructions to deal with every aspect of the church. But there is a problem. Most claim their opinions of what a church is was taken from the Bible. However, it can be easily shown that many beliefs are not in fact based on what the Bible says at all.

            The whole purpose of attend a local church is to worship God in thanksgiving, to learn God's word and thus be edified or "built up" by it. The local assembly of believers, which is what a church is lets us fellowship and serve one another and collectively seek the lost through our missions program.

            Some of the practices of churches come from their traditions. What they believe has been passed down through time and developed over the ages. Infant baptism is a good example. You do not find infant baptism in the Bible. Yet, many Catholics and Protestant denominations practice infant baptism. Why? In their past some of their church leaders established it based on their misunderstanding of Bible passages such as Acts 16:33. In Acts 16:33, the verse says the jailer (who had received Christ) was baptized, "he and all his, straightway." They conclude this would mean adults and children alike or all his household. The verse does not say infants were baptized. In truth we do not even know if the jailer had children.

           Those who teach infant baptism use this as a verse to justify their practice. It that proper? Do we find anywhere in the Bible where it says that infants were baptized? The answer is no! So their practice is not based on Scripture. They base their doctrine on a vague interpretation or upon false logic. Today these denominations to do not even question the teaching! Their "church fathers" established the practice as doctrine . . . so it accepted without question. Their "church fathers" are their authority for what they practice.

           The mode of baptism as practiced by many denominations is another example of following man's opinion and not God's Word. The word in the New Testament is "baptisma" (bap'-tis-mah). The word means immersion. There is no record of any church "sprinkling" or "pouring" in the New Testament. They get their practice from the opinions of man, not what God has cleared stated in the Bible.

           In my library is a booklet written by a Protestant preacher who states the reasons his denomination sprinkles. He stated he believed the early church sprinkled even though he admitted there is no mention of the practice. One reason he gave for sprinkling was that there was not enough water in Jerusalem to have baptized five thousand people on the day of Pentecost. He said water in Jerusalem was to scarce and precious to be used for baptism. That statement came from his lack of knowledge of how the people in Jerusalem stored water. There was ample water and cisterns all over the city that collected and stored rain water. Some of the cisterns were large enough to be this building in and you could walk down stairs into these water reservoirs. I know because I saw many of them in Israel when if visited there in 2003.

            He also concluded that Philip could not have immersed the eunuch because their was no water in the desert. (Acts 8:26-39) I suppose he had never heard of an oasis. So, he concluded, if their was not enough water they must have sprinkled. What then does he base the practiced based on? His basis is man's opinion faulty human reasoning. And he arrived at this opinion, in contradiction to what is cleared stated in the Bible.

            The Bible is the Sole Authority for the Faith and Practice of a True New Testament Church

            What does the Bible say is the sole authority for the faith and practice of the New Testament church?

            "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

            ". . .knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20-21

           It is God who established God's plan for believers and in their meeting in local assemblies.. He has said to us that the Scriptures (the Bible) is given by God to instruct us. It is given to teach us doctrine, reproof, correction and righteousness. Why? That we might be fully equipped to do the works of God. (2 Tim. 3:16-16)

           In all matters of faith and practice the New Testament church has but one authority. That authority is the Bible. In the above verses the Bible claims to be supernaturally inspired by God meaning it is God's word.

           The Bible also is free from error. This called, "verbal plenary inspiration." (Every word used was inspired of God and without error 2 Timothy 3:16) Note what God says He preserves His Word:

            "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." Matthew 5:18

            Note the warning to those who would attempt to add or subtract from the Bible.

           "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." Revelation 22:18-19

           The Bible says It is the source of salvation pointing me to Jesus.

            "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me." John 5:39

            "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." Romans 1:16

            "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17

            ". . .and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 3:15

            The Bible instructs believers setting the model for the New Testament Church.

            "These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." 1 Timothy 3:14-15

            "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." 2 Timothy 4:1-4

           In order for a church to call itself a church in the true Biblical sense it must base its faith and practice solely on God's Word the Bible. No mortal man founded the New Testament church. It was Christ who instituted the church. "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18

           Christ says He built the church and says He died for it as Ephesians 5:25 clearly states. "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it"

           A true New Testament church is formed by an assembly of believers, but the assembly is not their's but formed for Christ. Believers establish a church based on Christ's instructions. It is Christ who owns the church. He purchased it with His blood. (Acts 20:28)

           In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said He would build His church. It is to be set up and ruled only as its founder has instructed. Any man or denomination who establishes a church on tradition or the opinions of men is in grave error. He is also not establishing a true New Testament church. Jesus said, "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus." (1 Corinthians 3:10) In the Psalms we read, "

           Jesus said the "gates of hell would not prevail against" the church. This only applies to a church founded on and grounded in the Word of God without error.

           We should ask ourselves the question: What then is the New Testament church that Christ established? We should seek "what saith the Lord" on the matter and be totally committed in following Christ's instructions to the letter.

           What Does the Word Church Mean?

           In order to establish a New Testament church we must first know what the word "church" means in Scripture. In the world it means different things to different people.

           The word, in English usage, is commonly used to refer to a building or a denomination. It may mean the whole of all Christians of all time or the "so called" universal church. It can refer to a local group believers in a particular geographical location.

           The definition of the word as it is used today is of little significance in determined what God meant it to be.. What is essential is that its original meaning in the New Testament be determined.

           The Greek word, "ekklesia" is translated in most places in the New Testament "church." The word "ekklesia" is found in one hundred and fifteen places in the New Testament. It is translated in English one hundred and twelve times "church." Three times it is translated "assembly."

           A careful examination of the word "ekklesia" reveals that the word means "assembly." That is the definition of the word...an assembly or assembled group of people. It is used in regard to a group of persons that are organized together for a common purpose and who meet together.

           We must understand that the normal usage of the Greek word in New Testament times was understood by all to simply mean an assembly. It could refer to different kinds of assemblies. A town meeting would be called an assembly and if we used our modern translation we would say the town meeting was a church. In Acts 19:32,39,41, the word "ekklesia" refers to the idol makers who met together.

           In Acts 7:38, the word refers to the group of assembled Israelites in Moses' day at Mt. Sinai showing that it was not used exclusively of believers.

           The context of the use of the word determined who was meeting together. In Acts 19:32, 39, and 41, we know the "ekklesia" or "assembly" was a group of idol makers. Acts 19:24-25, states that a man named Demetruis who was a silversmith who made idols called all workman of like occupation together.

           Note Acts 19:32 if we read it using modern method of translation it would read, "Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the church (assembly) was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together." (Acts 19:32) Those assembled were idol makers!

           The English Bible translates the word "ekklesia" in these verses "assembly." Yet, it translates the same word "church" is other places. There is no grammatical reason to do so. The context of each usage tells us what kind of assembly was meeting. The Bible does not make a distinction in the use of the word.

           In the New Testament a group of believers would be referred to as "the assemblies (plural) (ekklesia) of Asia." (1 Corinthians 16:19) The KJV translates the passage, "the churches of Asia."

           Few know today why the word "church" was used in the King James Bible instead of assembly or congregation. When King James authorized the translation of the Bible in 1611 he made three rules which the translators were to use. The third rule states:

           "The old ecclesiastical words to be kept, . . .the word church not to be translated congregation." King James forced the translators to use the word "church" instead of congregation or assembly. A look at any English dictionary will reveal the English word church is taken from a Late Greek word "kyridakon" not "ekklesia." The word Late Greek word is "kryridakon" [kri-rid-a-con] is not used in the New Testament and came into being long after New Testament times. Late Greek means it came into being around the 1500's AD. "Kryridakon" is not found in the Bible.

           What then does the Biblical word, translated church, really mean? It simply means a "special called out assembly of people." The New Testament knows nothing of using any formal word to refer to exclusively to the assembly of believers. It further knows nothing of the was "ekklesia" referring to a universal or to all churches everywhere in the world collectively as in a "catholic" church. The word "catholic" is defined as "all conclusive, pertaining to all mankind, something that is universal encompassing all."

           This has great and far reaching implications. First it means there is no Biblical basis for a church hierarchy outside the local church or local assembly of believers. God's program and the institution He established is a group of believers in a particular locale who assemble and meet together. The only "ekklesia" the New Testament knows is a local assembly of believers. As an "ekklesia" can only mean an assembly of believers, it could not be used in a universal sense as referring to all believers everywhere or what some call the "universal church." A universal church can not meet in one place together so the word can not be used in referring to all believers.

           What then is the word we use to refer to all believers. Not the following passages:

           1 Corinthians 12:27 "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."

           Ephesians 4:12 " For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."

           The Autonomy Of The Local Church

            ". . .I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the assembly (church) of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15)

           The autonomy of the local church means that the church governs its self. The Biblical example of a New Testament church is one that is not ruled by any board, hierarchical system or another church.

           The local church has been defined as: "A body of believers immersed upon credible confession of faith in Jesus Christ, lead by a pastor(s), sovereign in polity, and banded together for work, worship, the observance of the ordinances and the world-wide proclamation of the Gospel."

           Forms of church government in practice today:

1. Papal: The Roman Catholic church practices totalitarian authority beginning with the Pope.

2. Episcopalian: The word means "bishop". The authority of the church government rests with its bishops. The bishops make up a board which rules the churches under them. Episcopal and Methodist use this system.

3. Presbyterian: The word means "elder." A board of elders elected by the congregation rule the church as well as the denomination. These elders may or may not be preachers.

4. Congregational: The final authority in a church rests with the congregation. Each member has a vote and the rule is democratic. The church does not answer to any authority outside of its self. The Pastor is the administrative and spiritual leader of the congregation being called and appointed by God to the position. The membership after seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit issue a call to the pastor. The church recognizes that Christ is the Head of the local church and the Bible is God's instruction and authority. Its owns its property. It appoints committees and individuals to take certain responsibilities.

           Each local church is autonomous as exampled by the Jerusalem Council.

            In Acts 15, there arose a dispute over whether Gentile believers should re required to keep the Law of Moses and be circumcised. The two churches involved were the assemble at Antioch and Jerusalem. The pastors from Antioch were sent to Jerusalem and held a council with the pastors there. They pastors and apostles met first in private session (Acts 15:6, Gal. 2:2), but the decision was made by the church. (Acts 15:7, 12, 22, 25)

           Each Early Church Elected its Own Officers

           Acts 6:1-7, records the early church elected special men to do a particular task. These men were servants to the local assembly and today under the influence of RCC and Protestantism are call "deacons." They were merely servants elected for some particular service or need in a local congregation and were not officials or had in ruling position.

           The Local Church Is the Final Authority in Discipline.

           In Matthew 18:15-17 the Lord Jesus taught the local church had the final authority in disciplining an erring member. 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, and 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15, teach that it is the local church that has the responsibility to disciple members. Conclusion: A true New Testament church is founded on the finished work of Jesus Christ in dying for our sins and offering us His mercy, grace and forgiveness of sins if we would believe and by faith accept Jesus Christ as our Savior.

           Christ then established His local church for believers to gather to gather in His name to preach His word, to edify His children and that they come and worship Him in thanksgiving, bringing their titles and offering to support the local work and to engage in evangelism in their city, and outward through their mission program to the whole world.

            This is God's program plain revealed in His word. Each of us then should in our love of Christ faithfully assemble and carry out His Great Commission. What a wonderful privilege we have in knowing that "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20)



2/7/10

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