K Contrary to popular impression, saints are not made of plaster. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. D In the body as a whole, the evangelists and teaching-pastors work with individuals within the church. Acts 2:1-47 ESV / 6 helpful votes In fact, they do not exist as a separate group. "Not as lords," Peter says, "over God's heritage," (1 Peter 5:3 KJV). And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. We have the record in the Gospels that our Lord called twelve men to be with him (that was their primary characteristic) and to send them out in specialized ministry. That is all. Learn why others have chosen to participate in cleaning and caring for meetinghouses and how their testimonies have grown because of it.. This is as easy as talking about any other experience. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. Paul says in First Corinthians, "to prophesy is to speak unto edification, encouragement and comfort," (1 Corinthians 14:3): To so speak as to build with a word of edification. Linked with this is the work of a teaching-pastor. 1 Kings 6:7 | View whole chapter | See verse in context And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. S On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. Men such as Mark and Luke and James and Jude were not apostles, but, nevertheless, they helped lay the foundations of the church in writing the Scriptures. These four functions cannot properly classify themselves as a particular group different from the rest of Christians. Some time ago, in the living room of a private home, I met a number of young Mormon elders. One of the most amazing things happening in human history today is the structure and building of the church. That is not easy to do. Publisher: OpenBible.info. And on one occasion the Apostle Paul willing received financial support and indicated that God was well-pleased with such a gift. Churches are very active places so having a central calendar, that lists all … ‣ 16:1-2). It was the task then of the apostles and prophets to lay the foundation of the church. The gift of an evangelist can be exercised to a single individual, as you see in the Scriptures when Philip spoke to the Ethiopian eunuch and told him of the grace of Jesus Christ. ‣ W The prevailing attitude seems to be this: "He, or they, had to take care of themselves". (This is a claim they consistently make.) The church is where God dwells, where he is at work today. The apostolic gift is still being given today, and it is needed wherever new churches are beginning. You lay it squarely, securely and strongly, for the whole building is going to rest on that foundation and will derive its strength from the solidarity of that foundation. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. There is no other way into this body. That is the order in which these gifts were introduced into the church. The terms “elder, “overseer,” and “pastor” are used interchangeably in the New Testament to refer to the same office or leadership position in the church (Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5, 7; 1 Pet. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the … A man who was an elder in one church was not also an elder in another place. 1 Kings 6:7 | View whole chapter | See verse in context And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. Luke 14:13-14 ESV / 948 helpful votes. Now this is supremely important. 1. They can exercise it anywhere. I said, "The only one I have ever heard of in that list is Benson, and I have never seen any particular qualifications on his part to be an apostle." When they spoke their word had authority. We are all called to the work of the ministry, and, therefore, it is improper to designate this group as the ministry, although it is commonly done. Whoever heard of pouring foundations that far along in construction? However, we not only have to take care of the people inside our church, we need to take care of the people outside our church. Many people today possess the gift of an evangelist -- both men and women. That is the prophet's task. Each is a vital part in the great temple the Holy Spirit is building as a habitation of God. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. No less important, it also involves logistical care—help with daily details such as shopping, taking medicines, making appointments, and organizing finances. That is a far cry from the New Testament. Where there is strength here, that strength will be imparted to the whole church and the church will become powerful again. People will serve without being asked, and … He is the one who named them apostles. It was laid once and for all, long ago, and it is on this that the church builds. We’re probably tempted to skim over these benedictions without much thought, but there is a lot of solid theology here. It means first in historical sequence. Paul came after the twelve and never belonged to the original twelve. Let me illustrate. "Other foundation can no man lay," Paul said, "than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ," (1 Corinthians 3:11 KJV). Evangelists and teaching-pastors work together, just as the apostles and prophets work together. 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. You see the church rests upon the foundation of the apostles." But all this is necessary in the shaping of us up together, in building this amazing building that God is building today, this great structure which in secret is taking shape through history, invisible to the world. This is linked with the pastor-teachers. But, in addition, there are those who spend time in administration or ruling. Nor were these always men who devoted their full time to this ministry. T (They never should be called "elders" for they are all very much "youngers." Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. ‣ Not only were the Scriptures given to us by certain of the prophets but the great theologians of the church have been men with a prophetic gift. Thus, the Bible tells us that, individually, our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. If we fill up, we’ll just have to start talking about expanding the building. Rather, in humility value others … ‣ 1 Corinthians 11:18 | View whole chapter | See verse in context For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. Then there is the circulatory system, the blood, which feeds and cleanses our bodies continually. Anyone who exercises the gift of teaching and shepherding within the church is a pastor-teacher whether he is full-time at the work or not. Website © 2021 by Ray Stedman Ministries. H Elders or bishops were always limited to one locality, one group of Christians, one church. It is only as the church rests upon this foundation of the faith taught by the apostles that there is any certainty or strength. That is the foundation. Now, all Christians are expected to evangelize, but not all have the gift of an evangelist. This has nothing to do with full-time, part-time or any other relationship to time. Certainly the Apostle Paul is one. The word prophet suggests that very thing. David wanted desperately to build God a permanent structure—a temple. It doesn't have to be done in mass meetings. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. The same thing is true in the church. In terms of the ministry, from the top of the administration on down, its emphasis must be on "feeding the flock." It is even worse to call them the clergy, for that word comes from the Latin clericus, which means "a priest." Later on there were other apostles. Overseers and bishops happen to be the same Greek word; it is simply translated two different ways. The church that mistreats God's men in any age does not have the blessing of God upon them. ‣ What the apostles say about Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church, and what they said about Jesus Christ is recorded for us in our New Testament. ‣ To return to the figure of a building, an evangelist is the quarryman, the man out in the rock quarry who digs the rock out, cuts it loose from its basic structure, and breaking it out, separates the rock into smaller pieces. All of them are especially needed in today's confused world. G That authority is the special mark of an apostle. ‣ The church owes much to prophets. You are not your own. But he is so anxious to make this truth clear that his language becomes a bit mixed. 3:15). Any of you men in construction business knows that a foundation is of the utmost importance. For permission to use this content, please review "Oh," they said, "what church is that? 11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. We call them pioneer missionaries today. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Our subject is the building and maintenance service of the church. They have no greater privileges and no greater authority, as individuals within the body of Christ, than any other Christians. These are the chief leaders of a church, the ruling elders. He is able to proclaim the truths that produce a new birth. L And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’. It is something different. What bible verses talk about the church taking care of the community? These are men who had the apostolic gift and were responsible to impart the whole faith to new churches. B The Bible thinks of our lives as being like a building. What is that foundation? The whole church is in the ministry, as you can see from this very verse. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Scripture does not endorse a model where pastors and teachers are paid professionals who do all the work while the congregation does nothing. If there seems to be, as Paul says to the Galatians, "it is another gospel," (Galatians 1:6-7). To talk about these things simply and naturally, that is a Christian witness. They came back to the Lord and told how they rejoiced when they discovered that the demons were subject to them. But the prophetic gift is to interpret that authoritative word and so to explain it that the truth becomes clear and vital and compelling. J It corresponds to the work of the prophets in the body of Christ. ... Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? They are all called to exercise the gift of an elder, the gift of a pastor, a teaching-pastor. They are sometimes made of very hard, resistant materials. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Study Bible A Call to Rebuild the Temple … 3 Then the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet, saying: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” 5 Now this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Consider carefully your ways.… He has made them clear, made them to shine, made them understandable. No other church has any apostles, but the true church of Jesus Christ had apostles." Matthew 7:24-27 says: Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. An evangelist knows how to explain the why, and the how, of the great redeeming story of Jesus Christ. When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. This benediction varies from Paul’s That is why many people, seeking to discover God in the universe, say he is dead. We need to be inviting as many people as we can into God’s House. But this is a total misunderstanding of the Scriptures. They are usually boys just out of college.) For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. In the figure of a building, the time sequence is stressed in this particular illustration. Isn’t the church to be the people of God? U ‣ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. Taking care of the temple of God. If I want to know what an apostle says, all I have to do is turn to the New Testament, and there I find it. The work of an apostle was to declare the whole body of truth concerning Jesus Christ. This corresponds to the apostles and their function in the body of Christ. The teaching-pastor then becomes the stone mason, the one who shapes the rock, puts it in proper form and fits it into the building in its proper place, according to the great blueprint of the Architect. I "Our church is the only true church, and the reason we know this to be true is that we have apostles. 2:22). For 2 years met at Crawford and Julia R Ewan school. A building can easily demand more attention, more money, more emotion, and more division than t… These four functions exist for the equipping of the saints "unto the work of the ministry," therefore, every Christian is in the ministry. These also shared in the apostolic ministry. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The church's problems are spiritual in nature. We've never heard of another church that has apostles." If it becomes overactive we become nervously indisposed. They said, "How could this be?" Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Billy Graham has this ministry, along with the gift of an evangelist. It is not that any new truth is being added to the Scriptures, but the whole body of truth which is given is taken by those who have the apostolic gift and is imparted to new churches wherever they begin. I said, "It happens to be the original church with the original apostles." R ‣ The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. When they do something, others will be motivated to do it. I don't know if this church declined—I do know that it has relocated. “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! ‣ In our next study together we will start at this point and see how the Holy Spirit uses these four functionaries within the church to equip the saints, to perfect the saints, unto the work of their ministry. ‣ ‣ Then there is the nervous system in our bodies -- that which galvanizes, which stimulates, which makes us alert and active. ‣ For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. The apostle clearly refers to the first two functions (apostles and prophets) in terms of the figure of a building. So he located property for the building, but rather than throwing his royal weight around to get a good deal for it, he insisted on paying full price. Theirs is a foundational ministry of widespread effect, whether we think of the original apostles or contemporary ones. We have seen that you don't become a member of the body of Christ by joining a church. M We can easily recognize the importance of the nervous system to the body. The evangelist's work is to talk about the overwhelming grace of God and what he has done in human life, the overpowering love of the Father that is calling people back to himself and offering to set their twisted lives straight when they open their hearts to the redeeming grace of Jesus Christ. The clergy are no better than anyone else in the body of Christ; they are ordinary Christians with a specialized task, that's all. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. One man builds his house on the sand. A church should care for its senior pastor financially. They lay the foundation. There is the building and the individual Christians as members, stones, within that building. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. V They are certainly not made of sugar and spice and everything nice. If you are a bit surprised by that title, let me reassure you: We shall not be talking about the janitorial service. ‣ Here we understand that Jesus Christ, as Lord of the church, has given the right to lay the foundations to the apostles and prophets. God’s house … Whenever a non-believer has in his or her mind a definition of “church,” that definition is usually a building. There is nothing else. There are also some in the New Testament who are elders, but are not called ruling elders. In Chapter 2, Verses 19-22, he says, So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Blog, A It is not to expose the horrors of hellfire, and to hang sinners over it until they writhe and tremble. But whether the church is regarded as a body or a building, there are four functions within it which are so universally needed and so mutually shared that we must consider them independently from the other gifts that Christ gives to his people. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. October 3, 1971 present building dedicated. It is the foundation which makes all the difference. He exercised all these gifts on one occasion or another. Where there is weakness here, there is bound to be weakness in the church. The evangelist is concerned with the beginning of the Christian life, while the teaching-pastor is concerned with the development and the growth of that life. Labs It has helpful notes written by Dr. Cyrus Scofield who was not a clergyman, not ordained to the ministry, but who was a lawyer, a layman. Again, every believer is to be a priest in the church of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for … We were discussing, in the presence of an interested party, the differences between the teachings of the Mormon Church and the teachings of the Bible. He is forever dealing with the great proclamation that God has not left man in a hopeless condition but has made a way at great cost through the cross and the resurrection, by which men and women who struggle on in their endless fight against the deteriorating forces of life can be set free and given a new start and a new basis for battle. We find this foundation in the New Testament. Bible verses related to Church Building from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance - Sort By Book Order 1 Peter 2:5 - Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Someone who stands before and causes the word to shine -- that is a prophet. "Bishop" is the English translation of episcopus, and the literal meaning of that is "overseer." Now how do they rule? If you spend all your time thinking about your needs and wishes and forget about His, then don’t expect Him to solve your problems. They are New Testament prophets, and there are others mentioned. Many pastors and Bible teachers also have prophetic gifts. When it does, it will become a disturbing element in society, a revolutionary ferment that will make the most powerful impact that can be made upon any community. Human viewpoints or opinions make no difference, what modern knowledge says, or what discoveries science opens to us do not change the foundation. If we think of the church as a building, then we are studying the blueprints, the architecture of it, the plan of the designer. In the early church, the apostles were being pressured by the practical needs of the congregation to get involved in administrative matters. He also likens it to a building, which has been growing through the centuries, as a habitation for God. You are on the foundation. In this church we have not one pastor or three, but thirteen. RayStedman.org/permissions. The apostle says the apostles and prophets are given the job of laying the foundation. This means that God dwells in us (1 Cor. He gives an authoritative declaration of the whole body of truth concerning Jesus Christ. Geocoding Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. We are God's stewards, entrusted by Him with time and opportunities, abilities and possessions, and the blessings of the earth and its resources. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Those who provide care to sick and elderly people face a mountain of diverse challenges. Another builds on the rock, and his house will stand, Matthew 7:24-27). Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. As Christians, we need to get our eyes off the superficialities to the reality of this -- to hear and see the exciting things that God the Holy Spirit is doing in our midst, the way he is taking us and shaping us, molding us and knocking off the rough spots, and putting us into place. ‣ This church is not a mainline church, but an LCMS church, but either way the trend of relocation is clear. Now perhaps it would be instructive to view this same thing from the standpoint of the other figure Paul uses -- the church as a building. Any Christian and all Christians are expected to relate what happened, to be able to give a simple testimonial of what Jesus Christ has done. He did not take part in their particular ministry, though he was truly an apostle. Or the Apostle John. If they lose that spirituality, they also lose their authority. This is the work of these two gifts together in the body of Christ. But they told the church to select qualified men who could take care of these matters and added, “But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). First, he likens it to a body, a human body of flesh and bones, articulated and coordinated, made up of many members. So he located property for the building, but rather than throwing his royal weight around to get a good deal for it, he insisted on paying full price. That is an evangelist.