Their Conflict

by L. Burrows, Kingston-upon-Thames | Category: New Testament Churches Of God | Aug 1967

Prior to His ascension, the Lord left with His disciples the assurance: "Peace I leave with you" (John 14.27), but at another time He made the seemingly contradictory statement: "I came not to send peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10.34). For the believer, both statements are true; he knows the deep joy of peace with God, but within and without there rages a lifelong conflict with the flesh, the world and Satan. That is why the churches of God, being composed of believers are, in spite of great blessing, inevitably involved in unceasing struggle. They have a divine constitution and are golden lampstands of testimony in the eyes of the Lord, yet they are targets for the deadly assaults of the Adversary, who is bitterly opposed to all that is according to the will of God. For our instruction the tribulations of the early churches are frankly dealt with in the New Testament.

From its very earliest days the church of God in Jerusalem was subjected to vi6lent attacks by the Jew& The leaders Peter and; John were mocked, twice imprisoned and beaten (Acts 2.13; 4.1-3; 5,17,18,40). Stephen, who declared that it was always the lot of God's faithful servants to be persecuted, was stoned to death; whereupon Saul, later to become Paul the apostle, "laid waste" the church in Jerusalem and pursued the Christians who had fled to Damascus (Acts 7.5260; 8.1-3; 9.1-9). Later, Herod killed James the apostle and would have done the same with Peter had it not been for angelic intervention (Acts 12.6,7).

During this initial period, internal problems of an apparently minor nature arose, but it was of vital importance that they should be dealt with firmly under divine guidance. Ananias and Sapphira attempted to deceive the apostles with regard to a gift of the proceeds from the sale of a piece of land. Judgement of the utmost severity followed, bringing a sense of awe upon the church (Acts 5.1-11). The church was growing in numbers so rapidly that administrative difficulties arose and, in spite of the joyful and unselfish lives of the saints, an opportunity came for jealousy to creep in. It was alleged that there was favouritism in the distribution of funds to the poor, local inhabitants being better treated than f6reign Jews. With the approval of all, seven excellent men were quickly appointed to take care of this activity of the church, with the result that nothing further was heard of the matter (Acts

6.16).

The rapid spread of the gospel during Paul's missionary journeys roused the animosity of unbelieving Jews who, reinforced by ill-intentioned Gentiles, attacked Paul and his companions at Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, and Lystra (Acts 13 and 14). Paul encountered physical violence and threats in many other places, and similar ill-treatment was directed against the churches of God from time to time in those early days (1 Peter 4.12; Revelation 2.9,10).

In apostolic times, persecution was frequent and severe but was never a real threat to the progress of the churches of God. By contrast, internal dissension was potentially far more dangerous, and taxed to the utmost the wisdom of the very able men who1 under God, had the task of resolving doctrinal difficulties. From the beginning, some Jewish disciples had failed to grasp the essential nature of the New Covenant, for it was not an improved version of the Old Covenant but a completely new thing with a spiritual basis. Converted Jews and Gentiles were now on an equal footing, but national and religious pride caused certain troublemakers to attempt to impose circumcision on Gentile believers, teaching that eternal salvation was impossible without it. Acts 15 relates how Paul and Barnabas vigorously opposed this heresy. They realized how critical the situation was, not only for Antioch, where the dispute was most acute, but for all the churches, and so decided to refer the problem to the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. The procedure adopted should be carefully examined, as it sets the pattern for all time where difficulties with Fellowship-wide implications have to be dealt with. Paul and Barnabas related their missionary experiences to the whole church in Jerusalem (verse 4), but it was the apostles and elders who subsequently dealt with the spiritual problems (verse 6). In a private meeting, there was a wide-ranging discussion, after which Peter, Paul, and Barnabas recounted how divine mercy had come to both Jews and Gentiles, their hearts being cleansed by faith. James summed up the discussion and gave his judgement as guided by the Holy Spirit (verses 19-21, 28). That this judgement agreed with what all present had now come to understand as the mind of the Lord cannot be disputed (verse 25). But this was not a merely local decision; the widely held belief in the independence of churches is completely at variance with the scriptural record of the procedure adopted at Jerusalem. As well as being binding on the church at Antioch, the decrees formulated by the apostles and elders were delivered to all the churches (Acts 16.4).

Evidences of the relentless battle against sin and false teaching within the churches are found in many of the epistles. There were divisions, moral sin had to be dealt with, wrong behaviour needed correction (1 Corinthians 1, 5 and 6), and doctrinal error had to be exposed and countered (Galatians 1.6-l0; 2 Thessalonians 2.1-3; 1 Timothy 1.3; 2 Timothy 2.l6-l8; Titus 3.10). Paul warned the elders at Ephesus to be on the watch for men who would behave like wolves among a defenceless flock and to beware of overseers who would embrace false teaching, enticing others to follow them (Acts 20.29-31). He urged Timothy to hold the pattern of sound words, reminding him of those who had defected from

the faith (2 Timothy 1.13-15) and warning of future apostasy (2 Timothy 4.34).

Throughout most of Paul's Christian life he was weighed down with a daily anxiety for all the churches (2 Corinthians 11.28). He was a man of faithfulness and ability, but the problems were varied and difficult. The increasing intensity of the struggle can be sensed in the style and content of his second letter to Timothy. He encouraged Timothy to suffer hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2.3), and summed up his own service in the words, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith" (4.7). The Lord's messages to the seven churches in Asia give us a final picture of spiritual conflict. Some successes are recorded, but also some failures; the final issue was still in doubt (Revelation 2 and 3).

This solemn review of the evils with which the early churches had to contend should impress upon us the need for vigilance today. In spite of the ministry of the apostles, in spite of special manifestations of the Holy Spirit and in spite of other favourable circumstances, heresies, divisions, and sins of many kinds were a constant threat to their well-being, their progress and, indeed, to their very existence. Today the churches of God are engaged in a warfare which is even more critical, for we are now in the "last days" spoken of in Scripture as being grievous or fierce (2 Timothy 3.1). For saints to relax their efforts in such a dangerous situation would be to court disaster. We must "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3).

L. Burrows, Kingston-upon-Thames | Aug 1967
New Testament Churches Of God