What Does It Mean To Be "Added" (2)

by P.J. Kennedy, North York, Ontario, Canada | Category: What Does It Mean To Be Added | May 1994

Scripture instructs us that baptized believers are added to the Lord and by the Lord (Acts 11:24; 2:47). This last aspect of adding emphasizes divine prerogative and activity in the increase of the Lord's congregations. It was the Lord, for example, who caused Lydia's heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul (Acts 16:14). similarly, the apostle acknowledged that in the work of establishing the Church of God in Corinth, "God gave the increase" (1 Cor. 3:6). It is evident that human activity necessarily accompanies such growth, for "How shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom.10:14). But we do well to ascribe all that results to the One who sovereignly conveys the tender plant to the "tilled land" or the living stone to the "building" (compare 1 Cor. 3:9) for the purpose, (as Vine defines prostithemi, the Greek word translated "add"), "to put to, to add, or to place beside" the plants or stones already in place.

While adding is the work of the Lord, it is effected by two corresponding human actions. The first relates to the individual disciple who is added. His desire is to join,' or be joined to, the added together ones. In Acts 5:12

we have an account of days when the apostles were working many signs and wonders among "the people", that is, the common people. Luke records that "of the rest durst (dared) no man join himself to them" (5:13). The same fear of losing the praise of men and positions of religious prestige hinders some today from being identified with the churches of God. Thankfully, however, from among the common people who held the apostles and the church in high esteem "believers were the more added to the Lord" (5:14). The close approximation of the two expressions implies they relate to the same event: "the rest' feared "to join", but believers were "added". The word "join" (literally, to glue or cement together) is also used in regard to Paul, for "when he was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples" (Acts 9:26). Though an apostle, and a man who bad received a unique revelation of the risen Lord, he sought to serve the Lord in fellowship with his brethren. After the intervention of Barnabas, "He was with them going in and going out at Jerusalem, preaching" (9:28,29).

Perhaps a useful Old Testament analogy to this "joining" is found in Isaiah 56:3-8, where God makes promises to "the stranger, that bath joined himself to the LORD". Being joined to the Lord was practically accomplished by being joined to the congregation of the Lord, as will be seen by comparing Isaiah 14:1. These strangers would not be separated from His people (56:3) but rather gathered "to His gathered ones that are gathered" (56:8, margin). The strangers joined themselves to the Lord "to minister unto Him ... to be His servants" (56:6) and we find that in the New Testament also there is service that is to be accomplished only by those who have "come together in the church" (1 Cor. 11:18; also 11:17,20). God promises to bring the servants that have joined themselves to the Lord "to My holy mountain" (compare Hebrews 12:22) and to "make them joyful in My house of prayer" (compare the spiritual house of 1 Peter 2:5).

The second human action required to give effect to adding is performed by the local church of God, which has an obligation to receive those whom the Lord in His sovereignty is adding or has added. To receive (Gk: apodechomai) means to welcome, to accept gladly, to receive without reserve.

When speaking of "adding", it would be helpful if we keep to the distinctions made by the Spirit in Acts. Our testimony could thus be expressed: "The Lord, mercifully created in me a desire to be joined to disciples gathered in churches of God. When my sincere ambition to serve the Lord was known, the local church of God received and welcomed me to the privileges of service and fellowship in the church. Thus the Lord added me to those added together and to the Lord. Praise the Lord! "For of Him, and through Him, and unto Him, are all things" (Rom. 11:36).

P.J. Kennedy, North York, Ontario, Canada | May 1994
What Does It Mean To Be Added