The Jews, The Greeks, And The Church Of God

by Stewart, W. H. | Category: The Jews, The Greeks, And The Church Of God | Oct 1955

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do ALL to the glory of God. Give no occasion of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God: even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved"

(1 Corinthians 10. 31-33).

The apostle Paul in the preceding verses has been showing the need for care in eating and drinking because of its effect on the conscience of another. And he plainly tells those to whom he is writing that if eating a certain food would offend a neighbour's conscience, then that particular food should not be eaten. This prohibition applied whether the person likely to be offended was a Jew or a Greek, or one in the Church of God (the local assembly in Corinth). We say this advisedly, for if the apostle Paul had been writing of those in the province of Achaia, in which province Corinth was situated, or of the world at large, he would have said, "Churches of God," as we read in chapter 11.16. We must not fall into the error of some, who, taking this scripture as a foundation, have divided the world into three classes, "The Jew, the Gentile and the Church of God." Then proceeding to build upon a wrong premise they make the term" Church of God" synonymous with the Church the Body of Christ, which of course leads to many insurmountable difficulties. In the Scriptures we read of "Churches of God," but there is only one "Church, which is His (Christ's) Body." A person may be excommunicated from the first, but never from the second. These terms, "Church of God" and "Church, which is His Body" are neither synonymous nor interchangeable.

Let us briefly think of the Jew and the Greek, and then in a fuller measure examine the expression the Church of God.

THE JEW.

The first scripture where the word Jews is used is in 2 Kings 16.6 and the context shows that it applies to men of Judah, the two tribes, who at that time were separated from Israel, the ten tribes. Later the word Jew was used in a broader way, and it came to be applied to anyone who was of the seed of Jacob. To some who are of this world, the name Jew is odious, but the true Christian loves the Jew for the fathers' sake. And above all else, he remembers that his Saviour was a Jew, born of the seed of David.

The Jews were God's chosen people and they were entrusted with the Oracles of God. But they knew not the time of their visitation, nor Him of whom Moses in the Law, and the Prophets did write. The guilt of the crucifixion of the Messiah lies especially at their door, for to Pilate the Lord said, "He (Caiaphas) that delivered Me unto thee hath greater sin." And when Pilate had determined to release the Lord Jesus, they denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted unto them, and they killed the Prince of Life. "His blood be on us, and on our children," they cried. Having crucified their Messiah, they soon began to reap the consequences, for they were scattered and led captive into all the nations, and their holy city Jerusalem was trodden down of the Gentiles. Yet, praise God, there is an election according to grace and some of them have accepted the Lord Jesus as Saviour, whom their fathers rejected and despised, and have found, in Him, every longing of their hearts fulfilled.

THE GREEK.

The word which the apostle Paul uses is Hellen, which means of Greek Origin as to birth, but is used also for non-Jews who spoke Greek. They sought after wisdom; but, rejecting the wisdom that comes down from above, they gave heed to mythology which emanated from human minds, a wisdom of this world, the folly of which is now manifest. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. In their divinities they acclaimed the gods and goddesses of lust and sin and God gave them up unto a reprobate mind to do those things which are not fitting. Christ crucified was their great need, for He is the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

THE CHURCH OF GOD.

The word church denotes a "called-out" company; and of God denotes the One who calls, and to whom it belongs. The church of God at (Gr. en, in) Corinth was a body of saved, baptized and gathered together saints. It was not a nameless company. When God saves a sinner, He gives him the right to be called a child of God, for He Himself calls him such. When God calls, and brings together disciples of the Lord Jesus, He calls them a church of God. It is not a sectarian name. The church in Corinth was not undenominational. It had a God-given name.

What does "called-out" mean? Through the preaching of the apostle Paul (Acts 18) the Corinthians heard the message that Jesus was the Christ, with the result that " many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized." As they listened, the voice of God was clearly heard calling them out of all that was contrary to the will of God, and calling them into the Fellowship of (belonging to) His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. They were separated unto the Lord, "called out" unto Himself, to be a people for His own possession, "called out" to be separated from the world's religions and its politics, its pleasures and its sins. "Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate," saith the Lord. "What fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion bath a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols?"

If a "called-out" company did not maintain its separation; if it should build again the things that it destroyed (Galatians 2.18) by returning to that from whence it was called out, what then? If there was no repentance and returning, they would cease to be the called-out, the church of God. And though they were to cry "once gathered, always gathered" yet it would be futile, because it would not be scriptural. A church of God can cease to be.

"Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will remove thy candlestick (lampstand) out of its place, except thou repent" (Revelation 2.5).

Is every church a church of God? Sitting in a bus one day, a fellow-traveller, receiving a tract, immediately asked to what church the distributer of the tract belonged. When he heard that he was numbered with the church of God in L, he responded, "Oh yes, I know, all churches are churches of God, but to which particular denomination do you belong?" The giver of the tract took a piece of printed matter out of his pocket and asked his friend to put his name to it. "Let me read it first" was his retort. When he had read it, he refused to put his name to the paper. "Would you not put your name to everything?" "No, not if I did not agree with the thing." "My friend, do you think that God puts His name to that which is not according to His will? God does not associate His name with that which substitutes man's will for the word of God." It is not true that every church is a church of God. The Lord Jesus said of men who were setting aside God's word and holding fast to their traditions,

"In vain do they worship Me,

Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men" (Matthew 15.9).

In the past dispensation men had to seek unto the place where God chose to put His name, and thither must they come. ".There thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee" (Deuteronomy 12.14). And the great sin whereby Jeroboam the son of Nebat made Israel to sin was in setting up altars in opposition to the altar at the Place of the Name, and calling the children of Israel to worship at them (1 Kings 12.26-38).

What is its constitution? If the word constitution is taken to mean "the body of principles by which a community is governed," then the constitution of a church of God is " the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints " (Jude 8). No matter how ancient the precept; no matter how revered the propounder, if it deviates from the Word of God, it must be rejected. We must learn not to go beyond the things which are written (1 Corinthians 4.6). Neither must we come short of what is written. "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it" (Deuteronomy 4.2). There is something wrong, when in order to support wrong doctrine or practice, recourse is taken to such expressions as, "That was how it was done at the beginning, but we cannot carry this out now." Or, "Due to the character of the times it has to be viewed this way."

The great commission of our Lord in Matthew 28.18-20, covers the period of time from Pentecost to the Rapture. He expects the "all things" that He commanded to be done as He said, for well He knew what could be carried out to the end of the dispensation before He gave His commands.

What is its composition? We have already referred to the preaching of the apostle Paul in Corinth in Acts 18 through which "many Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized." Paul dwelt there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. When later he writes to them, guided by the Holy Spirit, he addresses them thus,

"Unto the church of God which is at (in) Corinth, even them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours" (1 Corinthians 1.2).

The church of God in Corinth was composed of saints, sanctified ones in Christ Jesus, who were obedient to the call of God. They had been baptized (baptize means to dip or immerse) and had been added or joined together, and they continued in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.

The epistle under consideration was written to those thus gathered together in Corinth. Yet its message was just as binding upon all who with (in conjunction with) them called upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours. The doctrine of the Lord was one for all those who owned Him as Lord. There is one faith and this the apostle taught everywhere in every church.

Are all believers in the church of God? In the Scriptures the term church of God always refers to the local company of God-gathered disciples in a town or in a city. We have noted before that when reference is made to larger spheres, such as a province of the world, the term then used to describe those who are together of God is "churches of God." So that the question really becomes, "Do all the believers in a city compose the church of God in that city?

When the apostle Paul wrote his second epistle to the Corinthians he again addressed them as in the first epistle," Unto the church of God which is at (in) Corinth." Yet one of their number had been excommunicated. He was outside of the assembly-" Them that are without God judgeth. Put away the wicked man from among yourselves" (1 Corinthians 5.13). This fact clearly shows that the term "church of God" does not necessarily include every believer in a town or city. All true believers are in the Church the Body of Christ, but they may or may not be in a church of God. Being in the latter depends upon their obedience to the will and word of God.

Are not two or three believers gathered in His name a Church of God? It is God's prerogative as to where He chooses to put His name. "Gathered together in My name we understand to mean those who are under His authority.

There are companies of professed Christians who meet together, holding unscriptural doctrines, or agreeing not to hold some that are scriptural, and who when asked as to their constitution, will quote Matthew 18.20-" Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." Does this scripture apply to such? Let us examine this scripture in its context, for there are few scriptures which are more misused or misappropriated than this one.

In Matthew 18. 15-17 the subject which the Lord outlines is concerning two brethren in a church (of God), one has sinned against the other. The brother sinned against must go himself to see the offender. If this offender will not be reconciled, then the offended party has to take one or two with him. If the brother is still adamant then the matter has to be brought before the church, and if the offender will not hear the church, he has to be excommunicated.

Note that the church is more in number than the two brethren; and is more than these two with a third or fourth added.

Coming now to verse 19 we read about two brethren who do agree. It reads thus, "Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven." "Of you" denotes two of a larger company, and means two of the church. Now verse 20, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." "For" is a conjunction joining verses 19 and 20, which shows that the "two or three" are "two or three" of "you," of the church of verse 17, and this is the local church, the church of God.

This Scripture does not authorize any "two or three" believers to claim the presence of Christ as in this verse. The two or three are of those already gathered in a constituted assembly. Therefore to take this scripture for church constitution is wrong.

Stewart, W. H. | Oct 1955
The Jews, The Greeks, And The Church Of God