I think people forget that to love Jesus is also to love his church, because Jesus himself is described by Paul as being the church, you know. It's the body of Christ. And that's because we have an embodied faith. Our faith is always enfleshed. And so to say that Jesus is the foundation of the church simply means to say that Jesus is what the church lives out. It lives out his life. It lives out his mercy, his forgiveness. And it is where he is found in the world today. It is where, if you're looking for Jesus, you find him in his body the church where he is enfleshed in preaching. He's enfleshed in the sacraments: in holy baptism, in the celebration of the Lord's Supper. And he's enfleshed in the community where he dwells in the saints and they in him.1
Those are the words of Dr. Arthur Just, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN during the August 10, 2010 broadcast of Issues, Etc. He highlights a unique bond believers have by virtue of their position in Christ, yet too easily dismiss—Christians must work to live in peace because each is connected to another in an organic union.
Christians have attempted: a) unity in organizations whether denominations, associations, ecumenicism, etc. being based on man-made structures rather than Holy Spirit-inspired structures; and b) unity in doctrine which does more to build up walls of sectarianism than spiritual lives. The church has a structure. It is the body of Christ. It has doctrine. It is the apostolic doctrine of scripture passed to the church. So what is missing? Frank Viola correctly states
How should this situation be addressed when it arises? Some assemblies have tried to resolve this by telling the more vocal party to leave. This simply maintains the serenity but not unity. The body remains splintered. The better approach is to realign thinking based on the word of God. Inquire into the grievance. Determine if it is a biblical error in the church or an error in judgment by a individual/family. Most likely, it will be the latter and should be handled by the elders. If the former, it will most likely be buried in the elder meeting. That is how things usually turn out. The correct elder response would be to face the issue and move toward change.
What kind of organization does your local church have? Be honest. To whom is it tied? Is it Christ or something less?
1 Arthur Just, "The Church's One Foundation," interview with Todd Wilken, Issues, Etc., 10 August 2010.
2 Frank Viola, Rethinking the Wineskin: the Practice of the New Testament Church (n.d.: Present Testimony Ministry, 2001), 131.
Those are the words of Dr. Arthur Just, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN during the August 10, 2010 broadcast of Issues, Etc. He highlights a unique bond believers have by virtue of their position in Christ, yet too easily dismiss—Christians must work to live in peace because each is connected to another in an organic union.
Christians have attempted: a) unity in organizations whether denominations, associations, ecumenicism, etc. being based on man-made structures rather than Holy Spirit-inspired structures; and b) unity in doctrine which does more to build up walls of sectarianism than spiritual lives. The church has a structure. It is the body of Christ. It has doctrine. It is the apostolic doctrine of scripture passed to the church. So what is missing? Frank Viola correctly states
The Bible…knows organic unity. The crucial issue regarding fellowship and oneness is that of inward life. The core question that ought to govern our fellowship is simply this: Has God received this person? Does the life of Christ reside in him? (Rom 8:9; 2 Cor 13:5).2The logical conclusion is that I am to love the brother or sister with whom I have great and serious disagreements. A great deal of tension is built up in the local body by individuals or families who will not fellowship with other certain people.
How should this situation be addressed when it arises? Some assemblies have tried to resolve this by telling the more vocal party to leave. This simply maintains the serenity but not unity. The body remains splintered. The better approach is to realign thinking based on the word of God. Inquire into the grievance. Determine if it is a biblical error in the church or an error in judgment by a individual/family. Most likely, it will be the latter and should be handled by the elders. If the former, it will most likely be buried in the elder meeting. That is how things usually turn out. The correct elder response would be to face the issue and move toward change.
What kind of organization does your local church have? Be honest. To whom is it tied? Is it Christ or something less?
1 Arthur Just, "The Church's One Foundation," interview with Todd Wilken, Issues, Etc., 10 August 2010.
2 Frank Viola, Rethinking the Wineskin: the Practice of the New Testament Church (n.d.: Present Testimony Ministry, 2001), 131.
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