CHRIST'S CHURCH AND BAPTISM

8/9/2019 CHRIST'S CHURCH AND BAPTISM

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Dean, Lexington Baptist College

Author of Better Than The Angels, Love Builds Up.

For His Names sake, etc.

Published by Bryan Station Baptist Church

CONTENTS

Chapter Page Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

PART ONE - THE CHURCH

1 Christ's Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

2 Baptist Perpetuity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

3 The Body of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

4 The Church in Ephesians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

5 The Church of Colossians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

6 Where is The Lord God? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

7 Why Go To Church? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

8 Teaching to Observe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

PART TWO - THE BAPTISM

1 One Baptism-In Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

2 Buried With Him in Baptism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

3 Baptism-A Figure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

4 Baptism for Remission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

5 Baptism Now Saves Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

6 Authority in the Baptism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74


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PART THREE - APPENDIX

1 The Origin of Baptists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

2 Seminarial Sophistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

PREFACE

Material presented in this book has been published repeatedly in separate articles during aperiod of 40 years; in response to numerous requests they are here brought together in onecover. No new doctrine are set forth here, but only those precious truths concerning Christ'schurch and baptism which are plainly taught in the New Testament.

Disbelievers of the scriptures have objected to the strictly scriptural interpretations here given,but in 40 years they have been able only to reject, never to refute. This is not surprising, sinceBaptists (by whatever name called), for 19 long centuries before the doctrine came down tome, had successfully defended the truth with no other weapon than the sword of the Spirit,the word of God, though at the cost of untold millions of lives whose blood was shed by their

persecutors.

But God has always raised up new believers in the old faith to bear a testimony through Histrue churches that He has promised will continue until Jesus comes again.

To the two main parts of this book, treating the New Testament church and baptism, I haveadded an appendix containing a specific defense on each subject against the faithless attacksof so called "liberal" Baptists. The chief liberality of religious "l iberals," I have noticed, is thatthey feel free to make liberal denials of God's word.

For any typographical or other errors in this work I take full responsibility, and can plead noexcuse except ordinary human frailty. For the truth I offer no apology, but plead with each

reader to accept the word of God by which in the end we shall all be judged.

Lexington, Ky. 1977 ROSCO BRONG

FORWARD

This is the first of Brother Brong's books that we are publishing. "Christ's Church andBaptism" was published some years ago and has been out of print for some time. BrotherBrong has gone to be with the Lord. A faithful man that stood for the truth of God's word. Hecould preach from the Hebrew or Greek or English Bible.

The author, Dr. Rosco Brong, is well qualified to write upon these subjects. Having receivedhis B.A. Degree from Georgetown College in 1950, his M.A. Degree from the University ofKentucky in Ancient Languages in 1952, Doctor of Divinity Degree from Lexington BaptistCollege, doing further graduate work at the University of Kentucky and the University ofMichigan, nearly thirty years pastor of Baptist churches in Kentucky, on the faculty ofLexington Baptist College since 1952 and Dean since 1954, 1 feel that this author has dealt ina scriptural and reasonable way with these subjects.

Some of the Lord's churches have had a falling away from the truth. They no longer stand forwhat Baptist have always stood for. We pray that Brother Brong's books will be used to bringsome of God's churches and children back to the old paths wherein is the good way. We are


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told to "Earnestly contend for the faith which was once (for all) delivered unto the saints."Brother Brong did that until his death. His works follow him and we trust the Lord will use hiswriting to glorify the Lord and edify his people.

Al Gormley

Pastor Bryan Station Baptist Church

Part One -

OUR LORD BUILT HIS OWN CHURCH, AND IT IS STILL DOING BUSINESS FOR HIM

"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; andthe gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18.)

Christ's church was built upon Himself. "That Rock was... Christ." (I Cor. 10:4.) "In the LordJehovah is the Rock of ages." (Isa. 26:4, margin.)... "Other foundation can no man lay thanthat is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (I Cor. 3:11.) "Now therefore ye are no more strangersand foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are builtupon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone." (Eph. 2:19-20.)

Built Upon Christ

The word Peter means a stone. It means a little stone, not a big rock. The Catholic church,

which did not exist until hundreds of years after Peter's death, falsely claims to be built uponPeter, and by that very claim denies that it is Christ's church, because the Bible teachesthat Christ's church is built upon Himself.

Peter never suggested that God's people or God's churches were built upon Peter. Hepreached that men should turn to Christ. He knew that Christ was not only the foundation butalso the corner stone of His church:

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be yehave tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowedindeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a

spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by JesusChrist. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto youtherefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone whichthe builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone ofstumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient:whereunto also they were appointed." (I Pet. 2:2-8.)

Built In Christ

Christ's church was built upon Christ as the foundation Rock; and it is built in Christ as the


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chief corner stone: "Jesus Christ... himself being the chief corner stone;in whom all thebuilding fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." (Eph. 2:20-21.)

No organization is Christ's church, no matter what it calls itself, if it depends upon or owes itsexistence to the life, work, and teachings of any mere human being or any number of humanbeings. Christ's church was built upon Christ Himself; not upon popes, or Luther, or KingHenry VIII, or Calvin, or Wesley, or Campbell, or Smith, or Russell, or any other men whothought they could do a better job of teaching and organizing than the Son of God.

Built By Christ

Christ's church was built by Himself. "I will build my church." False churches teach that

the church was not organized until Pentecost, but there is no such teaching in the

Bible. On the contrary, in Acts 1:15 we are told that before Pentecost " the number of namestogether were about an hundred and twenty." This plainly means that the church had 120

members. Christ built His church during His earthly ministry in the flesh, before His

crucifixion. In Matthew 18:17... "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." It isridiculous to suppose that Christ was talking about a church that didn't exist. He was plainlyteaching His disciples that if they could not settle the matter of trespasses against oneanother as individuals, they should take their trouble to the church. What church? The churchof which they were members, of course. Christ promised to build His church, and here we findit in existence before He was crucified. Why call Him a liar by saying the church was notorganized until Pentecost?

Christ's church was built by Christ Himself, before His crucifixion. No organization is Christ's

church, no matter what it calls itself, if its origin is more recent than the personal

ministry of Christ on earth. Christ's church in the world today is the same in organization, indoctrine, and in practice as it was 1900 years ago.

His One And Only Church

Christ built only one kind of church: "I will build MY church." It is His church because Hecreated the members. (Col. 1:16.) It is His church because He purchased it with His ownblood. (Acts 20:28.) It is His church because He is its Head and it is His body. (Eph. 1:22-23.)It is His church because He is its Bridegroom and it is His bride. (Eph. 5:22-32.)

"There is one body." (Eph. 4:4.)... "God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all

churches of the saints." (I Cor. 14:33.) Christ built only one kind of church; He has only one

body, and that is the "local" church, the church that has a definite membership, a definitetime and place of meeting, a definite organization with elected officers (bishops, elders, or

pastors, and sometimes deacons), and a definite program of carrying on the Lord's work-"the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of thetruth." (ITim. 3:1-15.)

No "Invisible" Church

The devil has persuaded many people that the church is some kind of an "invisible" thing thatall Christians belong to, and if he could make enough people believe this he would soon


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destroy Christ's church. But Christians who get their doctrine from the Bible instead of from

the devil will not be misled. The Bible does not say one word about an "invisible" or

"universal" church. There isn't any such thing.

In Matt. 16:18, in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, in Col. 1:18, 24, I Tim. 3:5, 15; 5:16, Heb.

12:23, Jas. 5:14, and possibly a few other passages, the word "church" is used abstractly, asI have frequently used it above, not referring to any particular organization at any definite

place, but to the church as an institution. When we make a concrete application of the word

we must have in mind a particular organization of baptized disciples that meets

somewhere and is engaged in the Lord's work, because this is the only kind of church that

the Bible tells us anythingabout.

Abstract And Concrete

To illustrate what is meant by the abstract and concrete uses of words, I might say, "Thehorse is a useful animal." I have here used the word "horse" abstractly. I have no particularhorse in mind. Now, if I were to use the word concretely, I might say, "Farmer Brown's horse isa good puller," or "The horse on this side seems balky." I am talking about particular horses.

But if I knew as little about horses as some religious teachers seem to know aboutchurches, I might try to make you believe that there is only one horse in the world, a big

invisible horse and a lot of work you would get out of it!

Again, I might say, abstractly, "The public school is a great democratic institution." No saneperson would suppose that there is only one public school in the world---a kind of invisiblesomething without any form of organization, without any responsibility or authority, a school towhich all students the world over belong, but without any official teachers or classrooms, aschool that nobody needs to attend---boy, what a school!

People generally are not quite foolish enough to entertain such ideas about horses or

schools, but when we come to religion many persons seem to forsake all reason and areready to believe the silliest nonsense if it will give them an excuse for laziness or sin.

His Church Still Here

Finally, Christ's church is still in the world. It is not here again, it is hereyet--- and will be

here until Christ comes for His bride. His promise is "the gates of hell shall not prevail

against it." All Protestant churches are built upon the assumption that Christ lied , thatHis promise failed, that His church perished, and that it was necessary for man to bringsuccess out of God's failure. Only Baptists and Catholics claim to trace their history to the

time of Christ. But the Catholics, by their own testimony, are built not upon Christ but upon

their popes, and they are further from the truth than any other so-called Christian church.Moreover, many so-called Baptist churches are not Christ's; more and more of them, in

these latter days, are forsaking unpopular truths. We need to know more than the name of

a church to know whether it is Christ's; only those churches are His which believe and

teach His word.

Christ gave to His church "the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 16:19), with the promisethat... "Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall

loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matt. 18:18.) Christ's church is "the pillar andground of the truth." (I Tim. 3:15.) Others have selected portions of truth to mix with their


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errors, but the faithful ministers of Christ's true churches "have not shunned to declare untoyou all the counsel of God." (Acts 20:27.)

Church Membership

Unsaved sinners ought not to belong to any church. If you have been saved by God's grace,then you ought to follow Paul's example (Acts 9:26) and join yourself to that church nearestyour present, temporary home which shows evidence that it is of Christ's building, a church

whose only Head is Christ, whose only message is His word.

References

Below is a list of scripture verses containing the word "church" or "churches." Read and studythem for yourself to be sure of the Bible teachings about the church.

Matthew 16:18; 18:17.

Acts 2:47; 5:11; 7:38; 8:1, 3; 9:31; 11:22, 26; 12:1, 5; 13:1; 14:23, 27; 15:3, 4, 22, 41; 16:5;18:22; 20:17, 28.

Romans 16:1, 4, 5, 16, 23.

First Corinthians 1:2; 4:17; 6:4; 7:17; 10:32; 11:16, 18, 22; 12:28; 14:4, 5, 12, 19, 23, 28, 33,34, 35; 15:9; 16:1, 19.

Second Corinthians 1:1; 8:1, 18, 19, 23, 24; 11:8, 28; 12:13.

Galatians 1:2, 13, 22.

Ephesians 1:22; 3:10, 21; 5:23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 32.

Philippians 3:6; 4:15.

Colossians 1:18, 24; 4:15, 16.

First Thessalonians 1:1; 2:14.

Second Thessalonians 1:1, 4.

First Timothy 3:5, 15; 5:16.

Philemon 2.

Hebrews 2:12; 12:23.

James 5:14.

Third John 6, 9, 10.

Revelation 1:4, 11, 20; 2:1, 7, 8, 11, 12, 17, 18, 23, 29; 3:1, 6, 7, 13, 14, 22; 22:16.

(Note: The above article on Christ's Church was first published in July, 1938, when I was

pastor at West Liberty, Ky., and before I knew any Greek. I can add now that a knowledge of


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Greek confirms the interpretation here given.)

IF GOD'S WORD IS TRUE, THE CHURCH THAT

JESUS STARTED STILL STANDS-HAS ENDURED!

"...The church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."(I Tim. 3:15.)

Recorded history often reveals more of historians' prejudices than of actual events, and thehistory of Christianity has been written mostly by the enemies of Baptists. Even so, there ishistorical evidence for the continued existence of what would now be called Baptist churchesfrom the days when Jesus was on earth in the flesh down to the present time. This evidenceis not beyond dispute but it is more than sufficient if we are willing to believe the promises ofGod's word.

My purpose here is to show from the Bible, APART FROM ALL HISTORICAL EVIDENCE,

that we must believe in Baptist church perpetuity if we believe that God's Word is true.

The Gates Of Hades

His Promise of Perpetuity

"...Upon this Rock, "said Jesus, referring to Himself, "I will build my church; and the gates ofhell[Hades] shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18.)

We may find various interpretations of this statement of Jesus, but despite a great variety ofideas in detailed interpretation it is fairly clear to all that we have here a PROMISE of our Lordthat His church would not be overcome by the powers of evil. Whatever this church was, it

could not fail if Jesus spoke the truth. We believe that this church was what would now be

called a Baptist Church, and anyone who will honestly examine the organization anddoctrine of this New Testament institution in comparison with the organization and doctrine ofBaptist churches today will reach the same conclusion.

If the church that Jesus built was not a Baptist church, then we need to find out what

kind of church it was, and join that church, if we want our service to be pleasing to

Him. One thing we can be sure of: if Jesus spoke the truth---and what real Christian would

deny this? ---the church that Jesus built has been in the world ever since and will behere till He comes again.

The popular Protestant dogma in this connection speaks of an "invisible" church to which allChristians belong. More on this as we go along, but for the present note a few simple facts:

a. Neither the expression "invisible church" nor the idea of such an expression can be

found in the New Testament.

b. The whole purpose of the "invisible church" dogma is to justify the Protestant splits from


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Roman Catholicism. But since Baptists are not Protestants and were never a part of theheretical Catholic system, we have no need of any such dogma to justify our existence.

c. Most Protestants and many ignorant Baptists suppose that Christ built two churches: the"invisible church" of their own vain imagining and the organized assemblies that they cannothelp recognizing in the New Testament. Then, to add insult to injury, they call their imaginary

monstrosity the "true" church! But the Bible says that there is only one body (church), that

is, one kind of body, just as there is only one baptism, that is, one kind of baptism.

(Eph. 4:4, 5.)

d. Since there is no just reason to do otherwise, we must understand that Jesus used theword "church" (Greek "ekklesia") in Matt. 16:18 in the same general sense that it haseverywhere else in the New Testament: that is, an assembly, almost always an organized

assembly. The word here is used abstractly; that is, it expresses an idea whose

realization is to be found in a particular organized assembly.

Church Discipline

"...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. Verily 1 say unto you, Whatsoever yeshall bind on earth shallhave been bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earthshallhave been loosed in heaven." (Matt. 18:17, 18, AV, with corrected tenses of verbs inverse 18.)

This text suggests three simple questions that believers in an "invisible" church might try toanswer:

a. How can a wronged brother tell his grievance to an "invisible" church?

b. How can an "invisible" church decide an issue, make known its judgment to a trespassingbrother, or execute that judgment "if he neglect to hear"?

c. Is not the authority to "bind and loose," whatever this means, in verse 18 given to the samechurch that is in view in verse 17?

Obviously the reference here is to an organized assembly; and obviously such

organized assemblies must always have existed from that time to this in order that

faithful followers of Jesus might obey His instructions here given.

Baptized Into One Body

"For also in one Spirit we all were baptized into one body. . . And ye are a body of Christ, andmembers in particular." (I Cor. 12:13, 27, corrected translation.)

Verse 27 of this quotation tells what kind of body is meant in verse 13: the kind of which thechurch at Corinth was an example. I Cor. 1:13-17 shows what kind of baptism is meant:namely, baptism in water. In fact, there is only one kind of baptism recognized in the NewTestament as an ordinance of Christ: all other so-called baptisms are figurative or symbolic,deriving their significance from this baptizing in water to declare the death, burial, andresurrection of Christ and all that this means to us.


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Almost all Christians recognize baptism, or some substitute for it that they call baptism, as

sprinkling or pouring, as a church ordinance. But if it is a church ordinance, then there

must always have been churches to administer the ordinance. If the church to whichJesus entrusted the ordinance passed out of existence as an institution, then the ordinancelapsed with the church, and nowhere in the Bible is anyone authorized to start it up again.

"Till He Come"

"...As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come."(I Cor. 11:26.)

Again, practically all Christians recognize the Lord's Supper as a church ordinance. But howcould the ordinance be continued if at any time there were no true churches to observe it?Note that the Scriptures give no hint of any possible lapse or failure of our Lord's churches to

declare or show forth His death by eating this bread and drinking this cup "till He come."

Church Officers

"...If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work . . . They that have used theoffice of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree... ." (I Tim. 3:1, 13.)

The context of the two verses shows that bishops and deacons are church officers, and to

this fact practically all Christians agree, however far they may depart from Scriptural ideas ofthe duties of these offices. Even believers in an imaginary "invisible" church become at leasttemporarily realistic and operate in some kind of organized assembly in naming bishops anddeacons.

But if bishops and deacons were officers in the kind of church that Jesus built, and if this kindof church passed out of existence, as Protestants allege and as ignorant Baptists admit, then

by whose authority are such officers named today?

A Holy Temple

"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, andof the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, JesusChrist himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building [or, better, every building]fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are buildedtogether for an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Eph. 2:19-22.)

Paul was writing to the church at Ephesus and he reveals here the glorious fact that a true

New Testament church is a holy temple in the Lord, and that one purpose for which theLord built His church at Ephesus, and, we believe, every other true New Testament church, isthat God in the Spirit might dwell therein.

Can anyone believe that God, having chosen to manifest His presence in a special way in thechurches of the Lord Jesus, allowed His purpose to be frustrated, so that for centuries He hadno such habitation on earth? But Protestants do so declare, and countless Baptists, ignorantof or indifferent to their blood-bought heritage, are deceived by or are silent in the face of thismonstrous lie!


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A Dead Bride?

"...Ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married toanother, even to him who is raised from the dead..." (Rom 7:4.)

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it."(Eph. 5:25---read on through verse 32.)

These and other Scriptures compare the spiritual relationship of Christ and His church to the

human marriage relationship. That the "wedding" is still future is shown by Matt. 22:1-13;25:1-13; and Rev. 21:2.

Was our Lord at any time betrothed to a dead bride? After He gave Himself for her, that Hemight sanctify and cleanse her by the washing of water in the word, that He might present herto Himself in glory---after all this, was there ever a time when nowhere on earth could befound a church that could be truly called His bride? Was there ever a time when the only"Christianity" on earth was the religion of spiritual harlots? Perish the thought! But if it be so,what are all the churches today but harlots and offspring of harlots?

"I Am With You Alway"

"..Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of theSon, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commandedyou: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world..." (Matt. 28:18-20.)

Practically all Christians recognize that Jesus was speaking here to His church. The only realquestion is, what kind of church was it?

Of course, an imaginary "invisible" church cannot go anywhere, it cannot disciple any nations,it cannot baptize anybody in any way, it cannot teach anybody anything, and beingnonexistent, it would not know the difference whether the Lord were with it or not.

But an organized assembly of baptized believers, such as Jesus had constituted Hisdisciples, can do what He commanded and in doing so can claim the promise of His

continuing presence---and it is the only organization on earth that can do so.

Jesus promised this kind of church that He would always be with it, even to the end of theage. But He could not be with it unless it existed to be with. Therefore if Jesus spoke the truth

He has had His churches in the world ever since and He has been with them all the

time--- and so it will be to the end of the age.

Glory In The Church

"Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end..."(Eph. 3:21.) More literally translated: "To him the glory in the church in Christ Jesus, unto allthe generations of the eon of the eons."

We have here a Spirit-inspired declaration or prayer. If it was a prayer, as the King Jamesversion indicates, it nevertheless declares an assured fulfillment, for the Holy Spirit does notinspire vain prayers. "..He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."


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(Rom. 8:27.)

Therefore we understand that God gets glory in the church in Christ Jesus. This was true

in Paul's day and it was to continue "unto all the generations of the eon of the eons,"

an expression of eternity beyond our comprehension. But He could not get glory in thechurch unless the church continued to exist. And of course He is far from getting glory in animaginary "invisible" church whose advocates reject and deny the plain, simple,straightforward teachings and promises of His Word.

Pillar And Ground

"These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: but if I tarry long, that thoumayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church ofthe living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (I Tim. 3:14-15.)

Speaking of the church as an organized assembly, as the context clearly shows, Paul here

calls it "the pillar and ground of the truth." That is, the church not only, as a pillar orcolumn, upholds the truth, but it is the foundational support of the truth.

Here we have the explanation for the wholesale loss of Bible truth by false churchesand unattached Christians. It has pleased God that His church should be the pillar andground of the truth, and so it has been through the centuries.

A Solemn Warning

When men reject Bible truth about the church, and refuse to recognize its rightful place

as the body and bride of Christ, the house of God, the pillar and ground of the truth,

they quickly lose other truth as well.

The truth of God's Word is still upheld in the world today because of the faithfulness

and the martyrs' blood of the true churches of God through the dark ages, and this

truth will still be upheld to the end of the age because there will still be some churches,

the true churches of our Lord, to serve as the pillar and ground of the truth .

SCRIPTURAL STUDY OF THIS TERM

CONTRADICTS POPULAR ERROR

"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body ofChrist." (Ephesians 4:12.)

Fanciful misinterpretations and misapplications of figurative language in the Bible are amongthe means used by Satan and his ministers to discredit the word of God among the ignorant.With reference to the New Testament Church, Satan has accomplished one of his mostcunning deceptions in the popular though ridiculous myth that the figurative "body of Christ,"as Christ's church is scripturally called, is not really a body at all, but is identical with thefamily or the kingdom of God.

Scripture passages in which the church is referred to and described under the figure of a


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human body as the body of Christ include: Rom. 12:4, 5; I Cor. 10:16, 17; 12:12-28; Eph.1:23; 4:4, 12-16; 5:23-30; Col. 1:18, 24; 2:19; 3:15.

A careful and intelligent study of these scriptures in context is enough to expose to the Biblebeliever the evident fallacy and folly of the universal church heresy.

A Body Essentially

"For as we have many members in one body. . . so we, being many, are one body in Christ."(Rom. 12:4,5.) The essence of the comparison is the organization of different members in onebody. If a human body is ground into hamburger and fed to the dogs on six continents, it is nolonger a human body. Neither do Christians constitute a body scattered around the world inspace and through 19 or 20 centuries in time. The idea is so superbly silly that it could havebeen spawned only by Satan and adopted by people more influenced by the philosophy ofPlato than by the teachings of Christ.

"...We have many members in one body" (v. 4), referring to the human body of each of us,does not mean that we have one big universal invisible human body. But such a monstrousidea is exactly as sensible as the idea that the one body in verse 5 is universal or invisible.

Ecumenical, modernistic, and compromising interpreters who reject the Lord's church but tryto count themselves in a mythical universal church need to study the abstract, generic,institutional, general, distributive, and ideal uses of words; or, if they already understand thetruth about the church and reject it, they need to get saved.

Repeating, the essence of the comparison of a genuine New Testament church to the humanbody is the fact that each is an organization or organism having different members withdifferent functions but all functioning for their mutual profit in the whole body.

A Body Eating

"We being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread." (ICor. 10:16, 17.) The reference, of course, is to the Lord's supper, which is scripturallyobserved by the members of one church or at least one kind of church eating from one loaf orat least from one kind of bread.

But of course there are in the world many genuine children of God who belong to falsechurches or to no church at all, and who partake of different kinds of bread in mockeries ofthe Lord's supper or never partake at all; and of course those Christians are no part of the"one body," or one kind of body, referred to here.

A Body ExercisingMore than anywhere else in the Bible, the figure of the human body to represent an organizedchurch is elaborated in I Cor. 12:12-28. The baptism in verse 13 is of course water baptism;the one body is what would today be called a Baptist church.

Note the words "no schism" in verse 25. Advocates of a universal church have an imaginarybody full of schisms or splits---surely nothing fit to represent Christ, Who is not divided. (I Cor.1:10-13.)

Verse 26 beautifully describes the ideal fellowship in a genuine church; I suppose that no


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believer in a universal church is stupid enough to pretend that the language fits his imaginarybody.

A Body Edified

God gave Christ to be "...Head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness ofhim that filleth all in all." (Eph. 1:22, 23.) Christ in turn (Eph. 4) "gave gifts . . . for the edifyingof the body of Christ." Again the expression "one body" in Eph. 4:4 means one kind of body,

just as "one baptism" in the next verse means one kind of baptism.

Edification of a genuine New Testament church, an organized body of baptized believersunder the headship of Christ, is fittingly figured in Eph. 4:11-16. Note the emphasis in verse16 on "the whole body fitly joined together." In plain words, the figure means that the churchneeds to be well organized in order to experience "the effectual working in the measure ofevery part."

A Body Engaged

"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the

saviour of the body." (Eph. 5:23.) "The church" or "the body" is no more universal or invisiblethan "the husband" or "the wife." The terms are used abstractly, generically, or ideally, andexpress reality only when applied to real entities. No man ever yet loved a universal invisiblewife. The church which Christ loved and for which He gave Himself (v. 25) is an organizedbody of baptized believers in Him, having Him alone as its Head.

A Body Exalted

"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;that in all things he might have the preeminence." (Col. 1:18.) See how Christ has honoredand exalted the church which He Himself organized during His personal ministry on earth and

declared that He would continue to build upon Himself! Under the figure of a building, He isits foundation; under the figure of a body, He is its Head.

Shall He recognize as members of His body rebellious children who have refused to jointhemselves to Him as Head in a church relationship? The supposition is mere fatuous fancy,without a shred of scriptural support.

A Body Enduring

Paul rejoiced in his sufferings for the saints at Colosse that he might "...fill up that which isbehind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church." (Col.

1:24.) Of that church, he tells us in the next verse, he was "made a minister." Now, it hardlyneeds to be pointed out to intelligent readers that Paul's ministry was not performed merely inan abstract idea, but in real assemblies of the saints having definite organization and location.

Because or by means of the sufferings of Paul and the afflictions of Christ in the flesh of otherfaithful ministers through the centuries, the figurative body of Christ, formed during His earthlyministry, has endured to this good hour; and such churches will still be here when He comesagain. (Matt. 16:18; 28:20; Eph. 3:21; etc.)

A Body Enlarging


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Christianity in general is in a spiritual decline, having less and less of God as it has more andmore in numbers and wealth; less and less of truth as it dotes more and more on bogusmiracles; or, in the language of scripture, "having a form of godliness, but denying the powerthereof." (II Tim. 3:5.)

A genuine new Testament church, however, being an organized body holding fast to Christ asits Head, "...from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and

knit together, increaseth with the increase of God." (Col. 2:19.) This is the kind of growth weneed.

A Body Enrolled

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; andbe ye thankful." (Col. 3:15.) How can the peace of God rule in hearts that rebel against theteaching of His word on the church and its ordinances?

The first church at Jerusalem (before Pentecost) had a roll or l ist of names to the number of"about a hundred and twenty." (Acts 1:15.) They had been called not only to salvation but also

to the peace of God ruling in their hearts in one body. As one body they carried on businessfor the Lord, including the election of Matthias as a successor to Judas Iscariot.

How thankful we ought to be, if our names are enrolled not only in the Lamb's book of life, butalso in the membership of the kind of church which Jesus organized, commissioned, andpromised to be with until the end of the age! (Matt. 16:18; 28:20.) True members of this kindof church will eventually be brought together in one heavenly city, the new Jerusalem, as thebride of Christ. (Rev. 21:2.)

Conclusion

Saul of Tarsus learned that when he persecuted the church he persecuted Christ (Acts 9:4),and as Paul the apostle to the Gentiles he learned to honor and serve Christ by honoring andserving His churches. Modern seekers for self-glory who downgrade and minimize the sacredimportance of Christ's churches are either ministers of Satan or unfaithful in their ministry forChrist.

Enemies of truth may accuse us of believing that only Baptists are saved. They lie. Salvationand church membership are two different things. Every saved person on earth ought to be amember of a genuine New Testament church, but many saved people, perhaps most of them,are not. Their numbers cannot justify their disobedience.

Jesus organized and commissioned only one kind of church. That kind of church is better inthe sight of God than false churches organized by men, and certainly it is infinitely better thana universal church which does not even exist except in heretical imaginations.

ABSTRACT USE OF SINGULAR NOUNS

IS NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND


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"To him the glory in the church in Christ Jesus unto all the generations of the age of the ages.Amen. "(Eph. 3:21, improved translation.)

Of the 115 times that the Greek work "ekklesia" (usually translated "church" in KJ) appears inthe New Testament, according to the Englishman's Greek Concordance, 79 occurrences arein the singular and 36 in the plural. Most of the singulars are so obviously referred by thecontext to a particular assembly or congregation at a definite place that the most rabid

advocates of a "universal" or "invisible" church cannot deny the simple fact that in theseplaces the word "church" does mean "assembly" or "congregation."

But the word occurs nine times in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, each time in the singular,

with the definite article, and without mention of a meeting place. And it is universally assumed

by Protestant commentators with an ax to grind (and, sad to say, by ignorant or mistaught

Baptists with their nose (noses) on the Protestant grindstone) that these references are toa "universal" or "invisible" church, as distinguished from "local" churches.

Wet Water - Cold Ice

Actually, to speak of a "local" church is like speaking of wet water, hot fire, or cold ice. Thereis no other kind in a Biblical sense. The use of the word "church" to mean a meeting house, adenomination, or a universal hierarchy or religious monstrosity, visible or invisible, iscompletely unscriptural.

In the Bible the word "church" (Greek "ekklesia") means assembly, only and always. It

never refers to an unknown, unassembling, confused and scattered multitude. Such a

"church" exists only in the imagination of heretics desperately trying to justify their

schisms.

Abstract - Ten to None

Every day we all use singular nouns in an abstract, generic, or distributive sense. We arenot so silly as to dream up a vision of a universal, invisible automobile just because we hear orread of the changes the automobile has made in American life.

But instead of wasting space with more extra-scriptural examples, let us note some othersingular nouns so used in Ephesians. This is only a partial list, and there is no Biblical

evidence at all for a universal church: therefore in Ephesians the evidence is easily 10 or 15

to nothing that the word "church" is used abstractly and retains its usual meaning of"assembly" ("local," of course---there is no other kind).

Our Flesh

"...We all had our conversation in times past in the lusts ofour flesh, fulfilling the desires ofthe flesh. . ." (Eph. 2:3.) The reference is not to universal, invisible flesh, whatever that mightbe, but to flesh in the abstract, or specifically to the flesh of each one of us.

If it be objected that this is a peculiarity of the English word "flesh," which could not be usedin the plural, the answer is that this is not true of the Greek word "sarx," which is used in theplural five times in one verse (Rev. 19:18).


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His Workmanship

"...We are his workmanship..." (Eph. 2: 10.) The plural form for the singular word heretranslated "workmanship" appears in Rom. 1:20, where it is rendered "the things that aremade."

No one will argue that "we" are one universal invisible thing that is made, one universal

workmanship of God. Indisputably "workmanship" here is used abstractly, and the meaning issimply that each one of us is a product of God's making.

Mind or Understanding

"The eyes ofyour understanding." "Havingthe understandingdarkened." (Eph. 1:18; 4:18.)Both of these references are to a plurality of persons, but in either case the thought is not thatthey have a universal understanding, but that the statement made applied to theunderstanding of each of them. In Eph. 2:3 the plural of the same Greek word is used, but istranslated in KJ by the abstract English singular "mind."

A kindred Greek word (singular) also is translated "mind" with a plural possessive in Eph.4:17, 23; "their mind" and "your mind." Misty minded mystics may mouth about a "universalmind," but clearer heads will recognize easily the familiar abstract or distributive meaning andapply it at once to each individual in the class covered.

Singular Heart

"...Blindness oftheir heart." "Melody inyour heart." "Singleness ofyour heart." (Eph. 4:18;5:19; 6:5.) In each of these three quotations we find a plural possessive with a singular"heart." Shall we therefore imagine one monstrous universal heart having invisibleconnections with all the people included in the plural pronoun?

Sane readers, again, will have no difficulty in understanding this language as conveying

essentially the same meaning, in application, as when the plural forms are used in Eph.3:17 and 6:22.

Through Faith

"...By graceye have been saved through faith..." (Eph. 2:8.) It seems to be "universally"agreed that the reference here is to the personal faith of each individual believer. Yet, whilethe subject is plural, the word for faith is singular, and with the definite article meaning simplythe faith in each case.

Circumcision

"...Ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are calledUncircumcisionby that which iscalled theCircumcisionin the flesh made by hands." (Eph. 2:11.)

Here two abstract terms, Uncircumcision and handmade Circumcision, are used in thesingular with plural concrete meaning, and by metonymy the act or condition of circumcisionor its absence means the people so affected. Certainly no one will contend that only one actof circumcision is here in view, even though the word is grammatically singular.


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The Old Man

"That ye put off... the old man." (Eph. 4:22.) Plural subject: did they all have just one oldman? What a monster, then, was he! And if Paul's Ephesian readers put him off once for all(as the aorist infinitive suggests), why should we be bothered about him now?

Coming back to good sense, we all know that "the old man" is no universal monster: each

of us has his own "old man" and each of us must put his own away. But in this quotationthe noun is singular abstract: it is in the application that we come concretely to eachindividual.

The New Man

"And that ye put on thenew man..." (Eph. 4:24.) Every true Christian is separately andpersonally a new creation (II Cor. 5:17); nevertheless we have again a plural subject with anabstract singular to be referred concretely to each person in the group. We could call this adistributive use of the noun, as if the word "each" were included in the subject.

One New Man

"...To make in himself of twainone new man." (Eph. 2:15.) More literally: "That he might

create the two in himself into one new man."

Examination of context shows that plural Gentiles and Israelites are spoken of as two things orraces made one; then they are figured as two men created into one.

Are we, then, to imagine a monstrous, universal, invisible Gentile-Israelite having his limbs,cells, and corpuscles scattered all over the world? No one, perhaps, is quite so silly---until hebegins to talk about "the church."

The Inner Man

"...That he would grant you(pl.) . . . to be strengthened. . . in the inner man." (Eph. 3:16.) Only

one inner man for you all? Or can we not see here again the singular abstract which must

be pluralized in its concrete application?

Husband and Wife

"The husbandis the head ofthe wife, even as Christ is the head ofthe church...." (Eph.5:23.) It would be exactly as sensible and intelligent to argue from this text for the real

existence of a universal invisible husband and a universal invisible wife as of a universal

invisible church.One is just as scriptural as the others.

If any critic is foolish enough to object that Christ cannot be the head of more than one churchin the true sense of assembly wherever a true church exists, let him. note I Cor. 11:3: "... Thehead of every man is Christ."

The Christ of the Bible can as easily be the head of every (true) church as He can be thehead of every man, and so He is.


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No Ecumenical Monster

But Christ is not the head of modern denominations: Catholic, Protestant, or so-called Baptist.He is not the head of any universal so-called church which can exist only in heretical

imaginations. And He will not be the head of the ecumenical monster that Satan is rapidly

forming.

Our Lord's church in Ephesians is exactly the same kind of church that it is everywhereelse in the New Testament: an organized assembly of baptized believers built together

on Him as their foundation and acknowledging Him as their head, furnishing in

themselves a holy temple for a habitation of God in Spirit. (Eph. 2:19-22.)

CHRIST HAS ONLY ONE KIND OF CHURCH

ACCORDING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;that in all things he might have the preeminence." (Col. 1:18.)

Proponents of the universal church idea abuse and misinterpret the epistles of Ephesians andColossians perhaps more than any other part of the New Testament in their vain attempts toproduce some scriptural support for their fantastic theories. In another study I have shownhow the use of the word "church" in Ephesians corresponds to the abstract, generic,institutional, or distributive use of other singular nouns with plural connections. Let us nowexamine the same subject in Paul's letter to the Colossians.

In the first place it is axiomatic that words ought to be understood in their ordinary senseunless the context demands otherwise, or unless the writer or speaker explains that he isusing a word in a sense different from what would be naturally understood by his readers or

hearers. The question in Biblical interpretation is not what meaning modern religionists

may like to read into the scriptures, but what meaning was clearly intended to be

conveyed by the original writers, according to the ordinary usages of language.

Meaning of Ekklesia

Honest translation requires that the Greek word ekklesia be rendered "assembly" or

"congregation" ---a fact attested by competent scholarship and easily confirmed by anyone

who will examine the word in context in all its occurrences in the New Testament. The fact isso self-evident that even the most rabid advocates of a universal church are compelled torecognize a literal assembly in the great majority of all Biblical uses of the word.

Satan's ministers, enemies of our Lord's church, needed about half a thousand years to getmuch acceptance of the idea of "universal" or "catholic" church in opposition to NewTestament churches, and a thousand years more to sell the idea of a "universal invisible"

church. Of course, a universal or worldwide assembly is a contradiction in terms, and

even more so is an invisible assembly of visible mortals. There is no such confusion in

the New Testament.


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Abstract Singulars

Stubbornly shutting their eyes to the abstract use of singular nouns, enemies of our Lord'sreal churches dream of what they call "the true church" as something that exists only inimagination, something that never assembles, something supposed to include all Christiansand yet leaving them all out of any definite or recognizable obligations to Christ.

For readers whose minds are open, I cite a few of more than a dozen instances in Colossiansof various singular nouns used with the definite article and with plurality of application: that is,the singular does not have an immediate particular reference, nor does it suggest anythinguniversal; but it is to be applied plurally (distributively) according to context.

Col. 1:4: "...Your faith..." and "...love." The possessive pronoun is plural; the "faith" and"love" are singular. Not universal faith and love, but individually and collectively the faith andlove of all the Colossian saints.

Col. 2:11: "...Ye are circumcised. . . in putting offthe bodyof the sins ofthe flesh." Note the

plural subject. The Colossians did not all at once put off one big universal body of sins,

but each of them individually put off the body of the sins of his own flesh.

Col. 2:12: (Literally) "Buried with him inthe baptism." The subject is still plural, but "the

baptism" (singular) is not one big universal invisible splash; the reference is to the

baptism of each individual.

Col. 3:8: "...Your mouth." Plural possessive (genitive) pronoun; singular "mouth." Devotees

of a universal church may have nightmares about a universal mouth; other readers will

have better sense.

The Church The Body

"Ekklesia," traditionally mistranslated "church," appears four times in the letter to theColossians. The first two times, in verses 18 and 24 of the first chapter, it is figuratively

declared to be the body of Christ.

Very little intell igence and only a moderate amount of thinking will be needed to discern how

apt is this figure when applied to an organized assembly and how ridiculous it is to try to

apply it to the imaginary "universal church." Reduce a human body to smoke and ashes,

dispel the smoke around the world, and scatter the ashes across six continents and

seven seas: then try to get some work done by that "universal body"!

The figure of the church as the body of Christ is enlarged upon in Romans 12 and in ICorinthians 12. It is a beautiful and meaningful figure when we think of a real union of God'speople organized under the headship of Christ, holding a common faith and purpose, boundtogether in mutual love, sharing one other's joys and sorrows, believing and obeying the wordof God in the unity of the Spirit.

Enemies of Christ's church are they who destroy this figure, making it ridiculous with their

"invisible church" nonsense. The figurative body of Christ of the New Testament is no

mere figment of the imagination, but can be found in real life wherever an assembly ofbaptized believers, recognizing only Christ as their Head, carry on business for Him.


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Suffering For the Church

In verse 23 of Col. 1, Paul says he became a minister of the gospel; in verses 24 and 25 he

says he became a minister of the church.There can be a difference, but Paul was both .In verse 24 he wrote of himself as one "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up

that which is behind ofthe afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which isthe church."

Perhaps we shall never fully understand this scripture in this life. Certainly we must notconfuse the meritorious, substitutionary sufferings of Christ which He alone bore for ourredemption with other sufferings in which we are called upon to share.

Whether we can understand it or not, Christ and His apostles had an interest not only in

individual souls but also in the church as an institution. Those ministers of the gospel

who attach no importance to the church, who imply that "one church is as good as

another," who thereby despise the only kind of church that Jesus ever organized, are

surely not led by the Spirit of Christ or of Paul.

The Church in a House

In Col. 4:15 is the third mention of "church" in this letter: "Salute . . . Nymphas, and thechurch which is in his house."

Notice: not that part of the church which is in his house, as it would have to read if thechurch were something scattered all over the world, but "the church which is in his house."Whether Nymphas had a very large house, or whether the church that met there was a rathersmall church, we are not told.

What we are told is enough to let us know (1) that thechurch is not universal; (2) that a

church is something different from a house; and (3) that a church may be contained in a

house. All this is obvious in a single verse.

Churches in Fellowship

Fourth mention of the word "church" in Colossians is in 4:16: "And when this epistle is readamong you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewiseread the epistle from Laodicea."

The only organic connection between real New Testament churches is that they have

the same Head, but this is enough. We are complete in Him. (Col. 2:10.) Real churchescannot scripturally join together to form a higher organization, whatever it may be called, to

exercise authority over them. When they transfer their allegiance from Christ to men, they

cease to be Christ's churches.

But this does not mean that churches ought to exist in isolation. On the contrary, having oneLord, one faith, one baptism, etc., we have every reason to enjoy and profit from fellowshipwith one another.


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No doubt there were differences between the local conditions and circumstances of theColossian church and those of the Laodicean church, but their needs and interests weresimilar enough that an apostolic letter to either church merited the attention of the other.

It is not good for a church to cut itself off from others of like precious faith. New

Testament churches enjoyed fellowship with one another in the worship and praise of

God, in ministering to the needy, and in missionary undertakings. If we will maintain

good fellowship with our Head, we shall also have good fellowship with one another.

GOD DWELLS IN A SPECIAL SENSE IN HIS CHILDREN AND IN HIS

CHURCHES

"...He (Elisha) took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said,Where is the Lord God of Elijah? And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hitherand thither: and Elisha went over." (II Kings 2:14.)

Elisha's question quoted above, part of which is used as the title of this message, has to dowith a special manifestation of God's presence and power. Elisha's prayer, expressed to Elijahand quoted in verse 9, was answered, and Elisha found that God was with him as He hadbeen with Elijah, even to the extent of a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Taking this text as apoint of departure, let us note some Bible answers to this question in a broader sense: Whereis the Lord our God?

God is Everywhere

In the broadest sense, God is everywhere, He is omnipresent. "Whither shall I go from thy

Spirit?" asked David. "Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven,thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." (Psalm 139:7,8.)

Jeremiah quotes from God Himself: "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see

him? saith the Lord, Do not I fill heaven and earth?... " (Jer. 23:24.)

Solomon was wise enough to understand that the temple which he had built could not limitthe presence of God, but could serve only for a special manifestation of that presence:"Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this housewhich I have built!" (II Chr. 6:18.)

In the New Testament we find the apostle Paul declaring the same truth, that God is "...not farfrom every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being...." (Acts 17:27, 28.)

God is in Heaven

"...God is in heaven, and thou upon earth..." (Ecl. 5:2.) True, this quotation is fromEcclesiastes, a poor source of proof texts, since it is but the inspired record of a man's naturalreasoning and natural wisdom "under the sun," and much of this natural wisdom isfoolishness with God. (I Cor. 1:20.)

But Jesus Himself taught His disciples to pray, "Our Father which art in heaven." So there is


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a sense in which God is in heaven rather than on earth. So Christians are commanded to"...seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." (Col. 3:1)

We read of the martyr Stephen that, "...being full of the Holy Ghost," he "looked up steadfastlyinto heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God." (Acts7:55.)

Something of the difference between God's presence everywhere, including earth, and His

fuller presence in heaven seems to be figured in Isaiah 66:1: "Thus saith the Lord, The heavenis my throne, and the earth is my footstool..."

If we can grasp the thought that, while God is everywhere, yet He is especially present in

heaven, and that in a sense in which He is not on earth, we are ready for the further teachingof scripture that He is present in certain places, persons, or conditions on earth in a sense inwhich He is not present elsewhere.

In His Children

The Bible definitely and clearly teaches that God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, dwells

within every individual child of His. This personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the lives ofHis children must be a special measure, degree, or manifestation of His presence in order tomean anything at all. In other words, He must be present in His children in a sense in whichHe is not elsewhere present on earth.

Jesus, speaking of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, said to His

disciples, "...He dwellethwithyou, and shall beinyou." (John14:17.)

Following the descent in power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, this promise was fulfilled, andthis personal indwelling of the Spirit of God is now part of the experience of every child

of God.

The fact of this personal indwelling is plainly set forth in the eighth chapter of Romans, wherewe read in the 14th and 9th verses, respectively: "...As many as are led by the Spirit of God,

they are the sons of God." "...Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of

his."

Moreover, we read, especially in the book of Acts, of special bestowals of the Spirit, discipleswho already enjoyed His indwelling receiving Him in added fullness and power, including

sometimes the power to work miracles. We can all see that the Spirit was present with theseworkers of miracles in a sense beyond His presence in ordinary disciples in ordinary times.

In His Churches

Writing to the saints at Ephesus, Paul told that church: "...Ye also arebuilded together foran habitation of God through the Spirit." (Eph. 2:22.)

To Timothy the apostle expressed his concern for proper behavior "... inthe house of God,which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (I Tim. 3:15.)Examination of the context, referring to bishops and deacons, shows clearly that Paul was


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thinking about what some people call a "local church," which is in fact the only kind of

church that can be found in the Bible.

In I Cor. 12:27 we find the apostle telling that church: "...Ye area body of Christ." Thedefinite article of the King James version is not in the original language.

In the third chapter of this same book (I Corinthians), Paul wrote that he laid the foundation,namely Jesus Christ, for this church at Corinth, and then warned other men to beware how

they built upon this foundation. In verses 16 and 17 we read: "Know ye not that ye[plural]area temple[singular and without the definite article] of God, and that the Spirit of Goddwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple ofGod is holy, which temple ye are."

Note that in verse 16 we should read "a temple of God." In verse 17 "the temple" is correct,referring to the church at Corinth, as shown in the preceding verse.

Our Master's Word

Our Lord and Master, giving instructions to His church with reference to dealing with personal

differences (Matt. 18:15-20) gives us the positive assurance in this connection: "Where two orthree are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." The contextmakes it clear that He was referring to a gathering of one of His true churches.

To sum up, we can say with confidence, on the authority of God's own word, that while He is

present everywhere He is especially present in heaven; and on earth He is present in, the

hearts of His children and still more in the gatherings of His churches in a sense in

which He is not present elsewhere. Such is the privilege of our fellowship "with theFather, and with his Son Jesus Christ." (I John 1:3.)

BOTH SINNERS AND SAINTS MAY PROFIT BY CHURCH ATTENDANCE

SOME SCRIPTURAL REASONS

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhortingone another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Heb.10:25.)

To some people, "going to church" is something for other people to do. To some others, it is areligious habit kept up for little reason except that it is a habit. Still others go or stay home by

spells, depending on their moods, the weather, or other changing conditions. Our textsuggests that it is nothing new for Christians to forsake the assembling of themselvestogether, and admonishes us against such forsaking. In other words, we ought to "go to

church" regularly. WHY?

Our Lord's Command

First of all, for true Christians, to know that our Lord has commanded us to do anything isreason enough to do it. "...Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?(Luke 6:46.) "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me..."(John 14:21.)


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We know, of course, that persons confined to their homes by bodily infirmities are not able toattend public services, but sometimes we hear able-bodied but spiritually ignorant Christiansdeclare that they can be "just as good Christians," outside the church as in it. They may not

mean it so, but really they are accusing the Lord Jesus of doing a useless and foolish

thing when He organized His church and commissioned it to carry on His work.

"Ye are the light of the world," said Jesus to His disciples. "A city that is set on an hill cannot

be hid." (Matt. 5:14.) The reference is to the heavenly "mount Sion" and the "heavenlyJerusalem" (Heb. 12:22), of which each true New Testament church is a representation onearth.

The "Candlesticks"

"Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it givethlight unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see yourgood works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 5:15, 16.)

The English word "so" in verse 16 is too weak and ambiguous. The Greek word is placed first

in the sentence for emphasis, and verse 16 is better translated as follows:

"In this way" (that is, by putting your candle on the candlestick) "let your light shine" (Greekimperative---"I command your light to shine") "before men, that they may see your goodworks and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

The figures of candle and candlestick are explained elsewhere in the Bible: "The spirit of manis the candle of the Lord..." (Prov. 20:27.) "...The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are theseven churches." (Rev. 1:20.)

It is true that the words "candle" and "candlestick" could be better translated "lamp" and

"lampstand," but the principle is the same. Jesus commands true disciples to glorify theFather by putting their lamps (spirits) together on the lampstands (New Testament

churches).

The Christian who hides himself under a bushel of worldliness or a bed of ease and thinks hecan serve God "just as well" as in church is as foolish as a man would be who would l ight aliteral lamp and then hide it under a bushel or under a bed. (Mark 4:21.)

Personal Need

Jesus' command to His disciples to join and assemble themselves together regularly in His

churches is reason enough to do so, but He so commanded because He understood ourneeds.

Even the lost ought to attend the public services of true churches of the Lord Jesus, whereHis gospel is preached, because "...faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."(Rom. 10:17.)

If the lost sinner is ever saved, it must be through hearing and believing the gospel of

Christ, and there is no better place for this than in one of His churches .


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Christian Growth

But the injunction of our text is addressed to Christians who already are members of such a

church. We are not to forsake "the assembling of ourselves together."

Just as the message of salvation was preserved through the centuries and came to us,directly or indirectly, through the bloodbought and blood-tracked testimony of "... the church of

the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (I Tim. 3:15), so this church is the bestplace to go to on earth to get the "...sincere milk of the word" that we must have for

normal spiritual growth. (I Peter 2:2.)

Mature Stability

For this very purpose our Lord has given to His churches pastors and teachers, " ...for theperfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till weall come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man,unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no morechildren, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine. . ." (Eph. 4:11-14.)

It may be readily observed that, generally speaking, Christians who do not attend church

regularly are spiritual runts, easily led astray by false teachings. The teaching ministry ofHis church is our Lord's appointed means of building up and strengthening His children in thefaith of His word.

Full Assurance

Too many Christians do not have the assurance that is their birthright as God's children. They

lack assurance because they lack faith in the promises of God; they lack assurance

because they lack obedience to the commands of God, and so their own hearts condemnthem. (I John 2:3; 3:20)

Now, it is in the house of God (His church) that we can best find assurance if we are truly Hischildren, because it is there that He especially manifests His presence: "And having an highpriest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance offaith." (Heb. 10:21, 22.)

Fellowship

In a church of our Lord can be found the best and sweetest fellowship this side of heaven.

"...Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his son Jesus Christ." (I John 1:3.)A limited degree of fellowship can indeed be enjoyed among true children of God outside ofHis church. Despite differences of doctrine and practice, there are and ought to be somebonds of love and common interests among all the saints, who are children of one God andtrust in one Savior, though their obedience to "one Lord" is more or less imperfect.

But it is only in the "one body" of a New Testament church that we can have the unity of

the Spirit, one hope of our calling, one faith, and one baptism. (Eph. 4:3-6.) It is only in

such a church that we "...are builded together for an habitation of God through theSpirit." (Eph. 2:22.)


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Joy in the Lord

Obedient Christians are happy Christians. "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye dothem." (John 13:17.)

Our greatest joy is to be found in our Lord: "...In thy presence is fulness of joy..." (Ps.

16:11.) And Jesus assures us of His presence when His church meets: "...Where two or

three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matt. 18:20.) Thepreceding verses show that He was speaking of His church.

So we see our own personal need of "going to church" to help us to grow spiritually, to attainmature stability, to gain Christian assurance, to enrich our Christian fellowship, and to havefulness of joy as God's children doing His will in His presence.

A Good Testimony

Finally, we have the privilege and responsibility of witnessing to others for our Lord andSavior. One of the best ways of giving this testimony is to show by our faithful attendance at

God's house the genuineness of our faith.

Christians (if we can properly call them Christians) who despise "...the church of God,

which he..." (the Son) "...hath purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28) will have a

hard time trying to convince any intelligent person that they love the Savior or the souls

of men.

Therefore, "let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: notforsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhortingone another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Heb. 10:24,25)

LEXINGTON BAPTIST COLLEGE-

A Teaching Agency of Ashland Avenue Baptist Church

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever

I have commanded you..." (Matt. 28:20.)

Failing to teach their members to observe all that Jesus commanded, even true churches ofour Lord pave the way to their own destruction. Baptists of this generation are numerous andprosperous because of the faithfulness and sacrifices of previous generations: but by our ownbetrayal of the historic Baptist faith we are storing up trouble for our successors.

A Baptist Failure

Practically all Baptist churches still have some sense of a mission to the world and all thathave any real claim to the name Baptist are still baptizing their disciples, but the sad fact isthat most Baptist churches today are failing to indoctrinate their membership with theteachings and commandments of Jesus.


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A generation of modernistic preachers, a product of denominational and undenominationalseminaries, is gradually leading our churches away from loyalty to the Lord Jesus and Hisword. The disastrous loyalty of this generation is either to a denominational program or to asuper-denomination in process of formation. Thus few Baptists today have much realconviction of Baptist teaching, which is to say, Bible teaching.

What are some of the "all things" that we are commanded to teach baptized disciples to

observe? I mention four:

1. Obedience to Jesus as Lord.

2. New Testament church polity.

3. The ordinances of this church.

4. Witnessing to the saving grace of God in Christ.

Personal Obedience

Theoretically all Christians worthy of the name will acknowledge that it is their duty to obeyChrist. Yet in practice the majority of so-called Christians want to choose for themselves howfar they will go in this obedience. Various denominations have chosen some of thecommandments of Jesus for emphasis while openly rejecting or disregarding othercommandments. Interdenominational "fundamentalists" pride themselves on their faithfulnessto what they are pleased to call essential teachings or commandments while they ignore orregard lightly those commandments of our Lord which are most divisive.

Our Lord has not excused the disobedience of even the least of His commands: "Whosoevertherefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall becalled the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the sameshall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:19.)

Church Polity

Jesus declared (Matt. 16:18) that He would build His church, and in Matt. 18:17, 18 we findHim instructing His disciples to refer their personal quarrels, as a last resort, to this church,showing that by this time the church was already organized for business.

The commission in Matt. 28:18-20 must have been given to this church as a continuinginstitution. If He was speaking to the disciples in their personal capacity the commission diedwith them. If He was speaking to them merely as disciples then He was authorizing the utter

confusion that we see in professed Christianity today.

The view that Jesus was speaking here to His disciples as an organized church is the onlyview that makes good sense. In fact, practically all Christians recognize that our Lord hassomething called a church with authority to carry on His work in this world. Divisions arise overthe question of whether to recognize the church as it appears in the New Testament or tosubstitute something else.

Any church or any school as a teaching agency of a church or churches that does not

teach Christians to observe the church polity instituted by the Lord Jesus certainly is


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not teaching them to observe all things He has commanded.

Lexington Baptist College is one of very few schools today that maintain a sound scripturalposition on the church of the Lord Jesus as we find it revealed in the New Testament.

Ordinances

Apart from a true New Testament church it is of course impossible to observe scripturally the

ordinances of that church baptism and the Lord's Supper. "...In one Spirit are we all baptizedinto one body." (I Cor. 12:13.) The kind of body referred to is that kind of which the church atCorinth was an example, as we read in verse 27, "ye are a body of Christ." From I Cor. 1:2 wefind that by "ye" Paul meant "the church of God which is at Corinth."

Of course the only kind of church that can administer baptism is an organized church. And ifthe baptism is to be scriptural the church administering the ordinance must be of the kindinstituted by our Lord, deriving its authority by succession from that first church.

The Lord's Supper is quite generally recognized as a church ordinance. In I Cor. 11:17-20 welearn that even when a church meets to observe the ordinance if there are divisions and

heresies there it is not possible to eat the Lord's Supper. How much more is this true wherethe divisions and heresies are of such a nature as to have given rise to distinctdenominations?

Lexington Baptist College as a teaching agency of the Ashland Avenue Baptist Churchand other churches cooperating in this teaching ministry believes in and stands for believer'sbaptism under the authority of a New Testament Baptist Church and the Lord's Supper as anordinance of that church.

Witnessing

"...Ye shall be witnesses unto me..." (Acts 1:8.) "Make disciples of all nations." (Matt. 28:19.)

True churches of the Lord Jesus are evangelistic, missionary churches. Undoubtedly this isthe chief emphasis of the great commission and the church which has lost this mission haslost its very reason for existence.

In our insistence upon teaching to observe all things that our Lord has commanded, we arenot to lose sight of this great commandment to His church to preach the gospel to everycreature.

A prime objective of Lexington Baptist College is to maintain a fervent spirit of evangelism

and to prepare and inspire the students for scriptural missionary work.

Ashland Avenue Baptist Church and other churches and individuals contributing to the

support of Lexington Baptist College are carrying out through the agency of this school thecommand of our Lord to teach God's people to observe all things that He has commanded.


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One Baptism - In Water

DISOBEDIENCE TO DIVINE COMMANDS IS NOT A WORK OF THE HOLY

SPIRIT

"There is . . . one baptism." (Eph. 4:4, 5)

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into (with reference to) Jesus Christ werebaptized into(with reference

to) his death?" (Rom. 6:3.)

"Our fathers . . . were all baptized into (with reference to)

Moses in the cloud and in the sea." (I Cor. 10:1, 2.)

Use of scriptural terms in an unscriptural sense is a favorite trick of modernists that has beenadopted by some so-called interdenominationalists who pride themselves on their supposed

orthodoxy or fundamentalism. So it has become fashionable in certain circles to speak of a"spiritual baptism" of which the Bible tells us exactly nothing.

Satan has never introduced among God's people a heresy so ridiculous but that he has beenable to find men willing to prostitute some degree of scholarship in its defense. So it has beenwith the practice of baby baptism, pouring, and sprinkling as substitutes for believer'sbaptism. There have been a few scholars of limited ability or honesty, or both, who have triedto justify these unscriptural practices by perverted interpretations of scripture.

A Lost Battle

But among competent scholars the scriptural meaning of "baptize" and "baptism" is no

longer a matter of debate. Everyone knows that the ordinary literal meaning of baptize in theNew Testament is to dip, plunge, or immerse in water, and whatever figurative meaning theword may occasionally have must be derived from and based upon this literal sense.

Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Wesley, whatever their doctrinal errors, were at least,unlike some of their followers, scholarly enough to admit that scriptural baptism wasimmersion, and that sprinkling in its place was an innovation for the sake of conveniencerather than obedience.

Figurative Baptisms

An elementary principle of honest translation and interpretation is that the literal or ordinary

meaning of a word is always to be preferred if it makes good sense in the context;figurative or unusual meanings are to be adopted only when demanded by context.

Undoubtedly in Matt. 20:22, Mk. 10:38, and Lu. 12:50 Jesus was speaking of a figurativebaptism or immersion in the sufferings of the cross. So the baptism in fire mentioned in Matt.3:11 and Lu. 3:16 is evidently not a dipping in water. Some interpreters think the reference isto the "fiery trial" of I Pet. 4:12; others refer the language to the lost in the lake of fire (Rev.


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The Greek word transliterated baptize does not mean to place

or place into in any such free and easy sense. It means to dip, plunge, or immerse in water,unless the context obviously demands another element.

No reputable Greek scholar ever dreamed of such "translation" in former years, but now,driven to desperate expedients to promote the "invisible church" fantasy, modernistic Bible

dictionaries and commentaries of pseudoscholarship are chirping a chorus of "spiritualbaptism" a thing as invisible and nonexistent in the Bible as the invisible church itself.

"Shut UP TO Moses"

Amusingly consistent only in its inconsistency is the same Wuestern "translation" of I Cor.10:2: "And all had themselves immersed, surrounded by the cloud [on both sides], thus shutup to Moses [as their leader]." (Brackets are part of quotation.)

"Shut up to Moses," indeed! At least, thank God, we are not shut up to Wuest. If that istranslation, a dozen generations of formerly respected English translators missed their calling.

Only One Baptism

According to the Bible (Eph. 4:5), there is only one (literal) baptism, and that is the

baptism in water instituted by John the Baptist by divine commission, received by the

Lord Jesus, and by Him committed to His church to be observed as an ordinance for

disciples (believers) only, as a first act of obedience, to be followed by the observance ofall His commandments.

When men speak of a fictitious "spiritual baptism" not mentioned in the Bible, and belittle theone baptism (in water) that is taught in the Bible, we can be sure that their strange doctrine is

not the work of the Holy Spirit.

More About Baptism

Reply to Query: The Article, "One Baptism--In Water," published in the Ashland Avenue

Baptist, has drawn criticism from a number of readers, some friendly and some hostile.Answering such criticism, Bro. Brong submits the following review with some additional factsfrom the scriptures:

Let us simply recognize that nouns and verbs, in the very nature of language, are more

nearly dependable in meaning than are prepositions. Specifically, we MUST take the

Greek preposition eis in different senses in different contexts; we NEED NOT take the noun orverb for baptism or baptize in any other than the literal or nearly literal sense of dip, plunge,immerse, submerge, or overwhelm and ALWAYS in water unless the context DEMANDS

otherwise. This assumption makes possible harmonious interpretation of the scriptural

doctrine of baptism without difficulty.

But if we insist on "into" as the unvarying English translation

of eis, even though Webster's Third New International Dictionary gives 11 main definitions of

"into," we shall have all sorts of trouble. Did the men of Nineveh repent "into" the


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preaching of Jonah? Did Jesus speak of giving someone a drink "into" the name of a

disciple? (Matt. 12:41, 10:42.) Did Peter tell repenters at Pentecost to be baptized "into"

remission of sins? (Acts 2:38.)

This last reference involves the use of eis in connection with baptism certainly parallel withMatt. 28:19, Rom. 6:3, Gal. 3:27, etc. Even more pertinent is I Cor. 10:2, where we read that

the Israelites were baptized eis Moses. The construction here is exactly parallel with baptism

eis Christ and eis the name of the Lord Jesus. There is no more reason to imagine a

"spiritual baptism" "into" Christ than a "spiritual baptism" "into" Moses.

To Avoid Confusion

No doubt there is a real spiritual and scriptural experience FIGURED or SYMBOLIZED in

scriptural (water) baptism, but we ought not to confuse the figure with the thing figured.From such confusion the Campbellites teach baptismal regeneration and ultra-dispensationalists teach that "water baptism" was a "temporary rite" no longer to be practiced.

Romans 6:5 seems to me simple enough: "For if we have become planted with (Him) in the

LIKENESS of his death, yet also we shall be (in the likeness) of his resurrection." The

baptism which figures the burial of Jesus in His death, and His resurrection, also

figures our own spiritual death and resurrection as well as the death and resurrection of

our bodies. With all this wealth of meaning in Christ's ordinance of baptism, it is no

wonder that Satan tries to destroy it!

If we have here only a "spiritual" baptism, a "spiritual" l ikeness, a "spiritual" death, have we

also only a "spiritual" resurrection? Some would say so, but the Bible teaches otherwise.See I Cor. 15:12-19, 29.

BIBLICAL BAPTISM BURIES THE BODIES

OF BELIEVERS- "MUCH WATER" USED

BY FIRST BAPTIST

"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of theoperation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." (Col. 2:12.)

A person can no more be baptized with a few drops or even a few quarts of water than he can

be buried with a few specks or even a peck of dirt. More than this is needed for burial. Thefirst Baptist preacher baptized in a certain place "because there was much water there" (Jn.3:23), and Baptists have been using much water ever since.

The Biblical Act

That the Biblical act of baptism was immersion in water is admitted by all competent scholars.No respectable authority claims otherwise.

Moreover, the ordinary English reader, having no knowledge of Greek, will come to this


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conclusion from a careful reading of the New Testament in the King James version, atranslation made by a group of baby sprinklers.

As to people who know Greek, the Greek Orthodox Church, which surely knows its ownlanguage, practices immersion. And not only Roman Catholic authorities, but eminentProtestant leaders who continued to follow Rome in pouring or sprinkling, though "protesting"against some other unscriptural practices, have freely admitted that Biblical baptism wasimmersion. Among such honest (on this point) Protestants were Martin Luther, John Calvin,

and John Wesley.

Today only a few partisan zealots ignorant of language and ignorant of history attempt

to defend sprinkling or pouring as baptism from a scriptural standpoint. The usualargument is that sprinkling and pouring are more convenient and that the matter is of no greatimportance anyway.

Still, the plain fact remains that the Biblical act of baptism is immersion in water, and if

we are to be baptized WITH JESUS, we too must be dipped or "buried" with Him .

The Biblical Actor

The Biblical actor in the drama of baptism is as clearly defined as the act itself. Jesus set the

example for later actors to follow, and only believers in Him are qualified to walk in His

steps.

John the Baptist demanded "fruits meet for repentance" as prerequisite

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CHRIST'S CHURCH AND BAPTISM