The doctrine of baptisms. (Part 1)

The future of the Church in Britain.

This is a question that was fiercely debated by members, clergy and bishops in the Church of England following the consecration of David Jenkins as Bishop of Durham in York Minster on 6 July 1984. Some hours later a bolt of lightning struck the Minster and burned the south transept where the consecration had taken place.

It was particularly remarkable because weather maps showed clear skies over the whole of the UK and northern Europe except for this one tiny cloud no bigger than a man’s hand crossing Yorkshire and delivering an electrical strike of such magnitude that it overrode a newly installed lightning conductor at the Minster.

Even the secular media saw this as an ‘act of God’ but not so the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, who declared that God does not do such things. It later emerged that he was faced by a ‘God or Mammon’ dilemma as the Minster’s insurance might not have covered ‘acts of God’!

Liberal Theology

Jenkins had some unorthodox views on central tenets of Christian doctrine including casting doubt on the resurrection of Jesus. Although the Archbishop did not publicly support the views of Jenkins, he nevertheless continued to promote non-Bible-believing clerics to senior posts in the Church of England which brought liberal postmodernist teaching into the leadership of the Church that still has an influence today.

In last week’s editorial we were examining the influence of ‘postmodernism’ in the nation and noting its objective of destroying the family in its war against Christianity. We said:

The central tragedy of recent history over the past half-century is that neither Church leaders nor politicians have understood the philosophy of postmodernism, with its objectives of destroying Judeo-Christian civilisation.

For the Church to play a significant part in guarding the nation against destructive philosophies that undermine basic truth, its leadership must have an unshakeable grasp of truth that is derived from its source in God, the Creator of the universe.

For the Church to be able to guard the nation against destructive philosophies, its leadership must have an unshakeable grasp of truth.

When church leaders lack understanding of the truth - as revealed in Scripture, through the prophets of Israel and through Jesus the Messiah - and promote obscurity, distortions and lies instead, they come under the judgment of God. Paul makes this clear in Romans 1:18:

York Minster's south transept after the lightning strike, 1984. See Photo Credits.The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

This particularly applies to Church leaders who claim to be men of God but are not faithful in declaring the truth. In the same passage Paul continues:

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.

This is similar to Jeremiah’s complaint about the leaders of the nation in his day: “The shepherds are senseless and do not enquire of the Lord” (Jer 10:21). They were relying upon human wisdom; in 23:1 he elaborates this: “‘Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!’ declares the Lord.”

Undermining Truth

This exactly describes many church leaders and professors of theology in our seminaries and universities today, most of which are steeped in liberal theology and driven by its spirit of postmodernism, which has roots in anti-Semitism, atheism and Marxism.

I can speak from personal experience because I did a doctorate in liberal theology. I went up to university with a strong faith in God and a conviction that my life was to be devoted to preaching and living in accordance with biblical truth. Most of my faith was destroyed by the time I left university and it took me some years and a personal experience of spiritual renewal to regain my faith.

I went up to university with a strong faith in God and came away with most of my faith destroyed – having studied liberal theology.

Please do not misunderstand me – I am not despising biblical scholarship; indeed, we need good, sound, biblical scholarship to guard against deception in the Church and in the nation! But the postmodernist heresies that began in Germany in the late 19^th Century have penetrated deeply into our academic institutions, such that biblical scepticism undermining truth has been taught in many of our theological colleges and universities for the past century and more.

What is ‘the Church’?

In the light of this statement we can now return to the question at the beginning of this article: Can the Church come under God’s judgment? Here we must define our terms: what do we mean by ‘Church’?

If we mean the Church founded by Jesus on the Day of Pentecost when he fulfilled his promise to send the Holy Spirit upon his disciples, enabling and empowering them to take the Gospel to the nations beginning in Jerusalem, then to Judea, Samaria and out to all the world – if we mean the true Church that is the ‘Body of Christ’, then we must conclude that such a Church can never come under the judgment of God!

But are the institutions that we call ‘churches’ the true Body of Christ? I was recently discussing this with my wife who has for many years been studying church history. She told me about an incident of which I was not aware. When King James I became King of England (having previously been King James VI of Scotland), he brought with him a strong Christian faith although, like his father Charles I, he had Catholic sympathies. James wanted to make the Bible available in English to all his subjects.

At that time most Bibles were in Latin which many people, even among the clergy, could not read. He called together a group of Protestant scholars, some of whom were Church of England clergy while others were Dissenters (Nonconformist ministers). They allocated different parts of the Bible to individual scholars and collectively set about the task of translating the Bible into what became known as the ‘Authorised Version’ or the ‘King James Version’.

The group of scholars worked well together but there was one word upon which they could not agree, so they all came together to consult the King. It was the word ecclesia which in the original Greek of the New Testament means ‘a gathering’– or ‘congregation’ – ‘a gathering of people committed to a particular purpose’. The Dissenters wanted to translate ecclesia as ‘congregation’, whereas the Church of England clergy wanted to translate it as ‘church’, as in the Roman Catholic Bible.

The King agreed with the CofE clergy and the word ‘church’ came into the Authorised Version of the Bible and in most English translations since then.

The true Body of Christ can never come under the judgment of God!

What an amazing difference it would have made if our Bibles had all read ‘congregation’ instead of ‘church’. We might have been saved from the mess that we have today where ‘church’ can mean a building, a denomination, an organisation, a congregation, or a small group of believers in Jesus. We might even have been saved from the disgrace of whole denominations becoming infected by unbelief: becoming ‘a broad church’ tolerant of everyone’s beliefs (or unbelief).

Hope for Reformation

The prophecy in Hebrews 12:26-29 that all man-made institutions will be shaken and will crumble, appears to be happening: not only to banks, finance houses, business institutions and politicians, but also to the man-made denominational institutions that we call ‘churches’. This is surely the judgment of God falling upon corrupt institutions! `

The good news is that many Christians are recognising these institutional failings and are meeting in small groups for prayer, Bible study and fellowship similar to the first Christians. Luke describes this in Acts 2:42: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

Maybe what we are seeing today is the beginning of a new Reformation rediscovering the spiritual dynamic of the Early Church.

Further Response from Clifford Hill

Susan and Randall have asked me to explain why I believe that the true church as the Body of Christ cannot come under judgment. Let me say straightaway that I am not infallible and I’m open to correction from brothers and sisters in Christ – in this way we all learn from each other: so I really appreciate comments which I always read carefully.

I found the comments on this subject particularly helpful and I am happy to explain a little more of what I was trying to say. I was distinguishing between the true ‘ecclesia’ of God and the man-made institutions that we call ‘churches’. John is perfectly right in saying that of the 115 references to ecclesia in the New Testament only two are correctly translated in most English Bibles. They both refer to the riot in Ephesus where the whole town came together to oppose Paul’s teaching, chanting “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” This gathering [ecclesia] is referred to as “an assembly”.

All the other references are to ‘gatherings of believers in Jesus the Messiah’ and in each case ecclesia should similarly be translated ‘congregation’, or ‘assembly’ (of believers). It is entirely wrong to translate ‘ecclesia’ as ‘church’, as in most English Bibles.

Confusion can arise over the concept of God’s judgment because the word is so often used to mean his wrath and punishment. In fact, the word used for judgment in the New Testament (krima) can mean these things, but is also broader, simply meaning a verdict or decision. In this respect, we will all be judged – for we will all one day stand before the judgment seat of God, as Paul says in Romans 14:10.

It is true that a church can go off track and come under condemnation like the church at Laodicea. But if we are part of the true ecclesia of Christ, it is his intention to present us spotless before his Father – it was for this that he shed his blood. Paul says this in Ephesians 5:25-27:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the ecclesia and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word to present her to himself as a radiant ecclesia, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

The New Testament teaching is that the true ‘ecclesia of Christ’ can never come under condemnation, for “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 5:9). True believers still undergo trials, but these are appointed for God’s paideia - his discipline - so our faith can be refined (1 Pet 1:7; Heb 12:4-11).

As such, the reference to “judgment beginning at the household of God” (1 Peter 4:17) most certainly does not refer to God’s wrath! It is referring to the persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire. It is the wrath of human beings upon God’s people – not the wrath of God upon his own people. That is made very clear in the context of the passage beginning 1 Peter 4:12: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering…But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ.”

Jesus himself said “Remain in me, and I will remain in you…if you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love” (John 15:4 and 10). Provided we remain in Christ we cannot come under his wrathful judgment: we are bound to Him in love.

Cliff

Monica Hill concludes her studies on the ministry gifts of Ephesians 4.

This article is part of a series. Click here to read other instalments. 

“It was Christ who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:11-13, emphasis added).

Teacher, Pastor, Teacher/Pastor?

Although the ministry gift of ‘teacher’ is often combined with that of ‘pastor’ (which we introduced last week), in today’s modern society there are of course many differences. Some commentators are not certain whether teacher/pastor should be regarded as one or two ministries as there is no definite article before the word 'teacher' in the Ephesians 4 passage. Because of where they are placed in the passage, some regard them as more ordinary ministries, for those employed in a lower and narrower sphere than apostles, prophets and evangelists.

Some take these two names to signify one office or role, implying the duties of ruling and teaching belonging to one person. Still others think they designate two distinct offices, both ordinary, and currently being used in the church. If pastoring involves caring for God's people, teaching involves instructing them in the truths of God's word.

Building Up the Body

One thing that is obvious is that of all the five ministries in Ephesians 4, the role of ‘teaching’ is the one most needed to build the Body up spiritually. Of course the Apostles taught; this is stressed in Acts 2:42 where we learn that the fellowship of the believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching”. Both the prophets and the evangelists also taught, but with respect to their different roles and duties.

Teachers have always been needed beyond these roles, therefore, because there needs to be a consistent follow-up and growth to maturity in every fellowship.

If pastoring involves caring for God's people, teaching involves instructing them in the truths of God's word.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews emphasises the need to grow beyond the “elementary teachings of Christ” and on to maturity. The believers should have been passing on their knowledge to others, but they still needed to be taught the “elementary truths” (Heb 5:12-6:1).

What is Teaching?

The ministry of teaching is the ability to explain clearly the truths of God's word and to ensure that this is understood and followed by those placed in the care of the teacher. It involves the need for teachers not only to understand the in-depth meaning of God’s word for themselves, and for it to be operating in their own lives, but also to have the ability to help people of all ages and circumstances to see, hear, grasp and learn what God is saying to each of them.

Although preaching is often referred to as teaching, too often it is exercised like a lecture to a large number of people from a pulpit and so is considered to be ‘six feet above contradiction’. To interrupt the preacher even to get clarification is rarely permitted. But unless most sermons or messages are followed by a time when the subject can be discussed and questions asked, it is often of little value and the main points can easily be forgotten.

In Victorian times, the morning sermon was the natural subject for conversation at Sunday lunch-time. Today few families discuss the sermon – or even meet together for lunch - while even fewer have regular family Bible studies. It is left to the Church to organise these. Indeed, the strength of a Church can often be judged by the attendance at and content and liveliness of its Bible study groups.

Why Teach?

The Jewish faith has survived because each generation accepted their responsibility to not only teach the next generation God’s truths but also “show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave” (Ex 18:20). Moses’ instruction to the people of Israel was:

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates (Deut 6:6-9)

This is repeated later in Deuteronomy: “Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deut 11:19).

It is not sufficient for the word to be preached from pulpits. It needs to be discussed, so that people can understand it.

There needs to be a consistent follow-up and growth to maturity in every fellowship.

Laws can be made and rules can be enforced. The rabbis, who were called ‘teachers’ in Jesus’ time, were good at enforcing every jot and tittle with little regard for ensuring that the underlying principles and reasoning were understood too. As one modern rabbi rather enviously observed to a friend who was a Christian pastor, “we are only seen as kitchen inspectors”.

But Jesus, in his famous outburst to the Pharisees and teachers of the law in his time (Matt 23:13-33), condemned them - not just for hypocrisy in not living by the rules they imposed on others, but for their high opinion of themselves, for limiting their teaching, for not allowing others to experience anything they were not advocating, etc, etc. There are many lessons here for those with a teaching ministry to understand what not to do!

How to Teach

• Learning by rote may have gone out of fashion but the older generation are still able to remember and quote Bible passages - especially from the Authorised Version! It became more difficult as the number of versions grew, but then, this allowed the serious scholar’s understanding also to grow. Modern Bible studies benefit when there are two or three versions studied alongside each other, giving different perspectives and insights to stimulate discussion.
  
• Teaching in small groups where people can ask questions has many advantages. The teacher can discover what people have really heard them say and he or she can answer the questions they are asking. It is very much about starting where people are, not where we might like, or expect, them to be! In fact, it can sometimes be a salutary lesson to discover that they already knew what was being taught and an opportunity had been lost to help them go deeper. If you teach them what they do not already know, this can stretch them so that they can move on to maturity.
  
• The best teachers are often the best story-tellers. Jesus often used parables to teach in-depth truths that could not only be remembered but also be understood at different levels – they were often described as everyday stories with a Heavenly meaning especially for those who had a deeper understanding.
  
• A good teacher is thrilled when students pass comments on what they hear and get involved – even more so when the students start to think for themselves and ask questions. I personally believe that a better interpretation of Galatians 6:6 (“Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor”), rather than being applied financially, can apply to the spiritual insights the students have, which can stimulate a fresh understanding of the Word.
  
• One of Jesus’s methods of teaching was to answer a question with another question, to find out where his listeners were and to draw out of them what they knew already. This is a very Jewish way of teaching.
  
• But Matthew also told us that the impact of Jesus’ teaching was great as “He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (Matt 7:29). Jesus did not just make pronouncements - even to his disciples when he spent more time with them. Instead, he encouraged them to discuss so that they would learn more about the Kingdom and God’s truths. When someone speaks with authority they inspire confidence that they have knowledge and understanding and that they are able to address and answer their concerns and allay their doubts.
  
• Yeshiva-style Jewish teaching also highlights that Jesus sat down to teach! (Luke 4:20; 5:3; Matt 5:1; 15:29). The reader stood to read or declare the word of God but the teacher or expositor sat down to teach, which not only would relax the students and encourage them to ask questions and to discuss issues so that they went deeper into the word, but could last as long as was needed.
  

Conclusion

So today Christ continues his work as apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher through the ministries he gives to men and women whom he has appointed to build his Church. He wants them “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ”.

Monica Hill continues her series on the ministry gifts of Ephesians 4. 

This article is part of a series. Click here to read other instalments.

“It was Christ who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:11-13, emphasis added).

“And They Shall Prophesy…”

‘Prophecy’ appears in all three lists of spiritual gifts – but it has a slightly different meaning in each. We will explore the meaning of the ‘manifestation’ of prophecy described in 2 Corinthians 12 later, but we just note here that manifestations are not bestowed permanently on any individual, but come as the Lord wills and to anybody who is open to the Spirit.

Manifestations are very different from the ministry gift of ‘prophet’ which is given to an individual who is specifically called to build up the Body. The Ephesians ministry role of ‘prophet’ bears more resemblance to the more ‘natural’ role of prophecy described in Romans 12, with its emphasis upon the forthtelling of the word of God as well as the foretelling of future happenings. But the emphasis for any spiritual gift still needs to be on equipping the Body and this is especially true for those who are given a ministry role.

Perhaps in our modern society we can see more affinity between the role of prophet and that of the ‘preacher’- though obviously there are differences (incidentally, it should be noted that the title ‘preacher’ is not recognised in any of the lists of spiritual gifts – the nearest is the role of the teacher, although it is not difficult to see the differences).

Old Testament Prophets

The prophets, both writing and speaking, in the Old Testament, were walking closely with God and knew him intimately. They had reached such a close understanding of his nature and purposes that they found it easy to see where the people they were called to address were falling short of all that God wanted for them.

Biblical scholars maintain that less than 20% of the words of the writing prophets are warning or foreseeing what will happen in the future, while more than 80% of their prophetic words are forthtelling God’s nature and purposes – and reminding the nation how God had revealed himself in the past.

Less than 20% of the prophetic words of the writing prophets are foreseeing what will happen in the future - more than 80% are forthtelling God’s nature and purposes.

The whole nation of Israel was in a covenant relationship with God. The prophets were the biblical preachers of their day, spending their time reminding the Jewish people of God’s requirements, while also remembering God’s actions in similar periods in their history and then challenging them to become more like the people that God expected them to be.

Occasionally they did receive a revelation of what would happen as a consequence if the nation continued in the direction it was taking, but their messages were more than foretelling and often they were of an encouraging rather than a warning nature.

New Testament Prophets

The reason we do not hear much about specifically named individual prophets in the New Testament is that with the coming of Jesus, God’s revelation of himself, his nature and his purposes was now complete (nothing new would be revealed, although to each of us “the Lord has yet more light and truth to break forth from his word”). The coming of Jesus fulfilled Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 15:18 and “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people” (Luke 24:19).

The task of the New Testament prophets was unchanged, in that it was to remind people of, and bring them back to, the biblical roots set out for them (and us) in the word of God, so that they could understand God more completely and strive to be like him. Their function was additionally related to the fulfilment of the Great Commission and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, with the understanding that now the Church itself was to be the Prophet to the nations.

The individual role of each prophet (both then and today) is therefore increasingly to impart the wisdom they have received from their close walk with God to others, so that they too can be built up in their faith and thus be an effective ‘front line’ with the world. This is why prophets need to be subject to other prophets so that they are both open to correction and also protected from bringing anything of themselves into the words they share with others. The lone prophet is, by and large, a thing of the past: each needs to meet with others, not just for fellowship and to build each other up, but also to confirm or correct what they are hearing and to keep their thinking in line with Scripture.

The task of the prophets was to bring people back to their biblical roots, so they could understand God and strive to be like him.

Apostles and prophets are often linked together – they were the foundation of the early Church (Eph 2:20, 3:5) and interestingly these are the two most neglected of the ‘ministry gifts’ today. Their function has always been to give the Church, locally or nationally, the right base for ‘sending out’ and ‘speaking out’ (which is a powerful combination that ensures the Church is guided both in the right direction and with the right values and strategy).

The ‘prophetic’ function is to bring and present the unchanging word of God to others, both in a contemporary setting and to a contemporary world: reaching each new generation, preparing them for works of service and ensuring that the message is passed on.

The words of the prophets should be judged by their contemporaries on their truth, irrespective of the effectiveness the messages have on the +believers in their generation or acceptance of the words they had received. If the biblical prophets were judged on the acceptance of their messages, they would all be judged to be failures.

‘I Wish That All the Lord’s People Were Prophets’

Numbers 11 gives us a great example of how God supported Moses in the desert when he was almost in despair, and began to set in motion an effective strategy that has continuing significance today. Moses’ great joy when God “took some of the power of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders” led him to want even more as he saw that “when the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied” (11:25).

He wanted there to be no restrictions or limit on who could receive this blessing, when he made the far-reaching statement “I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” (11:29) which, with the coming of the Holy Spirit, did come to pass and is still available today.

Prophets need to be subject to other prophets so that they are open to correction and protected from bringing anything of themselves into the words they share.

All human beings have the ability to hear from God, although few actually do!! There is truth in the words of Jean-Paul Sartre, who said “I tell you in truth: all men are Prophets or else God does not exist”. As Romans 10:14 in the Message says “…how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it?”

Encouragement or Warning

When building up the Body of Christ, words of encouragement are just as important as words of warning, and although they may not require the same hard testing as the warnings, they should still be tested. Yet, in our modern society, they are not often treated as of equal importance and often people think that God only rebukes his people.

Continually giving words of warning can be counter-productive – and it is also unbiblical - Jesus called us to ‘feed his sheep’ – not berate them all the time. It is interesting that Judas (Barsabbas) and Silas were prophets who explained the decisions of the Jerusalem Council to the believers in Antioch and encouraged them (Acts 15:30-32).

When the word came to the Seven Churches in Revelation, each of the different gatherings from Ephesus to Laodicea were both commended and rebuked, although only two (Smyrna and Philadelphia) were seen as pleasing to God, while nothing good was said about Sardis. Nevertheless, they all had warnings of what was to come in the future alongside the amazing promises for the overcomers. Our Father is concerned that we listen and hear him – and wants each of us to be ‘overcomers’ so all words from him will be given in order to help us to achieve his desire.

Individual Prophetic Words

Although most words of prophecy are to the whole Body of believers, there can be a place for individual words of encouragement that will build specific people up so that they can play their part in the Body of Christ – and that should be the main emphasis. We will look at personal ‘words of knowledge’ about the future of individuals when we cover the manifestations, but note here that they are usually linked with ‘words of wisdom’ too.

Equipping the Body of Christ

In order to equip the Body of Christ effectively, the modern day prophet should not only desire that the Body of Christ (the Lord’s people given to him to minister to) would have a right relationship with God, but that they too would know the scriptures and know the Lord - and be able to pass this on to others.

Prophetic words should be judged on their truth, irrespective of the effectiveness the messages have on believers.

This confirms the reason given in Ephesians 4 for the continued existence of the prophetic function (working along with the other ministries): “so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ”.

Those with a prophetic function are the most effective when a real relationship has been built up and they know who they are reaching. Their own relationship with God and understanding of the scriptures and the insights they have received are not just for themselves, but God will also show them how they are to share these with others.

As we have noted there are NO prophets speaking directly to the nations today. There are prophetic voices within churches or fellowships of believers – or there should be! They should be the groups who are more open to listening and hearing from God, to enable the Church to be the Prophet to the nation.

But remember, prophets have never had an easy ride! When prophets compare what God is alerting them to in his word with what is happening in the fellowship, they usually call for change – which is not often welcome. People like the status quo and the words of the prophet are often resented by the pastor or priest. Dean Inge said “a priest is never so happy as when he has a prophet to stone”.

There is much more we could include about the role of the prophet – which is also covered elsewhere in this magazine. Prophecy will also play a major part on the Issachar Ministries Community Portal (under construction) – click here to find out more about this project. But if you have any other comments to add about prophets and their role – past and present - please add them below.