Email Us

Find a Congregation Near You!

 The Cornerstone 

This is the Stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the Chief Conerstone." Acts 4:11

Pulbished to Support the Work of the West End Church of Christ, Richmond, Virginia

Volume 6 *   Number 42*  October 15,  2006

Pay Attention to What You Sow

This is a beautiful time of year to observe the harvest. The farmer had prepared his ground in early spring. The seed was planted, the tender plants cared for during the growing months, and now the days of harvest. The farmer has reaped what he has sown.

Reaping what one has sown is an eternal principle of God. Both in the physical realm (Genesis 1:12) and in the spiritual. (II Corinthians 5:10) If our life has been that of righteousness, we reap eternal life. If it has been that of unrighteousness, we will reap eternal damnation of the soul. This principle is just and fair.

In the days of Hosea the prophet, Israel was about to reap exactly as they had sown. "For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind;…" (8:7). Planted within their lives was bits and pieces of wind as they departed from God. What they were going to reap at the end of their departures from God was a great whirlwind. The principle of reaping what we have sown behooves us to pay careful attention to the seeds that we are sowing.

We see this happening in life as sin is downplayed. Sexual immorality which leads to unwed pregnancy to abortion, partying to drunkenness to vehicular homicide, stealing shoes to stealing cars to bank robbery to murder. Reaping what we believe to be minor infractions (sin is sin) of the law of God, which leads to the whirlwinds of sin, heart wrenching sorrow, regret, and consequences. The end is an eternal separation from God in a place of utter ruin…hell.

Yes, we need to pay careful attention to what we are sowing.

Stacy Crim

 

Individuals and the Local Church

1 Timothy 5:16

Lanny Smith

There are some brethren who apparently have difficulty making a distinction between work that God assigns to individual Christians, and that which He assigns to a local church. These brethren would say, "anything that the individual can do, the local church can do." Such reasoning rests upon the fact the "church" is made up of individuals; therefore, in effect, whatever these individuals do, the church does. This idea is false, and those who teach such will lead churches into all sorts of activities for which there is no Divine authority. Further, it will lead churches away from God and into apostasy, by perverting their mission. Let us examine th is concept more closely in this article.

First of all, it is true that a "church" is made up of individuals. This is true whether we speak of the "universal" church (all saved), or a "local" church (organized body of saints). The universal church is made up of every individu al who is saved (Ac.2:47; 1Cor.12:13; 2Tm.2:19). Likewise, the local church is made up of individual "saints...bishops and deacons" (Ph.1:1). But a local church consists of saints who have banded together for limited purposes (cf. 1Tm.5:16). In other words, there are Divinely-assigned reasons that saints have organized themselves into a local church.

There are three reasons for for ming a local church. First, that local saints may collectively discharge their obligation to worship God (cf. Ac.20:7; 1Cor.16:2; Ep. 5:19-20). Second, that local saints may collectively discharge their obligation to spread the gospel of Christ to the lost (cf. 2Cor.11: 7-8; Ph.4:15; 1Th.1:8). And third, that local saints may collectively discharge their obligation to edify and to relieve the needs of one another (cf. 1Cor.14:26; 1Th.5:11; Ac.11:27-30; Rm.15:25-27). These are the works that God has assigned to the local church; and there are no other reasons for its exi stence. We pervert the Divine plan for the local church if we put it into some other area of service.

In addition, there are several Scrip tures which show a clear distinction between the work of the local church and the work of individual saints. Let us examine some of those.

First, there is Matthew 18:15-17. This passage tells us how to resolve problems between two brethren. First, the obligation rests upon the individual to go and talk with his brother "alone" (v.15). This represents individual action. Then, if that fails, he is to take "one or two more" with him (v.16). This represents the action of a group of individuals. If that fails, he is to "tell it to the church" (v.17), who must "hear" the complaint, then "speak" to the guilty. This represents the action of a local church. Note the distinctions between individual, individuals, and local church. This is comparable to the distinction between a link, several links, and a chain. One link does not make a chain. Several links do not make a chain. But several links joined together make a chain. Likewise, one individual does not make a local church. Several individuals do not make a local church. But several individuals joined together make a local church (cf. Ac.9:26-28).

Another passage is Acts 5:1-4. This passage shows that the early church gave money to help their needy (cp. 4:34-35). This money was laid "at the apostle’s feet" (5:2), which means it was at their disposal as administrators of the church’s money. Ananias and Sapphira "sold a possession," and claimed to have given every dime of it to the church; but they actually had "kept back part of the proceeds" (v.1-2). In other words, they "lied" about how much they actually got from the land they had sold (v.3-4). Now, notice Peter’s statement about this matter in verse four: "While it (their land, ls) remained was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it (the money received, ls) not in your own control?" This suggests that their land and their money was theirs as individuals; but once their money was laid "at the apostle’s feet" (i.e., given to the local church), it became a "church" fund. Our contributions to the local church are no longer our own funds; they now belong to the church! Thus again, we see a distinction between the individual and the local church. My money and the church’s money are two separate things, which are under the "control" of two separate entities—namely, the individual and the local church.

Still another passage is 1 Corinthians 11:22. Here, we see a clear distinction between social or domestic activities (feasting) and local church activities (Lord’s Supper). "What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing?" The problem here was not where they were, but the purpose for which they assembled. The local church is supposed to assemble for spiritual (not social) reasons (v.20-22). By mixing individual and local church obligations, they "despised the church of God."

Finally, there is 1 Timothy 5:16. In this passage, Paul makes a clear distinction between widows which the individual can relieve, and widows which the local church can not relieve. "If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows" (see 1Tm.5:16, and context).

Failure to recognize the legitimate distinction between individuals and local churches will open up church treasuries to all sorts of things. Examples would include social, recreational, domestic, educational, commercial and even political activities. In other words, the local church could do virtually anything, and we could not say that it was wrong. And that, friend, is a "can of worms" that no one should open! The consequences are too far-reaching.

8/06/2006 The Pearl of Great Price

  Back to Current Year Bulletins