(There are two articles on this page)
The Lord’s People –The Church
by Lowell Blasingame
W.E. Vine defines ekklesia “from ek, out of and klesis, a calling (kaleo, to call),” (Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). This is the word which is commonly rendered “church” in our English versions of the New Testament where it occurs 115 times. Once it is used of Israel (Acts 7:38), which had been “called out” of Egypt and, at the time, was in the wilderness making her way to the land which had been promised to her as an inheritance. Three times the word is translated “assembly,” once of the group called out by Demetrius, the silversmith (Acts 19:32) and twice of an assembly convened by the town clerk (Acts 19:39, 41). This leaves 111 times that it occurs either in its singular or plural form of the Lord’s people and we should be impressed by the Holy Spirit’s giving us so much information about the Lord’s ekklesia.
While the word identifies us as His “called out,” this word does not tell us how or by what we are called. People have strange ideas about how the Lord calls people. Some recite strange or unusual experiences which they have had which they interpret to mean is a call from the Lord. Usually, this will be an emotional sensation which they haven’t experienced before. Or it may be something strange which they hear or see and they interpret this to be a call from the Lord. Since the Lord isn’t a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34-35) and isn’t willing that any perish (II Peter 3:9), but wishes that all come to repentance, it would appear that He would call all in the same way.
The Scriptures teach us how the Lord calls us. Paul said, “Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thessalonians 2:14) and “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present life” (Titus 2:11-12). So the medium through which God calls is the gospel, which is “the word of His grace” (Acts 20:32) and the gospel is to be taught to all nations or every creature (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15). Without exception, each case of conversion related in the book of Acts has persons first being taught.
Ekklesia identifies us as the Lord’s “called out,” but the word doesn’t tell us “out of” what or “into” what we are called, but the Scriptures do. They tell us that sin severs our spiritual relationship with God making us “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) and by such, we become “servants of sin” (Romans 6:17) and need to be “delivered from the power of darkness” (Colossians 1:13). It is by our obedience to the gospel or response to God’s call that we are delivered from the power of darkness and “translated into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Colossians 1:13), or “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:18). The consummating act of obedience to this form of doctrine is obedience to the command to be baptized. In this act, we enter “into Christ” (Galatians 3:27), where we become “new creatures” (II Corinthians 5:17) and we are buried and raised “to walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4). So, we are called out of an old relationship of alienation from God into one in which our union with Him is restored.
Ekklesia tells us that we are “called out” but not the reason or why we are called out. But the Scriptures tell us this also. “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:13) and that “ye should show forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9). This ought to motivate one to respond to the call of the gospel and thereafter to live faithfully for the Lord. Think how wonderful it will be to hear Him say, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). This will come only to those who respond to the call of the gospel.
“Somebody Ought To Do Something!”
by J.R. Bronger
I am always amused when I hear this because the one saying “somebody” is a “somebody.” However, I never hear that somebody say, “I ought to do something.” The easiest thing in the world to do is diagnose a problem and then suggest this phantom “somebody” ought to do something to solve it. What this does is absolve me of my personal responsibility. It places all the responsibility on “somebody,” whoever he or she might be. Especially is this true in the area of personal evangelism. We analyze the crisis: “The church is not growing, there are not any conversions being made.” Next we hit upon the resolution: “Somebody ought to do something.” This is said even though the somebody is never identified. Who exactly might the somebody be; the preacher? Perhaps the elders? We might not be able to identify who this “somebody” is, but we sure know who this “somebody” is not – ME.
Christianity is a taught religion: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught by God. Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me” (John 6:44-45). It should not surprise us, then, that Jesus placed an emphasis upon teaching; His disciples were and are to evangelize the world (Matthew 28:19-20). It is not a matter of somebody doing this; it is a matter of each and every Christian doing it. Consult the book of Acts and you will never find where the early Christians sat back and said: “Somebody ought to teach the lost.” As far as I can discover these early Christians understood they were “somebody.” “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).
The early church took seriously the Lord’s insistence to become “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Therefore, they sought out and taught the lost on a daily basis. “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46-47). Daily teaching results in daily conversion opportunities, “So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily” (Acts 16:5). This is not the responsibility of this phantom “somebody,” it is the responsibility of YOU and ME. If we could somehow renew the dedication to teaching seen in first-century Christians we would once again witness some phenomenal growth.
If not “somebody” perhaps “something” needs to be done. Thirty or forty years ago gospel meetings were very successful endeavors in reaching the lost. Unbelievers would attend in throngs. It wasn’t unusual to have thirty or forty baptisms during a gospel meeting usually lasting about three or four weeks. However, today non-Christians are a rarity at gospel meetings. Members do not even attend them very well. Sadly, meetings are considered successful if members from other churches attend. This is not said to denigrate gospel meeting. Instead it simply said to force us to face a reality, they cannot replace our individual responsibility. Recognizing this reality, Christians are, therefore, going to have to be this “somebody” and become fishers of men. Churches are going to grow in proportion to the teaching that is being done by members. “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (II Corinthians 9:6).