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What Are We Doing?

by Micky Galloway

Some view the church as a place to go to enjoy pleasant activities with pleasant people. In other words the church is nothing more than a place to go to have a good time, something like a YMCA. The church is not a building, but a people purchased by the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28). The church has a purpose and that is to please God. It is not designed to cater to the pleasures of man. When asked why we do not have banquet rooms and ball teams the accusation is often given, “You don’t believe in eating on church property....” On March 23, 1996, I received an announcement informing me that I was a participant in a public study of this issue. It said, “We are to discuss specifically in reference to 1 Cor. 11 and related passages to answer the question, ‘is there authority in the New Testament for Christians eating a common meal together in the church building or on church grounds?’” This question implies that there is confusion about what the issue really is...

Please consider: THE ISSUE IS NOT: (1) Eating in the church building. Eating in the church building is scriptural IF it expedites the scriptural church functions. THE ISSUE IS: WHAT IS THE WORK OF THE CHURCH? We are agreed that the scriptures teach that the work of the church is Evangelism, Edification, and Benevolence to needy saints. The question that is proposed on the afore mentioned advertisement is incomplete and does not set forth where we differ. A more accurate proposition is: “The Scriptures teach that it is the work of the church to provide for common meals on church property, namely in the building or on church grounds when said meal is designed for SOCIAL and/or RECREATIONAL purposes.” This is what I DENY!

To discuss this proposition it is necessary that we understand how God's word teaches. I submit that God’s word teaches us through direct statements, approved apostolic examples, and necessary inferences. This is illustrated in the observance of the Lord’s Supper. We learn WHAT to do by direct statement, “This do in remembrance of me” (I Corinthians 11:24-25). We learn WHEN to do it by the approved apostolic example of what the apostle Paul did with the saints in Troas, “upon the first day of the week...” (Acts 20:7). We learn the FREQUENCY of observance by necessary inference, i.e. every week has a first day (Cf. Matthew 3:22). A review of Acts 15 illustrates God’s teaching on the matter of circumcision in this very way. Also, a strict respect for God’s silence must be noted (Acts 15:22; Cf. I Peter 4:11).

Let us define more specifically the proposition. “The Scriptures teach that it is the work of the church to provide for common meals on church property, namely in the building or on church grounds when said meal is designed for social and/or recreational purposes.” By “SOCIAL” I mean what is involved in the noun form of the word: “An informal gathering of people for recreation or amusement; party” (Webster's New World Dictionary). By “RECREATIONAL” I mean, “Amusement, diversion, entertainment, relaxation, repose, ease, play, sport, frolic, rollic; mirth, jollity, hilarity,” (Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms, Page 686). I deny that it is a work of the church to provide social and/or recreation activities, because there is no direct statement, approved apostolic example, or necessary inference authorizing it to do so.

The issue continues to be: WHAT IS THE WORK OF THE CHURCH? Is it evangelism, benevolence, and edification ... OR may the church provide social and recreational activities?

Please consider a study of the passages involved in this controversy.

Acts 2:42,44,46 - I can admit what these verses say and still deny their eating was a common meal for social and recreational purposes. NOTE: Verse 46 says that while they assembled in the temple, they broke their bread (common meal) “AT HOME.” All this passage says is that early Christians ate with one another; there is no evidence to lead one to believe that there was any kind of congregational action involved in this meal. Christians where I worship often share a meal although we do not have a “congregational fellowship meal.” The eating is done by individual Christians in private homes and is in no way considered a congregational activity.

Acts 20:7-11 - The congregation assembled “to break bread” (i.e. to observe the Lord’s Supper). The meeting was broken up after Eutychus fell out of the third floor window. Knowing that he was to leave early the next morning, Paul ate (common meal) before departing. This passage does not teach that a common meal was eaten by the congregation as a function of the church.

Jude 12; II Peter 2:13 - It is assumed that these “agape” or “love-feasts” were a work of the church for “social and recreational purposes.” We are told that all the historians and all the commentators agree with this conclusion. This statement is not accurate. Remember historians and commentators are uninspired sources and must be used cautiously. However, let us note some historians and commentators. Thayer says these were “... feasts expressing and fostering mutual love which used to be held by Christians before the celebration of the Lord's Supper, and at which the poorer Christians mingled with the wealthier and partook in common with the rest of food provided at the expense of the wealthy.” Do you have these feasts in connection with the Lord's Supper? Is it a meal provided by the wealthy for the benefit of the poorer Christians? Everett Ferguson, a professor at Abilene Christian College, said in his book: Early Christians Speak, page 133, “It is an AGAPE because it benefits the needy; special consideration is shown for the lowly ... The sharing of food by the wealthier with the poorer was an important means of charity. The host provided food for those chosen who sometimes did not eat at his house, but received the food at home or accepted it to take home.” International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, page 70, says the AGAPE was, “a common table at which the wants of the poor were supplied out of the abundance of the rich (Acts 6:1ff).” GUY N. WOODS says, “They (agape mg) appear to have had their origin in the practice of wealthier members of the congregation providing food for the poorer ones, and eating with them, in token of their brotherliness” (Commentary on Peter, John and Jude, page 395). Lenski comments on I Corinthians 11:34 saying, “The AGAPE did not take the place of an ordinary meal as the modern church suppers do at which people eat to satisfy hunger...” Albert Barnes has quite a large discussion of the AGAPE and suggests the Lord's Supper better meets the demands of these two passages.

I Corinthians 11:20-34 - We are told that the church in Corinth was eating a common meal, intending to use the elements of their common meal to observe the Lord's Supper. However, the context indicates they had corrupted the Lord's Supper into a common meal ... for social and recreational purposes. In doing so the Corinthians had despised the church of God by distorting its divine nature and purpose. Their actions also shamed them that were poor. Remember Paul said, “What, have ye not houses to eat and to drink in” (Verse 22), indicating that the Corinthians had some place for conducting their congregational assembly other than one's home. In verse 34, Paul said meals for social and or recreational purposes are to be eaten at home as a function of the home, not a work of the church. It is interesting that the only time such a meal for social and recreational purposes is mentioned in the scriptures it is condemned. Paul told them to STOP.

No man has the right to prostitute the energy, strength, zeal or resources of the church of our Lord to serve human aims or purposes. We must let the church be distinct as the church, so adorned as to glorify the head – even Christ. God gave His Son for it. The Lord of glory died for it. We must not bring its lofty mission down to serve the outward man, but rather we must keep it pure to serve the interest of heaven for which we must strive.


Our Common Salvation

by Chris Simmons

Jude writes in verse 3, “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude wrote to those who were beneficiaries of what he described as a “common salvation”. The word “common” in this verse means: “open to all – belonging to several with many partakers”.

Indeed, the gospel is for all even as the scriptures say, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; for ‘Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:11-13; cf., Revelation 22:17). But the fact that the gospel and God’s plan of salvation is available to all does not mean that each of us can devise our own plan of salvation. Rather, we must follow what is called the “way (that) is narrow” (Matthew 7:14). In fact, there is a narrow way that is “common” (or the same) to all who have received God’s salvation. What is common about God’s plan of salvation?

There has been the same realization that we are lost in sin. All have sinned (Romans 3:23) and unless we realize our undone condition before God (even as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:5), we can not be saved from it. Throughout the book of Acts, men and women continued to be impressed with the consequences of their offenses before God and sought God’s plan to save them from their lost condition. For example, on the day of Pentecost, after Peter preached his sermon, many became convicted of their sin before God and asked “…what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). Whether the “chief” of sinners (as with Paul in I Timothy 1:15) or a “devout” and God-fearing man such as Cornelius, both had to realize their were lost in their sin before they could partake in God’s common salvation.

All have had the same message preached. We read in I Corinthians 4:17, “For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church” (Cf.. I Corinthians 7:17). Paul never altered the message that he preached because there was only one gospel that will save man from his sins. To alter or distort the message at all, in even the smallest degree, is to make it something entirely different and make it no longer the gospel of Christ (Galatians 1:6-9).

All have exercised the same faith. Peter stated that he wrote his second letter “…to those who have received a faith of the same kind (‘like precious faith’ - ASV) as ours…” (II Peter 1:1). There are varying types of faith that man can exercise towards God. The scriptures compare those of a dead faith (James 2:17), a lacking faith (I Thessalonians 3:10), and a worthless faith (I Corinthians 15:17) versus those who have a saving faith (James 2:14), a perfect or complete faith (James 2:22), and a sincere faith (II Timothy 1:5). The faith that we share with Peter and the saved of all time is the active, saving, complete and sincere faith talked about in the passages above.

All rendered the same obedience. From the day of Pentecost on, those who were saved performed the same acts of obedience before God. In addition to all exhibiting faith and belief that was described above (cf. Acts 4:4; 8:12; 11:21), we also see that they confessed (Acts 8:37; Matthew 10:32), they repented (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 26:20) and they were baptized (Acts 2:38; 8:12; 8:36-38; 10:47-48; 16:32-34; 19:5; 22:16). It’s no wonder that the same obedience would be rendered when it was the same message being preached and the same faith being exercised.

All those who rendered obedience were then added to the same body. The scriptures are clear: there is but one body, which is the church (Ephesians 4:4; 1:22-23). We are to be reminded that Christ only promised to build one church, one called out body of people (Matthew 16:18). This is the one body that brethren have been added to on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 and ever since the start of the Lord’s church. We read in Acts 2:41, 47, “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Added to what? To the single church the Lord promised to build. To the single body of saved souls. Again in verse 47, “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Thus we need to know the organization of this body or church and what work it is (and isn’t) to be engaged in, and defend it, that which Christ shed His blood for (Acts 20:28).

After being added to the same body, Christians in the first century were directed by the inspired apostles to attain to the same standard of holiness in all their conduct and behavior. Our behavior or conduct is to be reflective of our God which Peter describes in I Peter 1:14-16, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” Regardless of what we were before, we are now to be holy and set apart and no longer engaging in the sin that once characterized our lives (Cf. I Corinthians 6:9-11; I Peter 4:3-4). Thus, we are to have a new relationship to the sin which is in the world (II Corinthians 6:17-7:1). This standard of holiness will include all aspects of our life including our work, our families, our marriages, etc.

Finally, our common salvation includes the necessity for continued spiritual growth. Peter clearly states that the alternative for a Christian failing to grow is spiritual destruction and falling from our spiritual steadfastness (II Peter 3:16-18). We are expected to grow from being a student to being able to teach others (Hebrews 5:12). We are to maintain the desire for spiritual food throughout our lives just as a newborn baby longs for the pure milk of his or her mother (I Peter 2:2). Thus, we continue to increase in our efforts to orchestrate divine qualities of faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love in our lives (II Peter 1:5-8).

All praise and glory to God and our Lord Jesus Christ for this common salvation that has been offered to man.

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