The Apostle wrote in I Corinthians 2: 2, “For I determined to know anything but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. In Mark 16: 15-16, Jesus said, “Go into the entire world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not will be condemned.” Also, in Luke 24: 46-48, “And He [Jesus] said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and that repentance and remission from sins should be proclaimed to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.
In these aforementioned Biblical citations is the cornerstone of the Christian message with the imperative to go out and proclaim this ‘fact’ personally to those that need to hear it. The book of Acts contains abundant narratives to the commitment of the saints who first planted the spiritual seed which has germinated into one of the modern world’s major religions. The following is a list of passages which highlight how the early Church began and which still should be seen done today in the same way.
2: 23-24, 32 (esp. 38)
3: 15, 18-19
4: 10b, (esp. 12)
5: 3-32, (esp. 40)
8: 5, 12, 27-28, (esp. 32-38)
9: 20, 22, 27b
10: 37-38a, 30-41, 43, 47
13: 22b-24, 26-28, 30-33, 37, (esp. 38)
NOTE: verse 32 uses glad tidings, which is what the word “Gospel” means.
16: 31-33
17: 2-3, 17, 18b, 19b-20, 22-26, 29, (esp. 30), 31
18: 1, 28
19: 1-5
24: 14b, 15, 21
26: 6-8, 16-18, (esp. 20 [“Gospel”], 22-23
28: 23b??
Several things are evident at this point, namely, the gospel (“Good News”) reveal Jesus as the promised Messiah in fulfillment of Jewish sacred writings (Old Testament). Additionally, it appears that the rite of baptism is necessary to be administered for the remission of sins.
Galatians 3: 26-28
For you are all the sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 1: 24-25
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.
Ephesians 1: 22-23
And He [God the Father] put all things under His [Jesus’] feet and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Colossians 3: 15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called into one body; and be thankful.
Romans 12: 4-5
For as we have many members in one body, but not all members have the same function [physically speaking], so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individual members of one another.
What has been learned up to this point is that baptism unites a person with Christ’s body, Christ’s body is the Church, and that the many individual members belong to Christ’s “one” body. To be sure, there are hundreds of Christian Churches with differing faith practices, and a few of them have experienced phenomenal growth under the teachings of a very dynamic, inspirational, eloquent, knowledgeable, and charismatic speaker who has taken the body of believers to new spiritual heights.
Sometimes it is almost indistinguishable that indeed, if the parishioners are drawn strictly to the gospel message or the messenger. Personal attachments to a particular religious leader is nothing new because the Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 1: 11-13, For it has been declared to me concerning you my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are divisions among you. Now this I say, that each of you says, “I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, or I am of Cephas, or I am of Christ.” “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?”
II Corinthians 3: 5
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave [a certain gift or ability] to each one.
I Corinthians 3: 21a, 22: 4; 6
Therefore let no one boast in men. Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours. Now these things, brethren, have I figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
Obviously, to hold one brother or sister in the fold in greater esteem above the other isn’t necessarily such a bad thing on the surface but it can lead to partisan and divisive policies that are at the root cause of a sectarian spirit which results in the many denominations of today. There doesn’t seem to be an effort to reconcile doctrinal differences since the start of the Reformation Movement in Europe up until the Restoration Movement in America.
With the populism and growth of Liberation Theology, praying the Sinners Prayer, the Prosperity Gospel, or the Social Gospel (Tyler Perry at the pulpit), the traditional evangelizing amid sermons of “hell-fire and brimstone” have been replaced with the delicacy of political correctness as to not offend the sensibilities of the hearers and it seems, at the expense of getting back to the biblical basics; and some may question whether it is even possible. However, the Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 1: 10, Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you speak the same things, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and the same judgment.
Not only must the teaching be brought back into line with the Biblical standard but the character and behavior that the Preacher, Minister, Bishop, Prophet, Evangelist, Teacher, or Elder displays before the Church must be scrutinized as well as the responsibility and integrity of each member needs closer examination. For the Church official, can such a person really say that he or she follows the example of the Apostle Paul in Acts 20: 33-35: I have coveted no one’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided fro my necessities, and for those with me. I have shown you in every way that by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than receive.”
I Corinthians 4: 11-13
To the present hour we both hunger and thirst and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless, being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the off-scouring of all things until now.
I Corinthians 2: 4a
And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom. . .
II Corinthians 4: 1-2a, 5
Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy we faint not. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus sake.
Also, let it not be said about the clergy as in Micah 3: 11a
Her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for money.
And the Apostle Paul sarcastically addresses the average Church members in II Corinthians 11: 1, 3-4, which he writes, “Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly; and indeed you do bear with me. But I fear lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted [been taught] you may well put up with it.
It is a sobering admonition to be on guard against errors creeping in among the body of believers that can appear so innocuous at first and for those whose charge it is to proclaim the Gospel of the Son of God, it is not for sunshine soldiers. Jesus gave the “Great Commission” in Matthew 28: 19, He did not say go ‘On the Radio,’ On Television,’ ‘On the Internet,’ or ‘On the New York Times Bestseller List.’ Jesus said one time when teaching about the sacrifice of discipleship that if anyone putting his hand to the plow then looks back, is not worthy for the kingdom of God. Lastly, it states in I Corinthians 4: 1-2, “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
October 21, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
