Introduction | Table of Contents | Chapter 16

The churches are His by right of His redemptive work on the Cross and by the operation of the Holy Spirit. They are not the property or possession of any ecclesiastical organization or religious body or society or denomination. As we have already observed, the Word of God knows nothing of such organizations or associations of churches in any shape or form; its testimony is distinctly against the formation of any such federation or combination with earthly headquarters. Each church, as the property of Christ, is designed to acknowledge His authority as its Lord (I Cor. 12:5).

Nor again does any local church belong to those who, as its spiritual guides, elders or bishops (see, e.g., Acts 20, verse 17 with verse 28, R.V., Phil. 1:1, etc.), are appointed by the Spirit of God to exercise oversight and to take care of it (I Tim. 3:5). They are the Lord's servants, answerable to Him for the discharge of their functions in tending the flock under their care, which they are to regard as His. The local church in which they are bishops or elders is spoken of, not as "their flock," but as "God's flock" (I Pet. v. 2).

Credentials Necessary

Having then a care for the "charge allotted" to them, they are justified, when a person applies for reception into local church fellowship, in asking the applicant for credentials as to matters of faith and conduct; indeed, such a demand is necessary, especially in times of confusion and apostasy like the present, times of rampant modernism, numerous religious cults and abounding lawlessness. When such credentials are forthcoming, the command holds good, "receive ye one another, even as Christ also received you, to the glory of God" (Rom. 15:7); reception is to be "in the Lord" and "worthily of the saints" (16:2). The decision of the spiritual guides of a church that an applicant is to be received, should be sufficient for the tacit agreement of the assembly. Yet, as it is the church that receives and puts away, the ultimate responsibility rests upon the church (Rev. 2 and 3).

Granted that those who have a spiritual care for the assembly are satisfied with the evidences, not only of life in Christ but of soundness in the fundamental doctrines of the faith and of a life consistent therewith, one who, through faith in Christ, has been received by Him and become a member of His body, the Church, is entitled to the fellowship of an assembly, and so to a place at the Lord's Table. The privilege of partaking of the Lord's Supper involves the enjoyment of all the privileges of a church, and not only so but the fulfillment of the responsibilities attaching to such fellowship. As to permanency or otherwise, this is conditioned by local or personal circumstances. This is particularly so in days characterized by the confusion which prevails in Christendom.

The Need of Care

The greatest care needs to be exercised to avoid the dangers of introducing elements of error or division, and of laxity in adherence to the Lord's will as revealed in the Word of God and the principles contained therein. As to fundamental doctrine, one is not to be received who "abideth not in the teaching of Christ" (2 John 9), that is to say, all that He taught, and therefore also the doctrine relating to His Person. This warning was against false teachers, not against believers who were seeking light, or genuinely endeavouring to understand the will of the Lord.

The Apostle Paul similarly denounces anyone who should preach any gospel other than that which he and his fellow apostles had preached; such a one was to be "anathema" (Gal. 1:8). Special instances of such errorists were Hymenius and Alexander, whom the Apostle "delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme" (I Tim. 1:20). So, too, the Lord reproves the church at Pergamos for having in their midst some that held the teaching of Balaam, instead of putting them away from them (Rev. 2:14). Teaching which perverts the gospel is called "leaven" (Gal. 5:9) and thus receives the same denunciation as immorality (1 Cor. 5:6).

On the other hand, the case of the attitude of the disciples at Jerusalem towards Saul of Tarsus after his conversion, when "he essayed to join himself" to them and "they were all afraid of him," cannot rightly be taken as the regular course of procedure to be adopted in the matter of reception. The saints in Jerusalem had had experience of Saul's methods and had good ground for their fears and for "not believing that He was a disciple," until Barnabas allayed their apprehensions (Acts 9:26, 27). To make such a case a guiding line of procedure would be unscriptural. Evidence is necessary, but not suspicion.

Whom not to Refuse

Apart from cases of false teaching and immorality, the adoption of rigid regulations is precarious. The desire of a believer may be limited, either through lack of fun understanding or owing to other circumstances, to the privilege of partaking of the Lord's Supper and of enjoying the worship of fellow-believers on that occasion. To refuse a believer simply on the ground of the temporary and limited character of his desires would be to grieve the Spirit of God. To receive such a one is not to be guilty of laxity. No regulations unprovided in Scripture can be sufficient to debar evil. In Jude's time certain ungodly men had crept in unawares. That indeed affords no reason for carelessness in these matters; at the same time it affords no ground for erecting a humanly devised barrier. Principles of Scripture ever hold good; their application is always safe. What is needed is watchfulness and care on the part of those who are appointed by God to exercise oversight--watchfulness against the reception of those whose life or teaching is inconsistent with the gospel, and those who give evidence of being such as to cause division. To go beyond this is to usurp the authority of Christ.

The following words of J. N. Darby are cogent in this respect: "Suppose a person, known to be godly and sound in faith, who has not left some ecclesiastical system, nay, thinks Scripture favours an ordained ministry, is glad, when the occasion occurs (i.e., to partake of the Lord Supper), suppose we alone are in the place, or he is not in connection with any other body in the place (staying with a brother or the like), is he to be excluded because he is of some system as to which his conscience is not enlightened, nay, which he may think more right? He is a godly member of the body, known as such; is he to be shut out? If so, the degree of light is title to communion, and the unity of the body is denied by the assembly which refuses him. The principle of meeting as members of Christ walking in godliness is given up, agreement with us is made the rule, and the assembly becomes a sect with its members like any other.... It may give more trouble, requiring more care to treat every case on its merits, on the principle of the unity of all Christ's members, than to say, 'You do not belong to us, you cannot come,' but the whole principle of meeting is gone."

A sectarian connection would not of itself justify refusal of fellowship at the Lord's Table. At Corinth there were those who were guilty of a sectarian spirit, yet no admonition as to exclusion was given as with the delinquent in chapter 5. How much less should a believer be refused who, fulfilling the above conditions, has been hindered by denominational association from receiving light upon the Scriptural principles relating to a church! Fellowship is not conditional upon the measure of light received. Deficiency of spiritual understanding in this respect affords no reason for the rejection of one who is a member of the Body of Christ and walking in godliness of life. Reception of such does not involve carelessness or looseness in doctrine or in the fulfillment of God's will.

Letters of Commendation

It is needful for all that they should bring satisfactory evidence, and, in the case of one who has been identified with another assembly, professedly constituted on Scriptural lines, that a letter of commendation, such as is intimated in 2 Cor. 3:1 and other Scriptures, should be forthcoming, unless there is any valid reason for its absence. Those who are moving from one place to another, who have been so identified, do well to see to it that they are so commended, not simply for the sake of being admitted to fellowship, but that the saints where they are received may have the joy of the expression of goodwill from the commending assembly, and the link of fellowship which such a letter involves. While ecclesiastical bonds of human organization are not countenanced in Scripture, yet any means of Christian intercourse affords an occasion of manifesting that spiritual unity which eternally binds believers together.

Introduction | Table of Contents | Chapter 16

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