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By: Michael Tao
I had many misconceptions about church when I was a new Christian, and this made me a very poor supporter of the local New Testament church. Now that I have become more mature, it may be helpful for us to examine these common errors, review what a New Testament church is, and what kind of functions it has, etc.
A church is a building.
Answer: A New Testament church is not a building.
It is an organized, local, visible assembly of baptized believers.
The Greek word of church is "ekklesia" which means
"called-out", this assembly is called out by God from
the darkness of the world into his holiness. A church has to be
organized, a pile of organs and limbs do not constitute a body.
It has its own government, officers, ordinances, discipline and
finances. All these functions are clearly defined in the Bible.
Church membership is an option.
Through the death, burial and resurrection of
Christ, churches are built upon the face of this earth, Christ
does not want people to have a light-hearted attitude towards it.
God wants every single believer to be baptized into a local
church, to hold a church membership and to serve to the best they
can there. In case of moving into a new home at a distance, the
believer has to look for a Bible-believing and Christ-honoring
church in the community. He should also seek counsel from his
pastor and ask God for direction, then transfer his membership to
this new church upon a referral from his pastor - and do this as
soon as possible.
Peter is the rock that Christ has built His church
on.
Answer: A New testament church is founded on our
Lord Jesus Christ and His Word (Matthew 16:18), because they are
inerrant; and not on Peter who was a human being and far from
being perfect (Galatians 2:11). Roman Catholicism claims Peter to
be their first Pope, which is a lie. There is no evidence that
Peter was the pope, nor was there a succession of papacy after
Peter. Emperor Constantine started Roman Catholicism in 313 AD,
the first pope was Gregory the Great from 590-604AD. The church
of Roman Catholicism is totally different from the Christ's
church in doctrine, in structure, in ordinances, in rule of faith
etc. There is no biblical evidence that Peter had ever been at
Rome. Some historians argued that Peter was at Rome for his
capital punishment, but even if this is true; he was never
treated as a pope!
The church started at the first Pentecost after
the death of Christ.
Answer: Christ's church started before His
ascension, and The Great Commission was given to His first church.
Christ's church was started before Hid death. Lord's Supper was
installed by Him as a church ordinance. So these instructions can
be passed down, church after church, through the church history.
If these instructions were only given to His eleven disciples as
individuals, then we have no obligation to obey them. Some
Christians believe the New Testament church started at the first
Pentecost after Christ's death, because of the coming of the Holy
Spirit, which is incorrect. As a matter of fact, the Holy Spirit
was not given at Pentecost, but was given before Christ's
ascension; John 20:22 says,"..He breathed on them, and saith
unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost". This misconception
undermines the church ordinances i.e. the Lord's supper and the
baptism, and also promotes the universal church concept by
imagining the Holy spirit baptizes all believers into a huge one-world
church.
The eleven disciples were not saved when they were
with Christ.
Answer: As Christ's first church, there is no doubt
that these eleven disciples were saved, John 17 can verify this.
Verse 12 particularly says," While I was with them in the
world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have
kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that
the scripture might be fulfilled". However their faith was
very weak.
All Christians belong to one church of Christ (Universal
church concept).
Answer: A New Testament church is local as opposed
to universal, visible as opposed to invisible. The Local church
concept originated from the Book of Acts, supported by 1
Corinthians 12. The Bible teaches that each New Testament church
should be local in its geographical sense. When Christ is the
Head, it is impossible to have a hand of Christ in this church
and other parts of His body in other places. Each local NT church
is a body of Christ. As a complete body of Christ, though small
in size, a local church has its full individuality and autonomy,
and is independent in its administration, function, finance and
existence from other churches.
The church itself is the government of that particular church, the highest authority is the Bible. The church has all the liberty the Bible and society allow to preach the gospel, to baptize and to stabilize the believers. All churches are equal and parallel, no church is under the authority of another church. The relationship among churches is strictly limited at fellowshipping, making supplications and assistance whenever needed.
The Roman Catholicism is a typical example of the universal church, with all the members belonging to one single church and submitting to the highest rank of this hierarchy which is their Pope in Vatican. RC supports the universal church because it promotes the state-church. The state-church does not allow religious freedom, for those who do not participate in it; they will be seen, and treated as traitors. The state-church has been the source of many religious persecutions in the Dark Ages. However a perfect state-religion will be established on this earth, by Christ, in His millennium reign; at that time people will exercise their free will to believe and follow Him.
The church is the earthly Kingdom of God.
Answer: There have been different views of kingdom
of God. A local church is visible because it is made up of people,
however the earthly kingdom of God is invisible. The kingdom of
God is within believers (Luke 17:21), it is established due to
the Grace of God and the faith of men, and indeed invisible.
However it is a mistake to equal the kingdom of God with the
church of God. If we do have the church of God inside us, then we
can forsake the assembly, we can start churches without biblical
ordination, and we can carry out church ordinances by ourselves,
as many cults are doing today. However, the kingdom of God and
the church of God are two separate issues, there is no where in
the Bible that indicates they are the same.
Baptism by sprinkling water is only a matter of
convenience, and equal with immersion.
Answer: Believers have to be baptized into church
membership, the biblical way is by immersing the whole body into
the water as if in a burial (Roman 6:3,4). Sprinkling baptism
contradicts the Bible, and loses its significance of identifying
the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism is
the first sign of obedience after salvation, however it can never
take away sin, nor can it produce salvation. Roman Catholicism
does not believe salvation by faith, their salvation is by church
membership, through baptism.
Infant baptism is a minor issue, we should not be
critical about it.
Answer: Infant Baptism is to believe that an infant
can have salvation by getting wet, which is by works, and is a
false teaching. During the Dark Ages, 35 to 50 million Christians
were murdered, beheaded, and tortured to death by the Roman
Catholic church, because they defended their belief in believer
¡¦ s baptism and took the stand against infant baptism, and it
is not a minor issue. Sprinkling and infant baptism are two of
the many unbiblical errors brought over from Roman Catholicism,
through the 16th century reformation, into Protestantism. Many of
today's ¡¦ churches are still practising these errors.
The pastor is responsible to the church board, or
deacon board.
Answer: According to the Bible, there are only two
offices in the church i.e. pastor (who is also called shepherd,
elder, bishop, presbytery) and deacon. The meaning of deacon is
servant, a servant of the church. They should be selected
according to their spiritual maturity and should have the same
qualifications as pastor (1 Timothy 3:8ff). The deacons, just as
the other church members (Hebrews 13:17) are to follow the
leadership of the pastor, the pastor must at the same time
follows the Bible. God chooses his own shepherd, and he will give
him the wisdom and messages to care for his flock. God does not
use anyone else to tell the pastor how to lead the church. The
pastor is answerable to God, to the church he is in; and to the
church he received his ordination, or the sending church. A
pastor should be selected by the whole church, and cannot be
dismissed unless he loses any of his qualifications as listed in
the Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1). The churches are
commanded to well treat their pastor (1 Timothy 5:17); to obey
their pastor (Hebrews 13:17); and to fellowship with their pastor
(Galatians 6:6, Authorized Version).
Roman Catholicism has the same faith as
Christianity. Perhaps we should be more open minded and should
converse or even unite with them.
Answer: Roman Catholicism is a religion full of
errors. It is a religion that teaches salvation by works (through
baptism into church membership, and following the rituals). It is
today's greatest anti-christ, the most wicked tool of Satan, the
great whore that sits upon many waters in Revelation 17.
Christians should have the knowledge to rebuke their mistakes and
should never think that Christianity should unite with Roman
Catholicism. 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 say, "...for what
fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ
with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?"
