​By Samuel Matthews
"4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, ONE FAITH, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Eph. 4:4-6). KJV
Loved ones, in our above text, the Bible speaks of seven "ones." These seven "ones" represent God's Divine Plan of Unity (vs. 3)... One Body; One Spirit; One Hope; One Lord; One Faith; One Baptism; and One God.
Now most believers will agree that the ONE GOD is the Father; the ONE LORD is Jesus, the Christ; the ONE SPIRIT is the Holy Spirit; and the ONE HOPE is our hope of Eternal Life in Heaven through Jesus. Believers should also agree concerning the other three "ones" ...the ONE FAITH, the ONE BODY, and the ONE BAPTISM! In this post we will speak plainly about the one faith and the one body.
The Bible says there is one faith, and Christians must earnestly contend for it (Jude 3)! In Part 1 of this series, we named more than 25 different “faiths” from the Adventist to the Universalists. We know they are all different because you can't become one by obeying the teachings of another.
You get the Baptist faith by attending a Baptist church and hearing and obeying the Baptist word (whatever they teach). You get the Catholic faith by attending a Catholic church and hearing and obeying the Catholic word (whatever they teach), etc.
You cannot become a Baptist by attending the Catholic church. WHY NOT? Because the Catholics do not teach the same thing that the Baptists teach. Neither do the Mormons teach the same thing that the Adventists teach, etc.
The Bible, however, does NOT teach believers to be in different “faiths” (1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 13:11). Including the cults, these 25+ different “faiths” are looked upon in the eyes of the world as “Christianity.” The Bible says nothing about “Christianity”; i.e., different faiths. The Bible teaches that God has ONLY one Faith – the faith of the Son of God (Galatians 2:20) – the Christian faith (1 Peter 4:16).
Hopefully, you are now asking, "How can one obtain God's one faith?" Well, we know how to obtain any one of the “faiths” of so-called “Christianity”… simply attend their worship service, hear what they preach, and obey what they teach!
To obtain God’s one Faith, the Bible says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Since the Bible (66 books) is the only written word of God, we must study, hear, believe, and obey what it teaches (2 Tim. 2:15; John 6:44-45; Matt. 7:21; Luke 6:46), especially the 27 books of the New Testament.
If you have not heard (believed and obeyed) God's word, you do not have God's one faith, and you are NOT pleasing to HIM (Heb. 11:6). God wills to “gather together in one all things in Christ” (Eph. 1:10). Therefore, God wants all who believe that Jesus is the Son of God to be ONE (John 17:20-23; 20:30-31).
The question should now be asked, "Since most denominations claim to teach the Bible, why do we have so many different faiths?" Well, the Holy Spirit said in 1 Tim. 4:1, that some would depart or leave “the faith”; i.e., the faith that comes by hearing and obeying the word of Christ (Heb. 5:8-9).
After departing from the word of God they would begin “giving heed to” (listening to and obeying) the “doctrines” or teachings of Satan. These hypocritical doctrines would be teaching lies because the conscience of those who advocate them are “seared with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:2).
Unfortunately, many believers and some of their leaders (reverends, fathers, apostles, etc.) are blind to the fact they are following the creeds of men (Acts 17:23; Matt. 15:7-9; 2 Cor. 4:3-4). Being raised from birth in a particular faith, they take for granted that their "church" was built by the Lord... when in fact, they are following a man-made faith organization which one day will be rooted up (Matt. 15:13-14). [Please take a moment and Google the history of your particular faith. Except for the Catholics, it may surprise you to learn that it is less than 600 years old].
This naturally leads into a discussion of the ONE BODY (Eph. 4:4). The Bible says there is one body (1 Cor. 12:12, 20, 27; Eph. 4:4)! Whose or what body is it? The church of Christ is the body of Christ! Jesus established only one spiritual body, or one church, of which He is the Head (Col. 1:18). God has given Jesus, “22 To be the head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body” (Eph. 1:22-23).
There is only one body; therefore, there is only one church... the body of Christ (the church of Christ). Jesus didn't say He would build His “churches” (plural), but He did promised to build His church (Matt. 16:18). Friends, only the church of God belongs to Christ (Acts 20:28).
Thus, being uncontented with what the Lord has established, men have formed many different “religious bodies” and have encouraged people to, "Join the church of your choice." There are too many “religious bodies” in the world to count; however, these man-made bodies are not the ONE body of Christ.
Rather than calling people into the many different “religious bodies” founded by men, the Lord calls all people into the one body He established (Col. 3:15; 2 Thess. 2:14). Rather than directing people to be baptized into one of the many different “religious bodies,” the Holy Spirit instructs all people to be baptized into Christ’s one body (1 Cor. 12:12-13; Gal. 3:27). Rather than directing people to try and be reconciled to God in the church of their choice, the Bible places reconciliation to God in the one body of Christ (Eph. 2:16).
History proves that all denominational and world religion churches were built and named by man. Most western denominational bodies claim they teach and follow the Bible! Well my loved ones, that just can't be true. The fact is (as we have already discussed above in speaking about God’s one faith), denominational doctrines teach you how to follow their particular faith... whether it be Methodist, Lutheran, Nazarene, or whatever... they all teach you how to follow their particular faith; and thus, become a member of their particular body, their church.
Knowing these things would come about, the Holy Spirit warns the deceived members of man-made churches that they are following the doctrines and commandments of men, and worshipping God in vain (Matt. 15:8-9). The Psalmist said, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it” (Ps. 127:1).
Friends, Jesus built only one church... His church... His body (Col. 1:24). Jesus has first place (preeminence) in only one church (Col. 1:18). Jesus purchased with His blood only one church (Acts 20:28). Jesus adds the saved to only one church (Acts 2:47; 1 Cor. 12:13; Mark 16:16). Jesus will return one day for only one church... His church... the church of God – the church of Christ (Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 15:24; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; Rom. 16:16). To be continued… “God has ONE Baptism.”
To the God of heaven be the Glory as His Will is done (1 Corinthians 10:31). Please pray for wisdom, for me and my wife, Cynthia, and for the Liberty NW church of Christ meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA. We are praying for you, and we love you all so much. Samuel.

By Samuel Matthews
​“And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). KJV
Loved ones, as always this series will be the truth (John 17:17) and written with love (Eph. 4:15). We thank God that His mercy and manifold blessings are allowing you to read and study it. Therefore, please don’t become my enemy “because I tell you the truth” (Gal. 4:16).
It's our prayer that you will clear your mind of all religious prejudice and diligently study each scriptural reference from your Bible with an honest and good heart (2 Tim. 2:15; Luke 8:15). It's also our hope that you will understand the “grace and truth” given you from God the Father by the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:17). Now please take a deep breath, fasten your seatbelt, and hang-in-there, for this series is going to tell it like it is!
Friends, do you claim to love Jesus, our Lord, and our God? We believe that many of you reading this post truly are striving to love and obey the Lord from your heart (Rom. 6:17). That’s good because Jesus commands: “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). So, if you absolutely love God you will believe and obey what His Word or Son says (Heb. 1:1-2; Luke 6:46; Matt. 7:21-27). Why, because God Speaks Through His Word – THE BIBLE!
The Bible is the written Word of God (1 Thess. 2:13); the written Truth of God (John 1:1-2, 14; 14:6; 17:17); the written power of God (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:24). In the Bible we find “all things that pertain unto life and goddess” and the “exceeding great and precious promises” of God (2 Pet. 1:3-4).
In the Scriptures we also find the peace of God (Phil. 4:7), the knowledge of God (Col. 1:9-10), and the salvation of God (Acts 28:28). The Bible contains the only "doctrine" which will equip “the man of God… unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The wise person will take heed to God’s word, because one day it will be used as the basis for judgement (John 12:48).
The Comforter, the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16), revealed the word to the apostles (John 14:16-17; John 16:13-14). They wrote it down in the Bible so that we might read and understand the mystery of godliness (Eph. 3:3-5; 1 Tim. 3:16). The mystery of Christ is, “That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel” (Eph. 3:6), has been revealed through the word of God.
Friends, God desires for the peoples of all nations (Jews and Gentiles) to be in “the same body.” God has only ONE body (Eph. 4:4). That body is His church (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18, 24), or the kingdom of God’s dear Son Jesus, the Christ (Col. 1:13). The Bible presents the soul saving Gospel (or good news) of Jesus Christ. It plainly tells the sinner how to become a member of God’s ONE body (1 Cor. 12:12-13, 27).
The three facts of the Gospel state, “3 That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:1-4).
By faith (Rom. 10:17), the three commands of the Gospel are belief in Jesus as God’s Son (John 3:16-18; 8:24; Matt. 10:32-33), repentance of sins (Acts 17:30; Luke 13:3, 5), and immersion (buried) in water baptism (Rom. 6:3-4; Acts 8:35-39; 10:47-48).
The three promises of the Gospel are the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ (Acts 2:38; Matt. 26:28; Rev. 1:5), the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:32; Eph. 1:13-14), and entrance into the church or eternal kingdom of God (Acts 2:41, 47; Matt. 16:18-19).
The Gospel is the word that Christ commanded to be preached to the whole world (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; 1 Cor. 9:16), NOT the book of Mormon or the Catechism. God wants mankind to obey the Gospel (Rom. 10:16), and further, it is something that man must obey, or he will be eternally lost (Jam. 1:21-25; 1 Pet. 4:17; 2 Thess. 1:7-9. Since the Gospel of Christ is God's power to save the believer (Rom. 1:16), should we seek another way or power? The answer is definitely NO! (Gal. 1:6-9).
The Bible calls God's people Christians, priests, children, disciples, saints, and brethren (1 Pet. 4:16; Rev. 1:6; Gal. 3:26; Col. 1:1-2). Christians are taught to do all in the name (by the authority) of Jesus (Matt. 28:18-19; Col. 3:17), rather than by the authority of the Pope, King Henry VIII, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, John Wesley, Joseph Smith, Jr., Charles Russell, Charles Parham, Mary Baker Eddy, Ellen G. White, or any other man or woman.
Therefore, God's people are NOT called: Adventists, Amish, Anglicans, Apostolic, Baptist, Buddhist, Catholics, Congregationalist, Deist, Episcopalians, Holiness, Jehovah Witnesses, Jews, Lutherans, Masons, Mennonites, Methodist, Moonies, Moravians, Mormons, Moslems, Muslims, Nazarenes, Orthodox, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, Protestants, Quakers, Reformed, Unitarians, Universalists, etc.
The above human manufactured names keep the religious world divided. As seen in our text, “Christian" is the NEW name given by God to His disciples (Isa. 62:2; Acts 4:10-12; Acts 26:28). Penitent believers must be willing to discard all human religious names and wear the name "Christian" only... for the name you wear tells who you belong to (1 Cor. 3:3-9; 2 Tim. 2:19)! To be continued… “God Has ONE Faith.”
To the God of heaven be the Glory as His Will is done (1 Corinthians 10:31). Please pray for wisdom, for me and my wife, Cynthia, and for the Liberty NW church of Christ meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA. We are praying for you, and we love you all so much. Samuel.

​By Wayne Jackson
The notion has long been prevalent in sectarian circles (and is growing in the church of the Lord) that there are no sexual distinctions to be observed in Christ. The claim is made that Paul, in Galatians 3:28, abolished sexual differences so that men and women may function in identical capacities in public church activity—preaching, leading prayers, perhaps even serving as elders, etc. Such a theory is at variance with the New Testament for the following reasons.
First, it ignores the context of Galatians 3:28. In this portion of Scripture, the apostle is dealing with sexual equality in the matter of salvation; but, as Professor Colin Brown observes, Paul’s statement
is not a call to abolish all earthly relationships. Rather, it puts earthly relationships in the perspective of salvation history. As Paul goes on to say, “And if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29; cf. also Romans 10:2). All who are in Christ have the same salvation status before God; but they do not necessarily have the same function (1976, 570).
The fact that Paul later instructs servants to be obedient to their masters (Ephesians 6:5ff), in spite of the fact that Galatians 3:28 says there is “neither bond nor free” in Christ, is in itself a refutation of the theory under consideration.
Second, Paul himself was unaware that his teaching abolished sexual roles, for when he wrote 1 Timothy, which was penned later than Galatians, he limited the public service of women.
The New Testament makes it very clear that the men are to lead the acts of worship in assemblies of mixed sexes. In 1 Timothy 2:8, Paul instructs that “the men [andras – accusative plural of aner, thus males only pray in every place.” Obviously there is a special kind of praying under consideration; it is the leading of prayer that is in view!
Commenting upon this verse, a noted Greek scholar has well said, “The ministers of public prayer must be the men of the congregation, not the women” (Nicole 1956, 106).Bengel says that Paul is “speaking of public prayers, in which the heart of the people follows close after the language of him who prays” (1877, 252). Bloomfield notes that the expression “in every place” means “in every or any place [appropriate to public prayer]” (1837, 356).Ellicott says the allusion of the passage “is clearly to public prayer; cf. verse 1. ‘The men’ is thus in antithesis to ‘the women,’ verse 9 . . . . the conducting of the public prayers more particularly belonged to the men” (1978, 48). The foregoing observations could be multiplied many times over, and they stand in bold relief to the superficial reflections of the modern liberationists who would have us go beyond that which is written!
In 1 Timothy 2:12, Paul declares, “I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness.” The negative conjunction oude (nor) here is explanatory in force, revealing that the apostle is forbidding any teaching or similar activity in which a woman exercises authority over a man (cf. Lenski 1937, 563; Danker et al. 2000, 734). And it is obvious from the preceding context that he considers leading a public prayer as an act of authority over those who are thus led!It is, therefore, a serious error to advocate the idea that women may lead the worship in groups of mixed sexes. And we might add that the principle not only applies to formal worship services, such as those of the Lord’s Day, but also those semi-private “devotionals” wherein both men and women are jointly worshiping. The New Testament does not authorize a woman to lead a man in worship under any circumstance.
It is becoming increasingly fashionable to assert that the New Testament instruction, which limits the sphere of women’s leadership activity, is grounded in cultural peculiarities of first-century society, and so is not applicable today. Some appear to be suggesting, in fact, that if one does not have a PhD in Hebrew, Greek, and Roman cultural anthropology, there’s not much of the New Testament that he can understand.
How then can one know whether a New Testament teaching is age-lasting, or whether it is merely culturally oriented, hence, temporal? Here are some guidelines.
If a particular context is specifically connected with primitive customs by a New Testament writer, then the teaching unquestionably may be viewed in that light.
If a certain context is ambiguous, that is, if one cannot decide whether it deals with abiding principle or temporal culture, he should, in humility, ask, “What is the safest course to pursue?”
If a context is grounded in historical truth that relates to man as man, hence, transcends the cultural, such should settle the matter. One is dealing with an age-lasting injunction.
In the four major contexts where Paul discusses male and female relationships (1 Corinthians 11:2-16; 14:33b-35; Ephesians 5:22-23; 1 Timothy 2:8-15), the principle of subjection and the application of that principle to specific situations (e.g., a woman not leading men in prayer), are based upon historical facts that go back to the very commencement of the human family. Thus it is not a culturally-oriented instruction.
When one begins to argue that the modern woman is not bound by 1 Timothy 2 (to limit her role in public activity), it is but a short step to denying that the wife is obligated to be in submission to her husband (Ephesians 5), for both contexts have the same historical heritage!
Scripture References
Galatians 3:28; Galatians 3:29; Romans 10:2; Ephesians 6:5; 1 Timothy 2:8; 1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, 14:33-35; Ephesians 5:22-23; 1 Timothy 2:8-15; 1 Timothy 2; Ephesians 5

​By Wayne Jackson
“Though it seems clear that a woman has a certain subordinate role in church matters, what should be her posture in the business world? If she is a man’s boss, has she usurped his authority?”
There are no explicit guidelines regulating such matters, but there are some sacred principles that surely must be taken into consideration in assessing this issue from a biblical perspective.
Headship
First, there is an appointed scale of authority that God has prescribed for humankind, though such is scarcely recognized in today’s modern world. Paul alludes to it in First Corinthians 11:2ff.
Namely, God is the head of Christ; Christ is the head of every man; and man is the head of woman.
For our present purpose, we will explore the meaning of the phrase, “the head of the woman is the man.”
Man, Head of Woman
The Greek term is kephale. The word may be used literally of a physical head (Mk. 6:24) or metaphorically of rank — as in the present case.
God the Father is the head of Christ because Jesus, by means of the incarnation, subordinated himself to the Father (Phil. 2:5-8).
Next, Christ is “the head of every man” (1 Cor. 11:3). It is important to note that the expression every man is more comprehensive than every Christian man. Some commentators take the position that Christ’s headship here pertains only to Christian men (Meyer, Fee, etc.). Others insist that the relationship principle is broader than merely that of a Christian woman to a Christian man.
Findlay argues that the issue here:
“is one that touches the fundamental proprieties of life (8-15); and the three headships enumerated belong to the hierarchy of nature” (p. 871).
Lewis Johnson contends that the male gender as such “displays the authority of God on earth” (1247; cf. 11:7).
Lenski asserts that the phrase “every man” must not be restricted to Christian men. Rather, literally, Christ is the head of “every man” whether they accept him or not (433).
The subsequent context regarding creation would appear to support this latter view.
Man and Woman or Husband and Wife?
Next, there is the controversy as to whether the terms of verse 3 are to be rendered “man” and “woman” or “husband” and “wife.”
The KJV, NKJV, ASV, NIV render the Greek terms aner and gune as “man” and “woman,” while a few other versions (NRSV, ESV) translate the original words as “husband” and “wife,” though inconsistently within the same context.
This diversity is due to the fact that the Greek words serve a dual function. In other words, the same words for man and woman are also used for husband and wife. In such a case, the context must determine which English word should be employed.
Neither the immediate passage nor the surrounding context warrants the rendition of “husband” or “wife.” Certainly, it is not suggested that Christ is the head of only husbands.
Thus, it would appear that in this context the apostle is discussing the principle of headship within the assembly of Christian worship, nonetheless, the principle of headship applies generally — in the home (cf. Eph. 5:22ff), in the church, and even beyond in our societal relationships.
Exactly how this principle is to be applied in various settings is the tough question.
Recognition of Authority
The word “usurp” as used in the King James translation of 1 Timothy 2:12 is not a good rendition of the original term. The Greek word authenteo simply means to act authoritatively; to exercise authority.
In that context, it appears to have reference to spiritual matters. A woman is not to act in any official capacity as an authority figure over man in any sort of religious teaching role. For a more thorough study, see “Woman’s Role in the Church”.
Beyond this, however, there are these facts:
Authority In the home
Even in the home, the husband is to be the head and the wife is to be in “subjection” (Eph. 5:22ff). However, there is a sphere in which a woman is allowed to exert some authority. In one of his letters to Timothy, Paul declares that woman is to “rule the household” (1 Tim. 5:14). Allow me to quote from my commentary that addresses this matter.
“Almost surprisingly, Paul contends that the woman is to ‘rule the household.’ The term ‘rule’ (oikodespotein — present tense; standard procedure) is a fairly strong word. It signifies to be the ‘master’ of a house, to ‘rule’ a household, ‘manage’ family affairs (Thayer, p. 439). The passage cannot be employed, of course, to cancel the role relationship taught elsewhere (e.g., Ephesians 5:22ff), but it does recognize that women have domestic skills that men do not possess. The wise husband will recognize this and cooperate with his wife, the result being a contented home. Lenski well noted that: ‘This is the domain and province of woman, in which no man can compete with her. Its greatness and its importance should ever be held up as woman’s divinely intended sphere, in which all her womanly qualities and gifts find full play and happiest gratification’ (p. 676). It is somewhat surprising at how many commentators slide lightly over this phrase” (Before I Die – Paul’s Letters to Timothy and Titus, 146-147).
Authority in Secular Work
In the modern world, there are many instances where a woman might be in a position of having authority over a man.
For example, suppose a business owner dies and the family business falls to his widow. May she continue to operate the business? Few, I suspect, would argue that she may not. The issue then becomes how she handles herself (i.e., her disposition and demeanor).
May a woman hire a carpenter to come in and work on her house or landscape her yard? Of course, she may. Might she give him instruction as to what to do? Yes. If she is dissatisfied with his work, might she dismiss him? Certainly.
There are many such examples one might imagine.
Conclusion
The key issue seems to be this. In any instance where a woman finds herself where she has some level of authority over a man, she must exercise such with great care. She must ever be conscious of their respective roles in the divine scheme of things.
She must always treat the man with respect, even if she is forced to correct him — or maybe even terminate his services. It will be a matter of attitude to a considerable degree.
It goes without saying, of course, that man’s headship over woman is never a license for him to be rude, domineering, or abusive to her. The golden rule applies to all social relationships.
Scripture References
1 Corinthians 11:2; Mark 6:24; Philippians 2:5-8; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:22; 1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Timothy 5:14

​Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (KJV)
Loved ones, assisting the church to grow spiritually and in numbers is the service every committed Christian will strive to do to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Jesus said, “19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20).
From these marching orders, we learn that the power of salvation lies NOT in institutions, publicity, entertainment, gimmicks, or emotional outbursts. Rather, soul winning disciple-making lies with the humble people of God; i.e., Christians who will submit to God’s Method Of Church Growth – EVANGELISM or preaching the Gospel.
If you are familiar with the 27 books of the New Testament, you understand that the church of the first century grew rapidly. Unfortunately, today the church of Christ is not growing as it should. However, if the principles and basic factors that caused the early church to grow were applied today, surely, they would help us also to grow.
First, we might consider some things that were NOT factors in the growth of the early church. Many church leaders believe that the key to church growth is spending more money, sometimes large amounts of money. Yet, when one looks at the factors that led to the growth of the first century church, money was unquestionably not one of them.
In fact, most of the factors that modern church leaders believe are essential to growth were absent in the early church. The early church did not have nice buildings; in fact they had no buildings at all. The church met in a variety of locations such as the Temple (Acts 2:46), but it seems that most congregations met in private homes (Acts 5:42; Philemon 2).
The early church did not have well educated, prestigious, eloquent men serving as preachers, since located preachers as we think about them were virtually unknown in the first century. Most of the members were poor, and it was the common people who gladly heeded the words of Jesus (Mark 12:37). Thus, the church was not largely composed of civic leaders and rich respected prominent members of society.
There is no "quick fix" for church growth. However, one factor that is absolutely essential for the advancement of the kingdom are for all members to truly live a Christian LIFESTYLE. Colossians 3:1-10 teaches us to seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. We are to set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Your old you is dead, and your life is now hid with Christ in God.
Therefore, the Christian lifestyle must deny all avenues of sin (which we once walked in). Our lifestyle must be one that puts away fornication, covetousness, anger, and filthy communication out of our mouth. We must never lie to one another, as our old man led by our old father, the devil, tempted (John 8:44). We have put on the new man, made in the image of Jesus.
The Christian life is fundamentally a partnership with God and other Christians. We are fellow laborers in God's church kingdom (Colossians 1:7; Philemon 16-17). There must be loving, personal relationships among Christians as well as among non-Christians. Individual members must spend much time in prayer.
Paul used the word "together" several times to highlight a sharing that should exist among Christians. For example, in Colossians 2:12-13 Paul wrote that after being buried with Christ in baptism, we were also raised and made alive “TOGETHER with him,” having been forgiven of all our trespasses.
Many other New Testament references emphasize the "one another" aspect of the Christian faith (read 1 Corinthians 3:9; 2 Corinthians 6:1). From passages like these, one should be able to see the closeness and togetherness that exists between Christians, as well as recognize that we are co-workers with God. Every Christian who spurns and rejects this Christian brotherhood and fellowship is a hinderance to the growth of the church.
What then is the solution to the empty pew? Rather, who is the solution to the empty pew? Each child of God must analyze himself or herself to determine if he or she is part of the solution or instead part of the problem respecting church growth.
Part of the partnering that we have been discussing involves assisting new Christians to mature so that we can partner with them as well. New converts must “desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). They must also “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). When new converts fail to grow, they become the weak link in evangelism.
Another important characteristic of growing churches is that the majority of the members are involved in some ministry. Only people reach people, NOT programs. Statistics have revealed that generally churches with less than 30% of its members involved in some form of ministry are declining, churches with 30% to 55% involved are on a plateau, and those with more than 55% involved in ministry are growing.
The church will not grow if evangelism is done by only the preacher, the elders, or deacons, or a few of the members. This idea was also present in the early church when we read in Acts 2:42 that the disciples “continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” They also met regularly together, even from house to house (Acts 2:46).
We know that many members were involved in evangelism. It was the disciples that carried the Gospel throughout the regions, while the apostles stayed in Jerusalem. They were persecuted and scattered for sowing the seed and living the Christian lifestyle, but wherever they went they took the Word of God with them (Acts 8:1-4).
The most important factor of church growth is that all members are UNITED IN LOVE for God and each other. LOVE for another is how we are identified. Jesus said to His disciples, “34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35).
Spreading the Word – the Gospel – through evangelism is God’s Method of Church Growth. If you are a child of God, we encourage you to follow the example of the noble Bereans and search the below Scriptures, to see if what we have said is so (Acts 17:10-11).
1 Corinthians 15:1-2
Luke 8:11
Luke 11:28
Luke 8:21
Mark 2:2
Acts 4:31
Acts 6:2
Acts 6:7
Acts 8:4
Acts 8:14
Acts 11:1
Acts 12:24
Acts 13:5
Acts 13:7
Acts 13:44
Acts 13:48
Acts 14:25
Acts 17:13
Acts 18:11
Acts 19:20
1 Thessalonians 2:13
2 Timothy 2:9
2 Timothy 4:2
Hebrews 4:12
1 Peter 1:23
1 Peter 1:25
Romans 1:16
Mark 16:15
In summary, if the majority of the members are truly working together in love for the Lord, the church will grow; if the majority of us are not sowing the seed, the church will not grow. It is as simple as that! Instead of looking for excuses or shifting blame for lack of growth, let us go back to the basics.
Resolve today to participate in church growth and encourage your fellow Christians also to shoulder their responsibilities to help the Lord's church grow through evangelism. That's GOD'S METHOD OF CHURCH GROWTH! Let’s religiously apply some of the fanaticism typical of sports enthusiasts for the cause of Christ.
To the God of heaven be the Glory as His Will is done (1 Corinthians 10:31). Please pray for wisdom, for me and my wife, Cynthia, and for the Liberty NW church of Christ meeting in Portland, Oregon, USA. We are praying for you, and we love you all so much. Samuel.