Sitting in the dorm room after a long day in the library... more to come, both here and there. Just finished studying all 116 instances of the Greek word for
church in the New Testament for Church Planting... good stuff. One thing that I've really loved about this year is the amount of systematic Bible study that's necessary. In past years, much of it was teaching over what was in the Bible; this year it's time to go find it yourself. Having been given all the tools necessary, we get loosed to figure stuff out on our own. There's been a few classes that have been that way before (notably Pastoral Theology I), but this year it seems as if they're all that way. Exciting to me, to say the very least.
So what can be said about the Church that hasn't already been said a dozen times before by everybody? Not very much, it seems... I'll just share one particular thought that weaves its way through the whole of the New Testament.
The first instance of the word for church is in Matthew 16:18. Of particular note is the final phrase in the verse...
the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Now, most have heard it preached this way before... the church is not a defensive organism, but an
offensive one. This causes the world to raise their eyebrows, as images of Islamist terrorists and so-called Christian terrorists flood their minds. However, as the New Testament unfolds, the picture isn't that. Did not Jesus say that His kingdom isn't part of this world... and that's why His servants wouldn't fight? So the objections of neo-atheists such as Richard Dawkins are unfounded (he seeks to prove that religion is the source of the majority of evil within society).
So in what way is the church pictured as an
offensive army? Not chiefly physically, but
spiritually. Take the instances of the word found in Revelation 2 and 3. The word "overcometh" can bring many pictures to mind. Perhaps of a runner overcoming obstacles. Or a swimmer overcoming the water. While it would apply there, think of this more of
an army conquering and subduing a city. There's a parallel in 1 John that seems to describe what is being overcome and how:
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
The
object being overcome is the world (not as in the earth, but as in the system that Satan uses to deceive and destroy), and the
means is by our faith that we have in Christ... which is given to us
by Christ. This isn't something we muster up in our power (of which we have none), but instead is His to give to us by His Spirit. As such it is seen that those that are
saved are promised that they will overcome. We will finally win. He promises. So no matter what it
seems like, the reality is this:
... every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Pax.
Comments (1)
i didn't actually read your post... the sun is glaring through my window BLINDing me! :0 and the red words on black are.. well, just hard to see.
but - wanted to say we MISS you around here. and your girl looked very pretty at church today.
take care & have a great week.