At the start of this century, I began to write on matters concerning the church. I first thought that nothing I wrote would be anything that someone else has not already addressed and done well. I realized that while many had taken the task, it did not fully represent what I believe about the church. So, a few years ago, I wrote my first volume called A Community of Believers. Since then, I have written a second edition that will come out, soon. I will be going to the publishers, soon.
The difference between the two editions is, first of all, chapter six is an addition that is designed to show an alternative view of the interaction and fellowship of believers in our world. The first edition ended with chapter five, which leaves the reader hanging. So, in this last chapter, we have attempted to leave you with a picture of the work of the ekklesia in our culture as contrasted with the church. Be advised, this will look very different than what we see in churches, today. But, I am also confident that it will resemble what you can read in your Bible.
The last chapters were designed to demonstrate that the church is a humanly devised plan to control the people in the same way the US congress controls Americans. Once in office, just sit back and let them make decisions in your interest. Their work is presented as being for our good because we do not have the ability to make good decisions. Once this institutional control is gone, we are left with a network of individual saints who are very involved in each other’s lives. There is no church membership, no elders of the church organization, no church treasury, no salary paid employees represented by the preachers and/or modern pastors. There are no church buildings, pews, or worship services with song leaders, opening and closing prayer leaders, or Lord’s Supper servers. There is definitely no attendance charts, Sunday Schools, or Bible classes for all ages. Now, if you think there should be, I would invite you to read chapters one through five and study for yourself because those chapters were designed to show the origin of Christianity and churches.
The content really comes down to an emphasis on individual accountability and responsibility. Seeing that each one of us must give an account of himself (Rom. 14:12), the demands of discipleship will truly reveal who are the sons of God. This is the true test and the certain means of knowing who among us are the “called-out.” While it starts with the right message, it cannot stop, there. The real test is whether or not it is lived out in each individual life. With the direction this country is going, that day of revelation may come sooner than we might expect. When the church building close their doors and the treasuries dwindle to nothing, preachers and pastors will have to find a job. At that time, the look of the fellowship of the saints will be intensified among the true and faithful disciples of Christ.
The second difference is the use of the word “church.” I have reserved that word to describe the institution of men and reserve the ekklesia (the called-out) for the people of God. I hope you will join me in the study and pick up a copy of the book when it comes out.