Mutual Edification and Individualism…

Posted by Alan Knox on Jan 8, 2007 in community, edification, gathering | 3 comments

I have argued previously that the purpose for the gathering of the church in the New Testament is mutual edification (1 Cor 14:26)—each believer building up other believers and being built up himself or herself (see here, here, and here). If most churches understand their purpose in gathering to be something other than edification (i.e. worship or evangelism), then this change in understanding will have significant implications for the contemporary church. These implications fall into both philosophical as well as practical categories.

This series will examine several of the implications of mutual edification for the gathering of the church.

First, each believer in the church must break away from an individualistic mindset (focusing only on himself or herself) in order to focus on the spiritual needs of others. David Peterson states,

In contemporary English, to say that something was ‘edifying’ usually means that it was personally helpful or encouraging. It is easy to misinterpret Paul and to think of edification individualistically, meaning the spiritual advancement of individuals within the church. This term, however, regularly has a corporate reference in the apostle’s teaching.[1]

When believers forget the corporate aspect of their gatherings, the resulting “epidemic of individualism quite simply leads to spiritual death by isolation”[2] in spite of any extant individual devotion to God. Frances Schaeffer recognized that this idea of community is necessary both for the church to grow, as well as for the church to impact the culture at large.[3] Mutual edification will not be the purpose of a group of believers as long as their thoughts are on themselves. Instead, the body must develop an attitude in which the spiritual growth and nurture of others is as important, if not more important, than their own (see Eph 4:7-16).

This community aspect of the church must exist at all times within the life of the believer, not just during the gathering, such that the community becomes a family, aware of the weaknesses, needs and problems of their brothers and sisters, and such that the community cares enough to take action to strengthen the weaknesses, meet the needs, and correct the problems.[4] Among a group of believers, this type of dynamic family life develops simultaneously with mutual edification during the gathering of the church. Edification will not occur without community awareness, and community awareness will not develop apart from mutual edification.

Implications of Mutual Edification Series:
1. Mutual Edification and Individualism
2. Mutual Edification and Leadership
3. Mutual Edification and Excellence
4. Mutual Edification and Reverence
5. Mutual Edification and Activities

Notes:

[1] David Peterson, Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 206.

[2] Curtis Freeman, “Where Two or Three are Gathered: Communion Ecclesiology in the Free Church,” Perspectives in Religious Studies, 31, 3 (Fall 2004), 261-62.

[3] Francis A. Schaeffer, The Church at the End of the 20th Century (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1994), 42.

[4] Robert C. Girard, Brethren, Hang Together (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979), 23.