Mutual Edification and Reverence…
(Part 4 in a series on the implications of mutual edification as the purpose of the gathering of the church): 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.
Fourth, Christians should adjust their understanding of what it means to please God during the gathering of the church. In many gatherings and for many people, “reverence†during the meeting equates with silence for everyone except for those who are specially qualified to speak.
However, there is no indication in Scripture that an “untrained†person’s silence pleases God nor that education, training, knowledge, or role in the body qualifies anyone to speak. Instead, only the indwelling of the Spirit of God and the prompting of the Spirit makes someone eligible to speak during the meeting.
The body should allow any of its members to speak as long as the Holy Spirit directs that person to speak, love motivates the person, and mutual edification is their aim. Notice that in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul does not give these instructions to church leaders. He gives his instructions to the entire church. Everyone is responsible to edify the church, and to make sure that Paul’s instructions are carried out.
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
Mutual Edification and Excellence…
(Part 3 in a series on the implications of mutual edification as the purpose of the gathering of the church): 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.
Third, if the purpose of the gathering of the church is mutual edification, then much about the way believers come together should change. For example, mutual edification depends upon the work of the Holy Spirit among a group of believers. This requires that the Spirit is free to work in the lives of individuals, both before the meeting and during the meeting. In 1 Corinthians 14:26, Paul recognizes that the believers were coming to their meeting prepared to offer gifts of the Spirit, and he says this is acceptable as long as the gifts edify the body. Later, he also recognizes that there may be times when the Holy Spirit inspires someone to speak during the meeting. This is also to be accepted.
However, the current trend is toward “excellence†during the gathering of the church. Professional ministers plan each part of the “service†in order that the activities flow smoothly with very little “down time.†While this type of meeting makes for great observation, it does not allow for participation, which is necessary for the various members of the body to build up one another during the meeting.
In fact, it could be that times of silence are necessary to permit the Spirit to direct those whom he desires to participate during the meeting. We do not have to worry about someone planning the meeting, or someone being “in charge”. We can trust the Holy Spirit to direct his people as he sees fit. And, if someone does not act according to the Spirit or does not act in a way that edifies the body, then the people are to judge among themselves after that person speaks.
This is what it means to be decent and in order according to Paul. What do we consder decent and in order? Do we strive for excellence, or can we allow the Spirit to plan our meetings?
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
Mutual Edification and Leadership…
(Part 2 in a series on the implications of mutual edification as the purpose of the gathering of the church): 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.
Second, the church should recognize that focusing on the gifts and abilities of one individual (or a small group of individuals) will not lead to the spiritual growth of the body, regardless of how large the audience becomes. The current trend of Christian celebrities and mega-church personalities does not lead to every believer accepting their responsibility to build up the body of Christ. Instead placing the spotlight on “the man of God†or the pastoral staff promotes the unbiblical distinction between clergy and laity, between trained ministerial professionals and ordinary Christians. As Robert Girard expressed, “The Church was never meant to be a one-man show. The Body was never expected to draw all its life, teaching and leadership from any one person – however spiritual or well-trained that person might be (Eph. 4:16).â€[1]
Considering Paul’s hypothetical situation in 1 Corinthians 14:23-25, the unbeliever was not converted because the Holy Spirit was with a “man of God,†but because the Holy Spirit was with a community of believers—the people of God. In order for mutual edification to be the result of any gathering of believers, every believer should recognize and accept their own calling—all are called to be ministers (servants), all are called to be preachers (proclaimers), all are called to be evangelists, all are called to be teachers, all are called to make disciples.
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] Robert C. Girard, Brethren, Hang Loose (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1972), 51-52.
Mutual Edification and Individualism…
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 isolationâ€[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.
I.H. Marshall on the Gathering of the Church
In his New Testament Theology, I.H. Marshall discusses the major themes of each book of the New Testament. For the book of 1 Corinthians, he states:
The common life of the congregation is the main theme of this letter… [I]n 1 Corinthians 12 the Spirit is the source of various gifts. These are placed in parallelism with “services” and “sources of power” in a way that suggests that the three terms refer to essentially the same things from different aspects… The gifts described are related to apprehension of God’s words and powers so as to act as his agents. They equip people to act on behalf of God, thus serving his and acting as agents… Congregational meetings accordingly are occasions on which God may communicate in word and deed with his people through the agency of any of their number according as they are given his gifts to enable them to function on his behalf with spiritual insight and power. This has crucial importance for our understanding of the function of congregational meetings. Little is said in the New Testament about their function being a Godward action of worship. Rather they are primarily occasions when God communicates with his people in such a way that he is truly present with them through his Spirit who is in his people individually and so collectively. The outsider who comes in rightly concludes that God is among them. Clearly this realization should lead to a sense of awe and worship; praise and prayer are offered to the Lord, but these are responses to the presence and activity of God.
In this passage, Marshall suggests several things that I have argued as well:
- All believers are gifted by the Spirit to participate in the “congregational meeting.”
- Edification is the purpose of the meeting.
- Worship is right response to God, not activities within the meeting.
- We respond rightly toward God (worship him) during the meeting by edifying one another.
The Body of Christ and Edification (Eph. 4:1-16)
Paul’s use of “edification†language is especially connected to the metaphor of the church as the body of Christ; and this is most noticeable in 1 Corinthians 12-14 and Ephesians 4:1-16.
In Ephesians 4:1-16, Paul encourages the believers in Ephesus “to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called†(Eph. 4:1) in response to his instructions in the preceding sections of his letter. According to Paul, the church demonstrates the worthiness of its walk through its unity; but not in a unity brought about by uniformity. Instead, “grace was given to each one of [them] according to the measure of Christ’s gift†(4:7). The purpose of these gifts, and of gifted people, is “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ†(4:12-13). In this passage, “edification†(“buildingâ€) is associated with “equippingâ€, “serviceâ€, and “unityâ€, and measured by the “maturity†and “stature†of Christ himself. It is possible to understand equipping, service, and edification as the domain of those listed in 4:11 only. However, this “clergy/laity†distinction is contrary to Paul’s focus on unity in 4:1-6 and the responsibility of the entire body in 4:15-16.[1]
Paul continues by describing the opposite of being “built up†in 4:14 when he says that the believers should “no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.†Just as teaching and debating played an important role in the life of the church in Acts, teaching must continue to be important for the church. Through teaching and doctrine the church continues to edify itself and protect itself from various false teachings and cultural fads.
In the last two verses of this passage (4:15-16), Paul returns to the idea of “edification†and the growth of the body. The church grows when its head is Christ, every member is serving as gifted by the Spirit, and its motivation is love. Interestingly, Paul says the growth of the body is both from Christ and toward Christ. The teaching and doctrine that Paul encouraged in vs. 14 must center on the person and work of Christ. Furthermore, the work of growth is the responsibility of everyone in the body, which Paul reinforces by stating it in two different ways: “from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped†and “when each part is working properly.†As in the previous section, every member is responsible for his share (lit. “in measureâ€; c.f. 4:7, 13, 16) in the growth of the body. “Christians are mutually dependent on one another and they are collectively dependent on Jesus Christ for life and power. [They] meet together to benefit from the relationships and ministries [they] can share with one another.â€[2] The interdependence between believers is not for the sake of interdependence only, but for interdependence that leads to the growth of the body.[3]
Therefore, in Ephesians 4:1-16, Paul combines the metaphor of the church as the body of Christ with the language of edification to instruct the church how to grow as a group. The body metaphor intimates that every member of the group must grow; otherwise the organism becomes deformed.[4] This growth occurs when all believers work together for each other’s benefit. From the emphasis on each believer doing his part, it is apparent that there are no unnecessary members of the body, and that all members are responsible for the edification and growth of the body. “Paul’s primary focus in Ephesians 4 is not on the need for individuals to grow to maturity, but for individuals to learn to contribute to the life and development of the believing community as a whole.â€[5] Christ, the head of the body, will hold the believers responsible based upon each one’s ability-“measureâ€-which was provided by Christ himself (through the Spirit).
Notes:
[1] Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002), 547-49.
[2] David Peterson, Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1992), 208.
[3] Andrew T. Lincoln, “The Theology of Ephesians,†New Testament Theology: The Theology of the Later Pauline Letters, ed. Andrew T. Lincoln and A.J.M. Wedderburn (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993), 99.
[4] Wallace M. Alston, Jr., The Church of the Living God: A Reformed Perspective, (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002), 39.
[5] Peterson, Engaging with God, 210.
What edification is not…
In his book The Church of Christ, Everett Ferguson explains Paul’s discussion in 1 Cor. 14. In this passage, Paul distinguishes between speaking in tongues and prophecy. According to Paul, the difference lies in intelligibility. Since other people can understand prophecy, and since other people cannot understand uninterpreted tongues, prophecy is better for the gathering of the church than uninterpreted tongues. However, Paul suggests that the tongues-speaker can still speak silently to God. Ferguson comes to an interesting conclusion based on this passage:
From Paul’s corrections we learn negatively some things edification is not: it is not a feeling of uplift or what makes one feel good; it is not a matter of emotion, private experience, or sentiment; it is not what benefits, makes to feel good, or pleases the individual… In contrast, Paul’s emphasis on edification in the assembly gives priority to the good or benefit of the group (1 Cor. 14:2-5). Edification requires the mind, instruction, and understanding (1 Cor. 14:16-19). If no one understands, no edification takes place. The assembly of the church should be directed toward the benefit of others, and at its heart is intelligible speech that gives instruction, encouragement, and consolation.
When we gather with the church, we should not be concerned with what make us “feel” good. We should not even focus on activities of personal devotion to God. Instead, our focus should be on building up–maturing–other people.
Go and Make Disciples…
Tomorrow, Thursday, December 14, my PhD mentor, David Alan Black and his wife, Becky, are leaving for Ethiopia to share the gospel and edify the church. I have been greatly encouraged to read how God has used them to minister to the believers in Ethiopia. Most importantly to me, the Blacks felt God calling them to Ethiopia, so they went. They did not wait for support or approval from a mission board. God is all the support and approval that they need.
Please pray for them over the next three weeks as they travel and minister to people who need the gospel and discipleship.
Here is more information about their previous trips and plans for their current trip.
Edification and the Church Gathering 4…
This series is an excerpt from a paper that I am writing. In the introduction, I argue that in order for the church to edify itself, at least three things are required: 1) the source and result of this edification must be found in the person of Jesus Christ, 2) the focus of edification should be placed on others and not on the self, and 3) the opportunity should be given to all believers to use their spiritual gifts to edify others.
In Part 2 and Part 3 of this series, I argued for the first and second requirements respectively. In this post – the final of the series – I present my argument for the third requirement: the opportunity should be given to all believers to use their spiritual gifts to edify others.
If the church desires to edify itself during the gathering, each believer should have the opportunity to use his or her spiritual gifts to edify others. Paul demonstrated in Eph. 4 and in 1 Cor. 12—14 that the gifts of each believer are necessary for the edification of the church. Specifically, 1 Cor. 14:26 indicates that Paul expected each believer to come to the gathering prepared to build up others in the community in some way. Paul also recognizes in 1 Cor. 14:30 that the Spirit could prompt to action during someone during the meeting even though that person had nothing prepared. These instructions by Paul do not negate his warnings about order and limitations during the gathering—all believers have should have the potential for serving during the gathering, but all believers might not serve during each gathering (1 Cor. 14:27—30).
Similarly, in Heb. 10:24—25, the author encourages believers not to forsake gathering together. Peterson argues that the biblical writers use the verb εγκαταλείπω in the sense of “abandon†when he states, “The concept is not that of self protection by staying in the fold but of a positive responsibility to minister to other Christians.â€[1] Therefore, the negative instruction in Heb. 10:25 could mean, “not abandoning your responsibilities in the assembling of yourselves together.†In other words, there is more to this command than simply an instruction to continue “attending†a gathering, as if the attendance itself is a benefit to the believer. The author of Hebrews is reminding his readers that each one of them has a responsibility to the assembly of believers. During the gathering, every member of the church should have the opportunity to exercise spiritual gifts in a manner that will edify the church, and thus carry out their responsibilities toward God and toward one another.
Series:
1) Introduction
2) Edification found in the person of Jesus Christ
3) Focus of edification is on others
4) Opportunity for others to participate
Notes:
[1] David Peterson, “Further Reflections on Worship in the New Testament,†The Reformed Theological Review, 44 (May-August 1985), 39-40.
Edification and the Church Gathering 3…
This series is an excerpt from a paper that I am writing. In the introduction, I argue that in order for the church to edify itself, at least three things are required: 1) the source and result of this edification must be found in the person of Jesus Christ, 2) the focus of edification should be placed on others and not on the self, and 3) the opportunity should be given to all believers to use their spiritual gifts to edify others.
In Part 2 of this series, I argued for the first requirement: the source and result of this edification must be found in the person of Jesus Christ. In this post, I present my argument for the second requirement: the focus of edification should be placed on others and not on the self.
In order for the church to edify itself, the focus of edification should be placed on others and not on the self. In Eph. 4:1-16, Paul demonstrates that the members of the church are dependent upon Jesus Christ, but he also demonstrates that the members of the church are interdependent upon one another. The interdependence between believers is not for the sake of interdependence only, but for interdependence that leads to the growth of the body.[1] Furthermore, in 1 Cor. 12—14, Paul teaches that the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to all believers in order that they may use them to benefit others, not primarily to benefit themselves (1 Cor. 12:7).[2] Paul then demonstrates how believers should use those gifts during the gathering of the church in 1 Cor. 14. Commenting on this idea of mutual edification (or “upbuildingâ€), Barth states,
In the sense in which we are here using it on the model of the New Testament, the unequivocal reference of the term “upbuilding†is to the Christian community. It is not the Christian individual as such, but the community which, in its individual members and through their reciprocal ministry, is edified, and lets itself be edified, and edifies itself.[3]
When believers forget the corporate aspect of their gatherings, the resulting “epidemic of individualism quite simply leads to spiritual death by isolationâ€[4] in spite of any extant individual devotion to God. Therefore, in order for the church to accomplish its purpose of edification during the gathering, the believers in the church must focus on others and not on themselves.
Series:
1) Introduction
2) Edification found in the person of Jesus Christ
3) Focus of edification is on others
4) Opportunity for others to participate
Notes:
[1] Andrew T. Lincoln, “The Theology of Ephesians,†New Testament Theology: The Theology of the Later Pauline Letters, ed. Andrew T. Lincoln and A.J.M. Wedderburn (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993), 99.
[2] While in general, the term συμφÎÏω simply means “benefit,†in the context of 1 Corinthians, it takes on a more narrow meaning of “benefit for others.†For example, in 1 Cor. 10:23 Paul states, “‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things are helpful (συμφÎÏει). ‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things build up.†This is further explained: “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor†(1 Cor. 10:24). Therefore, Paul uses the verb συμφÎÏω to indicate benefiting others, which means that in the context of 1 Cor. 12—14 (the gathering of the church) the Spirit gives gifts for the benefit of other believers, not for the benefit of the one exercising that gift. Furthermore, from the parallel structure of 1 Cor. 10:23, Paul is linking “benefit†with “edification.â€
[3] Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, IV.2. Trans. G.W. Bromiley (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1958), 627.
[4] Curtis Freeman, “Where Two or Three are Gathered: Communion Ecclesiology in the Free Church,†Perspectives in Religious Studies, 31, 3 (Fall 2004), 261-62.