THE ORDER OF PREACHING, WORSHIP, AND EDIFICATION.
First, as to preaching the word. This evidently varied according to circumstances. The first day, the Pentecost, was ushered in by the descent of the Holy Ghost. A vast multitude was called together by the rushing sound from heaven. The assembly of God on earth was formed by the Holy Ghost. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and spoke with miraculous power. Peter was then used to preach the crucified and risen Christ. The result is a new company is formed at Jerusalem. That company is called the church, or more properly translated, “the assembly.” The word thus translated always means an assembly. It is so used to describe the nation of Israel in the wilderness. (Acts 7:38.) It is the same word in the Greek, used to describe a crowd in the theater at Ephesus (Acts 19:32, 39, 41), only there it is properly translated assembly.
But what is this new company called “the church,” or “the assembly?” That it is a new company is clear. “Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God.” (1 Cor. 10:32.)
Does this company, “the church of God,” ever appear in scripture before Pentecost? (Acts 2) Never, except in two passages, and there as a future thing. Matt. 16:18; 18:17: “I will build my church,” “Tell it unto the church.” Peter preached at Pentecost, but the Lord by the Holy Ghost formed this new assembly. It was not that He formed what we see now, hundreds of sects, or denominations. He did not form the Greek, or Roman, or Anglican churches, &e, but “the church of God.” It is of immense interest to inquire what this was, and what it is. Did you ever do this?
It was composed of all saved persons. “The Lord added [together, or] to the church daily such as should be saved.” This new company then was composed of such as should be saved. The true church of Christ was only composed of the saved, or such as were being saved. All that were saved were added together, and formed the assembly of Christ. To this agree the words of Paul, “Unto the assembly of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling,” &c, and again, “Unto the assembly of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia.”
Compare 1 Thess. 1:1, and 2 Thess. 1:1. Thus it is most certain that no person belonged to the church of God, in the First Years of Christianity, except the holy ones, the sanctified in Christ Jesus. Be not deceived, if this is not your case, you have no part nor lot in the church of God, be you pope, emperor, king, or bishop.
This church is also the body of Christ, “and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.” (Eph. 1:22, 23.) And mark, this body is not a body of Christians organized by men. “For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.” (1 Cor. 12:12.) This body, this one body, is composed of all true saved believers, and is formed by the Holy Ghost. Dear fellow believers, “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” Such is the church, the body of Christ. “And God hath set some in the church; first, apostles; secondarily, prophets; thirdly, teachers; after that, miracles; then gifts of healings,” &c. (1 Cor. 12:28.)
Mark, this is all of God. He set what He pleased in the church, and what He pleases still remains. Do not be too sure that what you call the church is the church of God, but search the scriptures. Only of this be sure, that if you are not saved and made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light, whatever other church you may belong to, you do not at present belong to the church of God.
Now as to the preaching and ministry of the word of God in the First Days of Christianity, we must notice the difference between individual responsibility to Christ, and ministry in the assembly. Individually they had the guidance of the Holy Ghost as to where they should go, as Paul in Acts 13, He and Barnabas were sent by the Holy Ghost. And they had the fellowship of the assembly at Antioch. And we find them preaching Christ, and declaring the glad tidings at Antioch in Pisidia. Then Paul and Silas are directed to Philippi, by the river side. See the same guidance at Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth. In Ephesus we find Paul for two years daily in the school of one Tyrannus (Acts 19)
So that it is evident the evangelist or teacher is responsible as guided by the Holy Ghost to preach the word wherever the Spirit opens a door for him. These should also be commended and helped on in their work by the assembly. (3 John.)
It is, however, astonishing how little we find as to the assemblies’ meetings for worship and edification, that answers to modern Christendom. Suppose you look through the Acts and the epistles, do you find anything in the least like the mass? Is there any priest to offer a sacrifice for the living or the dead? It could not possibly be, since all the worshippers were forever perfected by the one sacrifice of Christ, and there is no more sacrifice for sin. (Heb. 10:1-18.) To break bread in remembrance of that death through which they had redemption, even the forgiveness of sins, was done by the disciples on the first day of the week. (Acts 20:7.) To offer another sacrifice would be to deny the eternal efficacy of the one sacrifice which had been offered. Do you find the disciples ever did this?
That all true believers were worshipping priests is evident. “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Heb. 13:15.) “Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet. 2:5.)
What kind of places of worship had they? Had they churches, or chapels, or temples? Had they consecrated bells, or buildings? These abound now, but do we find a trace of such in the New Testament? Not a trace. We find them in an upper chamber in Acts 20:8. Wherever the saints were gathered together to Christ, there was, and there only, the true church or assembly. Was it not so?
Worship was spiritual—in spirit and in truth, and in the holiest. (Heb. 10:19.) This was the very immediate presence of God, the third heavens. The tabernacle or place of worship of Israel was a figure of this. There is the atmosphere; the starry heavens; and the dwelling place of God, the third heavens, the holiest. And in spirit the whole church had holy boldness there as worshippers. But as to buildings, so-called places of worship, we do not find one even in imperial Borne. Read the last chapter in the Epistle to the Romans, and all must admit that all we find are assemblies in houses. Thus the place was nothing. The Father had found worshippers to worship Him in spirit and in truth.
But when gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, do we find the order of worship and ministry described in the word of God?
Concerning this matter, we find the Holy Ghost present. (Acts 13:1-4.) And whatever the diversity of gifts present, “the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” (1 Cor. 12:7.) Mark, this is in the assembly. But no man could take the place of the Spirit of God, and no man could take the place of the Lord. But if confusion took place, did they not appoint a man as the minister over the assembly? We never find such a thing. Confusion had come in 1 Cor. 14. Do we read that one man therefore must take the lead or the whole service? No, we read, “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.” Read to the end of the chapter 1 Cor. 14:29-40. It is quite true that human arrangements have set all this aside. But such was the Christianity of the First Years. The presence and guidance of the Holy Ghost was a reality, And Paul says, “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord,” (Ver. 37.)
Now whatever men may set up, it is most certain that when the assembly is gathered together for worship and edification, it is the will of the Lord that there should be this holy liberty, for two or three to be used of the Holy Ghost in ministry. Surely we have lost that deep sense of the Lord’s presence which was in the assemblies in the early days of Christianity. A mere imitation, however, of this true order of ministry in the assembly, without real heart subjection to the Holy Ghost ever present, would be utterly powerless, and would soon degenerate into radicalism or self-will.
If, on the other hand, human pretensions have usurped the place of the Spirit, and human organization has entirely displaced scriptural primitive order, let us not boast, but humble ourselves, and ever remember the apostolic commendation is to God and the word of His grace, and not to any party or denomination of men. And though Christendom has ceased to walk according to the commands of Christ, yet we are warranted in expecting to find some who desire to own Him who is the holy and the true. To such Jesus still says, “I know thy works: behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” And further, to such He says, “I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” (Rev. 3:7-13.)
Beloved reader, is the Lord’s word nothing to you? Is it quite enough for you to go on with the stream of modern profession? Is it nothing to you what name you bear in Babylon? Or, whilst conscious of much failure, is it the desire of your heart to answer to what the Lord so graciously approves in the above scripture, indeed in all scripture?
May the Lord use these few remarks on the First Days of Christianity to stir up our hearts, to seek to walk so as to have the testimony that what we do in these last days of Christendom may be pleasing in His sight.
Many of the readers may say: Would it not be most profitable to look into the scriptures for an answer to this question—What is the Church?
We will look to the Lord to enable us to do so.
C.S.