01.23. The church of Christ.

23. The church of Christ.

All those rich benefits which Christ bestows on His believers on earth receive their consummation and crown in the glorification that awaits them partly after death, but fully after Judgment Day. But we cannot yet discuss this benefit, because we first have to pay attention to the way in which, or the path along which, Christ establishes, maintains and strengthens His benefits of calling and rebirth, faith and conversion, justification and childhood, renewal and sanctification in the believers on earth. We have already seen that He bestows all these benefits through His Word and Spirit, but now we have to draw our attention to the fact that He bestows them only in the fellowship that binds all believers together. He does not distribute them to a single person, nor to a small number of persons, but He distributes them to a great multitude, to the whole new humanity, which was chosen by the Father in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).

Thus the believer is never separate from himself and is never alone. In the natural, every human being is born of the community of his parents, and is therefore, without his doing, a member of a family, of a nation, and so on, of all mankind. It is the same in the spiritual realm. The believer is born from above, of God, but he receives the new life only in the fellowship of the covenant of grace, of which Christ is the head and at the same time the content. If by virtue of that rebirth God is his Father, the Church may properly be called his Mother. In the heathen world, too, no believer and no assembly of believers comes into being except by means of the mission that the church of Christ sends out there. From the first moment of his regeneration, therefore, the believer, without will or action on his part, is incorporated into a great whole, included in a rich community; he is a member of a new people and a citizen of a spiritual kingdom, whose king is glorious in the number of his subjects. This community is a strong support for each believer in particular. We had to be so strong that we did not doubt and did not fear, even though we were completely alone and even though around us, as Luther says, there were as many devils as tiles on the roof. For if God be before us, who shall be against us; if the Lord be with us, what shall any man do unto us? Psalms 56:12, Psalms 118:6, Romans 8:31. But as a rule we are not suited for such independence, for such isolation and solitude. There are special cases, in which someone is called to follow the voice of the Lord, to break with his whole environment, and to fight against his whole family; and then God grants special grace and extraordinary strength, as He did for instance to an Abraham, a Moses, an Elijah. But even then the loneliness is hard; Elijah complained that he was left alone, 1 Kings 18. Elijah complained that he was left alone, 1 Kings 18:22, 1 Kings 19:10,
1 Kings 19:14, and Paul was saddened to find himself abandoned by everyone at the end of his life, 2 Timothy 4:1. A human being is a sociable being and does not like to be alone.

Election therefore encompasses an immense multitude from all races, languages, peoples and nations. It is personal and has as its object certain people whom God knows by name, but it chooses them in such a way and unites them in such a way that together they can form the temple of God, the body and the bride of Christ. The purpose of election is the creation of an organism, that is, the redemption, renewal and glorification of a reborn humanity that proclaims the virtues of God and bears His name on its forehead. When God executes this election in time, He does so in the way of the covenant of grace; and in that covenant He never includes a single person in isolation from all the others, but in that one person He simultaneously calls his family and his lineage; so He did with Adam, with Noah, with Abraham; so He still does with each one whom He brings into His community from the service of the world; He establishes His covenant with him and his seed, and then confirms it from child to child. To this organic activity of God corresponds in the hearts of all believers a social pull, a longing for fellowship, not only with God Himself, but also with all His people. Generally speaking, there is no power in the world which so hopelessly divides mankind, and on the other hand so intimately unites them, as religion. But outside Christianity the religious community almost always coincides with that of a tribe or a people; the religion is not strong enough, as it were, to stand on its own feet without these supports; there is no church anywhere in the true sense of the word. But in Christianity it is different.

Generally speaking, under Israel the people and the church still stretched out equally, but from the beginning the community of the people rested much more in the religious unity than the other way around. The miraculous birth of Isaac serves as proof of this; the covenant of grace God, as the Almighty, makes nature subservient to grace in this patriarch. Hence, in the Old Testament, the God of the covenant, the people of Israel and the land of Canaan belong together so intimately; Israel owes its nationality and its unity to the fact that it was chosen by God to be his property, Exodus 19:5-6, Deuteronomy 4:20, Deuteronomy 7:6, and Canaan is the Lord’s land, Leviticus 25:23, 1 Samuel 26:19, freely given by Him to Abraham and his seed for inheritance, Genesis 12:7, Leviticus 20:24, etc. Ruth expressed this, when she returned with her mother-in-law to the land of Judah, saying: Where you will go, I will go; and where you will stay, I will stay; your people are my people and your God is my God. But hence also, when the people of Israel fell away more and more, and at last were carried off into exile and scattered, there still remained a remnant who were faithful to God and His service, and who, amid the multitude of the people, formed the true Israel, the true seed of Abraham, Amman, and the people of Israel. Amos 5:15, Isaiah 1:9, Isaiah 4:3, Isaiah 8:18, etc. As these pious ones separate themselves from the wicked, they join together and strengthen themselves in one another’s fellowship, Psalms 1:1, Psalms 16:3, Psalms 22:23, Psalms 22:26, Psalms 26:4-12, Psalms 35:18, Psalms 40:10, Psalms 66:16, Psalms 122:1, Psalms 133:1, etc. This separation was consummated in the days of the New Testament. After John the Baptist had prepared the way with his preaching of repentance and forgiveness of sins, Jesus himself appeared and initially addressed all the people of Israel. He taught in Galilee and Judea, in the cities and villages, and travelled through the land ״giving good and healing to all who were overwhelmed by the devil, Acts 10:38. But He soon learned that the people, under the leadership of the Scribes and Pharisees, did not want to know about His Messiahship and His spiritual kingdom; they became more and more hostile toward Him and finally submitted Him to be crucified. Therefore, as this end came near, Jesus pronounced His terrible judgment on the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Matthew 11:20 ff, on the Pharisees and Scribes, Matthew 23:13 ff, on Jerusalem and her children, Matthew 23:37, on the people of Israel, Matthew 21:19 ff, Matthew 23:38, Luke 23:28 ff, on the city and on the temple, Matthew 24:1-51. Israel rejected his Messiah; so others would come in his place. At first it was only the small group of disciples who confessed Jesus as the Christ; but this confession bound them together so tightly that even after the Master had left them, they remained united and persisted in praying and supplicating with one another (Acts 1:14). On the day of Pentecost they were harnessed with power from on high and received an independent principle of life in the Holy Spirit, which freed them from a national bond and organized them into their own community in the midst of the world, independent of nation and country. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit gave the church of Christ its independent existence. From the beginning, the assembly of the faithful who confessed Jesus Christ as their Lord was called the congregation or church. The Hebrew Old Testament already contained two words for the assemblies of the people of Israel, but there is no difference in meaning between the two.

Later Judaism, however, seems to have distinguished the two words in such a way that the first referred more to the congregation in its actual situation, the second to its ideal character as an assembly of people called by God to His salvation. The first word was translated into Greek as synagogue, the second as ekklesia. This distinction, which was already made by the Jews, naturally caused the Christians to prefer the second word. The Christian congregation, after all, was that assembly of believers which took the place of the old Israel and brought the idea of God’s electing love to fruition. When Jews and Christians had parted for good, the custom gradually developed of calling the assembly of the Jews the synagogue and the assembly of the Christians the ekklesia (church), and this custom has continued to the present day. Originally, this distinction was not made at all in the two words; in James 2:2 (Hebrews 10:25) the word synagogue is used for the assembly of the Christian congregation, and in Acts 7:38 (Hebrews 2:12) the word ekklesia is used for the assembly of the people of Israel, and in Acts 19:32, Acts 19:39-40 even for a general assembly. But the separation of Jews and Christians promoted the distinction in the use of words. The disciples of Jesus in Jerusalem still met frequently in the Temple or one of its outbuildings after Pentecost (Acts 2:2, Acts 2:46, Acts 3:1, Acts 3:11, Acts 5:12), to observe the prayer times sanctified by Jewish custom and at the same time to preach to the people the Gospel of Christ. This preaching of the apostles, on and also long after Pentecost, was richly blessed; thousands were brought to the church, who were saved, Acts 2:41, Acts 2:47, Acts 4:4, Acts 5:14. But then a persecution broke out, which made Stephen the first martyr, Acts 6:8-15, Acts 7:1-60, and scattered the disciples from Jerusalem through the countries of Judea and Samaria to Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, Acts 8:1, Acts 11:9. Through the preaching of the disciples believers were then won and congregations established in many places among the Jews, and these congregations enjoyed peace for a time and were greatly multiplied, Acts 8:4, Acts 8:14, Acts 8:25, Acts 9:31, Acts 9:35, Acts 9:38. It goes without saying that for a long time these Christians from the Jews cherished the hope that the entire nation of Israel would be converted to the Lord, Acts 3:17-26. But ’that hope disappeared more and more; gradually the centre of gravity shifted from the Jewish-Christian congregation to the converts from the Gentiles.

Already during Jesus’ life there were some proselytes from the Greeks, who had come to worship at the feast and who expressed a desire to see Jesus, John 12:20 ff. Among the members of the congregation in Jerusalem were also Hellenists, Acts 6:1, who probably, like Stephen, held a freer view of the relationship of Christians to the Temple and the Law, Acts 6:13-14, To the Ethiopian eunuch, Acts 8:26 ff, to the Roman chieftain Cornelius, Acts 10:1-48, to the Greeks in Antioch, Acts 11:20.

All these events were preparations for the great missionary work which Paul undertook among the Gentiles together with Barnabas, by order of the Holy Spirit and after the laying on of hands by the church in Antioch, Acts 13:2 ff. Romans 1:16, Romans 2:9, Romans 3:1, Romans 9:3, Romans 11:13, 1 Corinthians 1:22, 1 Corinthians 9:20; but when these, as was usually the case, despised his preaching, he turned to the Gentiles, Acts 13:46, Acts 27:17, Acts 18:4, Acts 18:6, Acts 28:25-28. It was a great sorrow and constant anguish to him that his fleshly brethren were vexed at the cross of Christ and sought to establish their own righteousness (Romans 9:2); he never refrained from attempting to arouse their envy and to preserve some of them (Romans 11:14). But the fact was not to be denied, that the hardening had come in part upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles should have come in, Romans 11:25. The branches of the tame olive tree were broken off through unbelief, and in their place were grafted branches of the wild olive tree, Romans 11:17-24. There is a distinction between Israel of the flesh and Israel of the spirit, Romans 2:28-29, Romans 9:8, 1 Corinthians 10:18; The church of Christ is now the true seed of Abraham, the people and Israel of God, Acts 15:14, Romans 9:25-26, 2 Corinthians 6:16-18, Galatians 3:29, Galatians 6:16, Hebrews 8:8-10, James 1:1, James 1:18, 1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 21:3, Revelation 21:12. Those of the Jews who rejected Christ are not the. true Jews; they are not the circumcision, but the cutting, Php 3:2; they are unruly; vanity speakers, seducers and persecutors of the faithful, 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16, Titus 1:10-11; the Jews, who blaspheme the church of. The Jews who slander the congregation of Smyrna say that they are Jews, but they are not, they are rather a synagogue of Satan, Revelation 2:9, Revelation 3:9. Thus the Jews and the Christians separated; while at first the professors of Christ were still considered a sect among the Jews, Acts 24:5, Acts 24:14, Acts 28:22, in Antioch they received their own name, the name of Christians, Acts 11:26; there was a separation between the assembly of the Jews and the assembly of the Christians; and this separation was manifested linguistically in the fact that the former regularly received the name of synagogue, the latter that of ekklesia (church). The word ekklesia was translated into our Bible as congregation; the word church, probably derived from a Greek word meaning ״des Heeren’ (house), occurs only in the combination of churchwarden and church robber, Acts 19:35, Acts 19:37. The translators undoubtedly preferred the word congregation, because this indicates the assembly of the faithful in their mutual community, while the word church makes it known as organized in an institution. But both words are nevertheless used interchangeably; in the confessional writings the word church is constantly used, Ned. Gel. art. 27-32, Heid. Cat. Zond. 7. 21. The church of Christ cannot exist here on earth without a certain organization, which it received from its Lord; and the church of Christ, although organized in a certain way, is and always will be an assembly of believers according to its nature. Both words therefore do not form a contradiction, but look at the same assembly of believers from a different point of view, and complement each other in a beautiful way. The word congregation is first used by Christ Himself for the multitude of His confessors, Matthew 16:18, Matthew 18:17. There is nothing strange in this, when we consider that the Hebrew word used by Jesus occurs repeatedly in the Old Testament and was generally known. The novelty lies only in the fact that Christ applies this word to the circle of his disciples and thus already indicates that his congregation will replace that of the people of Israel. Furthermore, Jesus did not use the word to refer to a local assembly of believers, but to all those who would once believe in Him through the word of the Apostles; He used it as generally as possible. Later, in accordance with the development of the church, the word took on more special meanings. In Acts 2:47, Acts 5:11, Acts 8:1, Acts 11:22, the name congregation is applied to the local meeting of believers, which was in Jerusalem, and which then still existed almost alone. There were certainly disciples of Jesus living here and there, in Judea, Samaria and Galilee, who had been personally won by his preaching, and who later, after the persecution in Jerusalem had broken out and the disciples had been scattered, formed a connection point for missionary work among the Jews. But at first, an assembly of believers, a congregation, existed only in the city of Jerusalem. When, however, through the preaching of the disciples, meetings of believers also arose elsewhere, the name congregation was applied to each of these local meetings. The congregation in Jerusalem was not a society that founded divisions elsewhere, but it had congregations of believers alongside it, who were just as much a congregation as it was.

Thus there is mention of the church at Antioch, Acts 11:26, Acts 13:1, of churches in Lystre, Derbe and the surrounding country, Acts 14:23, in Syria and Cilicia, Acts 15:41, etc.; Paul continually gives each place to the other. Paul continually gives every local assembly of believers, in Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, etc. the name of congregation, and consequently also speaks in the plural of the congregations which are in the area of Galatia, Galatians 1:2, or Judea, Galatians 1:22. It did not even stop there. The believers, who lived in a certain place, came together from time to time, sometimes even daily, Acts 2:36, and soon regularly on a Sunday, 1 Corinthians 16:2, Acts 20:7, Revelation 1:10. But they did not have their own church building - the word ’meeting’ (synagogue) in James 2:2 is probably the first reference in the New Testament to a specific place of assembly - so they had to meet in the house of some brother or sister that was suitable for this purpose. In Jerusalem they first met in the temple, Acts 2:1,Acts 2:46, Acts 3:11, Acts 5:12, Acts 5:20, Acts 5:42, but besides that they also had special meetings, Acts 1:14, Acts 2:42, in the houses of some brothers, Acts 2:46, Acts 5:42. First the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, Acts 12:12, and later that of James, Acts 21:18, was the center of church life in Jerusalem. Because the congregation was much too large, it divided itself, and came together in the same house at different times, or at the same times, in different houses. This arrangement was then imitated in other places, in Thessalonica, Acts 17:7, Troas, Acts 20:8, Ephesus, Acts 20:20, Corinth, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians, Philemon 1:2, Laodicea, Colossians 4:15, Rome, Romans 16:5, Romans 16:14-15. And now it is remarkable, that also all these different house-churches, each for itself, received the name of church, Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 3:15, Philemon 1:1-25. They were not, one to another, subordinate, but stood independently, with equal rights next to each other.

Nevertheless, they were all also one. Jesus spoke of all his disciples together as his congregation, Matthew 16:18, Matthew 18:17, and the same is true of the Apostles, especially of Paul. The church, taken as a whole, is the body of Christ, and He is its head, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 4:15-16, Colossians 1:18, Colossians 1:24; the bride of the Lamb, who is adorned for her husband, Ephesians 5:32, 2 Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 21:2; the house and temple of God, built by the apostles on the foundation of Christ, 1 Corinthians 3:10-16, or according to another application of the same image, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone, and the believers as the living stones, Ephesians 2:20-22, 1 Timothy 3:15, 1 Peter 2:5, Revelation 21:3, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, an inherited nation, to proclaim the virtues of him who called them out of darkness into his marvellous light, 1 Peter 2:9. In view of the glorious virtues which the apostles ascribed to the church, a distinction was sometimes made between the ideal and the empirical church. But such Western distinctions are alien to the New Testament. When the Apostles, referring to the example of Christ, especially in John 14:1-31, John 15:1-27, John 16:1-33, John 17:1-26, speak so gloriously of the congregation, they are not thinking of something that exists only in the idea (in the mind), nor of an ideal that we have to pursue and that may never be realized. But they always have in view the whole real congregation, of which the meetings of the faithful in the various towns and villages, in the various countries and times, are the local revelations. These revelations are all still very imperfect - as the apostles repeatedly testify in all their letters; but they are nevertheless revelations of a reality that lies behind them, realizations of a decision of God, which carries itself out from generation to generation. In that decree God sees the whole congregation of Christ already standing perfect before Him; in Christ, who bought it with His blood, it is enclosed, like the fruit in the wheat grain; in the Holy Spirit, who takes all things from Christ, is the root of its existence and the guarantee of its completion. It is therefore not an idea or an ideal, but a reality, which is becoming and can become and will become, because it is already there. Thus the church is in constant change; it was already assembled from the beginning of the world and will be assembled until its end. There are daily departures from it who have fought the battle, kept the faith, won the crown of righteousness, and now together constitute the triumphant church, the congregation of the firstborn and of the spirits of the perfected righteous. And every day new members are added to the church on earth, to the struggling church here below, who are born in the church itself or have been brought to it through the work of the mission from the nations.

These two parts of the congregation belong together; they are the front and rear guard of the one great army of Christ. Those who have gone before us now form a cloud of witnesses around us who have given testimony of their faith during their lives and thereby exhort us to patience and loyalty. Without us they could not, and without them we cannot be perfected, Hebrews 11:40. Only all the saints together can fully understand the extent of Christ’s love and be filled to the fullness of God, Ephesians 3:18-19. Thus, history continues, until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a complete man, to the measure of the fullness of Christ, Ephesians 4:13. That the apostles, attributing such glorious characteristics to the church as a whole, did not have an idea or an ideal in mind, but a reality, is most evident from the fact that they speak of each local church and even of each believer in the same way. The local church in Corinth, for example, is called by Paul, in spite of its many errors and defects, the temple of God, the dwelling place of His Spirit, the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 12:27), and likewise every believer is called a temple of the Holy Spirit, and belongs to God with body and soul (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The church as a whole, each local church and also each believer individually, they are all partakers of the same benefits, have fellowship with the same Chris¬tus, are in the possession of the same Spirit, and are led by that Spirit to one and the same Father, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Ephesians 2:18, Ephesians 4:3-6. There is a difference in the measure of grace which Christ gives to each of His believers, Romans 12:6, Ephesians 4:7; there is a diversity of gifts, ministries and operations, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6. But this diversity does not stand in the way of the unity of believers, but rather promotes and strengthens it.

If the church is indeed an organism, a living body, that implies that it has many, distinct members, each of whom is given a name and place, task and calling. If they were all but one member, where would the body be? Just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the one body, being many, are but one body, so it is with the church of Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:12. Each member of the congregation therefore receives from Christ his own gift, however modest and small it may be, and with that gift he is not to serve himself, but the congregation. Each one, according to the nature of the gift that he has received, must serve the brethren, as befits good stewards of the manifold grace of God, 1 Peter 4:10. He received this gift not for himself, but for what is expedient, 1 Corinthians 12:7, for the edification of the church, 1 Corinthians 14:12; to take care of others with it, as they do for him, 1 Corinthians 14:25. In this rich diversity, the church of Christ is and remains a unity. This does not only mean that there has always been and is and will be only one church, but it also implies that this one church is always and everywhere the same, with the same benefits, privileges and goods. It is not a unity that comes from outside, that is imposed by force, brought about by a contract, temporarily entered into against a common enemy. It does not even arise from the social instincts of religious life; but it is of a spiritual nature; it rests, it has its basis and its example in the unity between the Father and Christ as the Mediator (John 17:21-23); it arises from the unity of the Church and of the world. John 17:21-23; it arises from Christ as the vine, which of itself brings forth and nourishes all the branches, John 15:5, as the head from whom the whole body obtains its maturity, Ephesians 4:16; and it is brought about by the one Spirit, with whom we are all led to one Father, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 2:18, Ephesians 4:4. The love of the Father, the grace of the Son and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit are the part of every believer, of every local congregation and of the congregation as a whole; and therein lies its deep, unbreakable, imperishable unity. This unity is still very much lacking and imperfect in the congregation on earth. Like the church itself, its unity is also in the making; it is there, but it is gradually being worked out and applied. Jesus prayed for it, John 17:21, and the apostle Paul presented it as only being fully realized in the future, Ephesians 4:13. On the contrary, it exists and manifests itself more or less purely in the life of the church; it is not only present in the invisible, but also penetrates into the visible. In the congregation in Jerusalem it was manifested in the fact that all the brothers and sisters, after being accepted into the congregation through baptism, persevered in the apostles’ doctrine, in the fellowship, in the breaking of bread, in the prayers, Acts 2:42, were one heart and one soul, and distributed to each according to his need, Acts 2:44-45, Acts 4:32-35. When churches were later established in other places, this unity of the believers was preserved.

Nevertheless, in the different origin and habit of the Christians of the Jews and the Christians of the Gentiles, it met with a formidable objection; often both were sharply opposed to each other in the usually mixed congregations, and not infrequently there was a serious clash. Even Peter showed himself to be weak for a moment in this conflict in Antioch, and made himself worthy of a rebuke from Paul (Galatians 2:11-14). But the apostle of the Gentiles, who also became a Jew and all, kept the great goal of unity in mind and urged love and peace in all churches. They were all one body, had one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father, who was above and in all. Through the death of Christ the middle wall of separation was broken down, and both, Jews and Gentiles, were reconciled to each other and made one new man, Ephesians 2:14 f. They did not all have to be exactly alike, for a body presupposes a diversity of members, who with their different gifts have to serve the whole, 1 Corinthians 12:4 f., and had to respect each other’s freedom, Romans 14:1-23. In confessing Christ as Lord they were one, 1 Corinthians 12:3, and all were under one duty, to do all things for the glorification of God, Romans 14:6-8, 1 Corinthians 10:31,Colossians 3:17. Paul’s work was blessed by this; the contrast gradually disappeared, and the unity of the church was preserved. But later, from century to century, heresies and schisms of all kinds divided the church of Christ. Today, with its countless denominations and sects, it presents a most distressing sight. Yet something of that unity can still be seen, inasmuch as all Christian churches are still separated from the world by one and the same baptism, are fully confirmed in the apostles’ doctrine with the confession of the twelve articles and maintain the breaking of bread and the prayers in very different forms. The church with its unity is an object of faith; although we do not see it, not as clearly as we would like, it nevertheless exists and will one day be fully established. This is also true of another characteristic of the church, namely its holiness. From the beginning access to the church was only by faith and conversion; and whoever converted was baptized and received the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:38. Although Jesus himself did not baptize, John 4:2, and also the apostles did not usually do this, Acts 10:48, 1 Corinthians 1:14-17, nevertheless baptism was conferred on all who wanted to join the church. But this baptism was always conceived in its unity of visible sign and invisible signified matter, as at the same time a renunciation of the filthiness of the body and the calling of a good conscience to God, 1 Peter 3:21, and as opposed to circumcision as a vain ceremony. Seen in this way, Baptism was indeed a salvation, like the ark that Noah saved, 1 Peter 3:20-21, a death and resurrection with Christ, Romans 6:3-4, a washing away of sins, Acts 22:16, a break with the world and entry into a new community.

Baptism thus implied a completely different relationship to the world; and it required great courage to submit to it and join the congregation of Christ. For not only did that congregation consist largely of simple and humble people (1 Corinthians 1:25-29), but they also had to endure much reproach and oppression. First the enmity and persecution came from the Jews, either from the government, Acts 4:1, Acts 5:17, Acts 6:12, Acts 9:1, etc., or from the people, who then more than once incited the Gentiles to rebellion. Acts 9:23, Acts 13:50, Acts 14:2, Acts 14:19, kActs 17:5 etc. Sometimes the Gentiles also took a hostile attitude of their own against the Christians, Acts 16:16 ff, Acts 19:23 ff, 1 Thessalonians 2:14, but this was the exception, and the government was generally not displeased, Acts 17:9, Acts 18:17, Acts 19:35 ff, Acts 21:32, Acts 23:17 ff. The persecution of the church from the side of Rome only began under Nero in the year 64. Hence the Christians expected protection rather than persecution from the Roman government, Acts 16:37, Acts 22:25, Acts 25:10, 2 Thessalonians 2:7, saw in it a power ordained by God, and urged submission to its law and prayer for its welfare, Romans 13:1-7, 1 Timothy 2:2, Titus 3:1, 1 Peter 2:13-17. And concerning the social life, the apostles gave the advice that the believer should not leave his or her unbelieving spouse, 1 Corinthians 12:1, 1 Peter 3:1, but should marry in the Lord when entering into a marriage, 1 Corinthians 7:39, 2 Corinthians 6:14; that everyone, including the slave and the slave woman, should remain in the calling to which he was called, 1 Corinthians 7:20; that one should not shun all association with unbelievers, 1 Corinthians 5:10; that one should not shun all intercourse with unbelievers, 1 Corinthians 5:10; that one should accept the invitation to a meal, but that one should refrain from eating an idolatrous sacrifice for the sake of one’s conscience and for the sake of one’s example, 1 Corinthians 10:27-28, 1 Corinthians 8:12, 1 Corinthians 10:20; that one should practice love towards all, even one’s enemies, Romans 12:14, Romans 12:17, Romans 13:10, Galatians 6:10, Colossians 4:5. 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 2 Peter 1:7, and that no thing in itself should be considered impure, because all God’s creatures are good, Romans 14:14, 1 Timothy 4:4, Hebrews 13:4. This relationship of the church to the world is thus a relationship of freedom, devoid of all false, unnatural abstinence; but it can only be so when the church is aware of her calling and walks in holiness before God. The congregation is holy, a holy people, and the believers are saints, Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:2, etc., because they are together and each for himself, for they are together and each one for himself the temple of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 6:19; they have been washed and sanctified by that Spirit in Christ Jesus, John 17:17, John 17:19, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Ephesians 5:26-27, and therefore have to avoid and to fight to the death all sins, all works of the flesh, all worldly lusts, Galatians 5:19, Colossians 3:5, Hebrews 12:1, Hebrews 12:4, and in return practice all virtues and advocate all good works, Galatians 5:22, Php 3:8, Colossians 3:12, Titus 2:14 etc. It is a life of love, which Christians must lead, Ephesians 5:2, for it is the most of all virtues, 1 Corinthians 13:13, the bond of perfection, Colossians 3:14, and the fulfillment of the law, Romans 13:10.

Discipline is a means given by Christ to the church to preserve its holy character; it must not only be exercised secretly, by one brother over another, Matthew 18:15-16, 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Hebrews 10:24, but in the case of public sins it must also be applied by the church to its members, Matthew 18:17, 1 Cor. 5: 16, and 1 Corinthians 6:16. How much this holiness left much to be desired in the apostolic age is shown by the letters, and later centuries have often witnessed a deep religious and moral decline of the church. But after each relapse, revival and renewal came about through the Spirit of Christ; the holiness of the congregation is also a characteristic that Christ acquired for it and worked out in it.

Finally, the church has the characteristic of catholicity or generality. The name first appeared in a post-apostolic document, which, in the face of all kinds of heresies and schisms, indicated that the true church is the one that adheres to the bishop and stays with the whole, because the whole, general, Catholic church is the one where Christ is. Later on, various other explanations of the name were given; it was understood that the Church is spread throughout the world, that it includes all the faithful from the beginning until the present day, that it shares all truth and grace and is therefore a sufficient means of salvation for all. These statements are not incorrect, provided that one does not think of the church exclusively in terms of one denomination, e.g. the Roman Church, but of the Christian congregation that is manifested in all churches together, in very different degrees of purity. For that congregation is indeed Catholic. Already in the Old Testament, the promise of the mother was made known to Adam and Eve, and in them to the whole human race. Even though a special people was later chosen in Abraham to be the bearer of revelation, that revelation was and remained intended for mankind. In Abraham’s seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed, Genesis 12:2. And the prophecy always kept this general destination of salvation in mind, Joel 2:32, Micah 4:1-2, Zephaniah 2:11, Isaiah 25:6-10. When Christ acted, He turned only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Matthew 15:24, but the kingdom which He preached was nevertheless absolutely universal; it was freed from all national limitations and was open to all who believed and were converted, Mark 1:15. If the Jews reject his gospel, he says, the children of the kingdom shall be cast out, and many shall come from east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Matthew 8:11-12. He himself, like the wheat-wheat, must fall into the earth and die, but shall afterwards bear much fruit, John 12:24. He has other sheep than in Israel, and must bring them also, that they may become one flock under one shepherd, John 10:16, John 11:52. After His resurrection He therefore instructs His disciples to preach the gospel to all creatures and to make all peoples His disciples, Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15; and the apostles fulfilled this command, and acted as his witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth, Acts 1:8.

It is remarkable that while Jesus constantly spoke of the kingdom of heaven and only a few times of the church, the Apostles rarely mentioned the kingdom of God but repeatedly and broadly spoke of the church of Christ. There is, however, some explanation for this. The kingdom of heaven, of which Jesus speaks, is in the first place not a collection of people, a realm of citizens, but a collection of spiritual goods and blessings, a treasure, Matthew 13:44, a pearl, Matthew 13:45, righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, Matthew 6:33, Romans 14:17. That kingdom is from heaven, and now descends to earth with and in Christ, for in Him the Father distributes all these blessings and goods, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Ephesians 1:3, The Father has ordained Him the kingdom, and He in turn ordains it to His disciples, Luke 22:29. He is already doing this on earth; when He casts out the devils by the Spirit of God, it is proof that the kingdom of God has come (Matthew 12:28). Luke 17:21; it proceeds like a tree that rises, and like a leaven that leavens all the dough, Matthew 13:31-33, and will be communicated in its entirety in the future, at the reappearance of Christ, Matthew 5:3, Matthew 6:10, Luke 12:32, Acts 14:22, 1 Corinthians 15:24-28, 2 Thessalonians 1:5 etc. That kingdom, however, from the first coming of Christ until his second coming, is given to people, to those who are born again of water and the Spirit, and who believe in the name of Christ, John 1:12-13, John 3:3, John 3:5. The apostles are the fishermen who go out with the net and gather people together to share in the present and future blessings of the kingdom (Matthew 4:19).

Thus, while Jesus proclaims the Gospel of the kingdom and explains its nature, development and future, the Apostles are called and empowered by Him to gather through that Gospel of the kingdom the congregation that will share in the treasures of that kingdom and one day fully receive and enjoy them. The word kingdom directs our attention above all to the treasures, goods and blessings that are handed out by the Father in Christ; in distinction to these, the congregation reminds us of the assembly of people who have received these goods and are about to enjoy them fully; in Christ, the congregation is the owner, possessor, keeper, distributor and heir of the kingdom of God. This is her treasure and her honor; she has no other goods. What Peter once said, the congregation can repeat in her own way: I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have, I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, arise and walk, Acts 3:6.

Since the treasures of the kingdom, which the church possesses, are all of a spiritual nature, not consisting of gold or silver, of power or violence, but of righteousness, peace and joy through the Holy Spirit, the church has the quality of universality. It is not bound by country and people, by time and place, by sex and age, by money and property; it is independent of all earthly distinctions and oppositions; it brings the Gospel to all creatures, and that Gospel is always and only Evangeline, a glad tidings that is suitable and necessary for all people, in all times, under all circumstances, for all conditions. The kingdom of God is never hostile to anything but sin. This congregation as an assembly of believers had a certain organization from the beginning. Every society, in order to avoid confusion and disintegration and to serve the purpose for which it was established, needs a set of rules for its meetings and activities; and the church of Christ, too, is subject to this general law of human society. God is not a God of confusion, but of peace; He has laid down rules for all His creatures, and He wants everything in the congregations to be done properly and in order, 1 Corinthians 14:33, 1 Corinthians 14:40. The church, as long as it is on earth, is still imperfect; each of its members and all of them together have a constant battle to wage against sin and to pursue sanctification; they need instruction, guidance, direction, encouragement, consolation, exhortation, and chastisement at all times. And not only that, but the church has to reproduce itself from generation to generation; it does not always have the same members, but loses them daily, who go over into the triumphant church, and is regularly supplemented with new members, who have to be educated and introduced into the life of the church; moreover, it has received from Christ the charge to preach the Gospel to all mankind throughout the world.

Both inwardly and outwardly it has a holy and important calling to fulfill.

If God imposes this calling on her, then at the same time He has given her the suitability and the ability to fulfill this calling. He furnishes her in such a way and equips her with gifts, powers and ministries that she can perform the task that has been laid upon her shoulders. He gave it, as Paul expresses it, Apostles, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers, so that these may carry out the work of the ministry (their different ministries) in the congregation, thereby building up the body of Christ and bringing about the perfection of the saints; and this whole organization must therefore continue until the goal is reached and everyone has come together to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the fullness of Christ. In other words, the church as an assembly of believers has received from Christ, in view of the calling she has to fulfill on earth, a certain institution, a peculiar arrangement of gifts and powers, offices and ministries, through which she can answer that calling. And this institution was not added to the congregation at a later date, but has been present in and with the congregation from the very beginning. Since we cannot deal with everything at the same time, we must first speak about the congregation as an assembly of believers and then about the regulation of its life and work; but we must not conclude from this that the former arose long before the latter and existed without the latter. God immediately organized the church on earth in the manner required by its place and task in the world. But although there is no temporal separation between the two, there is a difference. This is evident from the fact that the arrangement given to the church has changed considerably in the course of time. From the beginning of paradise there have been believers on earth, and they undoubtedly came together and met with one another. We read in Genesis 4:26 that in the days of Enos people began to call on the name of the Lord, and this probably indicates that in those days the Sethites separated from the Cainites and gathered around the confession of the Lord’s name; thus from that time there was a public worship service, consisting mainly of preaching, offering and prayer. In the patriarchal era the father was the king, but also the priest in his family; he performed the circumcision, Genesis 17:23, and fulfilled the sacrifices, Genesis 22:2, Genesis 26:1, etc. At the legislation on Sinai, when God established his covenant with a people, a great change occurred; a special priesthood and position of Levites was instituted; a specific place and time was designated for the sacrifices; the sacrifices themselves were separated and arranged; and everything relating to the holy persons, times, places and actions was carefully regulated and prescribed in detail. The Law was a yoke that was difficult to bear, Acts 15:10, but at that time it was necessary in order to sharpen the awareness of sin, to awaken the need for forgiveness, to shed light on the significance and necessity of the sacrifices, and thus to lead to Christ.

Nevertheless, under and in addition to this official, legal regulation, there was another organization of religious life in Israel. The people lived throughout Canaan and also to some extent on the other side of the Jordan. It goes without saying that only a relatively small portion could go to Jerusalem on the great feasts; moreover, all were obliged to observe the Sabbath diligently, and they all celebrated it in their own place of residence. It is obvious, and highly probable, that the believers held religious meetings on such days and gathered in the contemplation of the law, in song and prayer. In Acts 15:21 it says that Moses of old had people in every city who preached to him and that he was read in the synagogues on oak sabbath. The origin of these synagogues is unknown to us, but it certainly goes back to ancient times; and during and after the exile, when the Jews were scattered through all the countries and often lived far away from their homeland and Temple, these synagogues took on a new, rich significance. In every place where the Jews lived, a synagogue was built, where they came together regularly on the Sabbath, on feast days and also during the week, where they made a joint confession, joined in prayer, listened to the reading of a part of the law and the prophets, and to a free reading (Luke 4:21), and received the priestly blessing. The government of the congregation was entrusted to a college of elders, who had the right to discipline and exclude by ban, and who employed various officials (a synagogue leader, Mark 5:22, Matthew 5:35, Luke 8:49, Luke 13:14, who had to regulate the religious meetings; a chaplain, who had to receive the gifts of mercy; and a servant, Luke 4:20, who had to hand over the Holy Scriptures and put them away again). The entire organization of the synagogues was of the utmost importance for the religious life of the Jews, and in various respects it also served as an example for the organization of the Christian congregation.

Jesus was in the habit of attending these meetings in the synagogues, Luke 4:16, and also submitted Himself to the observance of the entire Mosaic law and fulfilled all righteousness, Matthew 3:15. Yet He came in order to bring the law to its fulfilment through this keeping and thus to put another yoke and another burden on the shoulders of His disciples in place of the hard yoke of the law, which were soft and light and gave rest to their souls (Matthew 11:29-30). He preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and gathered disciples around Him, who recognized Him as their Master and gradually became more deeply acquainted with His person and work. From this circle of disciples He chose, in view of the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 28:1), twelve to whom He also gave the name of Apostles (Luke 13:1). The gravity and weight of this choice appear from the fact that He made it after a night spent alone on the mountain praying to God (Luke 6:12). The name Apostle, which He gave to these twelve disciples, generally means envoy, messenger, missionary, and was not uncommon in those days; among the Jews, men who were sent from Jerusalem to collect money for the Temple were probably called that. In the New Testament Jesus himself, Hebrews 3:1, and also Barnabas, Acts 14:4, Acts 14:14, and perhaps here or there another servant of the Gospel are so called; but soon the name apostle is limited to the twelve, who were chosen by Jesus, and to Paul, who later in a special way was called and appointed apostle of the Gentiles, Acts 1:2, Acts 2:37, Galatians 1:17, 1 Corinthians 9:5, 1 Corinthians 15:7, Revelation 2:2, Revelation 18:20-21, Revelation 21:14 etc. The nearest intention in choosing these apostles was, that they should be with Jesus and be sent out by Him, to preach and to heal diseases, Mark 3:14-15. According to Matthew 10:1 (Mark 6:9, Luke 9:1) Jesus therefore sent them out to the various villages and towns of Galilee. By this mission Jesus undoubtedly meant to bring the Gospel to those Jews whom He could not reach Himself, but at the same time He was preparing His Apostles for their future calling. And that vocation was none other than to act as His witnesses in the midst of the world after Jesus’ ascension and to build His church on that witness. He prepared them for this in a special way, by his interaction and teaching, by letting them be witnesses to his words and works, his life and sufferings, his death and especially his resurrection, Acts 1:8, Acts 1:22, Acts 2:32, Acts 3:15 etc., and by promising and sending them that Spirit of truth, who would lead them in all truth, comfort them and remain with them forever, John 14:17, John 15:26, John 16:7, John 20:22. And with this empowerment He gave them a special power, namely the power to preach and teach, to miraculously heal all kinds of sick people, to administer baptism and the Lord’s Supper, to exercise discipline and to open and close the kingdom of heaven by forgiving or not forgiving sins, Matthew 16:19, Matthew 18:18, Matthew 28:19, John 20:23; the apostles were servants of Christ and dispensers of the mysteries of God, 1 Corinthians 4:1.

Among the apostles, Peter occupied the first place. He was the son of Jonas, a fisherman in Bethsaida, John 1:43-44, and already married at Capernaum, when he came to know Jesus, Mark. His name was originally Simon, but was immediately supplemented by Jesus at the first meeting with that of Cephas or Peter, the rock man, John 1:43. The name was an expression of his being, of his perseverance, boldness, openness and steadfastness. This is how we got to know him during Jesus’ life; he was the first chosen one among the apostles, Mark 3:13, and acted as their forerunner, representative and spokesman. His steadfastness was put to a severe test in the suffering of Christ and succumbed to his terrible denial. But out of that deep fall Jesus raised him up and restored him, Luke 22:32, John 21:15 ff, and he was better able to strengthen his brethren, Luke 22:32. Thus he came to the fore again immediately after Jesus’ ascension, at the election of Matthias, Acts 1:15 f., at the preaching on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:14 f., at doing miracles, Acts 3:6, At the judgement of Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5:4, at the visitation to Samaria, Acts 8:14, at the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles, Acts 10:1, at the meeting in Jerusalem, Acts 15:7. The Roman Catholics infer from all this that Peter stood in rank above all the other apostles and that he was later the first pope in Rome. But there is no basis for this. He was the first among his peers, but had no rank and no power above them; the other eleven were apostles just as he was; the power of preaching and teaching, of administering baptism and the Lord’s Supper, of opening and closing the kingdom of heaven, was given to him not only in Matthew 16:19, but also in all the other apostles. Matthew 16:19, but also to all the other apostles, Matthew 18:18, Matthew 28:19, John 20:23; after Acts 15:1-41 Peter even withdraws, so that we only know that he was in Antioch, Galatians 2:11, and Babylon, 1 Peter 5:13, and later died a martyr in Rome, John 21:18-19. 1 Corinthians 9:1, but otherwise in rank, office, power and work he is inferior to none of them, 1 Corinthians 15:10, 2 Corinthians 11:23, 2 Corinthians 12:11, and in Antioch he even punished Peter, Galatians 2:11.

If Jesus then also in Matt. 16 : 18 after Peter’s courageous and clear confession of his Messianity, Jesus addresses him: You are Peter, and on this Peter I will build my church, then He does not refer to the person of Peter, nor to the confession he had made, apart from his person, but He has in mind the confessing Peter (Peter as a confessor, and even more Peter as a confessor of Christ in the name of all his Apostles); And that was not Peter alone, but all the apostles, so that the church is not built on Peter alone, but on all of them together. The apostleship is and remains the foundation of the church; there is no fellowship with Christ except through fellowship with them and with their word, John 17:20, 1 John 1:3.

Immediately after Jesus’ ascension, these apostles stood at the head of the congregation in Jerusalem and constituted, as it were, its church council. All power rested with them; they had not received it from the congregation, but from Christ; but it was a power, as Peter himself later describes it, to pasture God’s flock and to exercise control over it, not by compulsion, but willingly; not for shameful gain, but from the fullness of heart; not as lording it over the Lord’s inheritance, but so as to be an example to the congregation in all Christian virtues, 1 Peter 5:2-3. The apostolate is above, but at the same time is for the service and benefit of the congregation; it was instituted by Christ for her sake, Ephesians 4:11-12, Ephesians 1:15, preaching and baptizing, 2:38, teaching the truth, breaking bread, fellowship and prayers, 2:42, performing miracles and signs, 2:43, distributing the gifts among the poor brothers and sisters, 4:37, 5:2. At first there was no other office than that of the apostles; they did everything that is done today by teachers and pastors, elders and deacons. - But this state of affairs could not last long. As the congregation expanded, and especially as congregations came into being outside of Jerusalem in Judea, Samaria, Galilee and later also in the Gentile world, counsel and help had to be provided. This was done in two ways: for all the churches together and for each church in particular. The congregations that gradually arose outside Jerusalem in other cities and towns were not and did not become subordinate to the congregation in Jerusalem, but stood independently beside it. The congregation in Jerusalem may be called the mother congregation insofar as this is meant to imply that she was the first and that the other congregations arose through her missionary work; but the name is incorrect if one wants to indicate by it that the other congregations were in a relationship of dependence on the one in Jerusalem. In this sense there is not and cannot be a mother church, for every church, even the smallest and smallest, owes its origin and existence solely and directly to Christ and his Spirit, even if the latter uses the mission as a means to that end. Every congregation, therefore, is a congregation of Christ and not an offshoot or a colony of a congregation elsewhere, be it in Jerusalem, Rome, or anywhere else. But even though the congregations that were gradually being established in Palestine and elsewhere were sisters and not daughters of the congregation in Jerusalem, it is remarkable that they all continued to depend on and be subject to the college of the apostles without distinction and in the same sense. The apostles were much more than a local church council; they were and remained the church council of the entire Christian congregation, wherever it was established. Therefore, as soon as Samaria had accepted the word of God, the apostles sent Peter and John there to pray for the believers, to lay hands on them to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and furthermore to preach the word among them (Acts 8:13-25); and later Peter travelled through all the new churches in Judea, Samaria and Galilee, to strengthen them and to promote the mutual fellowship (Acts 9:31-32).

Thus the churches did not stand apart from one another, and were not left to their own devices, but retained their foundation and center in the apostolate. But this considerably increased the apostles’ activity, and made it necessary both to divide their work and to increase their manpower. The first came about because at the convention in Jerusalem it was agreed in brotherly consultation that the Apostles should go to the Jews in Jerusalem and Paul to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:6-9). Of course this division was not meant in such a strict sense that Paul was never again to associate with the Jews, and the apostles in Jerusalem never again to associate with the Gentiles; for Paul continued to turn first to his fellow countrymen, whom he loved so dearly, and Peter, John and James, according to their letters, also worked among the Christians from the Gentiles. But it was still a division that generally drew boundaries and gave both parties relief and freedom of work. In the second place, the apostles added co-workers to assist them in their many labors (as did Barnabas, Acts 13:2, Mark and Luke, Acts 12:25, Acts 13:5, Philemon 1:1-25, Timothy, and others). Philemon 1:1, Philemon 1:24, Timothy, Romans 16:21, 1 Thessalonians 3:2, Titus, 2 Corinthians 8:23, Silas, Acts 15:40 etc., ver. Romans 16:9, Php 2:25, Php 4:3, Colossians 4:1-11), and also, like Philippus, Acts 8:5, Acts 21:8, bore the name of evangelists, Ephesians 4:11, 2 Timothy 4:5; and that they further received help from the prophets, who held no particular office, but received a special gift from God (like Agabus, Acts 11:28, Acts 21:10, the daughters of Philip, Acts 21:9), to instruct the church, and to build it up in the truth, 1 Corinthians 12:28, 1 Corinthians 14:4, 1 Corinthians 14:22, Ephesians 4:11.

All these offices, of apostles, prophets and evangelists, have passed away in as far as their bearers have died and from the nature of the case have not been replaced by any other. They were needed in the time outside when the church had to be established on earth. But their labor has not been in vain in the Lord. For in the first place they have indeed founded the church on the foundation of Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 3:11, and in the second place their testimony in the books of the New Testament, in the Gospels and the Epistles, in the Acts and in Revelation, lives on in the church to this very day. Through that testimony the church is enabled to persevere throughout all time in the apostles’ doctrine, in the fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayers (Acts 2:42). The word of the apostles, spoken and then written, maintains and safeguards the unity of the church, not only throughout the world, but also throughout the ages.

Just as the apostles received help in governing the church as a whole through the special offices of prophets and evangelists, so they were supported in the care of each local church through the ministry of elders and deacons. At first the apostles themselves were also distributors of the gifts of mercy, Acts 4:37, Acts 5:2, but as the congregation grew larger they could no longer perform this work themselves. In response to a dispute that arose in the congregation about the daily ministry, they proposed that seven men, full of faith and the Holy Spirit, be chosen for the ministry of the tablets, Acts 6:1-6. There has always been much difference as to whether we are describing the institution of the deacon ministry here; and it is not impossible that the ministry of seven men, which was instituted by the apostles in Acts 6:1-15, originally included more service and labor than the later deacon ministry. But it is clearly stated that the apostles retained for themselves the ministry of the word and the service of prayer, Acts 6:4, and that the seven new men were charged with the service of the tablets, that is, with the regulation of everything that related to the common meals (usually concluded with the celebration of Holy Communion), and the distribution to the poor of the gifts of food, drink and money that were brought along for these meals by the faithful and were left over afterwards. This deacon ministry was later adopted in other churches; there is mention of deacons in Philippi, Php 1:1, and in Ephesus, 1 Timothy 3:8, compare. Romans 12:8, 1 Corinthians 12:28 (helpers). In 1 Timothy 3:8 f. Paul lists the requirements which the deacons must meet. The apostles in Jerusalem had already done this; they proposed to the congregation that seven men be chosen, and designated their required qualities, their office and service; then the congregation chose them; but finally it is the apostles again who appoint them with the laying on of hands and entrust them with the office.

Next to the deacons are the elders. We are not told anything about their origins; but if we consider that the Jews were accustomed to being ruled by elders, both civilly and in the synagogues, there is nothing strange in the fact that some of the other members of the congregation were entrusted with the care of supervision and discipline. They are first mentioned in Acts 11:30, where they receive the gifts that Barnabas and Saul brought for the benefit of the brethren living in Judea, and in Acts 15:2 f they participate with the Apostles in the meeting called in Jerusalem for the regulation of the missionary work among Jews and Gentiles. This office of the elder was also soon introduced in other churches. Paul and Barnabas had elders elected in every congregation they founded on their missionary journeys. Acts 21:18; we find them also in Ephesus, Acts 20:28, and in Philippi, Php 1:1, under the name of overseers, in 1 Corinthians 12:28 perhaps under that of governors, in Ephesians 4:11 under that of pastors and teachers; cf. also 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 1 Corinthians 16:15-16, Romans 12:8, Hebrews 13:7, Hebrews 13:17, Hebrews 13:24, 1 Peter 5:1-2, James 5:14-16, 1 Timothy 4:14, 1 Timothy 5:17-22, Titus 1:5-9. In 1 Timothy 3:1 and Titus 1:6-9 Paul indicates their requirements, and in Titus 1:5 he instructs Titus to appoint elders in every congregation. These elders were charged with the oversight of the congregation, Acts 20:28, Ephesians 4:11 (shepherds), 1 Peter 5:2, and still within the apostolic era they were distinguished into those who ruled, and others who worked in the ministry of the word and the teaching of the truth, 1 Timothy 5:17, Hebrews 13:7, 1 Peter 4:11, 1 Timothy 3:2 fable to teach). Perhaps also in Diotrephes, who according to 3 John 1:9 had the first place in the congregation, but abused his power, and in the angels or ambassadors of the seven churches, Revelation 2:1, Revelation 2:8 etc., one can think of such a teacher, who worked in the word in distinction to his fellow elders and thereby occupied a distinctive, significant place. This was the simple arrangement that the apostles made for the government of the congregation. The offices established by them are not numerous; there are in fact only two, that of elder and deacon, although the former is divided into that of the teaching elder and that of the governing elder. These offices were also ordained by the apostles; they established the service and the requirements for it, but in selecting the persons they took into account the congregation and then led them into their offices by the laying on of hands. There was no question of a governing power. Since Christ alone is the head of the congregation, Ephesians 1:22, the only Master, Matthew 23:8, Matthew 23:10, and Lord, John 13:13, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Php 2:11, there can never be a power in the church that stands beside or opposed to His, but only such a power that is given by Him and remains bound to Him. This was true of the extraordinary offices of apostle, prophet and evangelist, which were instituted by Christ in the first period before the foundation of the church in the world; they received their office and their power from Christ and not from the church, but had to use that power in the service of the church, Matthew 20:25-27, 1 Peter 5:3. In a stronger sense, this applies to the ordinary offices that still exist in the church today. The pastors and teachers, the elders and deacons also owe their office and their power to Christ, who instituted these offices and maintains them continually, who gives the persons with their gifts and allows the congregation to appoint them, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11. The office was instituted so that the congregation would persevere through it in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers, Acts 2:42. But this whole, simple and yet so beautiful arrangement degenerated and degenerated very soon after the time of the apostles. First the so-called episcopate (the bishop’s office) emerged. In the New Testament and also in some writings from the post-apostolic era, the names of elder (presbyter) and bishop (episcopus-bishop) still designate the same persons; the bishopric (supervising and disciplining) was the description of the task assigned to the elected elders (Acts 20:17ff. Acts 20:28, Titus 1:5 ff. Titus 1:7, 1 Peter 5:1-2. But in the beginning of the second century some churches already made a distinction between both; the bishop (episcopus) was elevated above the elders (presbyters) and deacons, and was considered the bearer of a special ministry, the successor of the apostles, the guardian of pure doctrine and the cornerstone of the church. The hierarchical path was thus taken, and this led, on the one hand, to the stripping of the elders and deacons of all their autonomy and to the lowering of the faithful to feeble laymen, and, on the other hand, to the bishops as priests and priests of the Church, to place the bishops as priests high above the congregation and to raise from among them the Bishop of Rome once again to be the sovereign of the whole church, who, as the successor of Peter, holds the keys of the kingdom of heaven, is the substitute for Christ on earth, and as Pope is vested with divine, infallible power in matters of faith and life. This development of priestly government in the church of Christ met with resistance and opposition at every step it took. But it was not until the Reformation that it came to such a serious conflict that Christianity was from then on torn into two large parts. Some, like the Anabaptists, went to another extreme and considered all office, authority, and power to be in conflict with the church of Christ; others, like the Anglican church in England, broke the tie. Others, like the Anglican Church in England, broke the ties with the Pope in Rome, but maintained episcopal government; the Lutherans restored the preaching ministry, but gradually left the government of the church and the care of the poor entirely to the civil authorities; all kinds of systems of church government co-existed, and to this day there is no less difference between the many Christian denominations as to the organization and government of the church than as to its confession.

Calvin is to be honored that he, fighting the Roman Catholic priesthood, restored the office of elder and deacon along with that of preacher. Through him the church again received its own territory and an independent task. For its independence, for the free exercise of its discipline, for the pure maintenance of the ministry of Word and Sacrament, he has fought a hard battle for years. But with that church he did not think first of all of the offices and their bearers, of the church as an institution, but he saw it as, above all things, an assembly of Christ-followers, who by their confession and their offense had to prove that they were God’s people, and who were all personally anointed with Christ as prophets and priests and kings. The Church is at the same time and in one mother and community of the faithful. It is something else and more than a crowd that gathers on Sundays to listen to the preaching; it is a community that exerts its influence inside and out during the week as well. The preaching ministry is only one of the ministries; next to it there is the elderhood, which has to exercise supervision and discipline, also by personal visits to the homes; the deaconhood, which has to show mercy to all the poor and sick; the doctorhood, which has to develop, teach and defend the truth. And while each church is independent, and owes its origin and existence, its gifts and power, its offices and ministries, to Christ alone, it is nevertheless intimately connected with all the churches that stand with it on the same foundation. That is how it was in the apostolic age. Every congregation, however small and feeble, was a congregation of Christ, His body and temple.

Christ, His body and temple; but every congregation was also included in the spiritual context of all the congregations, without having first to judge or decide. All the churches together form one church, Matthew 16:18; they are all subject to the authority of the apostles, who by their word lay the foundation of the whole church, Ephesians 2:20; they are one in life and confession, have one baptism, one faith, one Spirit, one Lord, one God and Father, who is above them all and in them all, Ephesians 4:3-6; they maintain fellowship with one another by traveling brethren, e.g. Aquila and Priscilla, Acts 18:2, Acts 18:18, Romans 16:3, 2 Timothy 4:19, by reciprocal greetings, Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, by serving one another with gifts of love, Acts 11:29, 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2 Corinthians 8:1, 2 Corinthians 8:4, 2 Corinthians 9:1, Galatians 2:10, by sending to each other the letters which the apostles had written to them, Colossians 4:16; and they also begin, when occasion arises, to consult one another and to take decisions together, Acts 15:1-41. Of all the systems of church government, the Presbyterian, which was restored by Calvin, is the most similar to that of the apostolic age.

All the services and offices which Christ instituted in His congregation find their center in the Word. He gave His disciples no temporal power, Matthew 20:25-27, nor priestly dominion, 1 Peter 5:3, for they are all spiritual men, 1 Corinthians 2:10-16, anointed with the Holy Spirit, 1 John 2:20, and forming together a royal priesthood, 1 Peter 2:9. The gifts and offices serve only that one another through love, Romans 13:8, Galatians 5:13. And the weapons of their war are all spiritual in nature, 2 Corinthians 10:4; they are the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, Ephesians 6:14-17. For this reason the Word is also the only sign by which the truth and purity of Christ’s church can be recognized. By the Word all true members of the congregation were reborn and brought to faith and conversion, were cleansed and sanctified, gathered and confirmed; and from their side they are called to keep that Word, John 8:31, John 14:23, to examine it, John 5:39, to test their spirits according to it, 1 John 4:1, and to avoid all those who do not teach it, Galatians 1:8, Titus 3:10, 2 John 1:9. The word of God is indeed, according to Calvin’s expression, the soul of the church. This word is not given exclusively to the church as an institution, to the office bearers, but to all believers, John 5:39, Acts 17:11, so that they may have hope through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures, Romans 15:4, and may also teach and admonish one another, Romans 12:7-8, Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 10:24-25. Rome has misunderstood this, but the Reformation has put the Bible back into the hands of all, and thus opened for family and school, for science and art, for society and state, and for every believer a source of teaching and instruction. But in addition, God has also provided a ministerial ministry for that word; He has given and continues to give pastors and teachers (1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Timothy 5:17, 2 Timothy 2:2), who must minister that word in public and in the homes (Acts 20:20), as milk to the young, as solid food to the mature members of the congregation (1 Corinthians 3:2, Hebrews 5:2). 1 Corinthians 3:2, Hebrews 5:12, 1 Peter 2:2, in accordance with the needs of each people and of each age, of each congregation and of each believer in particular, Acts 20:20, Acts 20:27, 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 4:2. Yes, the ministry of the word means that the word is preserved, translated, explained, spread, defended and preached to all mankind; thus the church continues to be built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Ephesians 2:20, and is what it ought to be, a pillar and a firm ground of the truth, 1 Timothy 3:15. This word receives its confirmation in the sacraments, which are signs and seals of the covenant of grace and thus serve to strengthen faith. In the Old Testament God instituted circumcision (Genesis 17:7) and the passover (Exodus 12:7 ff) for this purpose. 2:28, 29; and the passover pointed to Christ as sacrifice and sacrificial meal, John 1:29, John 1:36, John 19:33, John 19:36; both were therefore also fulfilled by Christ in his suffering and death, Colossians 2:11, 1 Corinthians 5:7, and thus in the New Testament by baptism, Matthew 28:19, and supper, Matthew 26:17, replaced. These two signs, which are generally referred to as sacraments (mysteries, cf. 1 Corinthians 4:1), and which Rome, without scriptural foundation, has increased by five (confession, penance, marriage, ordination and last rites) and by countless ceremonies, do not contain the grace of God locally and materially, but are reminders of and confirmations of the grace which God bestows through the Holy Spirit in the hearts of His believers. They have as their content the whole covenant of grace with all its benefits, or in other words, Christ Himself, and accordingly do not distribute these benefits except in the way of faith. They are thus instituted for the believers and assure them of their part in Christ; they do not precede the word, but follow it; they do not bestow any special grace, which cannot be communicated by the word and accepted by faith; but they are built on the institution of the covenant of grace from God’s side and on the consent to that covenant from man’s side.

Baptism is specifically a sign and seal of the benefits of forgiveness, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, and of regeneration, Titus 3:5, an incorporation into the fellowship with Christ and his church, Romans 6:4. Therefore this baptism is not only administered to the adults, who are won to Christ through the work of the mission, but also to the children of the believers, for they are included in the covenant of grace with their parents, Genesis 17:7, Genesis 17:10, Matthew 18:2-3, Matthew 19:14, Acts 21:16, Acts 2:39, belong to the church, 1 Corinthians 7:14, and are included in the fellowship with the Lord, Ephesians 6:1, Colossians 3:20. And when these children grow up, and through public confession personally assent to the covenant of grace, when they have come to years of discernment, test themselves, and are able to discern the body and blood of the Lord, 1 Corinthians 11:28, then they are called to proclaim the Lord’s death with the whole congregation every time, until He comes, and thereby strengthen themselves in the fellowship with Christ. For while baptism and supper have the same covenant of grace as their contents, and both also give assurance of the blessing of the forgiveness of sins, supper is different from baptism in that it is a sign and seal, not of the incorporation, but of the warming up and strengthening in the fellowship of Christ and of all His members, 1 Corinthians 10:16-17.

Finally, to this ministry of word and sacrament comes the exercise of discipline and the service of mercy. Discipline, which also bears the name of key power, is administered first to Peter, Matthew 18:18, John 20:20, and then to the whole congregation in its official organization, Matthew 18:7, 1 Corinthians 5:4, 2 Thessalonians 3:14, consists of the congregation, through its ministers, in the name of the Lord, telling the righteous that it will be good for them, and the wicked that it will be bad for them, Isaiah 3:10-11. She does it especially and personally in the ministerial home visit, which in the Reformed churches has replaced the Roman confession and is based on the apostolic example, Matthew 10:12, John 21:15-17, Acts 20:20, Hebrews 13:17. And finally she does it also in special admonitions, which in case of persistence in sin, can lead to expulsion from the community, Matthew 18:15-17, Romans 16:17, 1 Corinthians 5:2, 1 Corinthians 5:9-13, 2 Corinthians 2:5-10, 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 2 Thessalonians 3:14, Titus 3:10, 2 John 1:10, Revelation 2:2. But while the congregation in Christ’s name takes care of the Lord’s holiness and removes sinners from its midst, it has compassion on all the poor and sick, and provides for their spiritual and physical needs. Thus did Christ Himself, Matthew 11:5, and His disciples consent to do, Matthew 5:42-45, Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 25:34 ff, Mark 14:7 etc. They must contribute to the needs of the saints, Romans 12:13, distribute in simplicity, show mercy in cheerfulness, Romans 12:8, visit widows and orphans in their tribulation. James 1:27, pray for the sick in the name of the Lord, James 5:14, and in general bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ, Romans 12:15, Galatians 6:2.

Faith and love are the strength of the Lord’s church; and to these two it binds its hope. In the midst of a world that does not know where it is going and often falls into despondency and doubt, the church expresses its joyful expectation: I believe in the forgiveness of sins, in the resurrection of the flesh and in eternal life.