02.07. SECTION II: Relationship Indicators in NT Churches
SECTION II RELATIONAL INDICATORS IN NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHES
If New Testament Churches were not tied to one another through an organization, how were they related? How aware of one another were they? Did each church just “plow its own row,” or was there a sense of mutual fraternity? The answer is apparent in the biblical record.
They knew about one another, identified with one another, and considered themselves to be a organically connected in the Kingdom of God on Earth.
INDICATOR #1, APOSTOLIC TRAVEL
One of the ways in which the churches became acquainted with one another was a result of apostles’ and apostolic delegate’s constant travel among the churches. Anyone acquainted with the New Testament record immediately will affirm this truth, but just for the record, here are some examples, Acts 9:32-43 Peter toured the churches in Judaea, Galilee and Samaria, teaching, visiting, performing miracles. The record intimates that the churches in these areas kept up with his itinerary among them.
Acts 11:22-30 Prominent members of the Jerusalem Church, apostles and prophets, travelled back and forth between the churches.
Acts 13:1-52; Acts 14:1-28 Paul and Barnabas travelled in Galatia planting churches, then returned to Antioch and told that church about the new churches that had been planted.
Acts 15:3 Paul and a committee from Antioch travelled through Phoenicia and Samaria, informing the churches about the new churches that had been planted in Galatia and Pisidia.
Acts 16:1-4 Paul & Silas travelled among the churches Galatia, delivering the letter from Jerusalem.
Acts 17:1-15 Paul travelled in Macedonia, preaching the Gospel and planting churches, often accompanied in each place by believers from his last stop.
Acts 18:23 Paul travelled among the churches of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples.
Acts 19:1-41, Acts 20:1-38 Paul visited Ephesus, Macedonia, Achaia, Asia, in a general tour. 18 Acts 21:4 Upon arriving at Tyre, Paul and his company looked up the disciples.
Acts 21:7 At Ptolemais, Paul and his companions greeted the brethren and spent a day with them.
Acts 21:8 Paul and his companions spent several days at Caesarea.
Acts 21:17-20 a Paul reported to the Jerusalem Churches all the news about the Gentile churches.
Acts 27:3 While travelling as a prisoner to Rome, Paul was allowed to visit his friends in Sidon.
Certainly, in all of these visits, Paul spoke of the brethren in other places. Since he was a man of prayer, he probably solicited prayer in each place, for churches that were facing struggles.
INDICATOR #2 IN HIS TRAVELS, PAUL FREQUENTLY WAS ACCOMPANIED BY COMPANIONS FROM SEVERAL CHURCHES These homogenous teams represented a mind-set that said, “We are in this together.”
Here are some examples of Paul’s travelling companions.
Acts 13:4-5 Barnabas and John Mark, both originally from the Jerusalem Church, began the journey with Paul.
Acts 15:2; Acts 15:32 A group from Antioch accompanied Paul and Barnabas to the Jerusalem Council.
Some prophets from Jerusalem travelled back to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
Acts 16:1-3 On the second missionary journey, Paul had Silas from Jerusalem as his initial companion. They quickly were joined by Timothy from Lystra or Derbe in Galatia.
Acts 16:11 Luke joined Paul, Barnabas, and Timothy, as they set sail for Macedonia (note the “we”) Acts 19:29 Gaius and Aristarchus, from Macedonia, accompanied Paul to Ephesus.
Acts 20:4 On his trip through Macdonia, Syria, Asia, and to Jerusalem, Paul was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy (Lystra or Derbe), and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. With such a combined team, often commissioned by a local church, there was a sense of “being in this thing together.”19 INDICATOR #3 CHURCHES COMMENDED TRAVELING MINISTRIES TO ONE ANOTHER The most obvious example of this is found in Acts 18:27-28 And when he [Apollos] wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he helped greatly those who had believed through grace; for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. This is a very significant example, because Ephesus was located in Asia; Achaia was across the Aegean Sea, on another continent. For the Ephesian brothers to know the Achaian brothers well enough to write a letter of commendation for Apollos, indicates that a genuine relationship existed. Not only did the churches know one another, but they trusted one another.
INDICATOR #4 COOPERATION IN MINISTRY
There are various hints of co-operation in ministry, the most outstanding being the collection for the saints at Jerusalem. We will elaborate on this in the next section.
INDICATOR #5 VISITORS TO A CITY SOUGHT OUT FELLOW BELIEVERS The many exhortations to hospitality reflected this practice. When believers from one city, travelled to another city, it was customary for them to stay in the homes of believers.
Paul’s exhortation to the Roman Church concerning Phoebe is a clear illustration of a church’s caring for believers visiting their area.
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; (Romans 16:1) INDICATOR #6 WRITTEN GREETINGS TO ONE ANOTHER Apostolic Epistles often include greetings from one church to another. Here are some examples.
ß From Corinth and the other churches of Achia, greetings to the Church in Rome, All the churches of Christ greet you…Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother. (Romans 16:16 b, Romans 16:23)20 ß From Ephesus and the churches of Asia, greetings to the Church in Corinth and Achaia, The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 1 Corinthians (1 Corinthians 16:19-20) ß The date of Paul’s letter to the Galatians is either 49 AD or about 57 AD. The setting allows for either date. If the earlier date is correct, it was written from Antioch, and contains greetings from the church there. If the later date is correct, it contains greetings from either Ephesus or Greece. In either case, brethren from one of these churches sent greetings to the Church in Galatia.
Paul, an apostle (not sent from men, nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, (Galatians 1:1-3) ß The Church at Rome sent greetings to the Churches in Asia Minor.
She who is in Babylon [Rome], chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark. (1 Peter 5:13) INDICATOR #7 THE CHURCHES SHARED APOSTOLIC LETTERS The letters written by the apostles came to be viewed as more than just occasional letters. The churches understood them to be repositories of Divine Revelation. Of special importance is Peter’s comment concerning the writings of Paul. By way of background, Peter’s two letters were written from Rome to the churches of Northern Asia Minor: Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. In his First Epistle, Peter discussed the coming persecution that these churches were going to face. Second Peter was dispatched to these churches after the threat of persecution had passed; the new threat was the danger posed by itinerant teachers of false doctrine. In his warnings about those who distort Scripture, Peter described Paul’s writings as being in the same class as the Old Testament. Of special relevance to our discussion is Peter’s assumption that at least some of Paul’s letters were known and shared by these churches.
Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:14-18)21 Paul seems to have dispatched a letter to Colossae at the same time that he sent another letter to its nearby neighbor, Laodicea. The Colossians were Phrygian Gentiles who religious antecedents were highly emotional and mystical. They were seeking to attain to the fullness of God and when teachers came among them with a philosophy that promised a mystic knowledge of God, they were entranced by it. The Colossian letter was written to address this problem. Evidently it was a problem that plagued the other churches as well, because Paul instructed the Colossians to pass their letter on to Laodicea and then for the Colossians to read the letter that he sent to Laodicea.
Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. And when this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. (Colossians 4:15-16) Clearly, this exchange of letters implied a relationship between the churches as well as a common relationship to the writings of Paul.
Paul’s Second Epistle to Corinth is addressed not only to Corinth, but to all of the saints who are throughout Achaia. (2 Corinthians 1:1) In like fashion, Paul’s Galatian Epistle was not written to a single church, but to the churches of Galatia. (Galatians 1:1-2) The Revelation of John was not written to a single church, but was written to seven churches in Asia.
John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne; (Revelation 1:4) I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.” (Revelation 22:16) From these examples, it can be seen that the churches of the New Testament viewed themselves as being a part of a fraternity that was linked together by a common revelation and a common body of Scripture.
INDICATOR #8 APOSTOLIC REPORTS The New Testament Churches had knowledge of one another because Paul referred to various churches in his letters. Here are some examples, Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, (2 Corinthians 8:1) And we have sent along with him the brother whose fame in the things of the gospel has spread through all the churches; and not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work, which
Paul stated in his letters that that there was uniformity of practice in the conduct of church services and in behavioral matters. Here are some examples. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church. (1 Corinthians 4:17) The instruction that Paul and Timothy gave to the Corinthians, whether it be the impartation of information or instruction in conduct, conformed to what was practiced in all of the churches. This was a gentle nudge on the Corinthians, who throughout the letter are pictured as a church that was on a maverick course. This verse brings to mind Paul’s statement in 1 Timothy 3:15, I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And thus I direct in all the churches. (1 Corinthians 7:17) In this passage, Paul is discussing whether or not a believer should leave his unbelieving spouse, whether an uncircumcised person should be circumcised, whether or not a slave should seek freedom, etc. He concludes in verse 24 by stating, Brethren, let each man remain with God in that condition in which he was called. Relevant to our study is the statement in verse 17, and thus I direct in all the churches. Each church in which Paul had a role, had received the same instruction on this point.
Now I praise you because you remember me in everything, and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. (1 Corinthians 11:2) The word translated traditions (parado>seiv) refers, in this passage, to traditions that have to do with the worship service.
25 Paul is stating that the tradition which was handed down to him and the one that he passed on to them was that women should have some sort of head-covering when they prayed or prophesied in church gatherings. This was the instruction that he gave to all of the churches. He concludes this discussion by writing, But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God (verse 16). In other words, this was the uniform practice of all New Testament Churches.23 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. (1 Corinthians 14:33) 26 This is the conclusion of Paul’s discussion of the use of tongues in a worship service. The Corinthian Church had a disorderly service. Paul says in essence that a worship service should reflect the character and personality of God. The Corinthian Church’s disregard for order was a violation of God’s character. Paul urged them to quit marching to the beat of a different drum, but to get in line with the rest of the churches. From these and other statements, it is clear that there was uniformity, perhaps even conformity, in the New Testament churches. A believer from one region, visiting a church in another region, would have felt quite at home, whether in Galatia, Achaia, Macedonia, Syria, Asia, Rome, or Judea. This conformity was an indicator of their being a part of the one Universal Church.
INDICATOR #10 LOCAL CHURCHES VIEWED THEMSELVES AS VESSELS OF THE SAME HOLY SPIRIT Paul said that one’s salvation was evidenced by his possession of the Holy Spirit. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:1314) Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22) Paul also spoke of the shared Christian life as the fellowship of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:4; Php 2:1) When the Galatians began to succumb to the false teachers who were advocating circumcision as a requirement for salvation, Paul challenged them about how they received the Holy Spirit.
You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain-- if indeed it was in vain? Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? (Galatians 3:1-5) This was one of Paul’s strongest arguments, in his discourse against the gospel of legalism. They knew that they had received the Holy Spirit. His presence was an evident part of their private lives and of the corporate life of the church. From these and many other statements in the New Testament, it is apparent that the presence of the Holy Spirit 24 was an essential element of “Church.” Three Temples of the Holy Spirit are mentioned in Scripture.
ß The individual believer’s body (1 Corinthians 6:19) ß The local church (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) ß The world-wide church (Ephesians 2:21-22) Each local church, and thus the world-wide Christian community, is a dwelling place for the Spirit. A survey of Acts would reveal that a constant element in the life of the New Testament Church was “the Spirit said to them.” Without the presence of the Holy Spirit, a church is just a dead organization. Even as twins receive life and nourishment from the same mother’s breast, so each local church is dependent upon the Holy Spirit for its life. Having a common source of spiritual life, so richly experienced by the New Testament Churches, gave them a sense of oneness.
CONCLUSION A survey of Acts, the Epistles, and the Revelation of John, reveals many indicators of the fraternal relationship that existed between the New Testament Churches.
None considered itself to be an isolated entity. They viewed themselves as constituting an Empire-wide spiritual network.