02.37. Unity of New Testament Assemblies

Unity of New Testament Assemblies Teaching of Corinthians The Epistle to the Corinthians is preeminently the Epistle on Church order, as we have previously pointed out in chapter III. We shall therefore turn to this Epistle for instruction as to the question of what relationship should exist between Assemblies of believers. In 1 Corinthians 1:2 we see the principle of the unity of Assemblies taught in the very beginning of the Epistle, for Paul addresses it "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth ... with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours." He does not think of the Assembly at Corinth as standing independently of Assemblies of believers elsewhere, but links them up with "all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ." And what is more, he meant that this important Epistle on Church order was to be, not only for those at Corinth, but for believers everywhere. In 1 Corinthians 4:17 the apostle says he had sent Timotheus to them "who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church." There was uniformity in the apostle’s ways and teaching; he acted the same and taught the same in every Assembly and thereby set for the believers an example of the unity that should be among the Assemblies in teaching and practice.

Going on 1 Corinthians 7:1-40, where the question of marriage is taken up, the apostle says in 1 Corinthians 7:17 : "But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches." There was to be one teaching and practice as to marital relationships in all the Assemblies.

Then in 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 where the subject is woman covering her head when praying or prophesying, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:16, "But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God." There was one practice and order among all the Assemblies regarding women wearing a head covering. In 1 Corinthians 14:33 the apostle writes: "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." In all the Assemblies things were to be "done decently and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:40), and in peace. A further notice of unity is seen in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2. "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him." Even as to the common matter of the collection there was to be a unified practice among the Assemblies of Galatia, and among all others, of the believers laying aside in store upon the first day of the week as God had prospered them. In 1 Corinthians 16:19 we read, "The churches of Asia salute you." Here again is the collective aspect.

Passing on to the Second Epistle to the Corinthians we find that it is addressed "unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia" (2 Corinthians 1:1) . Here Paul links them up with all the saints of the province of Achaia to which Corinth belonged. He thought of them, not as independent Assemblies, but as one in all Achaia. In 2 Corinthians 11:28 we have a further touch of unity. Speaking of his pathway of suffering, Paul says, "Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches." In the heart of this dear servant of God the Assemblies were all one and he cared for them all. Do not these many passages teach conclusively that the inspired apostle taught and practiced the principle of the unity of Assemblies? Certainly one must be willfully blind not to see this from the foregoing verses of the two Epistles.

Here, then, we have from these two Epistles, as another has well said, "first the local assembly, the primary sphere of all practical fellowship with its responsibilities of discipline and the like; secondly, the surrounding assemblies of the province, the first to be affected when any breakdown occurs in the local assembly; thirdly, the whole Church everywhere, the ultimate boundary to which such breakdown may extend its influence" (F. B. Hole). There is first of all a local responsibility and then a collective responsibility with Assemblies of a province or country and with Assemblies everywhere to maintain a common and unified testimony for Christ.

Churches of Galatia

We also find that the Epistle to the Galatians was written, not to one Assembly, but "unto the churches of Galatia." Paul thought of them all as a united testimony for Christ which Satan was seeking to move away from the hope of the Gospel and he wrote his Epistle to them all.

Romans 16:1-27 In the many greetings of this chapter we see the close ties between the workers in Greece and the saints in Rome. And in Romans 16:16 we have in the expression, "The churches of Christ salute you," the same collective aspect of the Assemblies as we have seen in Corinthians and Galatians. The Book of Acts In Acts 8:1-40 we see how the believers at Samaria were brought into happy fellowship with the believers at Jerusalem by the coming down of Peter and John and by their receiving the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the apostles’ hands. Of old Jerusalem and Samaria were rivals and had the believers in these places now been blessed separately and independently, their rivalry might have been greater than ever. Samaria must own Jerusalem. No independency would be allowed. In Acts 9:31, after the conversion of Saul of Tarsus we read: "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." Does not this show a unity of Assemblies in all these provinces? How could it be otherwise if they were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit?

Passing on to Acts 15:1-41, we find therein a vivid example of how the New Testament Assemblies acted in unity and what they did when that unity was threatened. Some from Judaea were insisting that the Gentile believers must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. After Paul and Barnabas had much disputation with them, it was determined that these two brothers and certain others from Antioch should go to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. There, in conference, the matter was settled and the mind of the Lord was ascertained for both Jewish and Gentile believers. Letters were written and sent by chosen men from the apostles and elders and the whole Church at Jerusalem to the brethren of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. When the Epistle was read to the believers at Antioch, "they rejoiced for the consolation" (Acts 15:31). A division among the Assemblies had been averted by united consultation and united action, and joy and consolation was the result.

There was no thought that Antioch could act one way and receive Gentiles according to the free grace of God and Jerusalem would act in another way and not let in Gentiles. No such independency is seen. There is not a trace of such disorder and independency throughout the Scriptures, but every possible evidence in fact and doctrine insisted on, of there being One Body on earth whose unity was the foundation of blessing and its maintenance the duty of every Christian.

While we do not have apostles today, nor a "Jerusalem" as in Acts 15:1-41, yet an important principle is therein laid down for us to act upon at all times. That is, those questions which affect the Church as a whole should be considered in conference among representative brethren from the Assemblies who seek the Lord’s guidance together in prayer and consultation. Assemblies or individuals have no right to act independently in such matters which affect the whole Church. We must use "diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace," using "all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love." "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14).*

* We need to remember, however, that authority to act for the Lord according to His Word is given to the local assembly gathered unto His Name. While it is necessary for brethren to counsel together in conference, they are not given authority as such to make decisions binding upon all. This is the prerogative of a local assembly acting in the Name of the Lord in harmony with His Word The above is what we believe we should learn from Acts 15:1-41. The reader can judge for himself the Scripturalness of the following comment on this chapter: "The Council at Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-41), where the apostles and elders decided a matter of Christian liberty for the Gentile believers, has no counterpart today; for we have the New Testament scriptures complete as our guide on all questions" ("The Church of God" by F. Ferguson). The same writer says, "Each local Church stands by itself ... Neither is there any `confederation of churches’ of a country, province or district." This shows how much of Scripture is rejected and passed over by those who adopt the principle of independent assemblies. Another servant of the Lord, who also maintained the independency of assemblies, once told the writer that he didn’t believe the apostles and elders were guided by the Holy Spirit in coming together in conference as they did in Acts 15:1-41. What audacity and rejection of God’s Word to maintain a principle of self-will. The apostles and elders could say, "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us" (Acts 15:28)

Summary

Thus we see that there existed in the New Testament times a practical bond of active fellowship in the truth among the Assemblies, sustained and strengthened by the effective power of the Holy Spirit. There existed a circle of gatherings of God’s children in fellowship with one another, to the exclusion of all not belonging to the fellowship of the One Body. There was not only the acknowledging of the truth of the One Body, but the positive outflow of love and affection in the One Spirit. No trace of independency is seen among the New Testament Assemblies in doctrine or practice, or any hint of the present day teaching that each local Assembly stands by itself. This teaching of independency is therefore of man’s devising and must be rejected as not of God.