The Church Christ Founded
W. Carl Ketcherside
[Page 157] |
My reading includes many journals outside of the restoration movement which forms our historical emphasis. Recently I have given attention to two periodicals published by Catholic organizations. I have found them interesting and provocative. One is America, the other is Ave Maria. The editor of the latter is John Reedy, C.S.C. He writes with a human touch as you'll learn if you read his lead editorial in the June 25 issue of his magazine. I wish all of you could read, "The Catholic School: Protector or Prophet?" in that same number.
One editorial recounts the work of a missionary, Joseph Spae, in Japan. He tells of an aged man who sidled up to him in a streetcar, took a New Testament out of his pocket, and said: "Tell me, whatever happened to that church Christ founded? Is there no way of starting it in Japan? We need a church like the one Christ speaks about."
Let it be said to the credit of our Catholic editorial friends that they did not use this as an opportunity to propagandize. Instead they showed how far short of the ideal of Christ is the Christian witness in Japan. I suspect most of our brethren would have told the elderly Japanese gentleman that the Lord's church was in his land and would have offered to debate the proposition that what they represented was identical in origin, name, doctrine, worship and practice with the New Testament church. Once I would have done the same thing.
[Page 158] |
1. The church Christ founded was a Spirit-filled church. The members did not confuse the person of the Spirit with the word which he revealed unto them. The indwelling Spirit was their divine Helper or Advocate during the absence of Jesus from the earth. He was the seal of their redemption, the source of their inward strength, and their intercessor in prayers with groanings which could not be made vocal. He furnished the power for crucifying the deeds of the flesh and poured out the love of God into their hearts. They lived in the Spirit; they walked in the Spirit; they rejoiced in the Spirit. They experienced personally "how tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God."
2. The church Christ founded was a community of daring adventurers. There was nothing staid or static about their faith. Through sheer audacity they probed and penetrated and formed cells of witnesses in every level of pagan life, including the very palace guard surrounding Caesar. Justin Martyr wrote: "It is certain that nothing can make us deny our faith, neither the sword of the slayer, nor the cross of agony, nor the teeth of fierce beasts, nor bonds, nor fire, nor tortures of any kind. The more men multiply our sufferings, the more does the number of the faithful grow, the more are the disciples found on the side of Christ."
In the age of Valerian when a great plague swept the land and the pagans fled the cities abandoning their dead and dying, the Christians stayed and risked all to minister to their former accusers. Because they hazarded their very lives to save others they were called "The Gamblers" by those whom they helped.
3. The church Christ founded was vibrant with hope. The return of Jesus was real. The members saluted one another with the words: "The Lord cometh!" They comforted one another with the thought: "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven!" In this consciousness they labored together, loved one another with pure hearts fervently, and longed for the time when he would change their wretched bodies to resemble his own glorious body "by that power of his which makes him master of everything that is." They were overflowing with the joy of expectation. They were happy on their way to glory. This hope tinged the cold, cruel, cynical world about them as the rising sun bathes the earth in its soft glow. It dispelled the darkness of doubt and the dense fog of despair.
4. The church Christ founded was a fellowship of the Spirit. It was not composed of those who had perfect knowledge but of those who know the Perfect One. The members of the body accepted one another as they were, for this is the way He accepted them all. They had no artificial lines of separation, no arbitrary tests of fellowship. They did not exhibit the sad, sorry, shameful scandal of division as does the restoration movement in Japan. How tragic to divide the children of God who believe with all their hearts that the Messiah has come and who have accepted him as their Savior, into warring factions over how he will come again! Of the church which Christ founded it was said: "Among the large number who had become believers there was complete agreement of heart and soul. Not one of them claimed any of his possessions as his own but everything was common property. The apostles continued to give their witness to the Lord Jesus with great force, and a wonderful spirit of generosity pervaded the whole fellowship."
It is no wonder that an aged Japanese reading such an account as this would ask: "Whatever happened to that church Christ founded?" It is no wonder he would add: "We need a church like the one Christ speaks about." We know of no better way to close this than with the words of the Catholic editor. "Christians today will not be known in any other way than were the first Christians about whom their neighbors were forced to exclaim: 'See how they love one another.' "