About the Church

By Lee Carter Maynard

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     The dictionary defines theology as a study in religion. To us, it is a study of the Christian religion. A theologian is one skilled in religion, in theology, or in the science of revealed religion. Therefore, all who would teach the scriptures would be considered theologians in some way. We usually think of theologians as being highly educated and able to speak and write with authority, while others may preach and teach with little formal education. I belong to the latter class.

     I love the King James Version, although I am aware of many wrong translations, archaic words, and reflections of traditional doctrines. It was the book I knew as a child. I have done all of my memorizing from its pages. I love the pronouns--thee, thine, and thou--for they give me a sense of humility before God. This is just a prejudice I do not care to give up. I do not find fault with those who use the modern spelling of the verbs and pronouns.

     I do think the King James Version has done great harm in regard to the word translated "church." The translators were all Anglicans, fresh out of Romanism, and translated the word according to the traditional usage. I have checked with scholars, and so far as I remember, they all agree that when speaking of the local gathering the words assembly or congregation should have been used. It would have been more accurate to speak of the assembly at Antioch or the con-

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gregation at Corinth. We have talked long and loud about one church, and then in the next breath have spoken of building a new church in some neglected city. This has been confusing. If there is but one church, as the Bible plainly states, how can we speak of building another?

     All agree it was the Lord Jesus who built (and builds) his church "upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone." Only God can add to it. Only God can remove from it. It was born on that great Pentecost after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. There can never be another church. It is for all the world. It knows no race, face or place. It is no respecter of persons. It is for Jew, Gentile, male, female, bond and free. It is truly the kingdom of God. All who accept the grace of God with loving faith, repentance, and obedience to the holy word, become identified with the one true church bought with the precious blood shed at Calvary.

     The converts are known as "the people of God" and are naturally anxious to band themselves together in an assembly or congregation for fellowship, instruction, prayer, praise, help, exhortation, and service. They regularly gather about the Lord's table in remembrance of the Lord Jesus who died for them, and who asked them to remember his death in this manner.

     Jesus Christ built the true church and is the true pattern by which the converts regulate their lives. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the shepherd of the sheep of his great pasture. He is the temple and his people are stones in the building. He is the bridegroom and his church is the bride. He is king of the kingdom and the "people of God" are the citizens of it.

     The new testament scriptures tell of congregations being formed at various locations. The members were designated brethren, disciples, Christians, friends, or people of God. There was no pattern for organization of the assembly. The first congregations were in Jerusalem and were strictly Jewish. They continued to meet on the Sabbath, abstained from certain meats, and demanded circumcision. Probably the first Gentile assembly was at Antioch. Here the disciples were first called Christians.

     Many of these congregations are mentioned in the scriptures, but little is known of their corporate procedure. There is no mention of secretaries, roster, by-laws, trustees, congregational music, either vocal or instrumental, choirs, real estate, Bible schools, youth work, orphanages, homes for the aged, schools, colleges, or membership rolls. Some assemblies had bishops, deacons, evangelists, apostles, prophets, pastors and teachers, "with a view to perfecting the saints unto the work of ministry, unto the edifying of the body of Christ."

     The Lord adds members to the body, but men add them to the congregations. Becoming a member of the church, the kingdom, the body, is one thing, while it is another matter to become identified with a congregation. We are baptized into Christ, that is, into his body, but men receive us into the congregation. When one comes forward at the time of invitation and he is baptized, he is considered to be automatically a member of the congregation, which practice leads many to think that they are baptized into the local assembly.

     I was reared to believe that the congregation was the church. We actually thought that we had the whole truth and our group constituted the authorized custodians of the message of Christ. We were not taught that the divine intent was to make one body of Jew and Gentile, which would amaze angels and powers in heavenly places by the true grace of God. We actually thought that the name we had chosen was the correct one for the church, although several others would have been just as scriptural. We were certain that our church was the exact duplicate of the early church in Jerusalem, although they would not have accepted a one of us as we were.

     We were sincere and meant well. We never dreamed that any change would be

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made or become acceptable. I wonder now who brought freedom of thought to the brethren. Once they would not have a baptistery in the meeting house, but now they have one in each structure. Once they would not have a Bible school with literature, but now they have it. In the old days they could have but one cup, now they use a communion set with individual containers. They no longer walk to the front and lay their offering on the Lord's Table. We have come a long way, but we have not arrived even yet! Let us help one another mature.