CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

THE CHURCH

OUTLINE

1. God’s plan for the church.
2. The church as God’s hidden mystery.
3. Christ’s loving the church.
4. The producing of the church.
5. The beginning of the church.
6. The establishing of the church.
7. The essence of the church:
   1. The Body of Christ emphasizing the universal aspect.
   2. The house of God emphasizing the local aspect.
8. The functions of the church.
9. Those included in the church.
10. The church and sects.
11. The oneness of the church:
    1. The essence of the oneness of the church.
    2. The reality of the oneness of the church.
12. The fellowship of the church:
    1. Being the fellowship of the apostles.
    2. Being the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
    3. Being the fellowship of the Body.
    4. Being the fellowship of the one faith.
    5. Removal from the fellowship of the church.
13. The expression of the church.
14. The ground of the church:
    1. Being the oneness of the church.
    2. Being local.
15. The designation of the church.
16. The organization of the church:
    1. Gifts for the universal church, emphasizing the Body of Christ:
       1. Apostles.
       2. Prophets.
       3. Evangelists.
       4. Shepherds and teachers.
    2. Offices for the local churches, emphasizing the house of God:
       1. Elders:
          1. The duties of the elders.
          2. The number of elders.
          3. The appointment of the elders.
          4. The discipline of the elders.
          5. The qualifications of the elders.
       2. Deacons:
          1. The duties of the deacons.
          2. The number of deacons.
          3. The gender of the deacons.
          4. The appointment of the deacons.
          5. The qualifications of the deacons.
    3. The relationship between the various local churches:
       1. Local administration.
       2. Universal fellowship.
       3. In one accord.
17. The service of the church:
    1. All being priests.
    2. The coordinated service of the Body.
18. The authority of the church.
19. The meetings of the church.
20. The desolation of the church.
21. The maturity of the church.
22. The result of the church.
23. Ten golden principles concerning the church.

The church is a very important subject in the New Testament. The church is a central topic from Matthew to Revelation. If we read the New Testament carefully, we will see that an important goal of the Holy Spirit, who inspired the writers of the New Testament, is to reveal the church. Therefore, we must study the New Testament in order to see the church. We will briefly look at twenty-two major points and ten golden principles concerning the church.

GOD’S PLAN FOR THE CHURCH

1. “The church, according to the eternal purpose which He made” (Eph. 3:10-11).

Ephesians specifically speaks of God’s plan and heart’s desire for the church in eternity past. God planned the church before the foundation of the world in eternity past. Before anything was created, before the beginning of time, God planned to have the church. Therefore, the church is according to His eternal purpose.

Any plan that a person makes comes out of his heart’s desire. This is true of God’s plan for the church. According to the Bible, the church is something that God desires. This desire did not arise after the creation of the world in time; it was always present in eternity. Thus, God planned to have the church according to His eternal heart’s desire.

According to our understanding, we regard the church as something in this age. Many think that the church came into being when sinners became Christians; thus, the church is also regarded as something related to our needs. These concepts are very shortsighted and not according to God’s revelation concerning the church. In God’s New Testament revelation, He clearly and definitely shows that the church comes out of His eternal heart’s desire and that the church exists because of His eternal desire and plan. The church is not an idea or arrangement made by God after the creation of the world, nor does it exist because of man’s need. The church is not temporal, temporary, or accidental. It did not happen by chance. The church exists because of God’s deep, eternal, and holy plan according to His deep, eternal, and holy desire. Therefore, we should not look at the church from our perspective based on our feelings. In order to properly see the church, we must see it from the perspective of God’s eternal desire and according to His eternal plan