IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 342

Love is the Fulfilling of the Law

ON GOD; Part CXXV

For the last 2000 years plus there has been in the Christian world an understanding that one cannot be saved without the church. Beginning with the requirements of one’s fulfillment of the sacraments as ordained by the church to the more modern acts of confession and acceptance of the Christ as one’s savior the churches have, through their established doctrines and dogma, conveyed to the people ideas that are founded in the minds of men. The plain truth is that although it is called as His Church, Christ did not establish a church; nowhere in His teachings is this idea of an organized church or of ecclesiastical authority mentioned. In fact the word translated as church is used only two times in the gospels of the generally accepted bible translations although the word church can be found in more use in some of the less literal translations and this apparently based upon doctrine and not actual translation. Even in the Book of Acts and in the epistles this Greek word is not used in the context that it is today and has been form nearly 2000 years but it is rather meant to refer to the assembly itself; of people who gathered together in their common belief in the NEW AND BETTER WAY as taught and shown by the Master.

The Greek word ekklesia is translated as both church and assembly and the lexicon says this about it: a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly; an assembly of the people convened at the public place of the council for the purpose of deliberating; the assembly of the Israelites; any gathering or throng of men assembled by chance, tumultuously; in a Christian sense an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting, a company of Christian, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs, according to regulations prescribed for the body for order’s sake; those who anywhere, in a city, village, constitute such a company and are united into one body; the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth; the assembly of faithful Christians already dead and received into heaven². Can we see here the original idea of the word and then the doctrinal? In the words of the apostles regarding this there is never any proclamation that it should become as it has; it was just a word used to express the assembly of people gathered under the common ideas taught by Christ. Strong’s tells us of ekklesia that it means: church, congregation, assembly; a group of people gathered together. It can refer to the OT assembly of believers (Ac 7:38) or a riotous mob (AC 19:32) but usually to a Christian assembly, a church: as a totality (Eph 3:10), or in a specific locale (Col 4:15). In the NT a church is never a building or meeting place³.

The understanding that we should take from these defining terms are simply that a church is an assembly and, when it is spoken of in the New Testament, it is generally a Christian assembly. That Paul suggested leadership and rules for these assemblies should bear no relationship to the ecclesiastical hierarchies that exist today in most every denomination and which have existed down through the centuries. Our point here is simply that this is a convention of man and not of the Christ and His apostles and it is unfortunate that when one understands the word today they see it as Webster’s defines it: A building set apart for Christian worship. A Jewish or heathen temple. [Obs.] Acts xix. 37. A formally organized body of Christian believers worshiping together. When they had ordained them elders in every church.” Acts xiv. 23. A body of Christian believers, holding the same creed, observing the same rites, and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; a denomination;as, the Roman Catholic church; the Presbyterian church. The collective body of Christians. Any body of worshipers;as, the Jewish church; the church of Brahm. The aggregate of religious influences in a community; ecclesiastical influence, authority, etc.;as, to array the power of the church against some moral evil¹. Of course, we cannot tell what would have happened over the centuries had religion not taken this course; we may have avoided the Crusades and the Reformation Wars but the cost may have been the failure of the church because of lack of structure. We do know however that the church in its current form has been a hindrance and an obstacle to the right understanding of the teaching of the Master and of His apostles as this has been so often replaced by the doctrines and the dogmas that the average Christian either believes as Truth or just pretends that he does. We have said and alluded to our premise that if the teachings of the denominations and the sects of the ONE Christian Church, their several doctrines and dogmas, were True that they would be universal across them ALL. As we know this is not the case to the degree that pastors preaching in one denomination will speak of others as evil and wrong either outwardly as fact or in retribution; these things should NEVER happen.

There is some guidance on this in the New Testament which we have discussed before but here deserves a bit more attention. It comes to the Apostle Paul’s attention that there is some strife at Corinth among what are called brethren but which we would today call aspirants so long as their hearts were right. Luke uses the word disciple throughout the Book of Acts but this is a word not used by Paul or the other apostles in the epistles. Before we go into the situation at Corinth and Paul’s dissertation, let us look a bit more closely at the idea of disciple so that there is clarity as we do use it in a way that is not reflected in common understanding.

• We should understand first that the Master places a great deal of importance on the idea of one being His disciple. We have said and still maintain that in His eyes discipleship is synonymous with one’s attaining the Kingdom, being accounted worthy. We originally tied this idea of accounted worthy to the Kingdom based upon our understanding of the words of the Master according to the Apostle Luke; in the exchange with Sadducees regarding the wife of the seven brothers the Master tells the Jews that: “The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God” (Luke 20:34-36). We discuss this as an entire parable in In the Words of Jesus parts 110 and 113 but here we need only to see the relationship between the idea of accounted worthy and the Kingdom. Further feeding this idea are the words of the Master according to the Apostle Matthew saying: “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37-38). We are here putting together into the idea of the Kingdom accounted worthy and worthy of me and, as we have seen before these verses from Matthew have corresponding verses in Luke’s Gospel which call out these same criteria in regards to being His disciple: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple…..So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27, 33). There are other like sayings regarding the Kingdom of God that, while the words and ideas change, should be seen as being well beyond the average man in intent and in accomplishment and we list here only this one as an idea that encompasses ALL: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). We should remember that ALL that the Master tells us can and should be seen as the Will of the Father. Now all may not agree with the ideas that we have put forth here on this relationship between discipleship and the Kingdom but there should at the same time be no dispute on the importance that the Master places upon discipleship.
• The word disciple is generally accounted to be one who is learning and this is True but we must also weigh the ideas of the Master that we see above. The lexicon tells us that the Greek word mathetes that is translated as disciple means simply a learner, pupil, disciple² but this in no way reflects the Master’s criteria above. Strong’s gives the word more weight saying that mathetes means: disciple, student, follower; a committed learner and follower, in the NT usually of Jesus Christ³; in the ideas of follower and committed there is some extra value but still not near the degree that the Master sets forth above. Vincent tells us similarly that: Disciples (maqhta<v). Not the apostles only, but all who followed him in the character of learners. The Anglo-Saxon renders learning knights⁴. We need to go to Vine’s to find a definition that satisfies our understanding and not that our understanding is odd, it is as presented by the Master. Vine’s tells us that Disciple <A-1,Noun,3101,mathetes> lit., “a learner” (from manthano, “to learn,” from a root math—, indicating thought accompanied by endeavor), in contrast to didaskalos, “a teacher;” hence it denotes “one who follows one’s teaching,” as the “disciples” of John, Matt. 9:14; of the Pharisees, Matt. 22:16; of Moses, John 9:28; it is used of the “disciples” of Jesus (a) in a wide sense, of Jews who became His adherents, John 6:66; Luke 6:17, some being secretly so, John 19:38; (b) especially of the twelve Apostles, Matt. 10:1; Luke 22:11, e.g.; (c) of all who manifest that they are His “disciples” by abiding in His Word, John 8:31; cp. John 13:35; 15:8; (d) in the Acts, of those who believed upon Him and confessed Him, John 6:1,2,7; 14:20,22,28; 15:10; 19:1, etc. A “disciple” was not only a pupil, but an adherent; hence they are spoken of as imitators of their teacher; cp. John 8:31; 15:8. This last ideas in bold is the same intent that the Master is using in the reference from Luke above and it is interesting to note that with all the scripture references that Vine’s uses, our scripture from Luke is absent.
• John Gill, who us generally pretty far from us in his understanding of scripture and whose doctrine is at times contrary to our ideas does, in this instance of the verses from Luke, agree with our point albeit a bit more lightly than we who believe that the Master means that we do these things outright and willingly. In his Exposition of the Bible he says: If any man come to me Not in a corporeal, but in a spiritual way; nor barely to hear him preach; but so come, as that he believes in him, applies to him for grace, pardon, righteousness, life, and salvation; professes to be his, submits to his ordinances, and desires to be a disciple of his; and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple: not that proper hatred of any, or all of these, is enjoined by Christ; for this would be contrary to the laws of God, to the first principles of nature, to all humanity, to the light of nature, to reason and divine revelation: but that these are not to be preferred to Christ, or loved more than he, as it is explained in (Matthew 10:37) yea, these are to be neglected and forsaken, and turned from with indignation and resentment, when they stand in the way of the honour and interest of Christ, and dissuade from his service: such who would be accounted the disciples of Christ, should be ready to part with their dearest relations and friends, with the greatest enjoyment of life, and with life itself, when Christ calls for it; or otherwise they are not worthy to be called his disciples. The Ethiopic version inserts, “his house”, into the account. Whosoever doth not bear his cross All reproach, afflictions, persecutions, and death itself, cheerfully and patiently; the Ethiopic version renders it, “of his death the cross”; it signifies whatever is trying and disagreeable to flesh and blood: and come after me; bearing his cross; as Christ himself was about to do, and which doubtless he had in view; cannot be my disciple; he is not so in reality, nor does he deserve the name. So likewise whosoever he be of you Let him be ever so forward to follow me, to make a profession of me and of my Gospel, and to become a disciple of mine: that forsaketh not all that he hath; when called to it, relations, friends, possessions, estates, and what not, which is an explanation of (Luke 14:26) he cannot be my disciple; he is not in fact one, and is not worthy to be called one⁸.

Can we see the reasons why this word is used so loosely in Christian parlance so that it can mean any Christian regardless of how he may fit into the criteria that the Master puts forth? Can we see also why we take such care with this word and ascribe to ourselves the title, if such a word can apply, of aspirant which is to mean one who aspires to be a disciple? Can it be that Paul and the other apostles understand this seeing that they do not use the word disciple in their writings but rather use the idea of brethren which has a wide range of meanings and is from the same Greek word as brothers, alelphos, and we will not go into more definitions here but rather just point out how is the word is used by the Master and by the Apostle John.

• It is used by John in reference to Jesus’ brothers as regard His own family saying: “After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days” (John 2:12).
• It is used of an unknown reference which some believe are family as above: “His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly . If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believein him. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Goye upunto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. But when his brethren were gone up , then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret” (John 7:3-10). We can see from the text that this is not an adversarial encounter and that it is rather unclear exactly who these brethren are.
• It is used by Jesus to tell Mary to go and speak to presumably to the apostles; He says: “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God” (John 20:17).

As we see there is little clarity in the usage of this word and these references to it by John and the Master are not the same as the way that it is used by Paul. Paul uses it rather generically of all to whom he writes and, of course we know that he writes to Christian assemblies. For our understanding here we can look at the idea of brethren as the same as our understanding of aspriant and we can believe or not the idea that Paul knows the uses the word disciple as it should be used and therefore does not use it in his writings. We have gone rather long with this and will stop here for today and finish our thoughts on the church in the next post.

Note on the Quote of the Day

This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.

As it is still the celebration of the Christ Festival and World Invocation Day, we will leave The Great Invocation as our Quote of the Day. We should remember that The Great Invocation is the second Great World Prayer given to us by the Christ.

From the point of Light within the Mind of God

Let light stream forth into the minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.

From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.

From the centre where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little wills of men–
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.

From the centre which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.

Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth. 

“The above Invocation or Prayer does not belong to any person or group but to all Humanity. The beauty and the strength of this Invocation lies in its simplicity, and in its expression of certain central truths which all men, innately and normally, accept—the truth of the existence of a basic Intelligence to Whom we vaguely give the name of God; the truth that behind all outer seeming, the motivating power of the universe is Love; the truth that a great Individuality came to earth, called by Christians, the Christ, and embodied that love so that we could understand; the truth that both love and intelligence are effects of what is called the Will of God; and finally the self-evident truth that only through humanity itself can the Divine Plan work out.“

• †   From World GoodWill, an activity of Lucis Trust, a non-profit, educational organization. For free copies of An Affirmation of Goodwill call or write World Goodwill
• ² New Testament Greek Lexicon on BibleStudyTools.com
• ³ Strongest Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible – 2001
• ⁴ Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
• ⁸ Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com