SHOULD WE BE THE CHURCH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT (?)

SHOULD WE BE THE CHURCH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT?

We often hear "we need to be the church of the New Testament". I believe this phrase needs more investigation. The Jerusalem church was the first church, but it was in evolution. By that, I mean it started under the direction of the Apostles themselves without elders. In time, it would have elders overseeing the work. I tend to believe that the church could have reached a membership of over 100,000 based on historical data available. I believe these congregations met in homes here and there all over the city. They had no "church buildings" as such. There are no historical records at all that would confirm that all 100,000 met at one time in one location. This most likely would have never been allowed by the Romans or the Jews. So, they were certainly different from us in that regard.
The Jerusalem church lingered in the city and only by persecution was it finally dispersed throughout the world. Jesus had commanded that the church should expand to all the earth (Acts 1:8). Persecution forced that upon the church. The Jerusalem church was at first 100% Jewish, and it would be some time before they would welcome into the body Gentiles and then only with great controversy. Prejudice was a big problem for the Jerusalem church. They had Apostles and the miraculous indwelling of the Holy Spirit, signs and wonders. The early church had no New Testament, but it was the Old Testament that was their primary preaching text coupled with the message of the Holy Spirit. This is much different than the way we operate today. So, in many very important ways we today cannot be the church that was in Jerusalem and nor should we try.
Now, look at the church at Corinth. We learn in 1 & 2 Corinthians of many, many problems. Who among us would wish to duplicate that church? Then, there were the churches of Galatia. They were moving away from the pure gospel to accept "another gospel" (Gal. 1:6-9). Who among us would wish to duplicate that congregation?
As you move through the New Testament, you see congregation after congregation filled with issues and problems. Most of these if not all of these would be labeled and cut off by our "Pharisee churches of Christ" today. Today, in our very rigid and "creed" oriented circle in the church you would find a church such as Corinth condemned straight to hell. That is not how Paul looked at them in I Corinthians chapter one. In fact, look at all the churches in the NT and you will find they had their ups and downs. They struggled. Sin was always at work. The letters were written to guide them to a higher calling. Did they ever reach the mountain top of moral and spiritual perfection? I think not!
I do not look to these flawed churches in the New Testament as my perfect example for as we have seen they were far from perfect. I look at Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, for my perfect example that is in Christ Jesus my Lord! Peter, the Apostle, urged us, "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps." (I Pet. 2:21). Yes, every church of Christ should seek to follow the example left to us by Jesus. We should seek to be the image of our blessed Lord. See the purpose in His coming to seek and save the lost (Lk. 19:10). See the purpose of his death on Calvary: shedding his blood for the forgiveness of our sins (Matt. 26:28). See the gospel that He commanded to be preached and how as sinners we should be born again (John 3:1ff). See in the Sermon on the Mount the wondrous life we are to live for Him (Matthew 5-7). See how he taught us to be servants (Matthew 25:32ff). Yes, we should look to Jesus as our perfect example. We look to the books of Acts to Revelation as instructions and guidance to help us see how we can get off on the wrong road. These books tell us how sin can destroy the church, and how we can fix it when it goes bad, and how we can avoid these problems.

We each define "perfection" in many different ways. Some wish to have a church that is perfect in doctrine, morality and spirituality. Is that possible? Is it really possible to take 100 souls in a congregation and keep them all 100% in perfection in doctrine, morals, and spirituality? I think not. Why? Because as humans, we are flawed. As Christians, we are all on different levels of spirituality. We are on different marks of growth and maturity. It is only through Jesus Christ that we can be cleansed and perfected and may we never forget that. Maybe, just maybe it is in our imperfections that we as a church see our fervent need for Jesus and see our great need for each other. Maybe in our imperfections we are meant to grow in more dependence on our blessed Lord. Maybe it is in our imperfections and struggles that we learn the greatest of lessons in this life.
  
Let us all study the Word. Pray fervently! Let us give all diligence to add the Christian graces and walk with our God (2 Pet. 1:5-11). Yes, my wish for the church everywhere is that it would be the church of Christ, and I stress the CHURCH OF CHRIST. The church that belongs to Christ and that is filled with Christ. I am not interested in being like the churches of the NT with all their problems and issues. The letters of the NT tell us of how these churches struggled to follow Christ. We hope to do better than they did but in some cases we might do worse. God help us! I want to follow Jesus and be what He would have me to be, and I would pray that for the church everywhere.

  *Allen Ashlock, 2014