The first - and most controversial - ministry gift of Ephesians 4.

This article is part of a series – click here for previous instalments.

“It was Christ who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:11-13, emphasis added)

While there is much that we can read in the New Testament about the original apostles appointed by Jesus, their calling and the role they fulfilled in the burgeoning Church, there is a divergence of opinion today on whether or not there are, or ever can be, modern-day apostles.

It can be a very divisive subject – but the one thing that all should be agreed on regardless is that the role of an apostle, as it was understood in the Early Church, can and should be carried on in the Church today – a role which, incidentally, has no equivalent in the secular world!

Who WERE the Apostles?

Christ appointed 12 of his disciples to be apostles and named them in Matthew 10 and Luke 6. Following the defection of Judas Iscariot and the ascension of Jesus into Heaven, the remaining 11 (Peter, John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas son of James) were praying.

They felt the importance of replacing Judas, who had betrayed Jesus, with “one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection” (Acts 1:21-22). There were two nominations - Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. After prayer they cast lots; “the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:26).

There is a divergence of opinion today on whether or not there can be modern-day apostles.

The Apostles mentioned in the New Testament all had three things in common – they had to have been personally called by Christ, been taught by him directly for several years, and seen him alive after his resurrection (Acts 1:17, 22, 25).

Paul was the one exception, and he had to make a strong case for his inclusion as he had not been one of the disciples at the time of Jesus’ death. In fact, he had been the opposite – distinctively anti-Jesus - yet he too was offered and accepted a specific God-given task.

Ananias had been told by the Lord to seek out Paul after his Damascus experience, “for this man [Paul] is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15-16). Paul’s qualifications were that he had seen the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ and witnessed him perform miracles, and that he had also seen the imparting of the Holy Spirit to baptised believers. He describes himself in Galatians 1:1: “Paul, an apostle - sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead”.

Commissioning

There are others described as ‘apostles’ in the New Testament: Barnabas became an apostle (Acts 14:14) of the congregation of Antioch, Syria. Other men also are referred to as ‘apostles of congregations’ in the sense that they were sent forth by such congregations to represent them. James the brother of Jesus was commissioned to become a leader among the apostles in Jerusalem, but he still met the same requirements placed upon Paul.

Today, commissioning and the laying on of hands carries on the apostolic succession of the Pope in Roman Catholic churches, although most denominations also commission members they consider to have the right qualifications to other, different tasks and many also lay on hands to confirm this.

The first Apostles were all personally called by Christ, taught by him directly and saw him alive after his resurrection.

The Meaning of ‘Apostle’

The word ‘apostle’ is taken from the Greek word apostolos meaning simply ‘sent forth (or of)’ or ‘one who is sent on a mission’. But this does not mean that all who receive a calling from God and are sent forth to share the Good News with those who have not heard it, or who have had hands laid on them, or who are commissioned to plant churches, or for any other reason, are to be called apostles today.

Those who are sent out can often also be called evangelists or teachers, but ‘apostle’ gives the impression of having been given the authority to break new ground – and all are called to some kind of leadership. Apostles are often linked with prophets in partnership; they are seen to need each other.

This particular passage in Ephesians 4 ensures that the five roles designated are part of a team – all of whom are needed in our churches today – and usually in the leadership. This is essentially a team of people called by Christ himself “to equip his people for works of service”. They are not a hierarchy leading from the top – but a group who, having had special privileges, are then also given a special commission to equip and enable others so that they can be on the front line.

The end result is “so that the body of Christ may be built up” – there can be no role for individuals here who do not also have right relationships with others in the areas within which they operate.

Passing on the Baton

Jesus’ final commission to the original apostles just before his ascension to his Father was to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them everything I have commanded you” (Matt 28:19-20).

This carried with it the assumption that the continuance of the true faith was in their hands. They were responsible for ensuring that the faith remained true to all who heard it so that the baton could be passed on to succeeding generations. They needed the Holy Spirit to do this and their fruit would be that others followed Jesus.

‘Apostle’ gives the impression of someone given the authority to break new ground.

In practice, the first apostles continued to meet together in Jerusalem, ministering to the large number of disciples there, which included many Jews. They acted as a focal co-ordinating and consulting point for the spreading Church, remaining linked throughout Paul’s ministry and beyond.

There are glimpses in Paul’s letters of their continuing role and their relationships with the expanding Church, although it was Philip who first took the Gospel to the Samaritans and Paul who then took it farther afield, with Thomas reputed to have taken the Good News to India. By the time of the first Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, there was no longer a Christian representation of the Jewish section of the Church and “building up in unity” had become a major issue.

In order for the baton to be passed on from one generation to another successfully, the wider apostolic role is also definitely still needed – but it is one that is sorely missed in the Church today.

If you have any other comments to add about apostles and their role – past and present - please add them below.

Charles Gardner reviews ‘Not the Same God’ by Sam Solomon, with Atif Debs (2016, Wilberforce Publications).

The god of Islam is most definitely not the same as the God worshipped by Christians and Jews.

That is the no-nonsense conclusion of Sam Solomon’s recent book, Not the Same God, dedicated to tackling a thorny theological issue which has left many confused and misguided.

A number of Christian scholars are said to have suggested that ‘sufficient similarities’ exist between Islam and Christianity to warrant co-operation between the so-called ‘monotheistic faiths’, which may even prove helpful in introducing Muslims to Christ.

But the author, writing with Atif Debs (both are former Muslims), makes a convincing case that Islamic theology amounts to a complete contradiction of the Judeo-Christian faith.

The Illusion of Similarity

In essence, the Qur’an denies the divinity of Jesus, along with his crucifixion and resurrection. It even denies original sin, thus rejecting the need for salvation and the forgiveness of sins which is surely what Christianity (and Judaism for that matter) is all about.

Extensive quotations from the Qur’an, while uninspiring, clearly serve the purpose of the book by demonstrating how similarity with the Bible is an illusion.

Whereas the entire Bible points to Jesus, with the Old Testament (the Jewish Tanach) fulfilled in the New, Muslims claim that Muhammad is the ultimate ‘seal of the prophets’ and fulfilment of all God-given scriptures.

The author makes a convincing case that Islamic theology amounts to a complete contradiction of the Judeo-Christian faith.

And although they reject Christianity as worshipping ‘three gods’ while boasting that they are monotheistic, it is hard to differentiate (in terms of names given and honour ascribed) between Allah, the Muslim name for God, and Muhammad, for whom they claim no divinity.

Furthermore, in dismissing Christian belief in the Trinity as worshipping ‘many gods’, they hold that Jesus’ disciples worship the Father, Son and Mary (mother of Jesus), only adding to the confusion in their understanding of our faith.

Impossible Union

But the ‘Grand Canyon’ of the debate – which makes union between the faiths impossible – is the Islamic rejection of the uniqueness of Christ, who said: “I am the way, the truth and the life; no-one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Moreover, Allah is described in the Qur’an as the great ‘unknowable’ who does not reveal himself to mortal man. This, of course, is a complete contradiction of Christianity, which says that God became one of us and makes himself known to all who seek him (Jer 29:13).

Solomon concludes his book (for which he probably won’t be thanked by many, but it is true nonetheless) by saying that the Qur’an can best be described as a set of “arguments raised up against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor 10:5) and expresses the hope that those looking for a ‘common path’ between Islam and Christianity will in future “reflect the reality, rather than the illusion”.

Not the Same God (224 pages, first published 2015) is available from Amazon for £7.99.

Hope in the midst of scandal, shaking and scepticism.

“You are...terminated!” No, this was not a line from Doctor Who and his eternal battle with the Daleks. It was a message from the President of the USA to the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, given to him whilst he was speaking to his staff.

To British ears this sounds unreal. No British employer would dismiss a member of staff in this peremptory manner. “You’re fired!” only happens on TV shows like The Apprentice. In fact, employment law in Britain protects employees from arbitrary dismissal.

So what’s going on in America? It was known that the FBI were investigating the links between Trump and Russia during the presidential election campaign. Were the FBI getting too close to the truth for President Trump? Political commentators in the USA began immediately to compare this dismissal to when President Nixon did the same a year before the Watergate scandal caused him to resign the presidency.

Even the smallest whiff of a similar scandal is immensely damaging to the President – but it is more than that, it comes at a time when the whole political establishment in Europe and America is sailing in troubled waters that are likely to produce some notable shipwrecks.

France: The People’s Choice?

Just look at what’s happened in France this week! The people have just elected a new president, but nearly half the population either did not vote or spoilt their ballot paper in protest at the choice they were offered. All the candidates from the main parties failed to get popular support in the first round of voting so the choice was between two rank outsiders.

The winner, Emmanuel Macron, only formed his En Marche! party last year. But, Surprise! Surprise! The man who was supposed to be a rank outsider - the populist ‘people’s choice’(especially young people, who have flocked around him) – has been endorsed by the outgoing Labour Party President Hollande and even more emphatically by the former Labour Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who says that the Labour party in France is finished and dead - and he has now joined En Marche!.¹

The whole political establishment in Europe and America is sailing in troubled waters that are likely to produce some notable shipwrecks.

Emmanuel Macron. So, what’s going on? It looks as though the people of France have been fooled by a gigantic con trick. The populist choice, the man who the people have embraced, turns out to be an ex-banker who made a fortune through investment banking, became the Minister for the economy in the outgoing Labour Government and is a stooge of Brussels, an enthusiastic supporter of the EU! How long will it be before the French people wake up and realise that they’ve been conned - the old political elite that has governed the country for decades is still in power!

The USA: Increasing Disillusionment

Is the same thing already happening in the USA? Trump’s 100 days’ honeymoon is over. His election promises have not yet been fulfilled: he hasn’t built his wall and Mexico are not going to pay for it. He has not reformed Obamacare and he’s not even managed to control immigration. The people put their trust in a rich businessman rather than a politician, but will he do any better than the politicians?

We are living in a day of disillusionment. Throughout the Western world, people are expressing dissatisfaction with the ruling elite who have held power for decades. ‘Change’ is in the air. It’s the one thing everyone wants. No one quite knows what it is they do want – they just know what they don’t want: they don’t want what they’ve got!

It’s this air of uncertainty that is hanging over most of the Western nations and can be seen especially in Europe, in America and in Britain, where we are facing a Brexit-driven General Election. But surely Christians should be seeing this as an enormous opportunity! It is an opportunity to present a new and living way! Why are not churches actively leading the way and presenting the way of righteousness, truth and prosperity to the people? Why is there so little evidence of the Gospel in the marketplace?

Declaring the Whole Will of God

We frequently hear from people all over the country who say that in their church they never hear the preacher refer to current affairs or apply the Gospel to the great issues of the day.

No one quite knows what it is they do want – they just know they don’t want what they’ve got! Surely Christians should be seeing this as an enormous opportunity!

I had a Sunday off last month and I went to worship at a local Baptist church, where the Minister preached a message from Ephesians. This was fine - but afterwards I learned that he had been working his way through Ephesians, line by line, for the past two years! However good Ephesians is, it does not give a rounded gospel. Paul, speaking to the Ephesian elders on his last visit to the region said, “I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God” (Acts 20:27, emphasis added).

Surely it is the whole word of God that is needed in the Church today, if we are to understand what is happening in the world around us and what God is requiring of his Church. There are many churches where the preachers never use the Old Testament, so the whole word of God, especially that delivered through the Prophets, is never heard.

Shaking All That Can Be Shaken

Christians will never be able to understand the word of God for today if they are cut off from the Hebraic roots of our faith. In this magazine, for many years, we have been warning that the days were coming when God will shake everything. There’s plenty of evidence of this happening now, in our lifetime.

Many people have said to us that God would never shake the Church because it is the Body of Christ. But surely it is the people, the disciples of Jesus, who are the Body of Christ – not the institutions that we call churches!

It is the whole word of God that is needed in the Church today, if we are to understand what is happening and what God is requiring of us.

In Hebrews 12:26f we are told that it is God’s intention to shake everything that human beings have created, “so that what cannot be shaken may remain” which will prepare the way for the Kingdom of God.

One of the principles that is embedded in the world of nature, part of God’s Creation, is that seeds have to fall into the ground and die before new life can be produced. It may be that the whole of Western civilisation has become so corrupted that all its major social institutions – the economy (banks), society (political parties) and even the denominations that we call ‘churches’ will have to die for genuine new life to spring from them.

Signs of Hope

But in this time when God is shaking the nations, there are also many signs of new life - especially in the vast and rapid growth of the church in China and Indonesia and other places where Christians have been suffering hardship and severe persecution.

Meanwhile, though traditional denominations continue to decline in the West, there are encouraging signs of new life here as well. In Britain we see:

• The churches that are growing are ones where the whole word of God is preached, where worship is lively and prayer is focused and meaningful.
  
• Increasing numbers of believers are meeting in house fellowships for prayer and Bible study.
  
• Many Christians are involved in practical programmes of outreach into the community, such as street pastors, food banks and holiday clubs for children.
  
• Many are also active in a wide range of voluntary organisations seeking to promote Godly values in society.
  

In these times of enormous social change and upheaval, we not only need to note what is happening in the socio-political and economic spheres, but also to note (and celebrate!) what God is doing through his people.

Will Christians no longer be able to stand for Parliament?

I am still recovering from the shock of realising that it seems no longer possible as a Christian to stand as a candidate for a major political party in Britain.

This appalling state of affairs became evident when Andrew Turner agreed to stand down as Isle of Wight MP at the upcoming election, because of his biblical views on homosexuality.

In a conversation with A-level students, he is reported to have said that “homosexuality is wrong” and “dangerous to society”.¹

It had already become clear that committed Christian Tim Farron was in an untenable position as Liberal Democrat leader for it is generally understood that ‘committed’ Christians are, by definition, disciples of Jesus’ teaching, which is based on the Tanach (the Jewish Bible, or what Christians call the Old Testament).

Jesus made this quite clear, saying: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven…” (Matt 5:17-19).

It seems no longer possible as a Christian to stand as a candidate for a major political party in Britain.

Andrew Turner, MP for the Isle of Wight. See Photo Credits.So it is hardly surprising that Mr Farron should be pressured by our politically correct media to state whether he viewed gay sex as sinful.² He sadly capitulated to the new morally acceptable line, in doing so denying Christ himself in the same way that the Apostle Peter denied knowing Jesus following his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Barred from Public Office?

Vicar’s daughter Theresa May, who claims to be guided by her faith, has also recently denied that gay sex is a sin.³ Yet the teaching that marriage is reserved only for sexual union between a man and a woman is fundamental to the Bible, and repeatedly emphasised in the New Testament. And St Paul makes clear, in relation to various sins including homosexuality, that approval is worse than practice (Rom 1:32) – which is also what Jesus indicates in the Scripture quoted above.

This means, according to Tim Dieppe of campaigning group Christian Concern, that Mr Farron and Mrs May are greater sinners in their approval of such practice than those they are defending.⁴

As for Labour, I doubt whether an orthodox/evangelical⁵ Christian stands any chance in the current climate of being accepted as a candidate, bearing in mind their sharp swing to the left.
I know that there are many Christians in Parliament right now, but it seems the door is being shut to further candidates – unless they remain secret believers!

All of which rather takes us back to the ‘dark ages’ when some Reformed Christians, such as the Quakers, were not only denied the right to practise certain professions, but also prevented from standing for Parliament.⁶

This takes us back to the ‘dark ages’ when Reformed Christians were denied the right to practise certain professions.

Fortunately, in the case of the Quakers, God turned what was meant for evil to good effect, not only through the introduction of chocolate to the world (Cadbury’s, Fry’s, Terry’s and Rowntree’s were all Quaker businesses), but also in providing useful employment, housing, a general boost to the economy and an influence in godly living that has echoed down the centuries.

God’s Design for Marriage

Marriage was part of God’s perfect plan from the very beginning (Gen 2:24) and is emphasised by St Paul in his letter to the Ephesians (Eph 5:22-33) when he compared it to the relationship between Christ and the Church.

As husband and wife, we reflect the greater purpose of God – the incurable romantic – who is seeking a bride for his Son; a perfectly adorned, beautiful reflection of ultimate goodness, joy and delight. Marriage is not an end in itself; it points to a greater reality that will find its consummation at a glorious future event referred to as the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev 19:6-10).

Wives are called to submit to their husbands as they would to Christ, and husbands are asked to love their wives as Christ loved the Church, allowing himself to be mocked, scourged and crucified for her.

The early disciples were devoted to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). I repeat, denying Christian teaching on marriage is to deny Christ himself, who authenticated all Scripture through his answers to satan when tempted in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11).

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16f)

It is interesting that, only four verses earlier, we read that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”.

The teaching that marriage is reserved only for sexual union between a man and a woman is fundamental to the Bible, and repeatedly emphasised in the New Testament.

Fortitude Demanded

Much fortitude is demanded of those who would follow Christ. The early Christians were thrown to the lions because they refused to worship Caesar; at the same time, their teaching was totally counter-cultural, shaming a world that indulged in promiscuous living, including homosexuality (see Rom 1:24-26).

Has the time perhaps come to support a party that is focused on Christian living and principles? After all, according to the Bible, Jesus is the one “by whom and for whom all things were made” (Col 1:16f). It’s all about him; the entire universe centres on Jesus – and yet he is not on the political agenda, or on the manifestos of the major parties! Why not? Something is seriously wrong in the state of Britain. And if we desire healing for our land, we believers need to repent and pray (2 Chron 7:14) – for the sake of the Gospel and for our children’s future.

Notes

1 The Daily Mail, 29 April 2017.

2 Ibid.

3 Interview with Andrew Marr on BBC TV, 30 April 2017.

4 Dieppe, T. Theresa May dodges question on hostility towards Christians. Christian Concern, 5 May 2017.

5 I.e. those who believe the Bible is the final authority on all matters of doctrine.

6 Quakers honoured Jesus’ command against using oaths (Matt 5:33-37), which Parliamentarians and lawyers were forced to do.

Monica Hill turns from the ‘natural’ gifts (Romans 12) to the ‘ministry’ gifts listed in Ephesians 4. This article is part of a series – click here for previous instalments. 

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:11-13)

We have already noted that there are four lists of the Spiritual Gifts given by the Holy Spirit in different epistles – Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Peter 4 (which concentrates on methods) and Ephesians 4. Each of them have additional teaching in the surrounding verses on how they should operate within the corporate body of believers – often relevant to that specific understanding of the gifts.

The Five-Fold Ministry

The five ‘ministry gifts’ listed in Ephesians 4 are surrounded by teaching on the place of these quite specific roles within the body. Two things stand out of which we need to take note:

1. First, ideally these gifts are meant to operate together, as a team – the five-fold ministry is an entity in itself, and all its gifts should be visible in the leadership of our churches and fellowships today. If Christian communities do not recognise these gifts in specific individuals, at least the principles and values of each should be adopted. Team ministry is not easy and needs to be embraced and worked upon. If this does not happen, one or other of these roles will inevitably take precedence. For example:
   1. For many centuries in the Western Church, pastors and teachers have been predominant, to the neglect of the other roles.
   2. Evangelists have often set up separate, para-Church organisations, and are often felt only to be needed for overseas work - which means that work among nominal Christians has been neglected.
   3. Apostles and prophets are still very rare, with many believing that apostolic ministry died out at the end of the New Testament era. Although they are now receiving more attention these ministries are often misunderstood and can create problems.
   4. Individual prophets in the style of the Old Testament were also relegated to history as it was anticipated that, with the coming of the Holy Spirit, the whole Church would become the Prophet to the nations. An understanding even of the role of the prophet, within fellowships and wider afield, is often missing.
2. Secondly, these roles are given to serve the Body and to help those to whom they are called, to enable all to grow to maturity and be found worthy of being called followers of Christ. They are not given to give status to individuals.

There is no mention of these gifts operating in this way in a worldly sense (unlike the ‘natural’ gifts of Romans 12). Apart from the role of a teacher they do not have secular counterparts, although the world has at times tried to pick up the same values and take them into secular occupations – but more of that when we look at each of them in detail. Leadership in the world is based on very different principles.

In this introduction we will be looking at the context of the introduction of Ministry gifts in the Body of believers and seeing how these gifts should operate.

The ministry gifts are designed to operate together to serve and build up the Body of Christ.

Lessons from Ephesus

The whole of Ephesians is concerned with building up the body of believers in Ephesus, from which we can learn so much. The epistle starts with an emphasis upon Christ as the Head of the whole Christian community - the Church, or (more accurately) the Body of Believers (Eph 1:22-23) (not the institutions), which is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph 2:20-24) and is without any divisions, comprising one Body and one Spirit (Eph 4:4). Members are encouraged to “live a life worthy of the calling” (Eph 4:1), given various instructions on how to act (Eph 5-6) and finally encouraged to “put on the whole armour of God” (Eph 6:10-18).

It is worth noting that Paul has just given that beautiful prayer to God for his brothers and sisters in Ephesus (Eph 3:14-21) which is still such an encouragement to all who read it today. His next words express not only his own total commitment to the Father but his desire that all should “live a life worthy of the calling you have received”. The way to do this is to “be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace”.

The Priesthood of All Believers

Here is no definition of a hierarchy, an ‘us and them’ or a ‘pecking order’ as so often seen in our churches, but a recognition that we need each other (which is described more fully in 1 Corinthians 12). The sole purpose of these ministry roles is to serve the body of believers so that they can all become mature and be the front line of mission.

The New Testament Church operated as a ‘priesthood of all believers’ – they had a different vision from that practised in Judaism when the Temple was in operation and priests were in control and acted as mediators with God. But even after the birth of the Church and the early days of taking the mission worldwide, it was not very long before the established denominations re-introduced a priestly leadership into churches.

In the priesthood of all believers, there is no hierarchy or pecking order – just a recognition that we all need each other.

Many new movements have since tried to re-capture this concept of the priesthood of all believers, but far too often institutionalisation pushes them back into the need for strong leadership aligned with worldly principles.

The ministry gifts are essentially serving roles - encouraging and empowering others – so that everyone is encouraged to have that direct relationship with the Father themselves and can discern the truth – so that they are “no longer infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”

Ingredients for Full Community Life

The ministries described in Ephesians can be seen as leading roles in the community, but they should also encompass vision, strategy and unity - all essential for any community’s survival. It is not a necessary requirement that the leader has to be the one who has the original vision, but he or she must embrace it and make it their own – just as everyone else in the body must; and likewise with the strategy and action that follows – these two aspects must both be embraced to help form a community and give it its raison d’etre. But often the ministry role also provides the glue that makes people stick together in unity.

Truth and love are essential ingredients to any community of believers – so that “we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph 4:15-16).

Unity is expressed in “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph 4:4-6).

In the next few weeks we will be looking at each of the specific ministry gifts given to the Body of believers – Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher - and exploring further the reasons for which they are given and the way they should operate and relate to each other.

Paul Luckraft reviews ‘Custom and Command’ by Stan Firth (Charisma Publications, 1996, reprinted 2007).

This is a remarkable book in which the author sets out to understand and explain why so many Christians today find traditional church structures and activities no longer adequate for their faith and discipleship. These believers are not backslidden or rebellious; they simply no longer ‘go to church’ – instead, they live an ‘unstructured church lifestyle’.

Initially, on coming across such believers, the author didn’t know what to make of this. So, rather than be critical, he decided to investigate from a biblical standpoint. He concludes that not only is such a Christian lifestyle biblically valid and fully in accordance with Scripture, but that in many ways these Christians were ‘being Church’ far more effectively. As a result, he decided to embrace this lifestyle himself.

Loose Associations

The book is carefully put together to help the reader go through the same process of re-evaluation as the author did. How does ‘unstructured church’ work in terms of worship, teaching, leadership, outreach and the general command to meet together regularly?

Each topic is considered via many biblical texts and the result, perhaps surprising to many, is that all these can be fulfilled outside what is usually considered to be a ‘normal’ church-going life, provided (and this is important) that certain conditions are met.

Firth concludes that an unstructured church lifestyle can be biblically valid and practised in full accordance with Scripture.

One such condition is that believers do not isolate themselves. Rather, they become part of several different Christian communities which overlap within their existing lifestyles, for instance at work or in their own neighbourhood. Wherever you meet other Christians, that is where you ‘do Church’. These ‘loose associations’ provide opportunities for a more fulfilling Christian experience than merely taking part in what local churches offer.

Re-thinking Key Aspects of Church

Worship, for instance, should be spontaneous and arise continually out of walking with God, not just restricted to ‘times of worship’ led by someone with a pre-planned song list that you are meant to follow. Such corporate worship can be uplifting but also far less than God deserves. As for teaching, we need far more than pre-prepared lecture-style sermons, where one person speaks and everyone else listens, unquestioningly. Rather there must be ‘comments in the course of life’ instruction, teaching which occurs through meeting other Christians in a variety of situations and sharing, talking and learning together.

What about leadership? This is still important, but Christians will find true leadership in many ways and through many people, not just those ‘put in charge’ of a church and paid to be a career churchman. Leaders will emerge who you can look up to and follow, perhaps low-key but clearly gifted in certain areas. It may be the Christian down the road whose walk with God is stronger than yours or whose evangelistic gift you desire for yourself.

Associating with those to whom God has given leadership gifts may grow you more quickly than attending church services or programmes. You will soon spot who they are - their authority and humility will make them stand out.

One condition for an unstructured church lifestyle to work is that believers do not isolate themselves.

A Church of Living Stones

The author has a section dealing with reservations and objections from those who still maintain that only through standard church practices can we produce strong and mature Christians. He admits that such ‘life support systems’ may still have a role to play, but asserts that true fullness of life requires more.

He does not say church membership or attendance is wrong. Standard church meetings can be embraced as part of this wider approach, but not uncritically followed as though these will provide all you need.

Rather, you should see yourself as part of the ‘Church of living stones’, the house of God that you take with you wherever you go. As you meet other believers and join with other living stones then something wonderful can happen. These ‘loose associations’ become fulfilling times of meeting with God and seeing what he is doing.

Informal does not mean less effective. Unstructured does not mean disorganised. Instead you will uncover something beautifully prepared and integrated by God.

Custom vs Command

As the title suggests, this process is about seeing the difference between our customs and God’s commands. What has God actually commanded in Scripture? Even in the newer church movements, such as the charismatic movement and house churches, customs soon take over. We become accustomed to doing things a certain way. Corks go back in the bottle. Christians become ‘bottled up’ again.

The author drives home his point by stressing another major condition for this unstructured church lifestyle to work: an ‘inner drive of discipleship’. This is the personal engine which should propel you forward. Christians often become ‘church-propelled’, or institutionally dependent, which creates a particular type of Christian rather than a fully mature and motivated disciple of Jesus.

Traditional church structures may still have a role to play, but true fullness of life requires more.

Firth sees the church as often laying down tracks for us to follow, like a train that has to go where it is told. Instead, we need a runway from which to take off and fly. Our engine is a jet engine with potential to go anywhere and everywhere for the Lord.

A Move of God?

The author accepts that the Church has been so organised for centuries that it is difficult for Christians to think of it in any other way. But ‘organising’ Christians is not its real task. All through the book the author argues that the unstructured church approach is well within biblical guidelines, and not just an alternative for dissatisfied Christians.

He believes this may be a stepping stone for the future, a move of God to re-form the Body of Christ for what he has planned next. He wonders if what is happening here is a “logical follow-on from the Charismatic Renewal which, for a season at any rate, seemed to demonstrate that if you ‘keep in step with the Spirit’, rather than follow various human patterns, great things come about” (p87).

This book is small but mighty. If nothing else you will be intrigued by its message and arguments. It is not expensive, and won’t take you long to get its main points whether you agree with them or not. The result should be that you will become less critical of those who have ‘left the structures’ and less likely to dismiss what may be part of a vital move of God.

Custom and Command (88 pages) is available from lulu.com for £2.77. It can be downloaded for free as an e-book from Stan Firth’s website.