“As for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.” [1]
Reading the Word one Sunday morning, I was arrested by something Paul wrote in his Second Letter to the Christians in Corinth. The Apostle has been urging the Corinthian congregation to be generous as they collected gifts designated for the relief of Jewish believers who were then suffering. Jerusalem was experiencing a famine, and the Christians of the city were in great difficulty because the civic authorities were using this natural disaster as an excuse to discriminate against followers of The Way. Therefore, believers throughout the world were receiving offerings designated for relief of the famine for their brothers and sisters.
Paul would be sending workers who were designated to receive the gifts that the churches in Achaia were expected to provide. These men would then carry the gifts to Jerusalem where the elders would distribute them to those who were starving. The Apostle had been boasting of the generosity they could expect to find in Corinth. Now, he wanted to assure the church of the authenticity of those he would send. Paul would be sending Titus, whom he commends as his “partner and fellow worker” in seeking the gifts that the Corinthians had received.
Then, as I read the latter part of this 23rd verse, I noticed something I had passed over many times before while reading these verses. I was aware that Paul had written that accompanying Titus would be some men who were messengers of the churches. It is his description of those men that arrested me, compelling me to reflect on those whom the churches choose to represent them. Paul says these men were “the glory of Christ.”
We become pretty blasé about those with whom we share worship week-by-week. Seriously, how do you think of those sharing this service with you? Do you see them as friends? Certainly, I would hope that to be the case. Perhaps you see your fellow worshippers as people engaged in the same daily activities that are characteristic of your life. I mean, they live pretty much as you live and conduct their daily routines in a manner not dissimilar from your own life. Nevertheless, what is likely not prominent in your understanding of your fellow worshippers is their identity given by the Lord Himself as “the glory of Christ.” And I would hope that you are included in that assessment as one who is counted among people as “the glory of Christ.”
Those chosen by the congregation, individuals who share the Faith of Christ the Lord and carry out the routine ministries that ensure the expectations of the assembly are carried out, are to be seen as “the glory of Christ.” I wonder whether we see with the eyes of the Saviour, and especially whether we see His glorious work in the lives of otherwise common people with whom we share this holy Faith. I wonder whether we truly value the rich privilege that is ours in sharing worship in this place with people that are now revealing “the glory of Christ.”
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE REDEEMED — “Our brothers…” The Apostle is not talking about super Christians when he speaks of these individuals whom he calls “the glory of Christ;” he is speaking of men who are followers of the Son of God, just as he is a follower of the Son of God. In making this statement, Paul was not merely praising a few individuals, he was glorifying God who works in the lives of those whom we might otherwise call average Christians.
To be certain, the brothers in view in Paul’s letter were specifically chosen by the churches to represent them. He calls them “messengers,” according to the translation I am using. This is a fascinating translation. It is not wrong; in fact, this is the translation of choice found in numerous other translations, such as the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, the NET BIBLE, and the CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE, going back many generations. The word that is translated “messengers,” is the Greek word apóstolos. If you listen carefully, you will hear our English word “apostle.” These men were “apostles” of the churches.
The word apóstolos appears seventy-nine times in the Greek New Testament; it is translated “apostle” or “apostles” seventy-four of those times when it appears. We understand who is in view, and we have a general understanding of the role of those identified as the Lord’s Apostles. Interestingly enough, the word does not always refer to the Twelve or to Paul; on occasion, the word refers to others. Twice, Paul used the word in a derogatory sense in referring to men he identified as “super-apostles.” He was referring to individuals who were puffed up with their own self-importance; they held an exaggerated view of their own person. However, there are some occasions when the actual meaning of the word was intended when it was used.
In the New Testament, the word apóstolos simply meant “a messenger,” someone who was sent with a message, hence, “a messenger.” [2] On at least three occasions, in the translation I prefer, the word is translated by this original meaning. After He had washed the feet of His disciples, the Master instructed them, saying, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me” [JOHN 13:12-20]. In the sixteenth verse, Jesus speaks of “a messenger,” an apóstolos. He is not speaking specifically of the Twelve, though what He says included the Twelve since they were sent by Him for a specific task.
On two occasions, Paul uses the term apóstolos to refer to individuals chosen by the churches for a specific responsibility. The term could refer to a missionary in one instance, but it is likely the intention is broader than that restrictive sense in the text before us. In the Letter to the Christians in Philippi, Paul wrote, “I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need” [PHILIPPIANS 2:25]. Here, he applies the term apóstolos to a man named Epaphroditus.
It is obvious that Paul esteemed Epaphroditus highly since he identified this good man as “my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier,” before speaking of him as a messenger of the Philippian congregation and as a minister, a servant performing a sacred duty. [3] Paul identified Epaphroditus as so dedicated to fulfilling his appointment that he willingly risked his life.
This concept of an apóstolos, a messenger, serving at the behest of the churches is the concept used in our text. Paul identifies the men who were chosen to accompany Titus as “messengers.” Authority had not been delegated by the assemblies, so these men could not be thought of as delegates; nevertheless, they did have a responsibility to fulfil specific tasks on behalf of the churches that appointed them. In this instance, the men were to receive the gifts provided by the churches in Achaia and convey those gifts to believers who were suffering during what appears to have been a famine. Obviously, these men were trustworthy, since they were chosen to transport the funds received. They would be known as honourable men who could be relied upon to do what was asked of them.
This extended discussion concerning the apóstoloi appointed by the churches and the Apostle’s view of these individuals flow out of the respect Christians are to have for one another. As a community of the Faith, we recognise that we are the Body of Christ. We esteem each member of the Body as valuable. We are taught that within the Body of Christ, “The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” [1 CORINTHIANS 12:22-26].
We speak of those who share this fellowship as brothers and as sisters. When James instructs the churches in how they must accept responsibility for one another, he speaks of those who share the worship in the assembly as brothers and as sisters. He writes, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that” [JAMES 2:15-16]?
Those sharing the services of the congregation are not merely people who happen to meet together in a church building on an occasional basis; we receive one another as the Family of God. Peter identifies the Community of Faith in a positive manner when he writes, “Honour all people, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king” [1 PETER 2:17 NET BIBLE]. “Love the family of believers!” What a great description. United as we are in Christ, we are the family of believers.
Perhaps you will recall the Gaither hymn, “The Family of God?”
I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God—
I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I’m part of the family, the family of God.
There is, then, that wonderful verse that speaks of who we are and how we act.
You will notice we say brother and sister ‘round here.
It’s because we’re a family, and these folks are so near.
When one has a heartache, we all shed the tears,
And rejoice in each victory, in this family so dear. [4]
It would be to our benefit to truly understand the family connection we enjoy as followers of the Lord. Having been born from above and into the Family of God, we have one Father. Long years ago, Malachi rebuked Israel when he challenged those who would hear his prophecy, “Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers” [MALACHI 2:10]?
If we have one Father in common, then shouldn’t that be evident in the manner in which we interact? Shouldn’t it be obvious that we share a common parentage? It is reasonable to anticipate that a family resemblance because we share DNA from the same parent. Some years ago, making a trip back to my natal state, I was stopped and asked, “Are you Don Stark’s boy?” Upon answering in the affirmative, I asked what caused my interlocutor to ask that particular question. “Well, you just look a lot like Don.”
We can’t escape genetics. The same holds true in the spiritual realm. Because we are born from above and into the Family of God, features of our divine parentage are evident in our lives. When we were studying the little book of 1 JOHN, we saw the Apostle of Love emphasising this divine relationship. No less than six times does John speak of those who are “born of God” and twice of those who are “born of Him.”
For instance, in the book we read, “If you know that [God] is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him” [1 JOHN 2:29].
Again, we read, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God” [1 JOHN 3:9].
Yet, again, John has written, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” [1 JOHN 4:7].
Nearing the end of this brief letter, the Apostle writes, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him” [1 JOHN 5:1].
John follows up on this by writing, “Everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” [1 JOHN 5:4].
Finally, John has written, “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God [that is, the Christ] protects him, and the evil one does not touch him” [1 JOHN 5:18].
There is a family resemblance, according to the Apostle. That family resemblance will be seen in the fact that the children of God live a righteous life [see 1 JOHN 2:29], do not make a practise of sinning [see 1 JOHN 3:9], and they love each other and their Father [see 1 JOHN 4:7; 5:1]. These children of the Living God have no love for the world system in which they now must live [see 1 JOHN 2:15-17], and they overcome the world [see 1 JOHN 5:4]. Influenced as we are by the cultural milieu in which we live, we place a great emphasis on our distinctions. Really, we should emphasise what we have in common as twice-born followers of the Christ.
Turning attention to the days when the Master walked the dusty trails of Judea, recall His words cautioning those who heard Him as He warned the religious leaders of that ancient day. “Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven” [MATTHEW 23:9]. That certainly seems plain enough that no individual professing Christ as Master should be confused; and yet, large segments of Christendom are trained to call church leaders “father.”
We who have believed are born from above into the great Family of God. Because we have one Father, we recognise the assemblies into which the Spirit of God has placed us as revealing the Brotherhood [see 1 PETER 2:17]; in fact, for us, the Fellowship of Believers is revealed through the assemblies in which the Spirit of God has placed us.
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE CHURCHES — “They are Messengers of the Churches…” These individuals who are identified as “the glory of Christ”—both in the day in which Paul was writing and in this present day—were and are chosen by the churches. These who are to be known as “the glory of Christ” are not chosen because they are some sort of super Christians, nor are they even chosen to function as super Christians—they are chosen to perform the duties designated by the churches of our Lord. As the Spirit of God directs the congregations, He will lead them to appoint those whom He chooses for specific tasks.
This interaction of the Spirit of God working through the assembly is demonstrated in an incident that is recorded in the Book of Acts. “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
“So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus” [ACTS 13:1-4].
Tease apart these verses, carefully noting several essential issues. Notice first that it was as the leadership of the church was worshipping the Lord, that the Holy Spirit was at work. God’s Spirit works among the people of God as they worship. I’m not suggesting that the Spirit of God is quiescent at other times (He is always working). What I am emphasising is that the congregations at worship form an especially fertile environment for the Spirit to work. In part, this is because we who unite in worship are receptive to His presence at such times. It is an axiom of the Faith that the Spirit of God works during our times of worship. In fact, He is guiding us into worship, directing us to see Christ in our midst.
Recall that Jesus promised, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you” [JOHN 16:13-15]. The Spirit directs us to look to Christ the Lord.
God longs for His people to live in unity, to be in harmony. The early congregations were distinguished by multiple people identified as having “one heart.” We read Doctor Luke’s assessment that, “The full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common” [ACTS 4:32]. The unity of heart and soul permitted these early believers to speak with “one voice.” These saints had “the mind of Christ” [see 1 CORINTHIANS 2:16b]. Contemporary churches appear to be distinguished by the multiplicity of ideas and schemes and the babble of voices. Don’t confuse uniformity with unity; we are not in unity because we dress alike, look alike, speak alike—we are in unity because we share a common Faith, worshipping the One True God and seeking His glory. When the Spirit of God is at work, He draws us together in unity. When we experience divine unity, God’s Spirit has freedom to work—and He will work!
This is the basis for the Apostle’s plea in his Letter to the Ephesian saints. “I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” [EPHESIANS 4:1-6].
Looking again at the example provided by the congregation in Antioch, notice that unlike modern congregational practise, this early assembly didn’t plan a task and then try to find someone to fill the position they had created. This is the standard by which churches work today; however, the model provided in Scripture is not like that at all. There, the Holy Spirit created the task, and He had specific individuals prepared to fulfil the ministry He planned. The Spirit of God then prompted the Bride of Christ to appoint those whom He chose to the position He had created. Before the congregation ever considered launching the first missionary outreach, the Spirit of God had prepared Barnabas and Saul to conduct this penetration into the pagan world with the message of Christ. The Spirit planned the task and prepared those who would best carry out the divine task. He works in a similar fashion to this day.
Notice that the divine text is precise in recognising the work of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit spoke, commanding those who were worshipping, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” [ACTS 13:2]. After the Spirit spoke to the worshippers, we read that these missionaries were “sent out by the Holy Spirit” [ACTS 13:4]. God’s Spirit appointed and God’s Spirit dispatched. God would not be thwarted in fulfilling His will. However, had the churches failed to obey the Spirit, they would have lost the blessing of working together with God. They would have lost the joy of knowing they were obedient.
This point is more significant than we might imagine. Why do we serve the Savour? Are we actually so spiritual numb that we no longer realise that we seek Christ’s glory? We are not seeking glory for our assembly, for a denomination, for a culture! We have set Christ at the centre of our service, and we seek to honour Him in all that we do. Thus, we are convinced that His Spirit will direct us, guiding us into fulfilling the will of the One who died for us.
Jesus attended the Feast of Booths on one occasion, going up to Jerusalem after telling His brothers that He would not be attending. While there, this happened. “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”’” [JOHN 7:37-38]. For the purpose of the message today, note the explanation John provided in the verse that follows. “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” [JOHN 7:39].
Bear in mind that the Spirit was sent to glorify the Master [see JOHN 16:14]. He does this by guiding the followers of the Saviour into all the truth [see JOHN 16:13]. The Spirit of God is at work revealing the will of the Father and ensuring that God’s people are guided into all truth! We do not blindly appoint people to the ministries conducted by the members of the congregation—God’s Spirit is at work among us raising up and appointing whom He wills to fulfil the will of Christ our Master. The congregation, submitted to the will of the Lord and seeking to honour Him, is privileged to work together with the Spirit to initiate those ministries God has chosen to perform through us.
Here is an important truth I want you to grasp—if the Spirit appointed you to a specific task, and the congregation recognised what the Spirit has done, you will succeed in your work. So very often, people labouring at a given ministry wonder if they are making a difference. What must be seen is that if God raised you up for a ministry, appointing you to that service and equipping you to conduct that particular ministry, He anticipated that you will succeed in your work. If you are faithful, regardless of what appears to be taking place, God will be glorified; thus you will complete the task to which He appointed you through the assembly. God is in the business of succeeding; and you, because you are faithful, will succeed in your service.
The new ministry for this congregation in Antioch was created as a partnership between the Living God and the fellowship of believers. Though the Spirit of God called, and though He created the task, He permitted the church to participate in this new work by setting apart those whom the Lord called. The same holds true to this day. While the Spirit of the Lord creates the ministries that advance the cause of Christ, and while He appoints individuals to fill those ministries, ever and always the Spirit of God guides the churches so that they share in this work by ratifying what the Spirit is doing.
This means that the people of God are responsible to be sensitive to what the Spirit is doing. The churches are responsible to prayerfully discern what the Spirit is doing. In the Word of God, we are taught, “Since we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also be guided” [GALATIANS 5:25 ISV]. This does not mean that every institution that calls itself a church is guided by the Spirit, but every true church that is honouring the Risen Saviour will exert every effort to discover the mind of the Spirit and boldly do what He is leading them to do.
Here is the import of this review of the operation of the Spirit with the congregation in Antioch: while the Spirit of God works in our church, He is working in other churches. Thus, there is co-ordination of the work of the Spirit as the churches work together. This is the fellowship of believers in action. We are thrilled when God initiates a given work and appoints particular saints to conduct that work; however, we know that our own congregation is not sufficiently large to underwrite the ministry which the Lord initiated. Therefore, other churches come alongside to share in the labour. Together, we advance the Kingdom of the Lord.
We see this in action at several places in Scripture. For instance, as Paul is drawing his Letter to the Christians of Corinth to a conclusion, he writes, “Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem” [1 CORINTHIANS 16:1-3].
The saints in Corinth were again encouraged to pool their efforts to honour Christ when the Apostle wrote in a later letter, “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also” [2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-7].
Paul was speaking of churches in Galatia uniting with churches in Achaia and Macedonia to provide relief for saints suffering a famine in Judea. He alludes to this same mobilisation of resources by churches when he writes the Christians of Rome. He writes, “I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you” [ROMANS 15:24-28].
I suspect that I’m treading on delicate ground in these observations. I have little doubt that there are some who are so full of what they imagine is love that will object. These are people who don’t want to ever give offence, who want to agree so that no one will be upset. Nevertheless, I must caution that the Christian life is not a life without potential for conflict. Even the Master cautioned, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause’” [JOHN 15:18-25].
The Apostle of Love cautioned all who would follow the Master, “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you” [1 JOHN 3:13].
When the opposition to what we teach comes from those who profess to be fellow saints, we must not be surprised. Remember Jesus’ words of caution. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” [MATTHEW 10:34-39].
I would never want to see this congregation become so exclusive that we refrain from co-operating with other believers in the work of the Kingdom; however, neither do I want us to become victims of deception by embracing churches that are not walking according to the Word and will of God. We recognise that we are responsible to work together for the advance of the Kingdom of God; however, we must not imagine that every assembly that claims to be Christian is! Some groups have departed from the Faith. Co-operating with such assemblies cannot advance the Kingdom of God; rather, such efforts would surely hinder the work of the Faith. We are responsible to discern when such is the case and avoid all such groups.
In other instances, though a religious organisation does seek to honour the Lord, we will know that the group has emphases that would hinder the work to which the Spirit is directing us. In these instances, we should wish them God speed and continue with the work to which the Spirit has called us. We must do nothing to hinder good people in their efforts to advance the Kingdom of God. However, we must not jeopardise our own work for the sake of a momentary opportunity to feel good about ourselves.
Our congregation is unaffiliated by choice; we are not part of a denomination. In some respects, this lack of affiliation is a more demanding position than simply determining that because we are part of the same organisation we share with other congregations within the organisation a mutual desire to honour God and to serve His cause. I am not opposed to denominations; however, with the passage of time, denominations tend to move toward protecting their turf rather than advancing the Kingdom of God.
There will be instances in which we can work with sister congregations because we both share a love for the Saviour and a complementary calling from the Spirit of God. We unite with these assemblies in advancing the Kingdom of the Master. There will be other instances when we will refrain from participating because the objective of the proposed work does not complement the ministry we have received from the Lord or because those participating are walking contrary to godliness.
THE GLORY OF CHRIST — A revelation I find to be arresting is found in the Letter to the congregation in Colossae. In that letter, Paul wrote, “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” [COLOSSIANS 1:24-27].
The Apostle writes that the church in Colossae, a congregation just like this congregation, is the Body of Christ. Moreover, he says that the composition of this Body is a glorious mystery. The mystery of which Paul writes is identified as “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The gathered assembly was not homogeneous according to the standards of this world, but that assembly revealed Christ, the hope of glory. In the same way, this assembly, despite the differences in age, differences in race, differences in childhood experiences, is the hope of glory. Christ is in us. Assuredly, Christ is among us; but we are the Body of Christ. Therefore, Christ is in us, and that is far more glorious than we could ever imagine.
A congregation may be composed of individuals representing varied ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. Perhaps we will hear different languages spoken in the homes of the membership of the Christian assembly. It is a virtual certainty that members of the assembly will have been born in different places, growing to adulthood in regions that differ. Their experiences will be as varied as the regions from which they have come. This is especially true in our contemporary world where transportation allows for rapid movement across wide areas of the globe. And yet, as the hymn writer has said,
We are one in the Spirit; we are one in the Lord.
We are one in the Spirit; we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored;
And they’ll know we are Christians, by our love, by our love.
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
By the standards of this world, there is so very much that could divide members of a given congregation. And yet, a Christian assembly is united by something that is far greater, something that is far stronger, than that anything which might otherwise divide us. Ultimately, gathered in Heaven before the throne of God, we will witness “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” [REVELATION 7:9].
Among the churches of this fallen world, we already witness God’s divine work—work that is ongoing and which transcends the criteria which the world uses to divide. We take to heart the Apostle’s admonition, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” [ROMANS 12:15].
When reading of revival fires burning brightly in Ireland or reading of the advance of the Faith in South Korea, we rejoice, we lift our voices in praise to the Lord for revealing His mercy. We are thrilled that our brothers and sisters in the Faith are experiencing God’s abundant grace, and we pray for Christ to be glorified in them. When fellow believers in our own nation experience revival, when they reveal the power of God as they serve Him, we are glad, and we glorify the Saviour for His mercy to mankind. We plead that the Spirit will also revive us, but it does not temper our joy at what He is doing elsewhere among the faithful.
When Leah Sharibu is taken captive by Boko Haram in Nigeria and held because as a Christian she will not renounce her faith, we weep with her mother. [5] When Christian brothers and sisters are murdered in northeastern Nigeria, or attacked and slaughtered in Sri Lanka, we share in their pain. We join in their sorrow because they are family. We pray for God to give our brothers and sisters strength to stand firm; and we plead with Him to rebuke those who hate them and who seek to do them harm. We ask Him to give deliverance to our persecuted Family.
When Christian schoolgirls are beheaded in Indonesia, we grieve with their families and pray for God’s grace to be poured out on their families in their grief. In the same way, we pray for those who would murder our fellow believers, asking that they be turned to righteousness. When yet another congregation is dispossessed of their building in China, when Christian workers are imprisoned in Viet Nam, when godly believers in Pakistan are tormented and denied basic human rights, we are moved to pray for mercy for them and for their families, even as we ask that God make our fellow saints strong so that the wicked will be confounded.
The assembly of the righteous must always conduct themselves with such grace that they can testify before the Risen Son of God that, “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all” [COLOSSIANS 3:11]. Ah, this is the secret to our strength. This is the revelation of the bond which ties us together in this Body which we call “the church of the Living God.” Once, when we were identified with the world, we may have had a sort of unity as we were held in thraldom “in the bond of iniquity.” Now, in Christ the Lord, we are “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” [EPHESIANS 4:3].
The unity created by the presence of the Holy Spirit is far greater than any superficial designation that divides in the world. Those who labour on our behalf, whether in the pulpit, whether in prayer for the advance of the Kingdom, whether in showing compassion to those who struggle—this is the glory of Christ. The saints who do what saints are called to do, the believers who reveal the love of the Risen Saviour, this is the glory of Christ. Yet, we take for granted the wonder of Christ among us, revealed as His people serve in our broken, fallen world. We should marvel at His grace and at the glory He reveals even in our church.
Christ is among us, and I urge you to begin to see with the eyes of Christ. I urge each follower of the Saviour to train herself, or himself, to begin to see as the Master sees. This means that each of us need to see the gifted people whom the Master has placed in our midst. It means that each of us need to recognise the grace that is showered on us as God blesses us with those whom He has chosen to be with us. This means that we must seize the opportunity to pray for those whom God has gifted to us, giving Him praise for them, always seeing them for the glory of God that they truly are. Pray for one another always. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains, (United Bible Societies, New York, NY 1996), 409; William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature: A Translation and Adaption of the Fourth Revised and Augmented Edition of Walter Bauer’s Griechsch-Deutsches Worterbuch Zu Den Schrift En Des Schrift En Des Neuen Testaments Und Der Ubrigen Urchristlichen Literatur (University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL 1979), 99–100
[3] Louw-Nida, op. cit., 460; Arndt et al., 471
[4] Gloria Gaither and William J. Gaither, “The Family of God,” ©1970
[5] Jessica Mouser, “Leah Sharibu’s Mother to President Trump: ‘Please Help Me,’” ChurchLeaders.com, June 13, 2019, https://churchleaders.com/news/352625-leah-sharibu-mother-to-president-trump-please-help-me.html?utm_source=outreach-cl-daily-nl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text-link&utm_campaign=cl-daily-nl&maropost_id=&mpweb=256-8039496-742210145, accessed 15 June 2019
