10th
FUNDAMENTAL
TRUTH
THE CHURCH
AND ITS MISSION
The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her Great Commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven (Eph. 1:22–23; 2:22; Heb. 12:23).
Since God’s purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which is lost, to be worshiped by man, and to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, the priority reason-for-being of the Assemblies of God as part of the Church is:
a.To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world (Matt. 28:19–20; Mark 16:15–16; Acts 1:8).
b.To be a corporate body in which man may worship God (1 Cor. 12:13).
c.To be a channel of God’s purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (1 Cor. 12:28; 14:12; Eph. 4:11–16).
The Assemblies of God exists expressly to give continuing emphasis to this reason-for-being in the New Testament apostolic pattern by teaching and encouraging believers to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. This experience:
a.Enables them to evangelize in the power of the Spirit with accompanying supernatural signs (Mark 16:15–20; Acts 4:29–31; Heb. 2:3–4).
b.Adds a necessary dimension to a worshipful relationship with God (1 Cor. 2:10–16; 12–14).
c.Enables them to respond to the full working of the Holy Spirit in expression of fruit and gifts and ministries as in the New Testament times for the edifying of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:28; 14:12; Gal. 5:22–26; Eph. 4:11–12; Col. 1:29).
The word “church” translates the Greek word ekklēsia.1 Ekklēsia was commonly used in the ancient Near East to describe an assembly of citizens, sometimes one meeting officially, sometimes one just rushing together as a mob (Acts 19:32,39,41). In the Septuagint (Gk.) version of the Old Testament this Greek word was used of the assembly, or congregation, of Israel, particularly when the people were gathered before the Lord for religious occasions (e.g., Deut. 9:10; 18:16; 23:1,3). By New Testament times, however, the Jews preferred the term “synagogue” to designate both the building and the congregation meeting there. Therefore, to distinguish themselves from the Jews and to declare themselves as the true people of God, both Jesus and the early Christians used the term ekklēsia.2 It is the spiritual family of God, a fellowship created by the Holy Spirit, based upon the atoning work of Christ.
The word “church” is used variously today by many people. It is sometimes used to denote a physical structure, a building used by a local congregation. It is sometimes used of a denomination. However, there are only two valid biblical uses for the term “church” (assembly). There is the local church (assembly), by which is meant not the building, but the assembled saints who worship together in a given location. In a real sense, all the attributes of the whole church are expected to characterize that local assemblage; it is the body of Christ localized. Consequently, Paul could refer to the church (assembly) of God in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:2). At the same time, there is a broader use of that term as well: Based on the context, “church” may refer to all saints, throughout history as well as throughout the world. And only to the extent that they are composed of genuine believers may denominations be said to be a part of that grand, universal Church.
There are several highly descriptive figures of speech that the Bible writers have used to help us understand the mystery of the Church. Perhaps the most important is the term “body of Christ.” Christ was visibly present on earth during the time of the Incarnation. When He was preparing to depart, He took special pains to train a group of disciples whom He had commissioned to found and be the Church, the assembly of citizens of heaven (Matt. 16:18–19; 18:17–20; Eph. 2:19; Phil. 3:20). After His resurrection, Jesus breathed on the disciples and others who were in the Upper Room, imparting a measure of the Holy Spirit to them. Their names were already written in heaven (Luke 10:20); they were already clean before God, having had a spiritual bath through Christ’s Word (John 13:10; 15:3). The old covenant had been abolished at Calvary (Eph. 2:15); the death of Jesus put the new covenant into effect (Heb. 9:15–17). Consequently, they were already a new covenant body, and Jesus imparted to them the new covenant life through this impartation of the Holy Spirit—the same life all believers receive when they believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and are born again (Rom. 10:9–10).3 At the same time, Jesus commissioned them and gave them authority. Thus, from Christ’s resurrection day they were in a new relationship with Him: They were already the Church, the ekklēsia. Jesus instituted not an organization, but an organism. At the time of the Ascension, Christ exhorted the disciples to stay in the city of Jerusalem until they would be clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4). On the day of Pentecost the 120 assembled believers, who were praising God (Luke 24:53), individually received the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came to energize the community of believers, to make the resurrected Christ available everywhere through Spirit-filled disciples.
To emphasize and visualize the living relationship of the believers with Christ, the Bible talks about Christ as the “head” of the Church and the Church as His “body” (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 1:22–23; Col. 1:18). There are several reasons for this beautiful analogy of the Church as the body of Christ. The Church is the physical, visible manifestation of Christ in the world, doing His work, such as calling sinners to repentance, proclaiming the truth of God to the nations, and preparing for the ages to come. The Church also is like a body in that it is composed of a complex arrangement of diverse parts, each discrete, each receiving from the Head, each with its own gifts and ministry, yet all necessary for the work of God to proceed (Rom. 12:4–8; 1 Cor. 6:15; 10:16,17; 12:12–27; Eph. 4:15–16).
Another significant metaphor used to describe the Church is the “temple of God” and of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16–17; 2 Cor. 6:14–7:1; Eph. 2:11–22; 1 Pet. 2:4–10). “Temple” (Gk. naos) refers to the inner sanctuary, the most holy place, where God manifested His glory in a special, localized way.4 God is omnipresent, it is true, but in a special sense His dwelling is among His people (Exod. 25:8; 1 Kings 8:27). The word “temple” is used in 1 Corinthians 3:16 of the entire local assembly. Together each assembly is the temple, for God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit is in their midst. Then in 1 Corinthians 6:19, the body of the individual is also the temple of the Holy Spirit. Even in Old Testament times, though the glory 5 was manifest in the inner room—the Most Holy Place—God’s presence was not limited to His manifestation of himself in the midst of His people. “For this is what the high and lofty One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite’” (Isa. 57:15).
In Ephesians 2:20–22 Paul enlarges the figure of the temple to include all believers of all times:
You are … built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Peter then combines the figures of the temple and the priesthood:
As you come to him, the living Stone [6]—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…. You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Pet. 2:4–5,9).
We are not only the temple, we also offer spiritual ministry among ourselves as priests of God in this sanctuary.7
Another vivid figure used with respect to the Church is “the bride of Christ.” This figure emphasizes union and communion of the saints with the Christ. It is used particularly with regard to the eagerness of the bride to be ready for the marriage, and therefore has a strong tone of hope for the future (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25–27; Rev. 19:7; 21:2; 22:17). The figure of a wife is also used of the Church, for even though we look forward to a closer relationship with Christ when He comes to earth again, we have a close relationship now (cf. Eph. 5:25–32). The marriage relationship is thus used to illustrate Christ’s love and care for the Church as well as the devotion and faithfulness of the Church to Christ.
Other terms and phrases used of the Church include “God’s household, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). It is the household, or family, of God (Eph. 2:19), and it supports and upholds the truth. It is God’s “field” as well as God’s “building,” where He not only dwells, but from which He expects fruit (1 Cor. 3:9). It is an “army” equipped with “the full armor of God” so that it can stand against the devil’s schemes, using the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and protected by the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation (Eph. 6:10–17). It is a spiritual “fellowship,” or partnership, working together with the Lord in the power of the Spirit and in love and care for one another and for the lost (2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1; 1 John 1:3). We are all “ministers,” literally, “servants,” doing God’s work and building up one another through the gifts and ministries of the Spirit (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 1:7; 12:4–11, 28–31; Eph. 4:11).
Within the Church also is a present manifestation of the “kingdom of God,”8 the term itself (Gk. basileia) referring to the authority, reign, or rule of a king, rather than to territory or subjects.
Though human participation in the Kingdom is voluntary, God’s kingdom is present, whether or not people recognize and accept it.
There is only one kingdom (rule, authority) of God, variously described in Scripture as the “kingdom of heaven,” “kingdom of God,” kingdom of “the Son of Man” (Matt. 13:41), “my kingdom” (spoken by Jesus; Luke 22:30), “kingdom of Christ and of God” (Eph. 5:5), and “kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Rev. 11:15).
From the various contexts of the word kingdom in the Gospels, the rule of God is seen as (1) a present realm or sphere into which people are entering now and (2) a future apocalyptic order into which the righteous will enter at the end of the age….
As Pentecostals we recognize the role of the Holy Spirit in the inauguration and ongoing ministry of the Kingdom…. The working of the Spirit in the ministry of Jesus proved the presence of the Kingdom.
Jesus described the rule of the Holy Spirit in the kingdom of God…. The power of the Kingdom, so manifest in the Cross, the Resurrection, and the Ascension, was passed on to all who would be filled with the Spirit. Through the Church the Spirit continues the Kingdom ministry of Jesus himself….
The kingdom of God is not the Church. Yet there is an inseparable relationship between the two….
The kingdom of God existed before the beginning of the Church and will continue after the work of the Church is complete. The Church is therefore part of the Kingdom but not all of it. In the present age the kingdom [rule, reign] of God is at work through the Church.9
Through the atoning death of Jesus Christ all human walls of division have been broken down, and in Christ all who are genuine believers are made members of the body of Christ.
He [Jesus] came and preached peace to you [Gentiles] who were far away and peace to those who were near [that is, the Jews]. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit (Eph. 2:17–21).
Clearly, as the Bible tells us, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8–9). Acts 16:31 expresses the simple truth: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” It is the Lord who adds daily to the Church “those who are being saved” (Acts 2:47).
The Church has a threefold objective. All of the functions of a local body of believers should relate in some significant way to one or more of these three cardinal objectives. If upon examination the local body discovers that its energies are being consumed by activities that do not fit these objectives, it would do well to reassess its priorities. There is a further introductory note which should be interjected here as well: It is God’s intention to work through the Church between the first and second advents of Christ. This is the Church Age. An axiom worth pondering is that any activity that does not feed and nourish the Church, no matter how well-intentioned, is simply not God’s way of doing things in this age. He has chosen the Church to be His agency for accomplishing His purposes in the world today.
The first objective of the Church is world evangelization. Just as Jesus Christ came to seek and to save the lost, so the extension in this age of His body, the Church, is to share in that central concern (Matt. 18:11). Shortly before His ascension He issued a solemn challenge to the disciples to evangelize the world, making disciples (“learners,” “people eager to learn”) from all nations, baptizing them “and teaching them to obey everything” He had commanded (Matt. 28:19–20).
A characteristic of the early Jerusalem Church was that it was growing. The Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:47). Even under persecution, the Early Church scattered the gospel message, “gossiping the gospel” wherever the members were dispersed (Acts 8:4). The Book of Acts has a theme of growth, both spiritual and numerical, with more and more new centers established as believers in the power of the Spirit continued to spread the good news.10
The Early Church was also characterized by emphasis on the spoken Word. Paul recognized that “God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21), and so the work of extending the Great Commission is still to be achieved. The Pentecostal experience has been given to believers with the task of evangelism as its principal objective (Acts 1:8). The power of the Holy Spirit coming upon believers expresses itself not only in tongues as the initial physical, or outward, evidence, but in mighty acts of a supernatural sort, which confirm the verbal testimony of faithful witnesses (Mark 16:15–16; Heb. 2:4). Gifts of the Spirit, such as prophecy, also are means the Holy Spirit uses to convict and convince sinners (1 Cor. 14:24–25).
The second objective of the Church is to minister to God. As a great denominational catechism states, “Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.”11 An oft-repeated phrase in Ephesians, particularly chapter 1, regarding the purpose of human beings in God’s universe is that we should be “to the praise of his [God’s] glory.” Augustine, bishop of Hippo in North Africa from A.D. 396 to 430, declared that all human beings are restless until they find their rest in God. Human beings apart from a worshipful relationship to our Creator are disoriented and out of tune. We were created to worship. Now, it is true that worship has many avenues of expression. In a real sense, all of life can be a great hymn of praise to God. The mundane acts of life, including digging weeds, washing the car, and cleaning house, can become an instrument of worship and praise to God.12 All of life should be of such expression of thanks and praise. However, God has provided the Church, the corporate body of believers, as a special instrument of worship.
One cannot read passages such as 1 Corinthians 11 to 14 without recognizing that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is especially significant in the worship of the Church. Given to the Body of assembled believers are diverse operations of the Spirit, which both edify the worshipers and enrich the worship of God. God and believers are blessed wonderfully in the spiritual worship furnished by the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit. These varied manifestations of the Spirit are generally called gifts of the Spirit; but in the original text of 1 Corinthians 12:1, the word “gift” is not present, but simply the term “spirituals.” This word “by itself might include other things directed by the Holy Spirit and expressed through Spirit-filled believers. But in this passage Paul is clearly limiting the word to mean the free gracious gifts or charismata.”13
All the early Christian writers took the word spirituals as spiritual gifts, therefore recognizing them to be supernatural gifts with the Holy Spirit as their immediate source.14
The implication is that God through the Holy Spirit distributes the various manifestations needful in the worshiping community as He chooses; the “gifts” are given to the Church as a whole. It is true that individuals in the congregation may develop a ministry featuring one or more of the gifts, but none are to be considered one’s private property, for the Spirit dispenses His ministrations for the benefit of the Church “just as he determines” (1 Cor. 12:11; 14:12,32).
There are several lists of gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1 Corinthians 12:8–10,28; Ephesians 4:11; Romans 12:6–8. The first list, 1 Corinthians 12:8–10, is the fullest catalog of spiritual ministries bestowed by the Spirit in the worshiping body. This list is often called the nine gifts of the Spirit. These include three gifts of revelation (the word [or message] of wisdom, the word [or message] of knowledge, and the discerning of [or distinguishing between] spirits), three gifts of power (faith, miracles [miraculous powers], gifts of healings), and three gifts of utterance (tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophecy).
These supernatural gifts are all concerned with the manifestation of God’s character, ways, and eternal purposes. Therefore, every word or message of wisdom that the Spirit gives “will reflect God’s plans, purposes, and ways of accomplishing things.”15 It will give divine insight into the need or problem and into God’s Word, for the practical resolution of that need.16
The word or message of knowledge is especially concerned with “the light [enlightening] of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6) and “the fragrance of the knowledge of him” (2 Cor. 2:14). It reveals applications of the gospel to Christian living and on occasion reveals other facts that only God knows. Donald Gee described it as “flashes of insight into truth” that penetrate beyond the operation of our unaided intellect.17
The gift of faith is not ordinary faith, nor is it saving faith. “The vibrant, active Christian is more likely to see this gift in action as he claims God’s power for present needs. Fervent prayer, extraordinary joy, and unusual boldness accompany the gift of faith. It can include special ability to inspire faith in others, as Paul did on board the ship in the storm (Acts 27:25).”18
In the Greek of 1 Corinthians 12:9–10, there are three sets of plurals: gifts of healing, works of power, and distinguishings of spirits. Clearly, no one has the gift of healing. The plural may indicate a variety of forms of this gift. It may also indicate that a specific gift is given to the sick person for the particular sickness or disease, the one ministering the gift being the agent through whom the Holy Spirit works.
Works of miraculous power are divine energizings in a broader category that healing. In the Book of Acts, such works encouraged the mission of the Church. Examples may include the judgment on Ananias and Sapphira and on Elymas, the deliverance of Peter from prison, and the preservation of Paul from snakebite.
Prophecy simply means “speaking for God” in a known language. It reveals the progress of the kingdom of God and puts the sinner under conviction by revealing the secrets of his or her heart (1 Cor. 14:24–25). It brings edification and encouragement to the assembled believers (Acts 15:32).
With “distinguishings between spirits” the plurals again indicate a variety of expressions of the gift. We are not to believe every spirit but we must put them to the test (1 John 4:1). In the spiritual battle going on in this world, we need to distinguish who the enemy is. But also the human spirit can be an offender.
The gift of tongues includes kinds, or families, of languages. In the assembly, a message in tongues needs to be interpreted in order to bring edification. Even when the tongue is praise or prayer, there should be interpretation. Interpretation, however, is not necessarily strict translation; rather, it gives the meaning or essential content of what is given in tongues.19
The spiritual, worshiping church is a powerful arsenal of supernatural power which God employs in His warfare against the hosts of darkness. In fact, “[w]hatever the need of the Church, the Spirit has some gift to meet it.”20 By combining the four lists given in Romans, Ephesians, and 1 Corinthians “in various ways, it is possible to come up with a total of 18 to 20 gifts.”21 They include “gifts for the establishment of the church and for bringing it to a maturity where all the members can receive their own gifts and contribute to the upbuilding of the local body…. Second, gifts of the edification of the local body through individual members…. Third, gifts for service and outreach.”22
The latter group includes the following:
1. Gifts of administration (1 Cor. 12:28), a variety of expressions helping those in leadership.
2. Gifts of helps, or helpful deeds, inspiring us to help others or take someone’s part in a difficult situation.
3. Gifts of ministry (service, deaconship), various types of spiritual and practical service, including the distribution of aid or help to the poor, inspiring generosity.
4. Gifts of ruling (directing, caring, giving aid), helping leaders care for souls and make the church concerned about helping others under the leadership God gives.
5. The gift of showing mercy (Rom. 12:8), inspiring gracious and compassionate care for the needy, the sick, the hungry, those with insufficient clothing, and prisoners. It is the last in the list of gifts in Romans 12, but not the least (see Matt. 25:31–46).
All these gifts are needed. The Holy Spirit distributes them according to the need, but we must be willing to respond in faith and obedience. Then the local assembly will be built up both spiritually and in numbers. In fact, as the worshiping body responds in faith, all these spiritual ministries, or gifts, should be in operation in a truly apostolic-patterned church. This is the privilege of believers. It is more than a privilege, really, for increasingly as the clouds of darkness roll over the face of the earth, the Church must have all the spiritual resources available to it to withstand the encroachment of secularism, materialism, the occult, New Age philosophies, and other subtle devices of Satan designed to weaken its witness.
Over most of the history of the Church there has been too much dependence on human resources. As long as the funds, equipment, men [and women], materials, and technical skill are available, projects are pushed with every expectation of success. Yet often they fail in spite of everything. On the other hand, some have started out with almost nothing but with a tremendous confidence in God and a dependence on the gifts and help of the Holy Spirit, and the impossible has been done.
It is a great thing to learn to use the human resources available, while depending on the Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit are still God’s primary means of building the Church both spiritually and in numbers. Nothing else can do it.23
There is a third objective of the New Testament Church: to build a body of saints (dedicated believers), nourishing them so that they become conformed to the image of Christ. Evangelism is the winning of new converts; worship is the Church directed toward God; nurture is the development of new converts into mature saints. God is mightily concerned that newborn babes grow in grace (on the basis of Eph. 4:11–16; cf. 1 Cor. 12:28; 14:12). Paul emphasized repeatedly the yearning God has for evidence of spiritual maturity in the lives of believers (1 Cor. 14:12; Eph. 4:11–13; Col. 1:28–29).
How may one know when one is growing into the image of Christ? How can the Church gauge its success in producing Christian maturity in its membership? Galatians 5:22–26 offers a beautiful set of virtues called the “fruit of the Spirit”: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.24 Those who exhibit such traits of character are said to be fulfilling the law or instruction of Christ. We do need to take an active part in this. Second Peter 1:5–11 tells us:
Make every effort to add to your faith [or exercise abundantly in your faith] goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Church’s task is not done until it assists its members in growing spiritually, so that the various gifts of the Spirit are matched by the display of the fruits of the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 13).
The Church has a high calling, an upward calling. Paul said, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). Hebrews 3:1 reminds us that we “share in the heavenly calling.” Ephesians 1:3 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” The Bible is not referring to predestination of individuals. It is saying that the Church is a chosen body, predestined to be holy. All those who choose to believe become part of the Church and share in its destiny. In the Church “the Christian’s position and blessings are spiritual, heavenly, and eternal.”25
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. How was the word “church” (ekklēsia) used in Bible times and how does that use compare with the way it is used today?
2. What is the evidence that the Church was already in existence before the Day of Pentecost?
3. Both Ephesians and Colossians called Christ the Head and the Church His Body. Is the Head or the Body given most emphasis in Ephesians? in Colossians?
4. What are the three ways the figure of the temple is used with respect to the Church?
5. Some today treat the bride of Christ as a special company of super believers within the Church. What does this kind of teaching lead to and what are the reasons for understanding the Bride to be the whole true Church?
6. What is the relation of the Church to the kingdom of God?
7. What are the conditions of membership in the Church given in the New Testament? How does that compare with conditions for membership in your own local assembly?
8. What priorities does the New Testament give for the work of the Church? What is your own local assembly doing to put these priorities into effect?
9. What is the primary purpose of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of His gifts in the local assembly?
10. When should we expect the Spirit to give His gifts?
11. Which gifts are most often neglected in your own local assembly today?
12. Which gifts are most needed in your own local assembly today?
13. Why is it important that we desire and seek the gifts of the Spirit?
14. How do we grow spiritually and how can we help others to grow spiritually?
_______________
1 The word is derived from ek, “out of,” and kaleō, “call.” However, in the Bible it is used of any assembly. Usage, not derivation, determines meaning. Bible usage shows it had lost the meaning of “called-out ones.” “Assembly” is the best translation.
2 See The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary, Delta-Epsilon, The Complete Biblical Library (Springfield, Mo.: The Complete Biblical Library, 1990), 336.
3 Stanley M. Horton, What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit (Springfield, Mo.: Gospel Publishing House, 1976), 128–133.
4 The Gk. has another word, hieron, for the whole temple precinct with all its buildings and courts.
5 Later, rabbis called this glory the shekinah, a term derived from the Heb. shakan, “dwell, stay.”
6 Notice that Christ is the One to whom we come. He, not Peter, is the “Rock” on which the Church is built (Matt. 16:18). Note also that in 1 Peter 2:8 the word “stone” (Gk. lithos) is parallel to “rock” (Gk. petra), the word used in Matt. 16:18.
7 Peter can mix these metaphors because in the Bible the church is always “people.”
8 It should be noted that where Mark and Luke have “the kingdom of God,” Matthew, writing to the Jews, has in the same contexts “the kingdom of heaven.” The terms are synonymous. Jews in New Testament times preferred to avoid the name of God for fear they might take it in vain.
9 Where We Stand (Springfield, Mo.: Gospel Publishing House, 1990), 185–186,187,189,190.
10 Stanley M. Horton, The Book of Acts (Springfield, Mo.: Gospel Publishing House, 1981), 13.
11 The Westminster Larger Catechism (Richmond: Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 1939), 162.
12 Myer Pearlman, beloved teacher and writer, used to say, “If you have to mop the floor, take the mop and say, ‘I will not let you go until you bless me.’”
13 Horton, What the Bible Says, 208. The word charismata is actually used in 1 Cor. 12:4,9,28,30–31; and 14:1.
14 Ibid., 208–209 [Quoted from John Owen, The Holy Spirit (Grand Rapids: Sovereign Grace Publishers, 1971), 16.].
15 David Lim, Spiritual Gifts: A Fresh Look (Springfield, Mo.: Gospel Publishing House, 1991), 71.
16 See Acts 6:1–7; 10:47; 15:13–21; 16:35–40, for example.
17 Donald Gee, Spiritual Gifts in the Work of the Ministry Today (Springfield, Mo.: Gospel Publishing House, 1963), 29.
18 Lim, Spiritual Gifts, 74–75.
19 Horton, What the Bible Says, 277–279.
20 Ibid., 209.
21 Ibid., 210.
22 Ibid., 263–264.
23 Ibid., 282.
24 See “The Acts of the Sinful Nature and the Fruit of the Spirit,” in The Full Life Study Bible (Grand Rapids Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1990), 395.
25 Ernest Swing Williams, Systematic Theology, vol. 3 (Springfield, Mo.: Gospel Publishing House, 1953), 107.