God has Spoken: (A Study of Bible Authority) Individual Action and Local Church Action (2)

God has Spoken:God has Spoken: (A Study of Bible Authority)(A Study of Bible Authority)

Individual Action Individual Action and Local Church Action and Local Church Action (2)(2)

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Clear Distinction in Clear Distinction in NTNT

• Congregational action & Congregational action & individual actionindividual action– Care of widows, Care of widows, 1 Tim. 5:161 Tim. 5:16– Private sin, Private sin, Matt. 18:15-17Matt. 18:15-17– Treasury, Treasury, Acts 4:35-5:4Acts 4:35-5:4

• WrongWrong: “Whatever the Christian : “Whatever the Christian can do, the local church can do.”can do, the local church can do.”

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Another ExtremeAnother Extreme• ““Whatever the local church may Whatever the local church may

notnot do, individual Christians may do, individual Christians may notnot join togetherjoin together to do.” to do.”– Says it is wrong for Christians to Says it is wrong for Christians to

join together in any other join together in any other capacity except local church to capacity except local church to serve Godserve God

– Says to do so conflicts with the Says to do so conflicts with the sufficiency of the local churchsufficiency of the local church

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Is it true?Is it true?

• Care of widows,Care of widows, 1 Tim. 5:161 Tim. 5:16– Since local church cannot help Since local church cannot help

certain widows, are individual certain widows, are individual saints forbidden from working saints forbidden from working together to relieve them?together to relieve them?

– Can individual Christians Can individual Christians operate a home for widowed operate a home for widowed saints?saints?

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• Private sin,Private sin, Matt. 18:15-17Matt. 18:15-17– Since local church cannot Since local church cannot

immediately be brought in to immediately be brought in to deal with a private sin, are deal with a private sin, are individual saints forbidden from individual saints forbidden from joining together to deal with it?joining together to deal with it?

– Commanded to do so in Commanded to do so in verse verse 1616

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• Treasury,Treasury, Acts 4:35-5:4Acts 4:35-5:4– Since local church cannot use Since local church cannot use

its treasury for general its treasury for general benevolence, are individual benevolence, are individual saints forbidden from pooling saints forbidden from pooling their individual funds to do so?their individual funds to do so?

– Gal. 6:10; Jas. 1:27Gal. 6:10; Jas. 1:27

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Extreme PositionExtreme Position

• ““Whatever the local church may Whatever the local church may notnot do, individual Christians may do, individual Christians may notnot join togetherjoin together to do.” to do.”– Forbids Forbids libertyliberty to join together to join together

(pool talents & resources) to do (pool talents & resources) to do work given individual Christianswork given individual Christians

– What proves too much proves What proves too much proves nothingnothing

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““Whatever local church may Whatever local church may notnot do, individual Christians may do, individual Christians may notnot join together to do.”join together to do.”

• What proves too much, proves What proves too much, proves nothingnothing

• Would necessarily forbid joint work: Would necessarily forbid joint work: – EducationEducation (colleges, youth camps) (colleges, youth camps)– BusinessBusiness (publish material, sell (publish material, sell

services)services)– Teaching gospelTeaching gospel (periodicals, web sites) (periodicals, web sites)– BenevolenceBenevolence (hospitals, orphanage) (hospitals, orphanage)– GovernmentGovernment (political groups) (political groups)

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Concurrent Duties given the Concurrent Duties given the Individual & the Local Individual & the Local ChurchChurch

• No conflict between collective No conflict between collective duties & individual dutiesduties & individual duties

• The individual cannot fully The individual cannot fully discharge his personal duties discharge his personal duties through the local churchthrough the local church

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• Teaching gospelTeaching gospel, , Acts 8:4; 11:19-23Acts 8:4; 11:19-23– Individuals taught, Individuals taught, Acts 11:20-21Acts 11:20-21– Jerusalem church acted to teach, Jerusalem church acted to teach, 11:2211:22– Church sent Barnabas, he taught, Church sent Barnabas, he taught,

11:2311:23– Barnabas & Saul taught together, Barnabas & Saul taught together,

11:25-2611:25-26

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• BenevolenceBenevolence, , Gal. 6:10; Acts Gal. 6:10; Acts 11:2911:29– Individual’s opportunity & ability, Individual’s opportunity & ability,

Gal. 6:10 (2 Cor. 8:12)Gal. 6:10 (2 Cor. 8:12)– Local church’s opportunity & Local church’s opportunity &

ability, ability, Acts 11:29 (2 Cor. 8:1-7, Acts 11:29 (2 Cor. 8:1-7, 11; 1 Cor. 16:1-3)11; 1 Cor. 16:1-3)

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• WorshipWorship: Lord’s supper: Lord’s supper– CollectiveCollective: Come together, : Come together,

1 Cor. 11:18-20, 33-34 (Acts 1 Cor. 11:18-20, 33-34 (Acts 20:7)20:7)

– IndividualIndividual: Examines & eats, : Examines & eats, 1 Cor. 11:27-311 Cor. 11:27-31

– Eat individually Eat individually “when you come “when you come together as a church”together as a church” (11:18)(11:18)

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• WorshipWorship: Singing, : Singing, Eph. 5:19; Eph. 5:19; 1 Cor. 14:26 1 Cor. 14:26– IndividualIndividual:: “Speaking to one “Speaking to one

another”another”– CollectiveCollective:: “Whenever you “Whenever you

come together”come together”

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• WorshipWorship: Giving, : Giving, 1 Cor. 16:21 Cor. 16:2– IndividualIndividual:: “Let each one of “Let each one of

you…as he may prosper…”you…as he may prosper…”– AssemblyAssembly: : “On the first day of “On the first day of

the week” the week” (Acts 20:7)(Acts 20:7)

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• WorshipWorship: Prayer, : Prayer, 1 Cor. 1 Cor. 14:16-17, 2314:16-17, 23– IndividualIndividual: : “I will pray…”“I will pray…”– CollectiveCollective: : “if the whole church “if the whole church

comes together in one place…”comes together in one place…”

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Concurrent Duties given Concurrent Duties given the Individual & the Local the Individual & the Local ChurchChurch

• Discipline of disorderlyDiscipline of disorderly, , 1 Cor. 51 Cor. 5– Collective action, Collective action, 5:45:4– Individual action, Individual action, 5:9-135:9-13

•Collectively Collectively “note,” “note,” 2 Ths. 3:142 Ths. 3:14•Individually Individually “do not keep company “do not keep company with him”with him” 2 Ths. 3:14-15 (6)2 Ths. 3:14-15 (6)

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Individual & Collective Individual & Collective DutiesDuties

• Each Christian is duty-bound Each Christian is duty-bound before God to do his part of the before God to do his part of the work given the local churchwork given the local church– Each member supplies, Each member supplies, Eph. 4:16Eph. 4:16– Functioning body, Functioning body, 1 Cor. 12:26-271 Cor. 12:26-27

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• Corinthian Corinthian churchchurch planned to planned to help needy saints in Jerusalem, help needy saints in Jerusalem, 2 Cor. 8:10-112 Cor. 8:10-11

• So, each So, each membermember was to give was to give purposely, cheerfully, as he had purposely, cheerfully, as he had prospered, prospered, 2 Cor. 9:7; 1 Cor. 16:22 Cor. 9:7; 1 Cor. 16:2

• The church’s “gift,”The church’s “gift,” 1 Cor. 16:3 1 Cor. 16:3

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• Eph. 4:1-3:Eph. 4:1-3: Each member in a Each member in a church bears a responsibility for church bears a responsibility for the unity of that churchthe unity of that church

• When each member When each member “gives “gives diligence…,” diligence…,” the goal of unity is the goal of unity is achieved and maintainedachieved and maintained

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Individuals Working Individuals Working TogetherTogether

• No violation of the work of the No violation of the work of the local church when individual local church when individual Christians work together to:Christians work together to:– Exhort sinners,Exhort sinners, Matt. 18:16, 17Matt. 18:16, 17– Pray together, yet not as the local Pray together, yet not as the local

church,church, Acts 12:12, 5Acts 12:12, 5– Teach gospel,Teach gospel, Acts 14:27; 20:34Acts 14:27; 20:34

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Individual Action Individual Action and Collective Actionand Collective Action

• Christ has given each Christian Christ has given each Christian work to do that is concurrent work to do that is concurrent with one another & with the local with one another & with the local churchchurch

• The church (body) grows when The church (body) grows when each member does his/her part, each member does his/her part, Eph. 4:15-16Eph. 4:15-16

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God has Spoken: (A Study of Bible Authority) Individual Action and Local Church Action (2)