The Doctrine of the Church continued.
The Perpetuity of The Church
Matt. 16:18, And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Whatever Jesus built, death will not overcome it nor conquer it. So what is it that Jesus built? Obviously it cannot be anything other than His Church. His called out assembly, His ecclesia, will remain in existence till he comes and gathers it unto himself at the end of this age. The apostolic church has and always will exist.
So which church is it? Is it the invisible universal church containing all the saved from all ages? Or is it the visible local church existing from Christ?
Anti-Landmark theologians insist that the corporate church of the first century has long died out and therefore it must be the universal church which will never cease to be. Landmarkers disagree. We ask when did it die? They cannot answer. The local Church, ecclesia, is still in existence today. The debate hinges on what the nature of the true church is. We have had a session on this doctrine of the church’s nature, and learned that it is not universal. But if we are charged with circular reasoning there are other proofs regarding the meaning of the local church.
- 1 Cor. 12:25-27 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
- 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
- 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Nothing other than a local, visible corporate church is described in these verses. These scriptures demand that the church be local and visible assembly. All its members are to have the same care one for another! Try that in a invisible church scattered throughout the world!
- 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Are these attributes reflective of a universal invisible church? Where were the Apostles first set? Was it not in the church existing as a company walking with Christ? Verified in Matthew 10:1- 4.
- Eph. 4:15, 16
- 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
- 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Paul’s teaching is that the Body (the Church) is joined closely together, only a physical assembly can satisfy verse 16. No disjointed body can have every joint supplying the needs of the individual church. The literal sense is that every joint and every part is in contact with the others.
It is this Church, the Apostolic Church, the Prototype Church which is promised by Christ to exist even to His second advent. To deny this or discredit the importance of the church throughout the ages is an affront to the Body of Christ, and to the millions who underwent sever persecutions for the church..
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