Last week the article dealt with the need to apply Bible Authority and the work of evangelism being a work of the local church.  We touched on the fact that it was scriptural to pay preachers, but not scriptural to have sponsoring churches or break autonomy in the work of the local church.  This week we will cover the work of the local church in benevolence.

Most brethren will agree that the local church has a role in helping those in physical need.  The disagreement comes to whom the church may help when there are physical needs.  The church takes a collection every first day of the week (I Corinthians 16:1-2).  This is the only way the local church has authority to get funds.  With that money it can do it’s own local work.  The Bible gives us a clear pattern of who the local church helped in it’s work in the 1st Century.  We can tell that the church of Christ in the 1st Century aided saints in need.  We can know that because the Bible shows us that (Acts 2:44-45, Romans 15:25-27, I Corinthians 16:1-4, II Corinthians 8:4, 9:1; 12, and I Timothy 5:3-16).  What we do not find is an example, command, or inference showing the non-saints were aided in benevolent needs by the local church.  It should also be pointed out that when the church aided saints in need, those saints were truly in need.  It was not the paying of an electric bill because the saint had to choose to pay the electric bill or the car payment and the electric was going to be shut off.  Saints in need were those who were poverty stricken.  Maybe that is something for all of us to consider when we look at helping saints in need.  Brother so and so comes to the church and says he needs food.  So, the church cuts him a check for $200.00, then he goes out in his two year old Lincoln Town Car.  It is not the role of the church to provide for one’s family that is the role of the head of the household (I Timothy 5:8).

The pattern of authority in the church’s role of benevolence can be drawn out just like our first lesson on the work of the church when it was pointed out that in the New Testament there is a pattern of only singing, and not playing.  Some brethren will argue that the New Testament does not say that we cannot aid non-saints.  Then those same brethren turn around and argue that silence of the scriptures forbids which is correct.  However, the lack of consistency is evident to those who are truly searching for the truth.  If the Bible does not authorize an activity we cannot choose to do it.  We cannot ADD to what is authorized (Revelation 22:18-19).  Then, those brethren say “well it makes sense, and we cannot see why God would be upset with us”.  Jeremiah said: “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps - Jeremiah 10:23.”  The pattern of the New Testament examples show that the local church aided saints out of the treasury not non-saints.  The New Testament also shows us that when the church aids financially that is fellowship.

When the local church gives money from it’s treasury to someone that is called fellowship.  (II Corinthians 9:13) “Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all.”  In the context of chapters eight and nine of the second letter to the brethren at Corinth we can see that Christians were aided by the church in Corinth.  By looking a little more into II Corinthians 9:13 we see the word distribution being used by the inspired Apostle Paul.  This word in the Greek is “koinonia”, which is Strong’s # 2842.  Notice the listing of where this word appears and what the translation of it is in the King James Version:

Act 2:42  fellowship [2842], Romans 15:26 contribution [2842], I Corinthians 1:9 fellowship [2842], I Corinthians 10:16 communion [2842], II Corinthians 6:14 communion, [2842] II Corinthians 8:4  fellowship [2842], II Corinthians 9:13 distribution [2842], II Corinthians 13:14 communion [2842], Galatians 2:9 fellowship [2842], Ephesians 3:9 fellowship [2842], Philippians 1:5 fellowship [2842], Philippians 2:1 fellowship [2842], Philippians 3:10 fellowship [2842], Philemon 1:6 communication [2842], Hebrews 13:16 communicate [2842], 1 John 1:3 (TWICE) fellowship [2842], fellowship [2842], 1 John 1:6 fellowship [2842 , and 1 John 1:7 fellowship [2842].

Each time this word appears it points out fellowship between God – Christian, Christian – Christian, but never Christian – alien sinner.  As a matter of a fact the inspired Apostle Paul used this same word “koinonia” just three chapters before he did in II Corinthians 9:13.  (II Corinthians 6:14) “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”  Why would Paul write something showing the saints in Corinth not to fellowship the lost, then three chapters later commend them on fellowshipping the non-Christian?  The New Testament is consistent that fellowship cannot go from light to darkness and still be pleasing to God (Ephesians 5:11).  Some brethren will argue emotional arguments like: “God would want us to help the needy non-Christians ,who are starving and have no clothes, from the treasury.”  I wonder if these emotionalists ever thought about the fact that God does not even hear the request of the non-Christian (I Peter 3:12 and Isaiah 59:1-2).  Now why don’t those who use these emotional arguments get onto God like they do faithful brethren?  Now the question begs asking.  If the church cannot aid the non-Christian can the individual Christian aid the non- Christian?

When the New Testament speaks of us helping individually it does not call this action fellowship.  It calls it “agathos” in Galatians 6:10 which means “good, lit., the good, as being morally honorable, pleasing to God, and therefore beneficial.”  Galatians 6:10 tells us “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”  It is clear the Galatians 6:10 is speaking to the individual because:
 

1. Context tells this is a individual work in verses 7-9: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”  The context shows us that we (individual Christians) will reap what we (individual Christians) sow.  We know that the church will not be collectively judged, but we as individuals will be (Romans 14:12 and II Corinthians 5:10).  Some would argue that the word we shows collective action.  However, they would fail to see that that word “we” and “us” were used in Paul’s letter to Rome in chapter 6 verses 3-6.  Surely one would not argue that the church at Rome was collectively baptized.  Context defines.  Galatians 6:1-10 is clearly written to individual saints.  One would then argue that the book of Galatians was written to the churches of Galatia (Galatians 6:2).  That would be correct.  Yet, one would have to notice that all things in the book do not apply to the church collectively, but some things apply individually.  For example, the church was not baptized into Christ (Galatians 3:27).  Baptism is an individual action.

2.  It is clear Galatians 6:10 is to the individual, because the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37 teaches us that we have an individual role to help those in need.  This is the principle also taught by Christ in Matthew 25:35-46.  We need to help strangers in need.

3.  It is clear the Galatians 6:10 does not mean for the church to help all because that would be a direct violation of I Timothy 5:16.

One may then argue that if the individual can help the non-Christian so can the church.  For the church cannot be separated from the individual.

The individuals make up the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:27), but the body of Christ does not make up the individuals.  The word “church” translated from the Greek word “ekklesia” which is Strong’s # 1577.  The word literally means “assembly or congregation”.  Thayer defines this word as:

“1) a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some
public place, an assembly
1a) an assembly of the people convened at the public place of the
council for the purpose of deliberating
1b) the assembly of the Israelites
1c) any gathering or throng of men assembled by chance,
tumultuously
1d) in a Christian sense
1d1) an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a
religious meeting
1d2) a company of Christian, or of those who, hoping for
eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own
religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and
manage their own affairs, according to regulations
prescribed for the body for order's sake
1d3) those who anywhere, in a city, village, constitute such a
company and are united into one body
1d4) the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth
1d5) the assembly of faithful Christians already dead and
received into heaven.”

Speaking of widows has brought to mind the next line of division on the Institutional issues.  Can the church build, maintain, and oversee orphan homes?  Can the church send money to an orphan home out of the treasury?  What does the Bible teach on this matter? This will be discussed in our next lesson.
 

Those Needing Our Prayers
Desiree’s mother has a brain tumor, Ann Holt (she will need a ride to services because of her health problems), Ann’s granddaughter is having health problems after having her stomach stapled, Mike Cornwell’s (Mike is a preacher in Brighton, MO) daughter Annette (35 yrs. old) has uterine cancer, Betty Brown, Joan Croyle, Bill Croyle, Gracie Cook (Desiree’ is friends with the family of this infant who is suffering with underdeveloped lungs and many other problems) and John & Olive Anderson who’s new address is on the bulletin board.

Traveling
Mike Lockwood and the Wagner's

Door Knocking
See Brian if you are willing to help.

Graduation Party  **(not a part of the work of the church and later realized by the congregation that announcements of a social nature should not have been listed in the bulletin - B.A.Y.)
Everyone is invited to Christy Graham’s graduation party.  It will be today at Yellow Creek State Park.

Ladies Class
The next ladies class will be at Julie’s house on Sunday June 30th at 2:00.