In our 3 previous lessons we have discussed the work of the church in evangelism, benevolence, the orphan home issue, and now we are going to discuss edification.  It is very important that we continue to remember that as we study these issues it is God’s word we are looking to for authority (I Peter 4:11 and Colossians 3:17).  Now, let’s look at how God wants the church to edify itself.

(Ephesians 4:15-16) “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:  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.”  It is very clear that edification is a work of the church.  The Greek term for the word edification in Ephesians 4:16 is: “oikodome”, which is Strongs’ # 3619.  The word is defined by Thayer as:

“1) (the act of) building, building up,
2) metaph. edifying, edification,
2a) the act of one who promotes another’s growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness, holiness.”

First off, it is not a sin to eat in the meeting house.  Christians partake of the Lord’s Supper in the meeting place every first day of the week with authority from God to do so (Acts 20:7).  The true issue lies in the proper use of terms.  Is it sinful to use the building, which was purchased solely for the purpose of assembling, to host church social events?  Now, let’s define sin.  Sin is transgression of God’s law (I John 3:4).  To transgress the law of Christ one must go beyond what Christ has authorized.  So, the question would better be asked: Is there authority to use the building, which is an expedient for the saints to assemble, that was purchased with funds from the treasury, to host social events?  The answer, not one time do we find an example of the local church in the New Testament hosting social events with any use of the Lord’s money.  There is no authority.  We purchase buildings to assemble in not to party in.

When I was a teenager at the Vale Road church of Christ in Springfield, OH where my dad preached and is currently preaching today, we used the building for “church potlucks”.  I saw no issue with it at that time.  Yet, when I look into the New Testament now I see saints meeting in their homes for social events (Acts 2:46 and I Corinthians 11:22).  I do not find the church socializing as it’s local work.  Brethren today are now building “fellowship halls”.  They believe the fellowship hall is an expedient for a command or example to have church socials.  The problem is that there is no such command.  Brethren assembled collectively to worship, they fellowshipped as saints in a distributive way, but not as the church collectively.  If it were a work of the local church to provide socially using the Lord’s money then a fellowship hall would be great.  (Click here to see pictures of a fellowship hall and of entertainment paid for by the treasury of local congregations.)  So would a movie theater, an ice cream center, a basketball court, and on the list could go.  Can you imagine how many things the church would have authority to purchase with the Lord’s money as expedients?  The simple fact is this; the local church does not have the work to provide social activity.  When we authorize “potlucks” we open the floodgates for kitchens, fellowship halls, basketball courts and so on.  The arguments for all those things are the same “it provides time for brethren to fellowship.”  Yet, it does not have a “thus saith the Lord”, therefore it is not authorized (Colossians 3:17).  A building that is purchased as an expedient to assemble is just that, a place to assemble, nothing more and nothing less!  It is not a work of the local church to entertain either.

When I was a teenager at the congregation I wrote of above in Springfield, we had a yearly Vacation Bible School.  There is certainly nothing wrong with having a week out of the summer to study the Bible, but this was much more than that.  Our primary goal was to have a good time, and then somewhere in the mix we would study the Bible.  We used nightly cookies and juice to entice children of all ages.  We had a puppet show every evening as everyone came into the assembly room.  Sadly, I even was one of the puppeteers.  On Friday nights we had a “graduation show” where the teachers (mostly female) would stand up with their class and perform a song for the whole assembly (a few children’s choirs, with female song leaders).  Of course this violated the woman’s role in a mixed assembly as there were many men present (I Corinthians 14:34-35 and I Timothy 2:11-12).  It also presented a situation in which we were being entertained by a choir which violates the command for us all to be singing together (Ephesians 5:19).  We had songs that not only encouraged, but demanded the children to clap their hands, jump up and down, scream, and all other sorts of “Pentecostal” type worship.  How is that decent and in order (I Corinthians 14:40)?

When we come together we are to worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).  We are to use the Gospel to convert the lost (Mark 16:15-16, Matthew 28:19, and II Timothy 4:2), not a puppet show, a graduation program, cookies, or juice.  Many claim to be the church of Christ we read of in the New Testament.  They claim to speak as the oracles of God (I Peter 4:11).  If that is true, why can’t we read of fellowship halls, juice & cookie VBS’s, women leading children’s choirs, kitchens, or any of the other “Social Gospel” things many liberal brethren are doing today?  Seemingly, the denominational world has a grab on the church more than Christ does.  That is sad because Christ is the head of the church (Ephesians 1:22-23 and Colossians 1:18).  Brethren need to start examining their practices and start realizing that the finger they point at the denominational world needs to be turned around and pointed at them.

Many things have been discussed in the past four articles.  We have learned that the Bible is not being used today like many brethren claim it is.  We have found that the pattern for supporting preachers is the pattern in the New Testament, not the one that includes Sponsoring churches or Missionary Societies.  We have found that the New Testament pattern for the local church to use it’s funds in benevolence is from church to saint, not church to non-saint.  We have found that we as individual Christians have a role in helping all men (Galatians 6:10).  We have found that there is no authority for the church to build, maintain, oversee, or support Institutions like orphan homes.  We have found the local church should not be using it’s funds or resources to provide social means for brethren.  Most importantly, we should have a better understanding of needing to find authority for things BEFORE we do them (Colossians 3:17), and not have to run to justify what we have done by way of human reasoning (Jeremiah 10:23 and Acts 5:29).  Please continue to study these issues and realize that our eternal home will be Heaven ONLY if we do the Master’s will (Matthew 7:21).