Simple Church Bloggers and Their Murky Theology

It's an odd thing that so many simple church bloggers have murky, soupy, grayish, ill-defined theology. It's odd because most Christians who blog about simple church life do so out of biblical conviction. They read what the bible says about church life and then say, "This is the way it should be now." They, myself included, then look to the institution and say, "No thanks!"

Now to the odd part. A significant number of bloggers who espouse simple church principles at the same time call into question numerous points of theology that the church as a whole is in general agreement upon (or at least used to be). It's weird. Many of the same simple church people who point to the bible for church life then ignore the plain teachings of the bible when it comes to theology, salvation, cultural issues, etc. It is a strange situation indeed.

My biggest concern is the simple church bloggers who call into question Jesus Christ's atoning work on the cross. It appears to embarrass them just as it does the liberal "Christians." This is extremely problematic because the atonement is at the heart of salvation. Simply put, if there is no atonement there is no salvation - period. Jesus certainly did more for his people than just die on the cross in their place, but he did die in their place. It was a substitutionary, penal atonement. Those who call this into question are left with an empty theology of salvation.

Speaking of salvation, a good number of simple church bloggers don't hold to a literal existence of Hell. Now, I'll say that I myself am not sure of Hell's specifics. However, I'm certain that it is an eternal place of torment; whether or not that is physical or emotional in nature I do not know. I do know that it is a spiritual Hell that will last forever. Some in simple church prefer annihilationism; this apparently squares with their understanding of a loving God. Apparently they conveniently ignore the holiness of God in coming to this conclusion.

Delving deeper into the issue of salvation, I've found that most simple church bloggers detest the doctrine of predestination. That's unfortunate since the bible tells us that some are, in fact, predestined. Some bloggers go far beyond rejecting predestination and instead hold to a near universalism. Yuck. As for the process of sanctification, I've read bloggers who basically say that since God saves and loves, it's O.K. to go right on sinning. Yet again, it requires a great deal of ignoring the bible to make a claim like this. God expects increasing holiness post-salvation.

What other issues are there? Well, some simple church bloggers have completely accepted homosexuality; others seem dazed and confused about the whole thing. Many just want everybody to get along. As for women's roles, it appears that the vast majority favor an egalitarian approach to church life (that complementarian thing is just too old-fashioned apparently). Regarding spiritual gifts, nearly anything is acceptable.

What is going on here? I see three major factors at play. First, these simple church bloggers are not being fair or consistent in how they interpret scripture. While they demand a literal understanding of the text when it comes to the N.T. model for church life, when it comes to these other issues they think of the bible as a sort of play thing. Second, these bloggers are clearly questioning both the infallibility and authority of the bible (at least when it is convenient). Third, and possibly the largest factor, these bloggers are bowing to secular cultural norms in a variety of areas.

I admit that at times I'm not consistent while interpreting scripture. Everybody makes mistakes. However, we ought to all try to understand the bible in as consistent a manner as possible. Either it is infallible or it isn't. Either it is authoritative or it is not. As we do this, we must keep factors such as historical context and genre in mind. We should also take a long look at the church's understanding of the issue throughout its history.

The simple church bloggers I'm referring to in this post need to start being honest. They cannot pick-and-choose how they are going to approach the bible. If the New Testament in particular shows us how the church should function, then it also shows us what we need to know about these other issues. To all you murky blogging types, you cannot cling to some scripture and ignore the rest. Either take the whole bible or leave it all.

Unavoidable: Mutual Edification

According to scripture, why does the church come together?

I challenge you to ask your Christian friends the above question. How do you think they will answer? My guess is that the vast majority will answer with the same response: to worship. This is fascinating and disheartening because their answer is wrong.

Why, then, does the body meet? According to the bible the purpose is mutual edification.

In I Corinthians 14:26 Paul writes,"How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification."

As the church comes together as a family, meeting simply, the goal is the edification (some translations use the term "building up") of the entire church. The end goal is the maturation in Christ of the whole group. Everyone benefits through interaction with everyone else.

The I Corinthians 14 passage as a whole deals with the issue of spiritual gifts (actually, that is the topic of chapters 12-14). In chapter 14, one of Paul's main points is that use of spiritual gifts is specifically for the purpose of the upbuilding of the body. Gifts are not for personal aggrandizement; rather, they exist to help others grow closer to Christ.

So then, why does the church gather? What's the point? It's an unavoidable truth that according to the bible the purpose is mutual edification. It's a sad thing that so few Christians know this.

Reason #21 - Professional Pastors Turn Church Family Gatherings Into "Worship" Ceremonies

It's Sunday morning right now. Many church bodies in this country will gather today. A small percentage will get together like big families. The vast majority, however, will spend much of their time in a repetitious ceremony.

I'm not sure where the term "worship service" originated (if you know please leave your answer in the comments section). A more appropriate term would be "Christianesque ceremony." Instead of churches gathering to strengthen the body through mutual edification, they meet to perform basically the same ceremony week after week. Professional pastors stand at the epicenter of this phenomenon.

Salaried pastors receive their salary in large part because they preach. Monologue style preaching does not work as part of family get-togethers. Instead, this type of pastoral performance only works in ceremonies. Thus worship services rule the day in most churches.

When we look in the bible we don't find anything that looks like modern worship services. Instead, we see the body of Christ come together informally for the mutual upbuilding of the whole. The individual parts carry out the one anothers and use their areas of gifting to strengthen the entire family. It is a beautiful picture. This is what the church needs much more of today.

Professional pastors stand in the way of mutual edification. The reason is that they have to preach in order to get paid, and preaching only fits with a ceremonial atmosphere. Therefore, salaried pastors must resign. They must resign now.


(This is part twenty-one of 25 Reasons Professional Pastors Should Resign.)

Church Simply: Everybody Actively Use Your Spiritual Gifts!

One key aspect to simple church life is that everyone is encouraged and expected to actively use his or her spiritual gifts to serve the body.

This is based on the view of the body described in I Corinthians 12. Paul informs us that every member of the body is important. The body will not function properly unless all body parts are healthy and active. None are ignored. None are more important than others. In order for the body to do what it is supposed to do, every part must be up and running.

For this to occur the body as a whole has to trust the lead of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit not only bestows spiritual gifts, but also leads believers into using these gifts. The body must respond to the Spirit's leading by encouraging everyone to use their own gifts actively for the building up of the entire body. Everybody matters.

One place many churches (regardless of form) fail is in encouraging everyone to be active. It's easy to simply let some folks sort of sit quietly in the background and not do much. If this happens the body will suffer - possibly in ways it hasn't really considered. Since I Cor. 12 is true, then everybody needs everybody. We the church must get the message out that every believer has the responsibility to be active. Let's not guilt one another in this, but instead encourage each other. Ironically, this means we will be encouraging each other to encourage each other.

The church is stunted when a small number of people do most of the ministry. That model makes for a sick body, where some parts are overworked and others are undeveloped. Much healthier is a body where every part is in shape from regular exercise. Let's all do our part by using our gifts to serve and encouraging others to do so.

Cease Arguing

Can we as the body of Christ stop arguing about cessationism and continualism? Please?

Many Christians exist on both sides of this issue. Many great teachers within the faith fall on both sides. We could probably all find a decent amount of biblical support for both positions.

In light of this, will the church please stop arguing about it?

Now that John MacArthur's conference is concluded (I didn't watch or listen to it), let's get back to being a united body of Christ. We've been charged with edifying other believers, relieving the suffering of the hurting, and proclaiming the gospel to the lost. These things are critical.

Quite frankly, it's just not that important whether or not we believe, for example, that speaking in tongues is still valid. We can discuss it, but let's not fight about it. Too much is at stake to divide the bride of Christ over something so insignificant.

FYI: I'm a continualist. However, it's not something I think about a whole lot. I'm much more concerned that you love Jesus Christ than that you think a certain way about spiritual gifts.

This is not an issue to argue about. Civil discussion is great, but the name calling and questioning of salvation must cease and desist. We have too much work to do for the kingdom to spend time dividing the body.

Hoping for an Ephesians 4:11-12 Balance

"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ..." Ephesians 4:11-12 (ESV)

In Ephesians 4:11-12 we see wonderful gifts that Christ has given to his church for its maturity. He has given apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds-teachers. Although some Christians believe that apostles and prophets no longer exist, there simply isn't biblical warrant for this idea. Rather, the above passage indicates that God both gave (at the writing of Ephesians) and continues to give these gifts.

In the church today the above gifts are out of balance. Apostles and prophets are not very common, evangelists exist here and there, and pastors are everywhere. This is not healthy for the body of Christ.

I'm hoping for a return to a balance within the church. Specifically, I'd love to see more apostles, more prophets, and more evangelists. I'd also like to see more shepherds-teachers functioning within the biblical perspective (as opposed to what we generally see today). What might this look like? We'd have many more active church planters (apostles) moving from place to place where the gospel is most needed. We'd have more of a prophetic voice within the body, speaking what God has told them. We'd see much more evangelism taking place. Of course, anyone in the body can and may do all these things, but those with the giftings will likely be most effective.

We'd also see shepherds within the church acting like shepherds. They would be part of the body as opposed to something different (I've written about this before so I'll say no more here).

What can we do to help bring about more of a balance? First, we can pray that God will continue to liberally bestow these giftings on his children. Second, we can teach that these gifts are alive within the church and meant to be cultivated. Third, we can encourage young people in particular to ask God whether or not they are gifted as apostles, prophets, or evangelists. The subject of pastors-to-be is often raised in churches, but the others are rarely talked about.

God is not the one with the problem. He has said that he gives these gifts and will be faithful to do so. The fault lies with us. We have not recognized all these gifts in the same way. While the church generally scours the landscape for the next pastors, it generally ignores, to its own detriment, the other gifts from Ephesians 4:11-12.

God desires to bless his church and bring about her maturity in his son, Jesus Christ. Let's be a more active part of this by encouraging and recognizing the gifts of apostle, prophet, and evangelist.

Have you seen these gifts be used for the good of the body? What was the outcome? How were they recognized? What was the end result?

I'm curious about this because I've seen little of it. I hope to see much more in the future.

Using Priestly Gifts for the Good of the Body

We’ve previously seen that Paul calls upon all of us in the church to live as the priests we already are. In doing this, the apostle tells us that we can actually know the will of God.

Paul continues in Romans 12 with the exhortation that we priests must all use our gifts for the good of the body. Paul informs us in verses 3-8, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

The body needs all its members. All the priests need each other.

Keeping an accurate and humble view of self, we are to all serve the body with whatever gifts God has given us. This is critical because, as Paul writes, “…the members do not all have the same function.” This is why all are necessary. If all don’t function, then the body will have significant weaknesses.

In God’s kingdom we are not individuals, at least not in the ultra-individualistic, modern, Western sense. Instead, we are all parts of one functioning body. Every part is necessary. Paul says we are, “individually members one of another.” I’m part of you and you are part of me. It may at first sound odd to us, but if we are part of the same body this must be the case.

In the midst of body life we must not be passive. Rather, let us all use our gifts to serve in the family in whatever manner we can. When all parts function, then the body becomes vibrant. All needs are met and the body is healthy.

We priests offer acceptable sacrifices to God when we actively serve the body using the gifts he has granted us. God desires and commands this, and we all benefit from it.

On Prophecy

Prophecy in the New Testament is a fascinating thing. For whatever reason, it doesn't get too much attention in the church today. My hope is that God's people will gradually warm to the idea of discussing prophets and prophecy. This will only strengthen the church.

The bible speaks much about the gift of prophecy:

"Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith..."  Romans 12:6

"...to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues."  I Cor. 12:10

"Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy."   I Cor. 14:1

We see from these verses that certain people are especially gifted as prophets. However, this does not limit others in the church from participating in prophetic speech. For example:

"Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven." I Cor. 11:4-5

"Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace." I Cor. 14:29-33

House Church - Spiritual Gifts

I find it both ironic and disappointing that so much division exists within the church over spiritual gifts. The reality is that God gives all believers spiritual gifts for the up building of His church. Keeping this in mind, spiritual gifts ought to increase rather than decrease the unity of the church as a whole.

Scripture shows us that all believers are needed for the good of the body. No one part is more important than another. By extension, all gifts are needed and beneficial as well.

I Corinthians 12 helps us immensely with this discussion (see also Romans 12:3-8 and Ephesians 4:1-16).

Gifts are to be used with humility for the service of the church family to the glory of God. Peter makes this very clear in I Peter 4:7-11.

Regarding the house church, what makes it unique is that all members of the body are encouraged to use their gifts for body edification throughout the gathering. Another way to say it is that every person who is part of the Christian community is encouraged to exercise his gifts at any time in the meeting to build up the assembly. There is no specific time when gifts are to be employed or are not to be employed. Nothing is scripted. There is no schedule.

Maybe We're Elbows

I've been thinking a lot lately about the biblical metaphor of the church as a body. Paul tells us very clearly that all parts of the body are needed in order for the body to be healthy. The apostle makes this clear in I Corinthians 12.

I Corinthians 12:12-20, "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body."

I find verse 18 to be particularly encouraging. We see that God Himself did the arranging of the body. Considering that this passage falls in the broader context of the use of spiritual gifts, we can take comfort in the fact that God has determined which body parts are which. In other words, it is God who dispenses spiritual giftings. This means that as believers we all have exactly the gifts that God wants us to have.

This falls nicely in line with the fact that Christ is the Head of His church. We all know that the head controls the other parts of the body. In the church, the Head (Jesus) tells all the other parts what to do and gives them the ability to do it.

What does our Head desire that we do? His desire and command is that we serve others within the church family. After all, Jesus left us an example when He said that He came not to be served but to serve. Whatever our gifts, we as the body must use these for the betterment and edification of the church family.

What body part am I? What are you? I'm being a bit silly here, but maybe we should think of ourselves as elbows. Elbows aren't particularly nice looking and they get dry easily; if we think of ourselves this way it might help us be humble.

Despite their homeliness, elbows are important to the life of the body. Just go through an hour without using one of your elbows. It's nearly impossible. Regardless of who we are, the church needs us and we need the church. The church even needs its elbows.

Of course, Paul also says in I Cor. 12 that the body wouldn't function if we were all the same body part. Therefore, let's not all be elbows. Instead, let's trust Christ to determine what parts we actually are. Let's just be sure to think humbly about ourselves. We are indeed needed by the church. We are important. We're just not important enough to think highly of ourselves.

Acts 13:15-16 - What Would Happen If We Did This?

Acts 13:15-16 -- And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on." Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen..."

I wonder what would happen if during our church gatherings we asked the same question the rulers of the synagogue asked. If we said to our church family, "Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on," what would be the outcome?

It is interesting that in the typical American church gathering, the above question is never asked. The reason for this is that we have ceremonies instead of informal gatherings. We give a small percentage of our people the opportunity to speak instead of allowing anyone to speak who may have a word of exhortation.

My guess is that if we asked the above question, our church families would be greatly blessed. The reason for this is that everyone would be able to share. Since all believers are indwelt by and gifted by the Holy Spirit, all may have something important to share with the body.

So, what would happen if we followed this example from the synagogue? I think it would only be a blessing for all involved.

One Way

The One Way sign is a good symbol for what happens when most churches come together for their primary gatherings. The communication is almost all one way. Someone stands behind a microphone and announces/speaks to everyone else. That person is usually one of two people: the "worship leader" or the pastor. These two people get to exercise their spiritual gifts for the edification of others as the communication flows in one direction. In most instances, the only group communication comes in the form of singing; these songs, however, are selected not by the group but by the "worship leader."

The problem with this one way communication is that it doesn't follow what we see in the bible. When we look at the early church, we see group communication, group edification, and group exercise of spiritual gifts. Instead of seeing a ceremony that includes an "order of worship," stage, and pews, we read about people meeting in homes sharing with each other, encouraging each other, and building one another up in the faith.

In a typical, modern, institutional church gathering, there may be 150 people present. If all 150 were invited to exercise their spiritual gifts, a great deal of edification could take place. However, we know that in a typical worship service, only about 5 of those 150 ever get to speak. And, it is one person, the pastor, who does the vast majority of the speaking. When this happens, it starves the church. These five people's spiritual gifts are not enough to meet the needs of the body. Everyone needs to be actively using their gifts and invited to do so.

If we look at a small, biblically-modeled church gathering, we will see something very different. There may only be 20 people present, but all are invited and encouraged to exercise their spiritual gifts. In this way of multiple and mutual communication, all 20 people are edified by all 20 people using their gifts. In this case, the church thrives because all parts of the body are working. No one person has to do too much. Everyone works together.

As we think about our church gatherings, let us encourage a movement toward not one or two way communication, but multiple direction communication. Keeping in mind that all things must be done in an orderly manner, let's encourage and invite everyone in the church to exhort one another to holy, God-honoring lives. Let's encourage each other to serve the church and the broader community through good works.

Let us be active as we come together. Let us participate. Let us seek and encourage the entire body to use its spiritual gifts as we gather together.