Winston Salem church of Christ

   God has given us responsibilities to be fulfilled individually, within our families, and collectively as a congregation.   Before we get into any depth, the question being addressed in this article basically is, “Can the church do anything the individual can?” Some want to further refine the question by qualifying it, “Can the church do any spiritual thing the individual can?”    Why is this important? In essence, we are asking a very germane question. Most spiritually-minded people want to know, “Why am I here?” “Do I have a purpose in life?” By those questions they are asking about their individual selves and God’s plan for them. In this article, we are investigating a similar question,  “Why did God create local churches?” “Why are we here as a church?” “Do we have a collective purpose?”   To begin, let’s ask another basic but essential question: How is the word church – ekklesia – used in the NT? Words mean things, especially when chosen by the Holy Spirit.  Ekkelsia (in its religious sense) is used in 3 different ways.   1. The “universal church” is all the Christians everywhere (Mt.16:18). This is the “one church.” This is the one body. There is no organizational structure, other than Christ is the head, we are the body.  The universal church is a collection of individuals, not a collection of churches.  That is why for example, Christians can band together to work, but churches cannot (i.e., the

Sponsoring
Church).   2. The local church distributively is all the Christians in a particular area whether in a particular city (Acts 8:1-3) or geographical area (Acts 9:31). The action is distributive which means while everyone is involved, we are not acting collectively. This refers to each member of the group individually. There is no organizational structure being considered here except our relationship to each spiritually.   3. The local church collectively is all the Christians in a particular area who have decided to work together as one (Acts 14:23; 1 Cor.16:1,2). This is the only sense in which Christ’s church has organizational structure (elders, deacons, and saints – Phil.1:1) and collective work (which is the subject under discussion). This ekklesia is considered a singular entity. Each congregation is autonomously “a

church of
Christ” (Rom.16:16). The local church assembles which is the meaning of the Greek word, ekklesia.  We assemble in a building.    Ekklesia/church is also used secularly: “…(ekklesia) was the lawful assembly in a free Greek city of all those possessed of the rights of citizenship for the transaction of public affairs.  That they were summoned is expressed in the latter part of the word; that they were summoned out of the whole population….” This secular ekklesia consisted of individuals, but their purpose was collective, to conduct public affairs. They had different responsibilities as a group than they did as individuals. The same is true of God’s church, which we will endeavor to prove.   What is a local church? “Church” is a collective noun. Examples of such nouns are: herd, flock, etc. It “collects” a group of similar entities into one. A church is a collective action group which involves:            1.  Agreement on the part of a plurality to act as one.            2. The pooling of means and abilities so the plurality may act as one.            3. The acceptance of a common mind and direction so the plurality may act as one.     Within this cooperation each participant becomes dependent on the whole, which exists and functions through that which its parts supply. Therefore, the local church is a functioning unit, not simply a bunch of unorganized, unfocused Christians.   Does a local church (local collectivity) operate, or function as a single unit? Yes. This is accomplished in the following ways: Representatively (Rom.16:1;2 Cor.8:23); Treasury (1 Cor.16:1,2); Worship services (1 Cor.14:33); Business meetings with entire Congregation (Acts 6:1-6).    The collective noun ekklesia is never used in connection with such individual acts such as benevolent support of nonsaints, or social recreation (i.e., eating together or playing games). It is used, however, in connection with monetary support of preachers and charitable aid to saints. Why? The reason is that there is a fellowship or sharing between the two.  A church is a fellowship. While we might rightfully help someone as an individual, we might not rightfully help that same person as a church, because the church is a fellowship. We do not fellowship unbelievers. Furthermore, when we do support congregationally, whether the help is charity or evangelistic, we are in fellowship with the person receiving our gift.   This is said to reiterate that the church is not the individual, nor the individual the church. Why is this discussion necessary? We as individuals are commanded to practice activities such as hospitality (social) and help needy nonsaints. The question then arises can the church also be involved in social activities such as building and maintaining social halls (i.e., kitchens), recreation (i.e., gymnasiums and church league softball, etc.), and other works that are good and scriptural for individuals? Can the church can do anything that the individual can do?

   An argument offered in defense of general benevolence (i.e., church charity for nonsaints) and the social activities is that the church is made up of individuals, therefore anything the individual can do, the church can do, and vice versa.  This argument must be made since the word ekklesia (i.e., church) is never used in reference to general benevolence (helping nonchristians from the church treasury) nor social activities.

   Is it true that anything the individual can do, the group can do?    To illustrate let’s make it more general for the sake of the principle involved.1. Can the U.S. government do anything the
U.S. citizen can do? No, the
U.S. government cannot punish my child for not making her bed. The government is not my child’s parent. Also, the
U.S. government does not pay taxes.2. Can the U.S. citizen do anything the
U.S. government can do? No, the
U.S. citizen cannot make constitutional laws, declare war nor a host of other responsibilities.3. Can the church do anything the individual can do? No, the church cannot “hire itself out;” become my child’s parent, nor marry another church. The church also does not have the right to give benevolent aid to nonsaints.  The church is even forbidden to give permanent aid to a widow who is not indeed (1 Tim.5:16) even though that widow is a Christian!  Also, the individual is commanded to subject himself to others (Eph.5:21); nowhere is the church commanded to subject itself to another church.4. Can the individual do anything the church can do?  No, the individual cannot appoint their own personal overseers according to the qualifications of 1 Tim.3.  Families cannot appoint their own elders (fathers are not equivalent to overseers for all elders are fathers, but not all fathers are qualified elders).     Some, recognizing scriptures do not authorize churches to do anything and everything the individual is allowed, still wonder…Is anything the Christian is commanded to do, also a work of the church? The answer again is no.Christians are commanded to earn money Eph.4:28). Churches collect voluntary contributions (1 Cor.16:1,2).Individuals are commanded to submit to all Christians (Eph.5:21). Churches are nowhere commanded to be subject to other churches.Believers are commanded to give benevolent aid to nonchristians (Gal.6:10).  Not once in scriptures do we see such a command given to the church acting collectively.  In 1 Cor.16:1, the language is very specific—Now concerning the collection for the saints. Again, the word ekklesia is never used in reference to benevolent aid to nonsaints.   If it was true that, since the local church is made up of individuals that the church can do anything the individual can, what would stop this scenario:Since the local church is made up of individuals and each local church has elders, why could not all the individual Christians in all the churches in the world, select and appoints elders over the universal church?   This is how Roman Catholicism began. Can you see that even some things an individual does within a church, is restricted to that one local church!      Sincere confusion is caused by not understanding that just because two things are identical in some areas, they are not identical in all things.Both preachers and elders are to teach God’s word (1 Tim.3:2; 5:17; 2 Tim.4:2).  But only elders have oversight in a local congregation (1 Pet.5:2). Can preachers do everything elders can do?  No.Both ministers (diakonos) and deacons (diakonos) serve, but a minister/preacher does not have to fit the qualifications of 1 Tim.3.Both individuals and churches have in common the act of giving. But only the individual is given the responsibility to help the nonsaint.   It is true that everything the church does, the individual is involved in. However, not everything the church does can the individual do OUTSIDE of the work of the church.  He can only do some things in concert with the local church (i.e., choose elders).   Not everything the church does, can the individual do outside the collective work; and not everything the individual is commanded to do, can the church do.   The work of the local church is worshipping God, evangelism, edification, and charitable aid to needy saints—no more and no less.  As of late, we have phrased it thusly—Reaching Up to God in worship; Reaching IN to build up one another spiritually; Reaching OUT to teach the lost; Reaching DOWN to help needy saints.   Scriptural examples showing the distinction between individual and collective actions can be seen in the following scriptures:   Mt.18:15-17 – There are three stages, and only the last stage involves the whole church. The first is individual, the second is two or three, and the last includes the church. Would anyone argue the whole church could be involved in stage one? No.   1 Tim.5:3-16 – Would anyone deny the right of individual Christians (whether family or not) to give benevolent aid? But this is forbidden of the church (v.16).  Another question, could an individual give permanent benevolent aid to someone not a “widow indeed?”  Yes, but could the church?  No.   It is true the church is made up of individuals, but it must be understood that God gave the group certain works and the individual certain works; and they are not equal in every aspect. A local church is not simply a bunch of individuals. It is a planned, organized group with certain God?given rights and restrictions. As individuals, we have certain responsibilities that we fulfill individually, as part of our family, with other individuals, or under the oversight of elders within a local congregation.  We must not confuse the realms of our responsibilities. 

Perry D. Hall