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On December 18, 2023 By In Culture

The Pastor’s First Duty

Pastors have a fundamental responsibility to shepherd within before they can shepherd without. While the negative world provides us plenty of opportunities to uphold truth, if those propensities and proclamations are not shaped by the garden of the Church first, the opinion pieces will fail to get a hearing. They will only draw the untrained and uncivil pugilist to your corner, who eventually may swallow the young clergy. Therefore, that percentage dynamic should be heavily weighed in favor of the immediate parish concerns (I Pet. 4:17).

While much of theological and pastoral output can benefit the outside community, the minister’s primary goal is to meet the needs of his people. He is a local shepherd, accountable to a local body (Heb. 13:17), connected to a local people.

We are experiencing a monumental decline in pastoral candidates in mainline traditions and a slight decline in more conservative bodies like the Missouri Synod Lutheran.* While there are sociological demands for modern pastors to confront every conceivable moral issue, the minister represents God to his visible assembly, whom he addresses from the pulpit and to whom he administers the elements of bread and wine. His particular dispositions must be used accordingly; his gifts need to be activated rather than re-creating him after the image of some publicly acclaimed character.

While there is tangible evidence of institutional dereliction among seminaries, there is still a more significant fault among those who have demands of pastors that do not place them first at the feet of their congregants before the feet of outside inquiries.

Of course, every pastor has a public face, but his local image shapes that public image. To reverse that dynamic is to create influencers rather than shepherds. The decline of candidates stems from expectations that ministers must embody nearly renaissance gifts, and no man can endure that level of pressure for sustained periods of time.

Too much pastoral theology in our day, put the Table and Pulpit secondary, and the political halls and podcasts as primary. But ministers are heavenly professionals tending to the first garden of God before moving into the land and world.

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On December 13, 2023 By In Culture

Authority in the Church? Upholding Ecclesiastical Office in an age of Tumult

The idea of office has fallen on hard times in North America. The fact that many Christians probably don’t know what I am referring to when I speak of “office” is an indication that I am at least running down the right trail with this criticism of modern day Christianity. This term refers to the office of an elder or a deacon in the church and more loosely to the office of every believer. If you hold to a 3/4 office view of authority in the church, then it refers the office of an elder or a deacon or a pastor or a theologian/seminary professor. I won’t get too much into that debate here.

I want to demonstrate here how this “idea of office” is a Biblical idea. It is my purpose to show how Christians must uphold their own office as believer, but also the various authority structures that Christ has ordained for His Church: at minimum the office of elder and deacon that we find in I Timothy 3.

As I launch into this topic, you should know that some of my work here is based on an old dead Dutch theologian (some of the best theology), Rev. K. Sietsma. He put out his book “the Idea of Office” already in the Pre-WW II Netherlands. The copy that I have is a book that has been translated out of the Dutch by Henry Vander Goot. It was published in 1985 by Paideia Press in Jordan Station, Ontario, Canada. There are some points that I disagree with in the book, but that is not the purpose of this essay. If I quote Sietsma, I will add the page number. That being said, find a copy if you can and try to read it. It is a short book.

The Officers of the Church:

The exact terminology of “office” is found primarily in Acts 1:20, which reads: “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and ‘Let another take his office.’” This is referring to the work of the Apostles to find a 12th apostle, following the death of Judas for his sin of betraying Jesus. The word that is translated as “office” here comes from the Greek word “ἐπισκοπή/episkope.” It is most literally translated as “oversight” and refers to the “overseers” of the church in passages like Acts 20:28 and I Tim 3:1. You will notice that the ESV translates it as “the office of overseer” in its translation of I Tim. 3:1.

Acts 1:20 quotes from Psalm 109:8, which uses the Hebrew word “פְּקֻדָּה” to refer to “office,” a word that can also refer to “oversight” or “overseer” in the Old Testament. For example, in Numbers 4:16, Eleazar the son of Aaron is given oversight over the whole tabernacle and all that is in it. In II Kings 11:18, the priest appoints watchmen over the house of the Lord. In I Chronicles 24:3, King David with the help of Zadok appoints men to certain duties in their service. In I Chronicles 26:30, 1700 men are given oversight over Israel for all the work of the Lord and the service of the king. In II Chron. 24:11, we see these appointees referred to as officers. So if we use the language of the Old Testament, one might regard elders as officers, overseers, watchmen, who with the aid of deacons (servants) govern the church. When we see the language of these men being appointed, that might shine some light on the work of Titus (Titus 1:5) and the apostolic pattern (Acts 14:23).

Louis Berkhof brings out an interesting nuance that frequent mention is made of elders, but also bishops, to refer to a similar class of officers. While elders were not initially teachers, eventually this becomes attached to their office (Eph. 4:11, I Tim. 5:17, II Tim. 2:2). It appears in I Tim 5:17 that as time went on, some elders are given the task of rule and others the task of teaching. As an aside, the term ‘elder’ seems to emphasize age, and the term ‘bishop’ seems to stress oversight [Louis Berkhof, Summary of Christian Doctrine (Grande Rapids, Eerdmans, 1938), p. 158].

This is a very brief summary from one specific angle. There are many other word studies that we could do on authority in the church. But for the sake of time, I will continue. As we expand outward to look at the whole body of Biblical evidence on this, clearly then we see an idea of ordained office in both the Old and New Testaments. Certain men serve as “officers” in the Church – whether that be the deacons or elders or any of the names that are associated with “office” in the New Testament, like the Apostles or Timothy, Tychicus, Titus, etc.

The “Idea of Office”:

An office, like the “office of overseer” in I Timothy 3:1, is clearly a reality in the New Testament. There are positions of authority that are held in the church.

500: Authority in the Church? Upholding Ecclesiastical Office in an age of Tumult

There are a couple principles that we must lay out as we develop the idea of office. First, God is the complete and absolute sovereign of all the universe. The logical conclusion of this axiomatic statement is that all human authority is then limited. It is delegated, not transferred. This is why even the civil authority is described in Scripture as “a minister of God” (Rom. 13:4).

Sietsma puts it this way:

“two elements in the idea of office come to the forefront: (1) the idea that man is charged with responsibility, though granted a certain relative independence vis-a-vis God; and (2) the idea that the essence of office depends on the divine mandate.”

Rev. K. Sietsma, The Idea of Office (Jordan Station, Paideia Press, 1985), p. 24.

Both of these points are important to understand in all the spheres of authority, whether we are considering the office of the civil magistrate, the office of overseer in the church, the office of father, or the office believer (self-government). If the essence of office depends on divine mandate, then a father’s authority over his children does not lie in himself, the authority of an overseer in the church does not lie in himself, but in the decree of the Lord. And that means that he too is a man under authority (Matt. 8:9). His authority is a limited and delegated authority.

This is why historically when the Reformers spoke of ecclesiastical authority they never simply spoke of an internal call (from the Lord), but also an external call (from His Church). If a man feels that he is called by the Lord and presses himself forward into the office of elder or deacon, that does not mean that he is indeed called. We only have his word, which can be nebulous. There is neither accountability or transparency. Timothy also had to live by the standard for elders and deacons (I Tim. 3). While Paul does commend Timothy for his track-record of life (II Tim. 3), yet Paul also appeals to the external laying on of hands (II Tim. 1:6-7). As we see in Acts 6, the selection of deacons involves a process of the Apostles and the congregation working together to call qualified men. Sietsma writes again:

“… it should not be the case that someone accepts a call because he feels capable of the office. Rather, having been called by the congregation and as such by God, the person chosen accepts the office in spiritual obedience, expecting that the Lord will increase his ability not by any miraculous strokes, but according to his faithful promise.”

Rev. K. Sietsma, The Idea of Office (Jordan Station, Paideia Press, 1985), p. 42-43

Is any one elder or pastor or deacon a servant of the congregation or of the body of elders or elders and deacons together? Primarily each one stands subject the one who has authority over all: this means that the primary act of service is to Christ. Sietsma points out that office has an administrative character in that the office-bearers of the church are called to administer the rule of Christ into the congregation. They do so by administering His Word, His sacraments, His loving and gracious discipline within the church of Christ.

This then stands in opposition to ecclesiastical anarchy, the idea that a man’s authority in the home, the state, or the church, is derived from the “will of the people”, an idea which came via the French Revolution. Sietsma writes again: “… the idea of office is destroyed as it is transformed into the idea of the mandate of the masses.” (p. 40) It also stands in opposition to the belief that a man’s authority resides in himself, his charisma, or powerful presence. Rather, any office, but especially office in the church, is subject to the glorious reign of Christ, rests in the mandate of Christ, and is limited by the rule of Christ. His yoke is easy and burden light.

On one hand, we must contend against this democratic and anti-authoritarian age which denies office all-together, or bases it entirely on a social contract (ie the will of the people). On the other hand, we must contend against those officers of the church (or state or family) who claim authority that belongs only to God (authoritarianism), when each one is called to an office to be a minister of God. It is clear that God does indeed want His church to be ruled, for there to be overseers in the church, watchmen in His house.

Why Does it Matter?

We live in a godless, anti-authoritarian, egalitarian age. In response to the spirit of the age, we see a rising authoritarianism in our civil governments. It is easy for the spirit of the age to creep into the Church. Egalitarianism is an idea that seeks to pursue complete social equality through anti-authoritarian measures. This egalitarianism can take on the form of modern day spirituality which avoids the clear command of Christ for a mystical sense of unity and oneness with the divine. The only way this egalitarianism can be achieved is by dismantling ecclesiastical government as well as other forms of government like that of the family. But as we see clearly in the Scriptures, we do not promote “office” or “authority” in the church simply because we want to or because we have an inflated sense of self-importance, but because Christ has called us too, because Christ has determined that this is one of the tools by which He will preserve and increase His holy Church. His intentions for His one, holy, catholic, church, will militate against all the false and anti-God philosophies of the modern age that raise themselves up against the knowledge of the living God and His rule in the Church (II Cor. 10:1-6).

Christ the Office-bearer:

It is important to recognize that Christ is the primary office-bearer. It is central that we uphold the inherently Biblical truth that Christ is the sole Head of His Church (Eph. 1:22, 5:23, Col. 1:18). In our Lord’s baptism in the Jordan River, the Father declared His Son to be that office bearer as He was anointed for that task by John the Baptist (Lk 3:21-22). This means that the officers of the church do not rule by their own authority. They rule by an authority that has been delegated to them. An authority that has been delegated by Jesus Christ Himself. He gives the officers of the church His Word and Spirit by which to oversee God’s people and to be watchmen in the House of the Lord.

This is constantly repeated in the Belgic Confession, for example, as the Reformed churches sought to respond faithfully to the Word of God. Christ is the eternal King (Art. 27). Jesus Christ is the only universal bishop and the only head of the church (art 31). The office-bearers of the church must not go on to command that which Jesus Christ has not ordained (Art. 32). They have authority, but it is not transferred or absolute authority, it is delegated by Jesus.

Louis Berkhof summarizes this concept in his summary of Christian doctrine:

“Christ is the Head of the Church and the source of all its authority, Matt. 23:10; John 13:13; I Cor. 12:5; Eph. 1:20-23; 4:11, 12; 5:23, 24. He rules the Church, not by force, but by His Word and Spirit. All human officers in the Church are clothed with the authority of Christ and must submit to the control of His Word.”

Louis Berkhof, Summary of Christian Doctrine (Grande Rapids, Eerdmans, 1938), p. 157.

The Office of Believer:

If we look at the themes of Scripture as they culminate in Christ you will see that the Scriptures present Him as our final prophet, priest and king, ordained to that office. When we are united to Him as believers, we find ourselves united to Him in that office (Rev. 1:6). We are a kingdom of priests, serving Him in this world (Rev. 1:6). This is what the Reformers referred to as “the priesthood of all believers.” There is an objective anointing to office in the baptism of a believer within the context of the church. Historically, many Reformed Christians have taught their baptized children to confess at the youngest of ages:

“… by faith I am a member of Christ and so I share in his anointing. I am anointed to confess his name, to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks, to strive with a free conscience against sin and the devil in this life, and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation for eternity.”

Heidelberg Catechism, LD 12, Q&A 32, https://threeforms.org/heidelberg-catechism/.

The “priesthood of all believers” or the “prophethood of all believers” or the “kingship of all believers” must be understood within the rule of Scripture (regulei Scripturae). This doctrine does not negate the command of Christ that His church be ruled by overseers and watchmen, by elders and deacons, that men like Titus and Timothy and Tychichus should be sent out to order the churches and to teach them to live in obedience to Christ. The “priesthood of all believers” is expressed in Berea when Paul praises “those noble Bereans” who tested what he taught with the Scriptures and then fell on their knees and worshipped Christ (Acts 17:10-15). It is expressed in the prayers and praise of the saints throughout the Book of Revelation. It is expressed in our acts of holy service to Christ and to one another as we find Paul call for in the first letter to Corinth. The overseers and watchmen are put in place to equip the saints for these acts of service (Eph. 4:11-12), to teach principles from the Word of God, to make the priesthood of believers more effective through godly leadership, a mighty army of men and women, boys and girls, following after the Son of God as He goes forth to war.

It is in this office of believer that the congregation is expected to choose for themselves 7 deacons in Acts 6. But they have been given a divine standard to chose men according to particular criteria (Acts 6:3, I Tim 3). God also permitted the people to choose for themselves a king in I Samuel 9, and we find in I Samuel 26, that David recognizes that Saul was not simply anointed by the people, but by the Lord.

A Final Word of Encouragement:

This is a final word for the Church to consider these issues as matters of highest importance. There is an increased flattening of the Christian faith to an individualized piety. This individualized piety wipes out the church as Christ has instituted it in this world. He intended it for the glory of God and for the sake of growing men in maturity. And for that reason our Lord instituted offices in the church – for our good and for His glory.

There is a growing level of disrespect for the ordination of a man to the office of overseer and watchman in the church – for ecclesiastical office. This is seen in the last couple of years in the arrest of various pastors in Canada (ie Rev. James Coates and Rev. Tim Stephens) and the fines imposed on other pastors for continuing in the ministry of the Word and sacraments, for acting as overseers and watchmen in the Church of Jesus Christ. Those arrests only revealed a much deeper and systematic problem across the nation, a problem that arises from both the pew and pulpit.

What we need is men who know their God, who know their Bible, who love His people, and who do their duty. This sense of duty can only arise from a deep understanding of office, and a clear understanding of the commands of Christ, both in the pew and in the pulpit, but especially among those who have been called to serve Christ and His Church as elders and deacons.

With that I want to conclude with a quote that is attributed to St. Boniface:

“Let us be neither dogs that do not bark nor silent onlookers nor paid servants who run away before the wolf.  Instead, let us be careful shepherds watching over Christ’s flock.  Let us preach the whole of God’s plan to the powerful and the humble, to rich and to poor, to men of every rank and age, as far as God gives us the strength, in season and out of season, as St. Gregory writes in his book of Pastoral Instruction.“

Boniface, Ep. 78: MGH, Epistolae, 3, 352, 354; from Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co. 1975).

Photo by Andrik Langfield on Unsplash

This is the second article in a series on the Church. I posted the first as “The Church is our Mother” on October 16. The second article was initially posted here on Substack:

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On November 15, 2023 By In Church, Podcast

KC Podcast – Episode 120: Churchless Christianity

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close up of hands holding baby feet

On November 14, 2023 By In Culture

Where are the pro-life majorities?

Abortion is the deliberate ending of a pregnancy somewhere along the path between conception and birth, and it has been the subject of controversy for at least half a century, if not longer. In the United States, the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v Wade (1973) took the issue out of the hands of the several states and declared a constitutional right to abortion, the Court undoubtedly assuming that it had settled the issue for good. That proved to be a severe miscalculation because the ruling sparked an acrimonious division between those styling themselves pro-choice and pro-life. Pro-choicers argued that a woman has a right to her own bodily integrity and that this right includes the personal decision to end a pregnancy. Pro-lifers, to the contrary, argued that the foetus growing in the womb is a person who deserves to live and not merely a mass of tissue to be disposed of at will.

For a time, it seemed that the pro-life position had a demographic advantage. The argument went something like this:

Pro-lifers and pro-choicers represent two divergent subcultures. Pro-choicers are less likely to be religiously observant and generally have fewer children. They disproportionately inhabit the large urban centres where most abortion clinics are located. They are less persuaded by arguments that the unborn child is a human being worthy of protection and have a (religious!) belief in individual autonomy. Many pro-choicers do not even bother to marry and are content to live in childless relationships with members of the opposite sex.

(more…)

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On October 16, 2023 By In Church, Theology

The Church is our Mother: Why our doctrine of the church is limping along

The 3rd century church father and theologian Cyprian once wrote: “You cannot have God as your Father unless you have the church for your Mother.”

You cannot have God as your Father unless you have the church for your Mother.”

Cyprian, De Ecclesiae Catholicae Unitate sect. 6

Before you question the authority of Cyprian in making this statement, realize that he is simply using Biblical language for the Church. Paul writes to the Church in Galatia: “But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.” (Gal. 4:26) Similarly, the Book of Revelation frequently uses the language of Jerusalem to speak of the Church, language that Paul uses to refer to our mother: “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.” (Rev. 3:12) The language of church as mother might bring some light to the Apostle Paul’s words about the ministry of him and his colleagues in 1 Thessalonians 2:7–8: “But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”

I will begin with this statement (thesis) then. A Churchless Christianity is an impossibility. My Biblical definitions and arguments below should back this statement up sufficiently.

In response, the modern-day evangelical will turn on the smoke machines, and the above statement will likely be surrounded by hazy smoke and fog of rebuttals. Well, what do you mean by the church? Are you referring to a building? Why can’t I have ‘church’ with a couple friends out in the woods? Billy will read a few verses of Scripture, pray together, sing a few songs and church is over. I’m spiritual but not religious. Do you mean the visible or the invisible church? Do you mean the local church or the universal church?

We should be clear that the church has been clear on various truths about the church all the way from Cyprian too Calvin to the Reformed theologians who followed Calvin. This has been the message of the church throughout the ages as she responds to the Word of God. 1200 years after Cyprian, in the days of the Reformation, John Calvin also used the language of the church as our mother, assuming what Cyprian wrote:

“I will begin with the church, into whose bosom God is pleased to collect his children, not only that by her aid and ministry they may be nourished so long as they are babes and children, but may also be guided by her maternal care until they grow up to manhood and, finally, attain to the perfection of the faith. What God has thus joined, let not man put asunder (Mark 10:9): to those whom he is a Father, the church must also be a mother. This is not merely under the Law, but even now after the advent of Christ; since Paul declares that we are the children of a new, even a heavenly Jerusalem (Gal. 4:26).”

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 4.1.1

John Calvin continues:

“But as it is now our purpose to discourse of the visible church, let us learn, from her single title of Mother, how useful, no, how necessary the knowledge of her is, since there is no other means of entering into life unless she conceive us in the womb and give us birth, unless she nourish us at her breasts, and, in short, keep us under her charge and government, until divested of mortal flesh, we become like the angels. (Matt 22:30)… Moreover, beyond the pale of the church no forgiveness of sins, no salvation, can be hoped for, as Isaiah and Joel testify (Isa 37:32; Joel 2:32).”

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 4.1.4

If you read Cyprian and Calvin among the various theologians of the first 1900 years, it is clear then that in the 21st century, our corporate understanding of the church is at best, slowly limping along. Our collective view is definitely not traveling clearly within the boundaries of Scripture.

It is then useful for our intents and purposes here to consider what the Scriptures say about our mother. We should dig deep into the Scriptures to discern who she is and what God’s will is with regards to her authority. It is clear from the Scriptures that the Church is our mother, but what else does it say about the church? After all, if the Bible speaks of her as our ‘mother’, it would be useful for Christians to at least discover who our ‘mother’ is.

What I lay out below is a brief definition and overview of her government, her fellowship, her preaching and her sacraments. Much more could be said from the Scriptures.

What is the Church?

Jesus Himself instituted the Church in Matthew 16:18–19 when He said: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Similarly, Jesus speaks of the church as a visible entity in Matthew 18:17 when describing the process of dealing with sin: “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” The Greek word for “church” is used in Acts 2:47 when Luke puts on the record that many were saved on the day of Pentecost. It is used soon aer in Acts 5:11 when we hear that fear came upon the church. It is used many more times throughout the New Testament, both in the singular and the plural, that is, “the church” and “the churches.” In fact, my Greek lexicon records its use about 193x in the New Testament. If you look back into the Old Testament for types or pictures of the church, you will find it referred to many more times. St. Augustine once stated: “The new is in the old concealed; the old is in the new revealed.” To paraphrase Augustine: “The church is in Israel concealed; Israel is in the church revealed.” We should also refer to Israel or Israel/Judah as the Old Testament Church.

So what exactly is the church then? Well, the Greek word “ἐκκλησία” can be translated as “the assembly, the congregation.” It can mean “called out” or “called together.” In the Old Testament, the equivalent word would be “qahal,” which is referred to in I Kings 8:65. It does not refer necessarily to a meeting place, but too a gathering, a group of people who have been called together. In the New Testament the word “ecclesia” most frequently refers to the New Testament Church as a totality (Eph. 3:10) or in a specific location (Col. 4:15), it can also refer to the Old Testament assembly of believers (Acts 7:38), or even a riotous mob (Acts 19:32). But essentially, it refers to a group of believers who love Jesus Christ. Consequently, when you read in Matthew 18:20 about “when two or three gather” in His Name, Jesus is not necessarily referring to the assembly for worship, but to the process of church discipline, which in the New Testament as in the

Old would have to be confirmed by at least two or three witnesses (Deut. 19:15, Matt. 18:16, 2 Cor. 2:21–3:1-2, I Tim. 5:19).

So Matthew 18:20 is not sufficient reason in and of itself to separate from the church as Christ has instituted it in the Scriptures, to have a private or informal gathering.

As you dig deeper into the Old and New Testaments, you will find that there is also a government that is connected with the church (I Tim. 3, Titus 1-2, I Peter 5, Heb. 13:18). Her ministry is identified (marked out) by preaching (I Cor. 2, II Tim. 4:1-5, I Peter 1:22-25), the celebration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper (I Cor. 1, 11), and Christian fellowship of which spiritual church discipline is an crucial part (Matt. 18, I Cor. 5, I Cor. 16:21).

In fact, much of the New Testament is instruction to the church on how to be a church, how to live together as a church. It is full of theological and practical instructions for how to think about her covenantal bond to the groom, Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:25-33). Most of the letters are addressed to a church or to a group of churches. Only a couple are addressed to a Christian to Christian leaders. It is likely that Paul’s letter to Corinth was one of the first books of the New Testament, in chronological order of writing. You should regard Paul’s first letter to the Church in Corinth as a sort of initial church order or church constitution to instruct the church in regards to her duties with regards to the preaching (I Cor. 1-4), to the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper (I Cor. 1, 11), and spiritual church discipline (I Cor. 5). This is in light of the desire of Christ that His Church act in a unified (I Cor. 1:10) and peaceable (I Cor. 14:33) and orderly (I Cor. 14:40) manner. The early church was also to have a moral code in relation to adultery and idolatry (I Cor. 5-11) as well as other matters of the Old Testament Law. But she was also to have a clear understanding of the authority of officers or office-bearers in the church as we see throughout Paul’s instruction to Timothy and Titus, wise men, full of the Holy Spirit, who are able to properly handle the Word of truth and instruct the assembly (II Tim. 2:15).

All theology, the writings of Scripture is tied into our understanding of what the church is, what her function is in this world, her worship, her preaching, her sacraments, her discipline, her fellowship, her government. We should not talk about the doctrine of salvation in total isolation from the doctrine of the church. This is neither done in

Scripture or in church history. It is clear then that a close study of Scripture should help the believer discern between a faithful church and an unfaithful church, a true church and a church that is either corrupt or apostate. But the believer is driven to love the church and to serve her and seek her upbuilding nonetheless, even if it is a basket-case church like in Corinth (I Cor. 14:12). For this, reason it is the duty of leaders in our current ecclesiastical confusion to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12). We must not just be taught to love one another, but how to love one another.

How God describes the Church:

It is impossible to understand the church as a heavenly institution apart from God’s sovereign designation of the church as the object of our love in this world. Above all, we should see the beauty of the church by faith even when it is “with schisms rent asunder, by heresies oppressed.” We find a command in Psalm 48:12-14: “Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.” We read in Psalm 87:1–3: “On the holy mount stands the city he founded; the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah”

In the Scriptures, the Church is described as God’s temple (I Cor. 3:16-17, I Peter 2:5), as God’s field, God’s building (I Cor. 3:9), as the Body of Christ (I Cor. 12:27, Eph. 4:12), the Bride of Christ (Rev. 19:7-8, 21:9, II Cor. 11:12, Eph. 5:31-32), The family of God (II Cor. 6:18, Eph. 2:19, Gal. 6:10, I Tim. 5:1), the household of God (I Pet. 4:17). We should see the church from the eyes of God, the eyes of faith, and not through the lens of this world. The Church is folly to the world. But to those who are being saved, we see it from the perspective of Christ who is reigning in the heavenly places. We should see the church through new eyes, with all its warts and flaws, as a Church that Christ loves and is purifying through water and the Word.

If we despise what Christ loves, separate from it and especially persecute it, then He will break out against us in His hot anger and holy indignation (I Cor. 3:16-17, Revelation). He did not come primarily to save an individual. He came to save a church (Eph. 5:31-32). It is of this church that I as a saved individual am a member. The Church is the primary object of Christ’s redemption. I get to join in on that grand project of

restoring sinful humanity to a new community in His cross and resurrection. He saves dead men. But unto what? He calls out. But He also calls together. If you love Christ, it is impossible to not love His Church, wherever He has called it together, and is moving with His Spirit within it. If you love Christ, it is impossible to not hate heresy, error, schism, and sin. It is impossible not to have mercy on those who doubt and to save others by snatching them out of the fire (Jude 22-23). Together, we are the church militant. We express that militance primarily when we gather together to worship Christ. As He heads down the warpath, Christ stops for a moment and looks back at His Church following in their orderly ranks and says with Solomon in Song of Solomon 6:10 “Who is this who looks down like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awesome as an army with banners?” We look forward to the day when we will be the church at rest.

Conclusion:

Cyprian and Calvin argued in this way, because Christians must be taught to love what God loves. Why would you not love what God loves? We must be taught to avoid and flee from the desires of our sinful hearts. This includes the desire to escape the oversight of the church. I also hope that you see why I would describe the modern day church as “limping along.” I also hope that some of the theology that I lay out in here drives you to find a godly Christian Church that is repenting of its sins daily and growing in holiness, that is seeking to preach the pure gospel from the entirety of God’s Word, that is seeking to maintain the sacrament of baptism and the Lord’s Supper in holiness, and seeking the salvation of sinners and the purity of the church and beauty of godly Christian fellowship through the holy practice of spiritual discipline. All the extra programs of modern day evangelicalism, should disappear until we can do these things well. In fact, as Christians we should simply focus on worship, fellowship and service to one another and ultimately to Christ. Let’s get to work. Let’s worship Christ who bought us with His blood. Let’s be the Church.

Photo by Liv Bruce on Unsplash

This post was initially posted here on Rev. Nathan Zekveld’s Substack account.

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On October 7, 2023 By In Culture

What Happens on Sunday

Photo courtesy Frank Cone at pexels.com

Every week Christians gather around the world to worship the true God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Their songs and prayers ascend to heaven as incense, and God’s word and grace fall to the earth like thunder, lightning, and rain. God speaks, and his people answer. God blesses, and the saints are renewed. God judges, and the Church is vindicated. God appears in his glory, and the Body of Christ shines with reflected radiance.

What happens on Sundays in Christian churches cannot be understood merely by what we see with our eyes. In fact, many believers do not realize the supernatural event that they participate in every Lord’s Day. We walk in the midst of angels. We sing praise with saints who surround heaven’s throne. We are strengthened as the Spirit moves upon us and in us, arousing love, increasing faith, and deepening hope.

The Church does battle every Sunday against the world, the flesh, and the demons. The spiritual hosts of wickedness are arrayed against us, but they are vanquished through faith exercised in worship and obedience. We pray against the darkness, and those prayers become beams of light, penetrating dark spaces and frightening the fallen sons of God. We sing psalms, and the walls of the enemy’s stronghold crack and fall. The war is not over. In some ways it has just begun. But the victory is assured having been won by our Savior who destroyed sin and Death’s power from the inside.

The Church is Christ’s Bride, but it is also his Body. She is both the one whom he rescues and the hands and feet by which he makes war. The Church is a Dragon-Slayer, not passive, not effeminate, but embodying the risen and ascended Christ who lives, reigns, rules, and judges in and through his people. The Church sings war psalms because she is at war. She sings royal psalms because she serves the world’s true King.

The Church is an army, and worship is war. But the weapons of our warfare are not carnal or earthly. They are psalms and prayers, confession of sin and confession of faith, the word preached and believed and obeyed, the sacraments applied, the covenant lived in our homes and communities every day. When the Church forgets who she is, where she is, and what she is doing in worship, she becomes worldly, effeminate, passive, and ineffectual. But the spiritual reality persists. On the Lord’s Day God descends to meet with his people, and his Church ascends Mt. Zion. Prepare your heart with joy to meet the living God.

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On August 30, 2023 By In Church, Podcast

KC Podcast – Episode 113: Lifting the Veil on Head Coverings

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On January 3, 2023 By In Church, Culture

The Death of Mainline Churches

One of my predictions in 2023 is a relatively certain one. It pertains to the continual decline and fragmentation of Mainline Protestant Churches.

In the late ’90s, Thomas Reeves warned the liberal, mainline churches against “smug denominationalism.” He used C.S. Lewis’ language as a cautionary tale about the direction of liberalism both in the political and religious spheres. His book was aptly entitled “The Suicide of Liberal Christianity.”

In 2020, mainline Protestants were bleeding numerically, shutting down their ornate buildings, which were ironically transformed into modern pubs all over Europe. They possessed one of the “lowest retention rates in any tradition” (Pew Research). From 2007-2017, they lost over five million members, and the children of these members were going farther and farther away from any religious manifestation. But even back in 1996, Reeves noted that the decline of mainline churches has “been eroding for better part of this century.”

The culprit in the 20th century is the same in the 21st. According to Reeves, “their defining theological doctrines have been largely forgotten.” While there is a modicum of hope in Reeves’ 26-year-old book, he concludes with profound pessimism. Should the mainline churches continue unchanged in their direction, they will proceed “on their steady slide toward complete irrelevance (211).”

The mainline consisting of PCUSA, ELCA, American Baptists in the USA, United Methodists, etc., have taken trajectories of death throughout. They have sought to bestow power on inclusivism and anointed corrupt priests to lead the way, and to hell, they led.

Conservative ecclesial bodies must invest in catechetical discipleship and build a reservoir of resistance against liberalizing forces without and battle locally and nationally against such forces that seek to crawl their way into the midst of the assembly.

Reeves was right that smug denominationalism is a temptation for many of us. Many of our conservative churches have grown during supposed crises created to ensure complacency among the populace and within the church. But, in God’s kindness, never was reading leaves such an easy task.

The task of the conservative corpus is to seek the good of the city by building on that eternal city. In the midst of the tranquility of growth and theological prosperity, may we not grow weary in well-doing. Smugness tickles our vanity, but humility steadies our march.

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On November 29, 2022 By In Church, Discipleship, Family and Children

Family Worship and Chaotic Schedules

Photo Credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/factory-demolition-destruction-4757647/

Family Worship Inquiry

A question I love getting from Husbands and Fathers is general advice about family worship. As Fathers, the leaders in covenant homes, we are commissioned by God’s word to teach our covenant children the ways of the Lord every day, and all throughout the day (Deut. 6). We are also instructed in the Proverbs to train up a child in the way they should for when they grow old, they will not depart from it (Prov. 22:6). All of this is reiterated by the Apostle Paul in Ephesian 6 when he commands Fathers to “not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” The weight Fathers feel concerning the task of discipling their families is good and right. Husbands and Fathers have been given a high calling to water their wives with the water of the word of God and to also raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 5 & 6).

I recently received a question about this joyous duty. The central point of this man’s question was about how to achieve family worship consistently when you have a hectic or random schedule. The following is my reply to this concerned Husband and Father with some minor adjustments and additions.

Answer Part 1

The first part of my answer: I think one of the most important things to remember about family worship is that it does not need to look like a Lord’s Day worship service. Remember, that this is family worship with a lowercase ‘w’. It could also very well be called Family Bible study or family discipleship. This does not mean it is unimportant. It is important, like really important. But it is still not equal to Lord’s Day capital ‘W’ Worship. I want to make this distinction so that you know that you need not don a clerical collar, call your family to worship, preach a sermon, assign a son to help distribute the Eucharist, and take an offering before anyone is allowed to brush their teeth and head to bed.

The main thing for you to remember is that you are discipling your family during your time of family worship. This should of course mean reading through books of the Bible with your family and singing Psalms, Hymns, and spiritual songs together. But also, add into the mix books of/on church history, learn Psalms chanting or a new Hymn together, read through The Chronicles of Narnia, or simply pick from many other helpful Christian books to read through and discuss. There are many ways to crack this egg.

Another important thing to practice (which, in turn, is not good for a Lord’s Day Worship setting) is to allow and encourage rabbit trails about our faith and how it applies to every area of life. If your wife or covenant kiddo has a question, spend time answering it. Whatever you do, do not brush it off or move on too quickly. You do not want anyone in your family to feel uncomfortable asking their spiritual leaders questions about their faith. When this happens, that family member is displaying much-valued humility and trust in their spiritual leader. Don’t crush that. That is something to be cultivated, water, and protected.

You specifically mentioned consistency. This is huge. My simple encouragement is to pick a time that works and stick with it. You may need to try a couple of different times before figuring out what works best. That’s OK. If you miss a day, do not grieve as the Gentiles who have no hope. God’s mercies are new every day and His steadfast love endures forever. Get back up and continue mission.

Answer Part 2

Question: What about random schedules?

Answer: Yeah, schedules, especially random ones, are sometimes difficult dragons to slay. The first thing I would figure out is if the randomness is a symptom of something deeper. Some diagnostic questions might be helpful. Do you lack basic time management? Do you lack self-discipline?  Beyond that, it might be helpful to choose a form of family worship that works for each context. Decide to do something shorter/easier on the days with less time and extend it for days/contexts that are less busy. If you did that and were able to get something in every day, you and your family would benefit tremendously. Additionally, take advantage of the many audio versions of content that are available to the Church today.

Finally, whatever you do, do it, and don’t ever give up. Giving up teaches a much worse lesson to your family than trying to faithful lead your family and for one reason or another it doesn’t go perfectly. Turns out, on this side of glory, it will never go “perfectly”. Look to Christ in everything you do, and bring your family along with you.

I hope that helps.

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)

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On November 11, 2022 By In Podcast

Notable Kuyperians: An Interview with Rev. Jack Phelps from Palmer, Alaska

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:53:57 — 39.1MB)

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I first met Jack Phelps in Conroe, TX, in 2008. I sat next to him on several occasions in those two days. We were at different stages of life back then, but two callings took place on one of the days. Jack was elected to become the Presiding Minister for the CREC, where he served two faithful terms (six years), and I was called to become the pastor of Providence Church in Pensacola, FL. He was already an experienced pastor then, and I was a young seminary grad filled with aspirations and dreams about pastoral ministry.

Our paths have crossed several times since then, but last week, I enjoyed sharing beautiful conversations with him in his town of Palmer, AK. The conversations were so delightful that even though all I had was an android phone, I decided to interview him on various issues under the themes of politics and religion. Jack is a Kuyperian, who—like Abraham Kuyper—dedicated his life to the political and ecclesiastical spheres.

Five decades of pastoral work interspersed with years of labor under high-ranking political officials in Alaska. It was an honor to spend time with this dear brother. Our two-hour interview is part of the “Notable Kuyperian” interview series. You can check out my other interview with Rev. Mickey Schneider.

In this conversation, we covered:

Christian Nationalism

Sarah Palin

Pastoral Ministry and Hardships

And many other topics.

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