The Great Doctrines of the Bible - Rev. William Evans (summer reading list .TXT) 📗

within the Kingdom; probably the regenerate are “the children of the kingdom.” The Kingdom is comprised of both good and bad (Matt. 13); the Church, of real saints only. The Jews rejected the Kingdom under Christ and the apostles. That Kingdom, now rejected, will be set up again when the Messiah comes. This conception will help us to understand the parables of Matthew 13, as well as the Sermon on the Mount. The tares are sown not in the Church, but in the field, which is the world. The Church may be looked upon as part of the Kingdom of God, just as Illinois is part of the United States. The Kingdom is present, in a sense, just as the King is present in the hearts of his own people. There is a difference between the Church and Christendom, just as there is a difference between possessing and professing Christians. Baptized Christendom is one thing, and the Church of Christ is another.

b) The Church Visible and Invisible: Actual and Ideal.

The Church Visible is composed of all those whose names are enrolled upon its roster; Invisible, of those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life; Actual, people imperfect, yet aiming after perfection, alive here on the earth; Ideal, departed saints who are now triumphant in heaven (Heb. 12:23). There is a Church in heaven just as there is one upon the earth; indeed, it is but a part of the one Church; called the Church militant while upon the earth, and the Church triumphant in heaven.

c) The Church Local and Universal.

By the first is meant the Church in any particular place, such as “the church at Corinth”; by the latter, the Church as found in every place (1 Cor. 1:2).

II. THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH.

1. FORETOLD BY CHRIST.

Matt. 16:16-18—”… . On this rock I will build my church.” Here is the Church in prophecy and promise; the first mention of the Church in the New Testament. Note the distinction here recognized between the “Kingdom” and the “Church.”

The Church is to be founded on Peter’s confession of Jesus Christ as the Son of the living God. No supremacy is here given to Peter, as a comparison of these verses with John 20:19-23, and Matt. 18:18—in which the same privilege of the binding and loosing is given to the whole Church and to all the apostles—will show.

In Matthew 18:15-20 our Lord recognizes the fact of the Church, and also that it has the divine seal and sanction in the exercising of the power of the keys.

2. HISTORICALLY FOUNDED BY THE APOSTLES.

Acts 1-2:47. The promise and prophecy of Matt. 16:16-18 is here fulfilled. Here is the account of the first Christian Church in its glorious beginning, and as it actually existed in Jerusalem. When a man became regenerate by believing in Jesus Christ he was thereby constituted a member of the Church. There was no question as to whether he ought to join himself to the Church or not; that was a fact taken for granted. So we read that the Lord was adding to the Church daily such as were being saved. The Church was already a concrete institution to which every believer in Christ united himself.

“The Apostles’ doctrine” formed the standard of faith—a fulfillment of Christ’s prophecy and promise in Matthew 16:16-18: “On this rock I will build my church,” etc.

The Church had stated places of meeting: the upper room (Acts 1:13), the temple (5:12), the homes of members (2:46, 12:12), and the synagogue; stated times of meeting: daily (2:46), each Lord’s Day (20:7), the regular hours of prayer (3:1; 10:9); a regular church roll: 120 (1:15), 3,000 (2:41), 5,000 (4:4); daily additions (2:47).

That there were definitely, regularly organized churches is clear from the fact that the Apostle Paul addressed many of his epistles to churches in different localities. The letters to the Corinthians (e.g., 1 Ep. 12-14) show that the churches had already recognized certain forms of service and liturgy; those to Timothy and Titus presume a regularly organized congregation of believers. That there is a Church in the world is clear from 1 Cor. 5:9-13. The Christian Church is as much an entity as the Gentile, or the Jew (1 Cor. 10:32). The existence of church officers proves the existence of the Church in an organized form: bishops and deacons (Phil. 1:1), elders (Acts 20:17), the presbytery (1 Tim. 4:14). Church letters were granted to members (Acts 18:27).

III. MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHURCH—ITS CONDITIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS.

1. REPENTANCE AND BAPTISM REQUIRED OF ALL ITS MEMBERS.

Acts 2:38-41—“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”

2. FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AS THE DIVINE REDEEMER.

Matt. 16:16-18; Acts 2:38, 39. Peter’s entire sermon in Acts 2 illustrates this fact.

3. SAVED-REGENERATED.

Acts 2:47—”… . And the Lord added to the church such as should be saved.” Cf. John 3:3, 5. It was essential that the members of the early Church should be “added unto the Lord” before they were added to the Church (5:14; 11:24).

4. BAPTISM IN THE NAME OF THE TRIUNE GOD AS AN OPEN CONFESSION OF CHRIST.

Matt. 28:19—“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 2:38-41; 10:47, 48; 22:16: cf. Rom. 10:9, 10.

5. ADHERENCE TO THE APOSTOLIC DOCTRINE.

Acts 2:42—“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship.” Cf. “On this rock I will build my church” (Matt. 16:16-18); also Eph. 2:20.

6. CHARACTERISTICS OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE EARLY CHURCH.

The members were known as believers (Acts 4:32); brethren (11:29; 12:17; Rom. 1:13—the absolute equality of all believers, cf. Matt. 23:8-10); Christians (Acts 11:26; 26:28); saints (9:13; 1 Cor. 1:2; Rev. 13:7); elect (Mark 13:27; Rom. 8:33; Eph. 1:4).

IV. FIGURES UNDER WHICH THE CHURCH IS SET FORTH IN THE SCRIPTURES.

1. THE BODY, OF WHICH CHRIST IS THE HEAD.

Two ideas are contained in this symbol:

a) The Relation of the Church to Christ, Who Is Its Head.

Eph. 1:22, 23; Col. 1:18; 2:19. The Church is an organism, not an organization. There is a vital relation between Christ and the Church, both partaking of the same life, just as there is between the physical head and the body. We cannot join the Church as we would a lodge or any mere human organization. We must be partakers by faith of Christ’s life before we can become members of Christ’s Church, in the true sense. As the Head of the Church Christ is its Guardian and Director (Eph. 5:23, 24); the Source of its life, filling it with His fulness (Eph. 1:23); the Centre of its Unity and the Cause of its growth (Eph. 4:15; Col. 2:19).

b) The Relation of the Members One to Another.

1 Cor. 12:12-27; Rom. 12:4, 5; Eph. 4:1-4, 15,16.

2. A TEMPLE, A BUILDING, A HABITATION, A DWELLING-PLACE FOR GOD’S SPIRIT.

Eph. 2:20, 21; 1 Cor. 3:9-17; 1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pet. 2:4-8; Rev. 21:3; 1 Cor. 6:19. Of this building Christ is the cornerstone, and the prophets and apostles the foundation. In 1 Cor. 3 Christ is the chief cornerstone and the apostles the builders; the whole building is held in place by Christ.

3. THE BRIDE OF CHRIST.

2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25-27; Rev. 19:7; 22:17. Christ is the Bridegroom (John 3:29). This is a great mystery (Eph. 5:32). The Bride becomes the wife of the Lamb (Rev. 21:2).

V. THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH.

1. BAPTISM.

Matt. 28:19, 20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 41; 8:36-40; 10:47, 48.

2. THE LORD’S SUPPER.

Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7—“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” 1 Cor. 11:20-34.

VI. THE VOCATION OF THE CHURCH.

1. TO WORSHIP GOD AND TO GLORIFY HIM ON THE EARTH:

Eph. 1:4-6—“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

2. TO EVANGELIZE THE WORLD WITH THE GOSPEL:

Matt. 28:19, 20—“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 2; 5:42; 6:5-8; Eph. 3:8; Acts 15:7.

3. TO DEVELOP EACH INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN UNTIL HE ATTAINS UNTO THE FULNESS OF THE STATURE OF CHRIST:

Eph. 4:11-15. Hence the gift of pastors, teachers, etc. Herein lies the value of church attendance—it promotes growth; failure to attend leads to apostasy (Heb. 10:25-28), cf. 1 Thess. 5:11; 1 Cor. 12.

4. A CONSTANT WITNESS FOR CHRIST AND HIS WORD:

Acts 1:8—“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” 8:1, 4.

5. THE FUTURE GLORY OF THE CHURCH:

Eph. 3:10, 21; Eev. 7:9-17.

 

THE DOCTRINE OF THE SCRIPTURES.

I. NAMES AND TITLES.

1. THE BIBLE. 2. THE TESTAMENTS. 3. THE SCRIPTURES. 4. THE WORD OF GOD.

II. INSPIRATION.

1. DEFINITION. 2. DISTINCTIONS. a) Revelation. b) Illumination. c) Reporting. 3. VIEWS: a) Natural Inspiration. b) Christian Illumination. c) Dynamic Theory. d) Concept Theory. e) Verbal Inspiration. f) Partial Inspiration. g) Plenary Inspiration. 4. THE CLAIMS OF THE SCRIPTURES THEMSELVES: a) The Old Testament. b) The New Testament. 5. THE CHARACTER (OR DEGREES) OF INSPIRATION. a) Actual Words of God Himself. b) Actual Words Communicated by God to Men. e) Individual Freedom in Choice of Words—To What Extent?

 

THE DOCTRINE OF THE SCRIPTURES.

I. THE BIBLE—ITS NAMES AND TITLES.

1. “THE BIBLE.”

Our English word Bible comes from the Greek words biblos (Matt. 1:1) and biblion (diminutive form) (Luke 4:17), which mean “book.” Ancient books were written upon the biblus or papyrus reed, and from this custom came the Greek name biblos, which finally came to be applied to the sacred books. See Mark 12:26; Luke 3:4; 20:42; Acts 1:20; 7:42.

The Bible is not merely a book, however. It is THE BOOK—the Book that from the importance of its subjects, the wideness of its range, the majesty of its Author, stands as high above all other books as the heaven is high above the earth.

2. “THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.”

See Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:6, 14; Heb. 9:15; 12:24.

The word Testament means Covenant, and is the term by which God was pleased to designate the relation that existed between Himself and His people. The term Covenant was first of all applied to the relation itself, and afterward to the books which contained the record of that relation.

By the end of the second century we find the “Old Covenant” and the “New Covenant” as the established names of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures; and Origen, in the beginning of the third century, mentioned “the divine Scriptures, the so-called Old and New Covenants.”

The Old Testament deals with the record of the calling and history of the Jewish nation, and as such it is the Old Covenant. The New Testament deals with the history and application of the redemption wrought