The Church

The people chosen in Him, entered by faith, and what the body is for.

18 questions answered. About this doctrine · All topics

• With Chuck SmithCan a fallen pastor or Christian be restored?Chuck Smith, Calvary Chapel Distinctives, chapter 7: It’s been our joy and our privilege to be able to restore many who were condemned by the law. I do believe that before restoration, there must be true repentance. I believe that the Law was intended as a schoolmaster to bring people to Jesus Christ. Those who have not come and repented need the Law, thus there is a place for the Law. It is holy, righteous, and good, if used lawfully. But I think sometimes we go beyond and want to exact the penalties of the Law after there has been repentance. We aren’t willing to restore. Jesus stood for grace and truth. We should always seek restoration, but let us not forget that repentance is necessary. From Chuck Smith's books, used by permission of The Word For Today.
• With Chuck SmithDo Christians have to keep the Sabbath on Saturday?Chuck Smith, Answers for Today, chapter 11: Paul tells us in Colossians 2 that Christ blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that were against us. This, of course, is in reference to the Sabbath day law and all the other such ordinances. Jesus took them out of the way. He nailed them to His cross. He made an open display of His victory over them, triumphing over them in the cross. Because of this, Paul said, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come” (Colossians 2:16, 17). These things were all just shadows in the Old Testament of that which was to come, which was Jesus Christ. The Sabbath day was a shadow of the rest we as the children of God would experience in Christ. We have the substance, Jesus Christ. Therefore, the shadows that spoke of the substance have no hold on us. I’m not required to keep the Sabbath day law any longer. Scripture, King James Version: Colossians 2:16, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:"; Colossians 2:17, "Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.". From Chuck Smith's books, used by permission of The Word For Today.
• With Chuck SmithIs evangelism the main purpose of the church?Chuck Smith, The Philosophy of Ministry of Calvary Chapel: When the saints were perfected for the work of the ministry, however, they began to minister. They began to bring in their friends. Evangelism became the by-product of a strong and mature church. A church that is strong in the Word will automatically be an evangelical church. It is the natural function of healthy sheep to reproduce. It's very natural. You don't even have to teach them how. It's just the natural function of healthy sheep to reproduce. When you make the sheep healthy by giving them a good diet, a consistent diet that will develop growth and strength, they will naturally reproduce. Scripture, King James Version: Ephesians 4:12, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:". From Chuck Smith's books, used by permission of The Word For Today.
• Whosoever WillIs the church spiritual Israel? Has the church replaced Israel?No. The church has not replaced Israel. Paul asks it directly, "Hath God cast away his people? God forbid" (Rom 11:1), and promises Israel a future: the natural branches "shall be graffed in" (Rom 11:23). The church and Israel are distinct.
• With Chuck SmithShould a ministry depend on donations?Chuck Smith, The Philosophy of Ministry of Calvary Chapel: The philosophy of Calvary Chapel is giving and ministering rather than taking and being ministered to. You will find that a lot of ministries exist in order to be ministered to. They don't mind letting you know: "We need your support to keep this ministry going. This ministry depends upon you." I've concluded that any ministry that depends upon man for its existence and operation should die, and the best thing we could do is let it die. Calvary Chapel, then, exists to minister and our emphasis is on giving; giving to the people; ministering to the people. From Chuck Smith's books, used by permission of The Word For Today.
• Whosoever WillShould women be pastors? What does the Bible say about women in ministry?The Bible reserves the office of pastor/elder for qualified men, "the husband of one wife" (1 Tim 3:2), and Paul does not permit a woman "to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man" in that office (1 Tim 2:12). This is a matter of role, not worth; women's ministry is honored throughout Scripture.
• Whosoever WillWhat does "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase" mean?Whosoever Will, Sheep Beget Sheep: Paul is writing to a church that has split into fan clubs, team Paul, team Apollos, and he stops them cold with a sentence that should be printed over the door of every ministry on earth. “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6–7). Read that again, because Paul says something here that would get you fired from most church-growth conferences. Neither is he that planteth any thing. The apostle Paul, the greatest church planter who ever lived, says the planter is nothing. The waterer is nothing. The Greek word for increase is auxanō, to cause to grow, and Paul assigns it to exactly one Person. God gives the increase. Not the strategy. Not the outreach. Not the launch. God. This is the fault line. There are two jobs available to a human being in the work of God: you may plant, and you may water. That is the entire menu. What you may not do, what you cannot do, is give the increase, because that job is occupied. The moment a ministry model starts taking credit for growth, measuring itself by growth, engineering growth, it has quietly reached for a job that was never on offer to it. It has stepped into the one role Scripture reserves for God alone. Scripture, King James Version: 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.".
• With Chuck SmithWhat does the word "minister" mean?Chuck Smith, The Philosophy of Ministry of Calvary Chapel: The word "minister" really means "servant" and Joshua was Moses' minister. It meant that he was Moses' servant, that is, he ministered to the needs of Moses. He was Moses' errand boy. That's what the word "minister" means. Yet, I am amazed at how upset some ministers get when someone asks them to minister to the needs of the congregation. "Can you believe he called me up for a ride? Doesn't he know that I'm the minister here?" If you are the minister then he should have called you for a ride. Jesus said, "He that would be the chief among you, let him be the servant of all." Scripture, King James Version: Mark 10:44, "And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.". From Chuck Smith's books, used by permission of The Word For Today.
• Whosoever WillWhat is communion / the Lord's Supper? What does it mean?The Lord's Supper is the bread and cup Jesus gave the church to remember His death "till he come" (1 Cor 11:26). The bread pictures His body given, the cup His blood shed. It is a memorial and a proclamation, not a re-sacrifice.
• Whosoever WillWhat is the church? What does "church" (ekklesia) mean?The church is the body of all who have trusted Christ, "called out" (ekklēsia) from the world and joined to Him. It is not a building or a denomination but the people: "Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body" (Eph 5:23).
• With Chuck SmithWhat is the difference between preaching and teaching?Chuck Smith, Living Water, chapter 19: Preaching is declaring or heralding the truth of God to bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is evangelistic, proclaiming God's Good News that He has provided for the forgiveness of sins through His crucified Son, who took our guilt and died in our place. Preaching persuades people to receive Jesus Christ as their lord. Teaching, on the other hand, is not for the unconverted, but for the converted. Teaching enables those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord to grow in the grace and the knowledge of God. Preaching is for the sinner; teaching is for the saint. There has been far too much preaching in the church, and far too little teaching. In fact, the church has almost been preached to death. The church needs teaching so that more believers will grow and become mature in their relationship with Jesus Christ. From Chuck Smith's books, used by permission of The Word For Today.
• Whosoever WillWhat is the main command in the Great Commission? Is "go" the command?Whosoever Will, Sheep Beget Sheep: There is exactly one imperative in the Great Commission. One actual command. And it is not “go,” and it is not “baptize,” and it is not “teach.” It is matheteusate: make disciples. Everything else in the sentence is a participle hanging off of that single verb. “Going,” “baptizing,” “teaching” are not four coordinate marching orders. They are the how of the one command. Make disciples, by going, by baptizing, by teaching. And the “going” is the gentlest of all of them. The Greek is closer to “as you go,” “in your going,” “having gone.” It assumes movement through ordinary life rather than commanding a launch. Jesus is not saying organize an expedition. He is saying: as you go, wherever you already are, going about the life I have put you in, make disciples. Sit with what that does to the banner. The command is not to go somewhere. The command is to make disciples, and the making is done by teaching them to observe all things Jesus commanded. That is the whole engine. Not a program. Not a launch. A person who has been taught the Word, teaching the Word to the next person, as they go. Scripture, King James Version: Matthew 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: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.".
• With Chuck SmithWhat is the purpose of the church?Chuck Smith, The Philosophy of Ministry of Calvary Chapel: What, then, is the purpose of His church? To bring glory to God; to be God's instrument of ministry to the Lord. But also in a secondary sense, the church exists for the edifying or the building up of the saints; to bring the saints into full maturity so that they might engage in the work of the ministry. Scripture, King James Version: Ephesians 4:12, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:". From Chuck Smith's books, used by permission of The Word For Today.
• Whosoever WillWhen did the church begin?At Pentecost, in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit came and baptized believers into one body. Jesus spoke of it as future, "I will build my church" (Matt 16:18); it began when the Spirit was given (Acts 2:1-4, 1 Cor 12:13).
• With Chuck SmithWho were the Nicolaitans in Revelation 2?Chuck Smith, Answers for Today, chapter 7: “But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.” The word “Nicolaitanes” in the Greek actually speaks of the establishment of a spiritual hierarchy. Nikao: to establish a priesthood over, to conquer. Laos: the laity. The “deeds of the Nicolaitanes” was the establishment of the priesthood over the laity. Establishing shepherds or elders who lord over the flock of God and make you responsible to them—who seek to take the spiritual responsibility for your actions by telling you what you can and can’t do, when you can or can’t do it, and have you come to them for guidance and direction—is, in reality, the doctrine of Nicolaitanes. In essence, these shepherds are saying, “You can’t go to God for directions. You’re not mature enough. You come to me, and I’ll tell you what God says.” And that is inserting someone between man and God. From Chuck Smith's books, used by permission of The Word For Today.
• With Chuck SmithWhy does God use unlikely people?Chuck Smith, Foreword to Harvest: When Jesus wanted to turn the world upside-down by bringing the message of God's love to all mankind, He chose unlikely candidates. Of the twelve, most were fishermen and one was a hated publican. These are certainly not the choices the average person would have made for the task. When God wanted to make an impact on our society, He again chose the foolish things (as far as the world is concerned) to confound the wise; He chose the weak things to confound the mighty. For instance, in raising up pastors to shepherd Calvary Chapel churches with thousands of members, God did not necessarily look for Phi Beta Kappas from Yale or Harvard. He did not look for magna cum laude graduates with impressive resumes. Instead, God chose people like a Mexican street fighter who had dropped out of high school, a hippie who had gone insane on drugs, a drug dealer who was into sorcery, and a motorcycle gang member to build His churches in the Calvary Chapel movement. God has used many such unlikely leaders to turn worn traditions upside down. Scripture, King James Version: 1 Corinthians 1:27, "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;". From Chuck Smith's books, used by permission of The Word For Today.
• With Chuck SmithWhy teach verse by verse through the Bible?Chuck Smith, The Philosophy of Ministry of Calvary Chapel: I also discovered that in going straight through a book of the Bible, you avoid riding hobby horses. There are certain subjects in the Bible that I find more fascinating than others. There are some things that I love to preach on; there are other things I don't like preaching about. Those things that I don't like to preach about, I find ways of not preaching about them; sort of bypassing them. When you're going straight through a book of the Bible from beginning to end, you can't bypass them, and you're speaking on issues that people need to hear addressed, but rarely hear addressed in the church because they are not popular subjects, yet God would not have put them in the Word unless they were important subjects. If you go straight through a book in teaching, you will be declaring the whole counsel of God. If you go straight through the Bible, you will be declaring the whole counsel of God, and your emphasis will become a biblical emphasis. Scripture, King James Version: Acts 20:27, "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.". From Chuck Smith's books, used by permission of The Word For Today.
• Whosoever WillWhy were believers first called Christians in Antioch?The name arose in Antioch, a Gentile city, because the movement had become distinct enough to need its own name, no longer a sect within Judaism but a new body, the church, visibly its own thing.