The Churches Of God In Gentile Lands

by R.T.H. HORNE | Category: God's Centre And Man's Centre | Nov 1963

Although the apostle Peter was chosen by the Lord to carry the Gospel to Gentiles as Acts 10 reveals, it was the apostle Paul who was chiefly used of the Lord to take that good news into Gentile lands and there to gather disciples together into churches of God.

A divine centre having been established in Jerusalem and Judea, it was in keeping with the Lord's command that His witnesses should reach out unto the uttermost part of the earth. Consequently, following the call of Barnabas and Paul to the work as related in Acts 13.1-3, in the succeeding chapters we have the account of their travels, and later those of Paul and Silas, in both Asian and European countries and of the establishing of churches of God therein.

It was among those nations whom God had "suffered to walk ill their own ways" and who had "changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and fourfooted beasts, and Creeping things", that Paul was chiefly engaged. Guided by the philosophies of men and their own inclinations to "worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator", they had set up centres for the worship of false gods and in some instances erected magnificent temples for this purpose. The circumstances encountered in these countries were very different from those which had been encountered in Jerusalem and Judea and yet the instructions given by the Lord to His apostles in Matthew 28 must be followed if a divine centre was to be established, and so at Iconium, Lystra and Derbe the Gospel was proclaimed, disciples were made and churches established. In Europe, as in Asia, churches were also established in the same manner, and consequently at Philippi, Lydia and the jailor and his family heard the word, believed and were baptized, and of such a church was formed, Paul's letter to the Philippians being evidence of the fact that a church was established there. At Thessalonica the work proceeded on the same lines, and this was also the case at Corinth, where the Lord had much people in the City, and Luke records that "many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized". The disciples having been brought together, the apostle later addressed them as the church of God in Corinth.

The order for church fellowship, originated in Jerusalem as stated in Acts 2. 41, 42, was the pattern to which all the churches in apostolic times adhered, and according to which disciples, having received the word, were then baptized and added together, and continued in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking' of the bread and the prayers.

The decrees made at the conference in Jerusalem recorded in Acts 15 were to apply not only in Jerusalem and Antioch, but also in all the churches, and so we read, Paul and Silas, "as they went on their way through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, which had been ordained of the apostles and elders that were at Jerusalem". From 1 Corinthians 4.17 we see that the teaching was to be the same also in all the churches, and in chapter 7.17 that principles as to the manner of life of the disciples were to be the same, and this was so also of the customs to be followed as is seen from ]: Corinthians 11.16.

The company of disciples together in Corinth, designated the church of God in Corinth, was stated to be God's husbandry (1 Corinthians 3 9) (or tilled land, R.V.M.), and was expected to yield fruit in keeping with the words. of the Lord Jesus to the little Flock which formed the nucleus of God's New Testament people, that the kingdom would be taken away from Israel and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof (Matthew 21,. 43). It is also said to be God's building, and in verse 16 "temple of God" in which the Spirit of God was dwelling. Here was God's centre in Corinth.

Where disciples' are together seeking to build according to the will of the Lord, the adversary will always do what he can to destroy that work. It was so when the Jewish remnant came up from Babylon in, the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, and was definitely so in the times of the apostles at the beginning of the present dispensation. in Corinth an effort was made to disrupt God's purposes by parties being formed within the church and the disciples becoming followers of men; and later by bringing moral evil into the church. These evils had to be dealt with, if God was still to have a centre in that city. The introduction of wrong doctrine into the churches was another 'means' used by the adversary to disrupt the work. This also had to be rejected. In the Galatian churches an attempt was made to interfere with the simplicity and purity of the gospel, by adding man-made conditions thereto. To correct this the Epistle to the Galatians was written. In later times, messages were sent to the seven churches in Asia in Revelation 2 and 3 to instruct the saints as to what was necessary if God's centre was to be maintained in them. In Ephesus they had left their first love, and they were exhorted to repent and do the first works. It appears that there was much work being done in Ephesus, but the first works were being neglected. Remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, "If ye love Me, ye will keep My commandments", it seems to the present writer that though there was much activity in the church, the commandments of the Lord were not being carried out. They had to learn that "to obey is better , than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams". In Smyrna persecution from without was the means used in attempting to destroy God's centre, whereas in both Pergamum and Thyatira it was the introduction of wrong doctrine with perhaps moral evils accompanying such doctrines. In Sardis they had to learn that it was not enough that they had a name that they lived, while they themselves were in a dead condition. If they were to continue to be a divine centre, they must be functioning as such and the worship and ,service of God be carried out according to His revealed will. Thus the purposes for which they had been brought together as His people in .Sardis they must continue to seek to fulfil. In Laodicea the trouble was that although they had been much blessed with earthly possessions, they were greatly lacking spiritually, and notwithstanding their spiritual poverty they were self-satisfied. Self-satisfaction leads to self-deception, and this was the case in Laodicea. The exhortation to them was "buy of Me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see." To "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" that in our character something of His purity may be seen, and to be increasing in the knowledge of Himself and His will for us, continually seeking to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and to have the eyes of our mind open to the teaching of God's Holy Spirit through His word, are all requisites if God is to have the centre He desires in His people.

The saints in Corinth were exhorted to cleanse themselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit and to perfect holiness in the fear of God, and in the Epistle to Titus we are told that our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ "gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works". There must be separation from both moral and ecclesiastical evil if God's centre is to be maintained. There is a pattern to build to, functions to be fulfilled, and right conditions to be maintained if God's centre is to be what He desires.

R.T.H. HORNE | Nov 1963
God's Centre And Man's Centre