QUICK REVIEW OF LESSON #1: Understanding the Purpose of the Church
The ultimate purpose of the church is preparing souls for God (see Col. 1:28). This is the greatest task on earth! Related to that objective is the following:
- Worshiping together (Jn. 4:23-24; 1 Cor. 11-14). Offering thanks and praise to God.
- Evangelizing (Lk. 19:10; Mt. 28:18-20; 1 Tim. 3:15). Teaching the Gospel to the lost.
- Edifying one another (Mt. 28:20; Heb. 10:24). Teaching and encouraging Christians.
- Benevolence (James 1:27; Gal. 6:10). Doing good works which shows our love, the love of God, and also cultivates receptivity to the Gospel message.
INTRODUCTION:
In this lesson we will give brief attention to leadership in the first century church, and why this differed from God’s ongoing plan. We should keep in mind that His plan for leadership is perfectly designed for carrying out the primary mission of the church of reaching lost souls with the Gospel of Christ and maturing those who are in Christ.
FIRST CENTURY CHURCH LEADERSHIP
Before looking at some basics of that leadership, we should note that the church was not born full-grown. In other words, though the church was definitively born on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, it did not begin fully organized.
- CHRIST IS HEAD OF THE CHURCH. Here certainly is a constant. From the beginning Christ has served as head of His church (see Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:18). This indicates that He rules over His church and everything in the church is subject to His authority (see also Col. 3:17; Mt. 28:18; Eph. 3:21). This was true when the church began and will remain the case until the Lord comes back for His kingdom (see 1 Cor. 15:24).
- THE APOSTLES. While on earth Jesus selected twelve men who were called apostles (see Mt. 10:1-4). The word “apostle” means “sent one,” which obviously gives insight into God’s design for them. Jesus intensely trained these men through teaching and “on the job training” for three years or so. Additionally, authority was given to them to perform miraculous works so that their teaching could rationally be accepted as being from God (see Mt. 10:7-8; Mk. 16:15-20). After Jesus ascended to heaven, He sent them the Holy Spirit, as He had promised, so that they could teach the Word of God perfectly and completely (see Jn. 14:26; 16:13). In the very beginning of the church, they were perfectly suited to lead and guide the newly found church in the ways of the Father (see Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 14:37). Jesus gave them the authority to bind and loose (see Mt. 16:19; 18:18). Of course, none of this was of their own accord since they were guided by the Holy Spirit.
- MIRACULOUS LEADERSHIP ROLES. The first few decades or so of the church were very unique times. Growing out of this infant stage involved a process. To assist with the growth, maturing and confirmation process, the Lord endowed the apostles with the ability to impart miraculous gifts to Christians through the laying on of their hands (see Acts 8:17-18; 19:6). Some of these miraculous gifts included the ability to fulfill vital roles in the church which otherwise could not have been filled. Such would include prophets, administrators and teachers (see Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:28) since the Word of God had not been fully revealed. Extraordinary measures were essential for the church at this stage.
These as well as other miraculous gifts and roles would continue, Paul said, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God…” (Eph. 4:13). When the Word of God was fully revealed and confirmed, such means would no longer be needed (see 1 Cor. 13:8-12).
It becomes very clear that the apostles and miraculously endowed men of the first century were temporary leaders in the first century church. Of course, anything that inspired men have revealed in Scripture remains authoritative for the church today. Lord willing, next week we will give attention to God’s perpetual plan for leadership in the church. This will greatly assist us as we slowly begin to hone in on our own role in the church that was in the mind of God before creation (see Eph. 3:10-11).
Daren Schroeder
