LET GOD BE TRUE

CHAPTER IX

"THE CHURCH OF GOD"

MANY are the conflicting claims of numerous religious organizations concerning "the church", about which so many good and heartening things are written in the Bible. Some contend that their religious organization alone has exclusive right to represent God. They say that the individual seeking God's favor and blessing must attend prescribed religious services, must support the organization financially and otherwise, and must be submissive to the dictates of cardinals, bishops, fathers, vicars, pastors and other men charged with the oversight of such organization. Then, again, others maintain that one's belonging to any one of the religious organizations will assure him membership in "the church", because all such organizations are traveling the same path. Thus the honest and sincere inquirer finds his way made difficult by these confusing claims, and he is at first in a quandary as to the meaning of the Biblical expression "the church". What is "the church"? and how does it serve God's purpose?

FALSE AND TRUE

² There are numerous so-called "Protestant" religious organizations claiming to be "the church" of Bible mention. The Jews also make claim of holding first place in God's heart and honestly believe that they as a people will yet be God's exclusive instrument. However, outstanding among the religious bodies professing to be God's channel is the Roman Catholic Church; and therefore its claim is here specially considered. That Vatican-directed organization has spread its influence to the far-flung reaches of "Christendom"; on six continents and on islands of the seas are to be found its priestly representatives, conducting religious services and supervising the education of the young wherever possible.

³ Catholic doctrine claims that the church of Rome is the only true church, built upon Peter (whom the Hierarchy contends was the first pope) as its foundation; also that the pope is the visible head of the church, is successor of Peter, is infallible, and is the only man authorized to interpret the Bible. In support of this claim, they seize upon the words of Jesus to Peter, as recorded at Matthew 16:18: "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter [Petros, meaning 'piece of rock'], and upon this rock [petra, meaning 'mass of rock'] I will build my church; and the gates of hell [Hades, the grave]

shall not prevail against it." And so, claiming Peter as the first pope and the foundation of the church, Catholic doctrine has it that the Vatican religious organization operated by a "Sacred College of Cardinals" with the successor of Peter (the pope) at the head thereof is God's instrument, His church, for the outworking of His purposes and the blessing of men. Religionists teach that the duty of the church is to "save souls" and prepare men for the "next life".

⁴ However, there is a total absence of Scriptural proof that the apostle Peter was ever given the primacy in the Christian church. In proof that Paul, for example, was in no wise inferior to Peter, Paul says: "For I reckon that I am not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles." (2 Corinthians 11:5, Am. Stan. Ver.) Peter wrote the first of his two epistles from Babylon (1 Peter 5:13), but there is no evidence that Peter even so much as visited Rome, although Paul did. Nor did the twelve apostles have any successors, for Jesus revealed that there are only "twelve apostles of the Lamb". (Apocalypse, or Revelation, 21:14) Hence the claim that the pope as successor to Peter is the head of the church is seen to be without any foundation in Scripture or in fact. For men to build an organization on earth and label it "The Church", claiming that it is God's true church, is to do violence to God's Word, as will be shown hereinafter. Such an earthly body is not

"the church", nor can it ever be, because it is not of God's building and would not serve his purpose.

⁵ Church means a congregation called out from the world for God's purpose; and the doctrine concerning "the church" was for long a great mystery. It was first revealed to those selected from among men as members thereof. (Mark 4:11) There is but one real and true church, and it is referred to in the Bible as "the church of the living God". (1 Timothy 3:15) Jehovah, by means of his Son Christ Jesus, is the builder of that church, for "he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God". (Hebrews 3:3, 4) It is the "sanctuary", the "true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man". (Hebrews 8: 2) The true church is the agency by and through which the Almighty God has purposed to vindicate His name and bring blessings to obedient men.

⁶ Knowing full well the important use to which the church would be put, the all-wise God has established it upon a tried and proved Foundation Rock. When Jesus advised Peter that "upon this rock I will build my church", Jesus was referring to himself as the great Rock upon which "my church" would be built. According to the Syriac manuscript Jesus said: "Thou art Cephas: and upon this rock [cephas]

I will build my church." (Murdock's translation) In the Syriac MS. thou is masculine, showing that the first Cephas is masculine and means the apostle Peter; but the adjective this is feminine, showing that the second cephas is feminine and does not refer to Peter, but to someone else. It refers to Christ Jesus himself, who is the petra (Greek), or Great Rock. Peter believed in that "Rock" and boldly proclaimed Christ Jesus as the heavenly Foundation, The Rock, upon which the church of God is built. Said Peter: "He [Christ Jesus] is the stone that you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation through anyone else, for there is no one else in the world who has been named to men as their only means of being saved." — Acts 4:11, 12, Goodspeed; see also 1 Peter 2:3-10.

⁷ The apostle Paul confirms Peter's statement concerning Jesus Christ's being the Chief One of the true church body, saying: "Christ is the head of the church." "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence." (Ephesians 5: 23; Colossians 1:18) This is true because Christ Jesus is the only one who could qualify for that important place in Jehovah's heavenly ruling organization. The Headship of "the church" was too lofty a position to entrust it to an imperfect (though faithful) creature like

Peter, to say nothing of conferring the responsibility upon a succession of popes of Rome who are in no wise imitators of Peter insofar as adhering to Christian doctrine is concerned. Christ Jesus is "alive for evermore" (Revelation 1:18) and does not need a man on earth as a visible head of the church or as his personal representative. Christ Jesus, alive in heaven, sent the holy spirit to direct the church on earth. (John 15: 26; 16: 7,13) The church is not an earthly organization, but is God's own Theocratic organization into which He brings faithful ones from among men.

⁸ In a typical or pictorial sense, the congregation of the twelve tribes of Israel under Moses was a "church". (Acts 7:37,38) The Greater Moses, Christ Jesus, first received from his Father the apostles (of whom Peter was one) as twelve associate pillars of "the church". (John 17:6) This is pictured in symbol at Revelation 21:14, where "the church" is compared to a great city: "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." The twelve were laid as great foundation stones of "the church", with Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:20) Therefore, says the Bible concerning all members of the true church of God, including the twelve apostles and all those since chosen: "Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy

priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." — 1 Peter 2: 5, Am. Stan. Ver.

MEMBERS

⁹ Those brought into the true church are selected or chosen by God, through Christ Jesus, the first chosen one. (1 Peter 2: 4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; John 15:19) They do not gain entrance to the church of their own accord or desire, nor do they choose their positions of service therein; for "now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him". (1 Corinthians 12:18; John 3:27) After the selection of "the twelve apostles of the Lamb" as foundation pillars, the call went forth to the nation of Israel exclusively for three and a half years, and God began to select from among the Jews faithful creatures to be associated with Christ Jesus in the heavenly church. These began to preach the word of the Lord, and many were added to the church. (Acts 2:41,46,47) Later, at the home of a Gentile named Cornelius, Peter was privileged to extend the church invitation for the first time to the Gentiles, or non-Jews. These Gentiles likewise began to preach the Word of God, and many more were added to the church. (Acts 10: 44-48; 15:14, A.S.V.) It is noteworthy that all those being brought into association with the church were, like Jesus, preachers of the word.

¹⁰ From and after the selection of the apostles as the first members of the true church, Jehovah God has continued the selecting of "living stones" for his church. This selecting work has been going on during the nineteen centuries since Jesus' resurrection and ascension into heaven. The Bible holds out heavenly hopes to these called to be part of "the church", as is so well shown by the words of Paul: "Our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the [spiritual] body of his glory."  — Philippians 3:20,21, Am. Stan. Ver.

¹¹ In order to be finally united with Christ in the heavenly church, the apostles and others thereafter selected were required to finish their earthly course faithful to the death, as Jesus did. (1 Peter 2:21; Revelation 2:10) Though the apostles and other chosen ones were received into the covenant for the Kingdom or heavenly church, they were not immediately taken to heaven and united with the Head of "the church". They slept in the grave until the first resurrection at the coming of Christ Jesus to Jehovah's temple in 1918, when they were raised to glory with the Head of "the church". (Luke 22: 29,30; Revelation 20:6) Today there yet remain upon the earth some who are in line for association with Christ Jesus in the heaven-

ly church, but they too must finish their earthly course faithful to the death. According to God's Word, any of these dying now are "changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye", to an eternal spiritual existence with Christ Jesus in his heavenly body or church. — 1 Corinthians 15: 42-54; Revelation 14:13.

¹² At Revelation 14:1, 3 the Bible is conclusive in predicting that the final number of the heavenly church will be 144,000, according to God's decree. Because the true church of God was pictured in a typical sense by the twelve tribes of Israel under Moses, the heavenly church is likened unto twelve tribes of 12,000 members each, under the Greater Moses, Christ Jesus. (Revelation 7:4-8) "The church," then, is restricted to this select, predestinated number; and in heaven it is made the capital part or ruling body of Jehovah God's universal organization. It is referred to in the Bible also as the "body of Christ" and the "bride" of the. Lamb Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1: 20-23; Revelation 19: 7; 21: 9) All other creatures receiving life at God's hand through the Kingdom arrangement will not be a part of "the church", but will live upon this earth under the rulership of Christ Jesus and his church in the heavens.

COMMISSION

¹³ The Head of "the church", Christ Jesus, is

referred to in Sacred Scripture as "the faithful and true witness". (Revelation 3:14) From the time of his anointing till his lips were stilled by death on the tree he devoted his every effort to the preaching of the gospel or good news concerning the Kingdom of God, declaring the majesty of Jehovah's name and singing forth His praises. He set forth clearly his commission as Head of "the church": "The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn." (Isaiah 61:1,2; also see Luke 4:18-21) His was a preaching work.

¹⁴ Jesus plainly declared that the same commission rested upon the members of the church, to whom he said: "Ye shall be my witnesses . . . unto the uttermost part of the earth." Peter confirms this commission of "the church" to preach in like manner as did Jesus: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." (1 Peter 2:9) That is why Jesus said, on the occasion of his visit with his faithful apostles and disciples shortly prior to his ascension: "Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the

nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit; teaching them." (Matthew 28:19, 20, Am. Stan. Ver.) The commission to preach concerning God's kingdom devolves upon all members of "the church", for they are all anointed with God's spirit. (Matthew 10:1-14; Luke 10:1-12; 1 John 2: 20, 27) They must minister unto the spiritual needs of all men seeking life and blessings at God's hand. (Isaiah 61: 6) The remnant yet on earth of the members of Christ's body or church are thus ministering by 'preaching this gospel of the Kingdom in all the world for a witness unto all nations'. (Matthew 24:14) Those resurrected members now united with Christ Jesus at the temple all proved faithful by a consistent course of preaching and ministering while on earth, and they are for evermore in heaven with the Head of "the church" as joint-heirs and co-rulers in Jehovah's glorious Theocracy.

¹⁵ From the foregoing it is clearly seen to be not the duty of the remnant members of the church yet on earth, who are Jehovah's witnesses, to enter into political alliances with the nations of this world (John 18:36); nor is it their duty and responsibility to build a huge earthly organization, backed by fabulous wealth and ornamented with costly and imposing structures for religious worship, and supervised by a special clergy class of men. (Mat-

thew 6:19-33) No; the responsibility of the church members yet in the flesh on this earth is to praise Jehovah's name and bear witness to His supremacy and glory. How? By ministering the spiritual "meat in due season" to those hungering and thirsting for the truth, inviting all to partake of the "water of life freely". Theirs is the responsibility to see that Jehovah's name and Word are declared in every part of the world where He makes such proclamation possible; and that work is done in the very same manner as Jesus did it, namely, from house to house, city to city, country to country, and publicly. (Mark 1: 38; Matthew 11:1; Acts 20:20,21) Their faithfulness must be shown by performing their commission to preach in spite of any and all opposition, and in this way they prove their trustworthiness, as did Jesus.

¹⁶ How is the church fulfilling God's purpose on earth today? By seeing to it that the good news is preached, as He commands. Bibles, books, booklets, magazines, tracts, voice recordings, public preaching, and every other Scripturally proper means is being used to publish abroad the Kingdom message. That this would be the right course, the only course for "the church" down at this end of the world, was clearly shown by Jesus' statement to his apostles at Matthew 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for

a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." It is the responsibility of the true church to see that such preaching is done in the same manner as Jesus did it; and only the true church is doing that work today. It is, therefore, clearly to be seen which is the true church and who are associated with it on earth. (Matthew 7:15, 20; 21: 43) The true church is doing God's work as he has commanded, and will continue to do so until that portion of the church's work is finished.