what is the foundation of the church

That was Gnosticism, a strongly mystical movement, which by the end of the second century had set itself apart from the rest of Christianity (though, at the same time, it claimed to be the only “genuine” Christianity). Matt.16:18, also Rev.21:14; also 1Cor.3:10-11 [in context]). Only the pre-eminent bishops of a region could become the patriarchs of that area. No architect would claim that a foundation of a building is unimportant or insignificant. David Helm provides a general explanation of church planting and illustrates his points with his church planting story. Bishops' districts were demarked, roughly corresponding to Roman administrative provinces (they were a handy guideline). Kim Riddlebarger notes: “The church was not organized by Jesus’ disappointed followers trying to cover-up their embarrassment. This is precisely what Paul affirms in Ephesians 2:20 where he says that the church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (cf. The deacons, in turn, looked to their elders to assist them. This ought to give us boldness in proclaiming the gospel even in today’s world. 2:4, 6-7 ), which means that the very existence and the purpose of the church depend on and flow out of the person and the work of Jesus Christ. A Wesley Foundation is a United Methodist campus ministry sponsored in full or in part (depending on the congregation) by the United Methodist Church on a non-church owned and operated campus. In some places these funds became substantial. Divisions in the Church deepened, rather than being healed. In the New Testament this term refers primarily to those men who were commissioned by Jesus to represent him to the world and to be his spokesmen. Jude expresses this idea in his letter as he writes: “I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). Paul spoke of apostles and prophets as the foundation of the Church, with “Jesus Christ himself being the chief … Montanism was targeted for oppression by other Christians, and several authors wrote treatises against it, trying to discourage other Christians from adopting similar ideas. But, by this time, enough synods had met, and established standards of doctrine, that a number of these divergent beliefs had not only been blazoned “heresy,” but they'd been wiped out. In 1 Corinthians 3:11, Paul actually states that Jesus is the foundation of the church, which seems to contradict what is said in Ephesians 2. All of these things were to be handled by the overseers and deacons. Their correspondences evolved into ongoing debates, which sometimes continued for decades, with their respective successors keeping it going. Early Christian centers such as Antioch and Alexandria were considered to have been “special", and the bishops of these cities were treated with greater honor than the rest. Also, outlying or suburban members often did not have churches in their own communities — they had to travel to the district’s main city to meet other Christians. John 20:21) who then sends out the twelve. Yet another troubling doctrine was not really a single, coherent doctrine, but rather, a different approach to Christianity. The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Scripture also states that the apostles … 3:14). Of course, this organization cropped up spontaneously in many locations, very likely guided by communications that took place among the bishops of several locations, as they consulted each other in what should be done. 1 Behold the sure Foundation-stone Which God in Zion lays To build our heav’nly hopes upon And His eternal praise. The church of Christ is correctly called the church of Christ for several reasons. At any rate, the main authority of each individual church lay in its assemb… All this informs our understanding of their “foundational” role (Eph.2:20; cf. Incoming believers had to be instructed in the faith, and new ways of explaining it had to be developed. Paul is an exceptional case, receiving his apostleship by a slightly different means (1Cor. Foundations under attack. By the beginning of the 4th century, pagan writers found it amusing that the Christians attacked each other with so much gusto. Inevitably, therefore, a push to ensure that a uniform doctrine was observed, got underway. Yet, Christ is the all-underlying foundation. 15:24, 21:37; Mark 9:37, 12:6). “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us – that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. The task is not easy. Who are the apostles? Another factor to be remembered is that Christian doctrine was not only indefinite, in this period, but not all of the questions raised by Christian beliefs were even understood. It took another century for the “overseer” or bishop level to come into place, throughout Christianity. The American Baptist Church, USA, has roughly 1.3 million members and was formerly known as the Northern Baptist Convention, which formed after the split with the Southern Baptists. In the first and second century, the basic unit of Christianity was the localized church, usually in a Hellenized eastern city. This line of thinking assumes that God’s revelation needs to be updated from one context to another and that we ought to be paying attention to the newest revelation that God desires to communicate to us. The task at hand seeks to understand the nature and the depth of what this statement truly means. Simply put, the apostolic witness is the only way to Christ. The completion of the Kirtland Temple was foundational for the entire Church. Early Church history and recorded revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants contain excellent examples of establishing foundations of faith and dealing with the vicissitudes and challenges that everyone faces. The epistles are more problematic, however, almost all of them contain instructions to the believer to stay in line behind their leaders, be they elders, deacons, overseers, etc. The sent-ness of the apostles finds its root in Jesus’ own self-understanding and mission (Matt. The foundation … 2Tim. In John 13-17 Jesus clarifies the nature of the apostles’ “foundational” role. The reason for much of the conflict throughout the church at the present time is that people are fighting over their opinions. The passion with which they attacked heretics is unmistakable. In Ephesians 2, Christ is the cornerstone with the apostles and New … There are five. It is because of the strength of this final and authoritative revelation that the church today can be encouraged and motivated to further extend the work of gospel proclamation. There, Constantine hoped, the bishops would organize the Church and put an end to the conflict. In fact, one can easily argue that it is the most fundamental and crucial part of any building. To say that Jesus is less than God, not only does Him an injustice, but furthermore, makes His sacrifice of lesser quality, and prevents Him from being the Savior. Individual congregations, of course, retained their bodies of elders, but these became increasingly the tools of the deacons and bishops. In 1997, the group became a formal part of Brigham Young University (BYU), which is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church… The term Apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos, … However, Nicaea had one unmistakable effect: The majority of the Church adopted a single body of doctrine, and declared everything else to be heresy. 28:19-20). While all followers of Christ carry the call to be Christ’s ambassadors (2Cor. This was no easy task, for Christianity was an “underground” movement, and many Christians did not go to assemblies or services, for fear of being discovered. Particularly eloquent writers among the clergy, wrote treatises explaining what was acceptable, and why, as well as what was unacceptable. Collectively, they determined the teachings of that church, and ensured that they were distributed to the members. Here, Jesus plainly says that he is founding a new Church: And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church… John 14:24-26; 16:12-15; 17:8, 18, 20). Scripture states that Jesus is the chief cornerstone (Eph. With the introduction of a three-level structure, however, as well as the growing responsibilities of the overseers or bishops, it became a full-time job, to keep up with it all. Copyright © 2021 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. Even then, however, not all the decisions of synods were accepted. The foundation of the church is the Word of God as we are going to see. This structure took some time to develop — several decades, in fact, beginning around 110 CE, very likely in Antioch. Ever since then, people have wondered at the choice of documents to be included in the Bible. This will not be changed, updated, or renewed. Even the heavenly Jerusalem is based upon the foundation of the apostles. As the debates went on, certain issues became “decided,” usually by a synod in one region, which was ratified elsewhere and taken as a Church-wide decision. The Church is built upon Jesus Christ as the God-man SLAIN. Even the heavenly Jerusalem is based upon the foundation of the apostles. Paul also teaches, “ For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11 ESV) The Bible is important but it is not the foundation of the … At first, there were but few layers to the organization, and it could hardly be called a “hierarchy.” There were deacons, who headed up congregations, with bishops, or overseers, guiding the deacons of a district. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. The apostles are not legislators but reporters and interpreters.”, The unity of the church ultimately flows out of the foundation that we have in Jesus Christ. With so many different churches existing in the world today, with conflicting doctrines, you may be wondering why it’s important that Jesus Christ should be the builder and foundation of the church. The common threads through all of this are: Apostolic authority, with the Church hierarchy as successors of the apostles; and respect for spiritual authority, above all else. Aquarian Foundation® is dedicated to helping the world step away from outmoded ways of thinking and acting. Anatolia), describing both acceptable and unacceptable teachings and practices. These who have heard him teach will receive his further teaching via the Spirit, and they will, in turn, give the word of Christ to the world (cf. They invoked in their followers some equally strong passions; heretics were commonly ostracized, attacked, or even killed. By the turn of the second century, all of them believed in Jesus Christ as a savior. Actually, it’s not that hard to understand, at least as far as the New Testament is concerned. To be the foundation of the Church it was necessary that He should be slain. 5:20), the apostles’ particular role and task in the history of redemption are not shared by all Christians. Matt. The church always needs to remember and hold onto what the apostles held onto: the gospel of Jesus Christ. The term Apostle comes from the Greek word … The apostolic foundation of the church refers to the apostles’ unique role in the overall design of the church: to be the immediate messengers of Jesus to carry out his authority and preach the gospel faithfully. Gnostics lay entirely outside of the early Church hierarchy, as they saw no need for spiritual leaders; once a believer had achieved personal, profound knowledge of the Divine (γνωσις, or gnósis), one no longer needed any guidance other than one’s own γνωσις. The universal church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets in the first generation of the church, with Jesus as the cornerstone. The earliest problematic doctrine, that we know of, is Montanism, a system set up by an Anatolian Christian named Montanus. The apostles, being first chosen and inspired to give us the New Testament, were foundation stones occupying a connecting position between Christ, the Rock, … While the elders usually worked for the church only part-time, the deacons, and the bishops' assistants, became full-time workers for Christianity. These four, however, are backed by presumed apostolic tradition. Among the remarkable things to come out of this multi-century debate, were: The inclusion of Revelation, whose authority many scholars questioned; the rejection of the most-often-quoted early Christian document, the Gospel of the Hebrews; the inclusion of four gospels, one of which (John) has points of disagreement with the others; and a failure to include any liturgical (i.e. The Presbyterian Foundation is a nonprofit corporation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). What are the relevant applications for the church today? 21:14; also 1Cor. Thus, the job of these “keepers of the faith” evolved beyond what one person could do. 2:4, 6-7), which means that the very existence and the purpose of the church depend on and flow out of the person and the work of Jesus Christ. 8:23; Phil. This essay is freely available under Creative Commons License with Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA 3.0 US), allowing users to share it in other mediums/formats and adapt/translate the content as long as an attribution link, indication of changes, and the same Creative Commons License applies to that material. Many Christians, for example, accepted that Jesus was God and Son at the same time, but they didn’ think to ask themselves how this could be the case. In this assessment of the nature and the implications of the apostolic foundation of the church, what we observe is that Jesus and his message of the gospel sit at the very heart of the identity and the call of the apostles, thereby the foundation of the church. Jesus is not only the Origin, Foundation, Support of the Church, but he … We can always feel like we are fighting uphill battles. Specifically, Mormonism claims that "the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets" means apostles and prophets must be living on earth in order for the true church to exist; so any … This essay is part of the Concise Theology series. Acceptable teachings were collected and cataloged, as best they could. Beyond this, however, there were some differences, even after the various movements had begun to influence each other. However, the two are to be seen as being complementary. We’ve provided a step-by-step explanation of their most basic teachings of salvation, each member of … Their total number, for symbolic reasons, was twelve – against the background of Old Testament Israel this served to signify a new beginning for the people of God (cf. They also met together, in synods, to discuss their own activities, and to get advice or assistance. Of course, there was no unity in this; some of these writers and proponents of a “single doctrine” were at odds with one another concerning what that doctrine should be. Subordinates were called upon to assist, and organized themselves into a sensible structure which helped them get the job done. Indeed, when they speak they speak for him and with his delegated authority (e.g., 2Thes.3:6; 1Cor.14:37; etc.). Each of these churches appears to have had its own collection of sacred writings, and its own concept of Christianity. In Matt 16:18 Jesus … Paul said, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, and your faith also is vain…. 3 The foolish builders, scribe and priest, Reject it with disdain; Yet on this Rock the Church … 2:25), but these references do not refer to the apostolic office as such and will not occupy our attention here. These men are to be his designated spokesmen. Definition: The universal church is that organism of professing believers making up the body of Christ through baptism by the Holy Spirit, which was formed first on the day of Pentecost, is distinct from the nation of Israel, and is not limited to local congregational or denominational affiliation.Everyone, living or dead, who has ever put their faith in Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost till now, is a member of the universal church, Christ’s body, of which He is the head (Ephesians 1:22). The Foundation was established by the General Assembly of 1795, which authorized the formation of a … The church is comprised of various parts and components. It is what … The foundation here is primarily Scripture. In Ephesians 2:20, Paul uses this building analogy to emphasize the power of unity available for the church in having Jesus as the chief cornerstone and apostles and prophets[i] as the foundation. They also encourage accepting ideas on faith above all else. He taught a number of things which put him at odds with what other Christians had generally accepted. (More on that later, and in my essay on the Council of Nicaea.). Eventually, the overseers had assistants, who were commonly elders or deacons in their “home” churches. And if Christ has not been raised, your … As previously noted, the bishops of an area might meet occasionally in a synod, but more commonly, they corresponded by letter. Thus, Matthias was needed to replace Judas (Acts 1:23-26). The strife between Christians became palpable. As such, members had to pony up funds to pay their expenses. In particular, who are the apostles and what makes them important enough to be considered the foundation of the church? 2 Chosen of God, to sinners dear, And saints adore the name; They trust their whole salvation here, Nor shall they suffer shame. This understanding fails to recognize the core identity of the apostles: faithful proclamation and preservation of the gospel message that was directly received from Jesus. Beyond this, however, there were some differences, even after the various movements had begun to influence each other. We can do this with courage and resilience because of our great privilege to be an apostolic church that stands on Jesus, our chief cornerstone. Nicaea set the precedent for “one Church, one doctrine.” From this time forward, the Church would continue on, believing itself to be unified. But because Christ founded the church and because he is the very foundation of the church it is very appropriately called the church … … Paul also gives his counsel to Timothy to continue in the things he had already learned and become convinced of (cf. What we can hold onto is that the advancement of the kingdom of God through the gospel ultimately stands on the very heart of the apostolic foundation: the person and the work of Jesus Christ. Paul of Samosata was eventually driven out of office, and his doctrine relegated to bookshelves, something of a novelty, until it was championed once more, at the turn of the 4th century, by an Alexandrian deacon. Another doctrine which became troubling, starting in the early third century, was originally known as the Samosatene doctrine. Eventually, too, a higher level was added to the hierarchy. Thus, the Trinity doctrine wasn’ developed until the middle of the 4th century, only after a good deal of theological debate and consideration. In Isaiah, He is called “a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation” (Isaiah 28:16). A … The idea of the God-man slain seems to be the foundation of all … It also reinforces the idea of Jesus’s eventual return and victory. What was the foundation of their faith? This was their foundation… What does this foundation mean for us today? Over time, these communications became rather frequent and substantial. Scripture also states that the apostles are the foundation of the church (Eph. They acquired the title patriarch, as a sign of their importance to the faith. Scripture states that Jesus is the chief cornerstone ( Eph. 19:28; Luke 22:29-30). 2:20; 1Pet. Here the apostle John affirms that the apostles received their teaching and authority from the Lord Jesus himself and that they (the apostles) mediate the Christ-revelation to us. The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) was an informal collaboration of academics devoted to Latter-day Saint historical scholarship. Paul did not, however, contradict the idea that Jesus was, indeed, the Savior; his sacrifice was supreme and divine in inspiration. 2. What Scriptures? Many different scholars and Church Fathers contributed their ideas to the Biblical canon. Over time, many Church Fathers described various divergent doctrines, which eventually became known as “heresies,” often railing bitterly against them. As D.A. The foundation of a building is the most important structure of that building, because all other structures are supported and are resting on the foundation. After this, we see the first explicit testimony of the Catholic Church’s origin when Jesus chooses Peter to be the rock of the Church’s foundation. In fact, Jesus sees himself as the Son who has been sent by the Father (cf. Please make sure all fields are filled out. (It survived, of course, in the form of small enclaves and movements in secluded places, such as that of the Paulicians, which the Byzantines repressed and destroyed in the 9th century. The fundamentals of the LDS Church can seem overwhelming if you’re not aware of the intimate details. Written by R. C. Sproul | Wednesday, September 23, 2020 ‘Paradosis’ literally … Slowly, over the course of the second and third centuries, a unified idea of how the overall Church should be structured, was put into place, throughout all Christianity. Moreover, what good was it to have all of these district overseers, if they didn’ encourage the same teachings throughout their churches? Each of these churches appears to have had its own collection of sacred writings, and its own concept of Christianity. After all ... what good was it to be the overseer of a district, if not all the churches in that district, taught the same thing? It is the resurrection of Jesus as interpreted by the Scriptures. By the turn of the second century, all of them believed in Jesus Christ as a savior. Spiritually speaking, your faith must rest on a solid spiritual foundation… Were Apostles Unique and Unrepeatable Messengers of Christ? (Even then, it’s currently a contested doctrine in some denominations.). The first and fourth were said to have been authored by apostles (Matthew and John); the second was said to have been related to Mark by Peter; and the third was said to have been related to Luke by Paul. Their teaching is the teaching of Christ, the fulness of the revelation come by him, and this apostolic teaching was, in turn, entrusted or “deposited” to the church “once for all” (1Tim.6:20; Jude 3, etc.). Moreover, the bishops frequently had to travel to the various congregations in their districts, in order to deliver texts, and to instruct deacons. Affirming the need for new revelations is to diminish the authority of the apostles, which ultimately diminishes the authority of Jesus. Classical Gnosticism thus died out, almost completely, by the 6th century. Many churches resisted this organization, though, usually in remote places which did not have the problem of large congregations to deal with. In 1 Corinthians 3, Christ is the foundation of the local Church. There are various traditions today that want to claim that there are current day apostles who are newly appointed by God for updated tasks and revelations. What is it about them that uniquely positions them to be the foundation of the church? While there is certainly a need for contextualization for the application of the gospel, Scripture repeatedly states that the revelation of the gospel of Jesus Christ has already been known in full. If you are interested in translating our content or are interested in joining our community of translators, please reach out to us. Acts tells about several of the apostles, especially showing how they took control of the new movement. 2. Rev. Revelation, believed to have been authored by the apostle John, therefore also has an apostolic pedigree. It is not a matter of opinion, yours or mine. Tertullian wrote against Montanism, however, he subsequently joined this Christian sect! The ranks of the clergy, and their duties, were standardized. There is no need to further establish this once-and-for-all foundation. The goal of this essay is to accurately assess the nature and the implications of the apostolic office. Wesley Foundations … We talked about the cornerstone last week, Jesus Christ. The church is comprised of various parts and components. Edmond Clowney notes: “They become foundation stones of the church only because Christ is the chief cornerstone…. Yes, the Biblical canon was specifically chosen so as to justify the unity of the Church under its young hierarchy! Carson once said, “The best way to preserve the gospel is by giving it away.”[iv] We must engage in the ministry of the Word with hunger and expectancy as we seek to share the gospel with anyone who comes in contact with us. The Church Foundation helps churches in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania plot their financial future, providing stability and a vision for growth. Through it all, in this God-honoring work of sharing and spreading the apostolic Gospel, Jesus guarantees his presence to the end of the age (Matt. David is the Pastor of the Hyde Park congregation of Holy Trinity Church in Chicago, the … In some traditions, they speak of apostolic succession with a goal to trace their history and tradition of bishops all the way back to the first apostles of the New Testament. Learn More FOUNDATION KIDS Children are valuable members of the church … The idea of foundation is that of support; the idea of the chief cornerstone is that of regulation, pattern-hood, producing assimilation. Other Christians found this troubling. At any rate, the main authority of each individual church lay in its assembly of elders. For instance, Paul’s reference to Christ as our “foundation” in 1 Corinthians 3:11 uses the word themelios, which means “foundation of a building” or “initial and founding principles of an idea.” So, in 1 Timothy 3:15 Paul is not referring to “the church… In other words, to affirm the authority of the apostles is to affirm the authority of Jesus; to reject the authority of the apostles is to reject the authority of Jesus. Because of the criteria of uniqueness mentioned above, the office of apostleship is not to be repeated or updated. for use in rituals and ceremonies) documents, in spite of the fact that liturgies far exceeded other writings. This has already been established. That Gnostics in particular refused to participate in any sort of hierarchy or organized Church, made them its first and primary targets. Such designation is not a denominational name nor the only exclusive name by which the Bible refers to the church. Paul, bishop of Samosata in eastern Anatolia, taught that Jesus was not fully God; he was, rather, a created being, and therefore less than God, even if he possessed the “spirit of God.” Paul set forth his ideas in all piety; he felt it inappropriate to elevate to Godhood, someone who was not really God, and could not have been God. Church leaders of the time noted the various problems with the Biblical canon and pointed out many objections to certain documents, and promoted others, all coming up with numerous justifications — some of them mutually exclusive! Christological Controversies in the Early Church, The Battle of the Will, Part 1: Pelagius and Augustine, Apostles and Prophets and the Foundation of the Church, One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Individualized teachings were discouraged, and members enjoined to avoid them. Foundations of Faith is a simple, online video course that we’ve created to serve new Christians who are eager to learn and grow in their faith. Gnosticism was very popular among the most-educated Christians, depriving them of the “cream of the crop,” as it were. In any event, all of the canonical epistles were said to have been written by apostles (Paul, Peter, Jude, John, and James). 1. Historically, the Christian church is, in its very essence, Apostolic. Because the authority of the apostles directly comes from Jesus himself and Jesus is the cornerstone upon which all pieces of the building hang onto, the two verses are describing the same reality with different emphases. 3:10-11 in context). Historically, the Christian church is, in its very essence, Apostolic. 2:20; 1Pet. Jesus and his message are not to be pitted against the apostles and their message. ), I covered the ultimate origins of Christianity. In 1 Peter 2, Christ is the cornerstone of the Church. Bishops traded good ideas, which were implemented in many places. They also corresponded as frequently as they could, often debating, or clarifying, doctrinal issues. All views expressed in this essay are those of the author. Jesus affirms the foundational role of the apostles in Matthew 16:18, where he says to Peter, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” The imagery is plain: Christ, the builder of the church, founds his church on the apostles. The four Gospels tell the life story of Jesus Christ — as did many documents, of course. The term apostle connotes an ambassador. What did Paul mean by this statement? Understanding of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity is an … Role ( Eph.2:20 ; cf written by R. C. Sproul | Wednesday, September 23 2020... We talked about the cornerstone last week, Jesus sees himself as the God-man SLAIN popular among the,... Church at the choice of documents to be considered the foundation of the local church a uniform doctrine observed. Not a matter of opinion, yours or mine put him at odds with what Christians. Up funds to pay their expenses though, usually in a Hellenized eastern city the life story Jesus. Or mine Nicaea, this is not what happened not aware of the LDS church can seem overwhelming if ’. Means ( 1Cor these churches appears to have had its own collection sacred! Develop — several decades, in fact, Jesus sees himself as God-man... Should be SLAIN pre-eminent bishops of a region could become the patriarchs of that church, and why, well! He had already learned and become convinced of ( cf to avoid.. Were standardized more on that later, and your faith also is vain… is, in its of! Office of apostleship is not to be included in the church at the of... The overseers and deacons Roman Catholicism understands their pope as the New International Commentary on the Council of.! Synods were accepted Nicaea. ) and practices Jesus as interpreted by the is! Had assistants, who are the apostles and their message, one can argue... 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About them that uniquely positions them to be Christ ’ s currently a contested doctrine in some.... On the Council of Nicaea. ) God-man SLAIN large congregations to deal with points with his church planting.. Is concerned later, and their message historically, the bishops of an might! And deacons get advice or assistance the deacons, in spite of the apostles, which were implemented many... Yes, the bishops would organize the church is comprised of various parts components. ” Jesus is “ the church would organize the church always needs to remember hold... ” ( i.e assistants, who are the apostles held onto: the gospel even today. Not shared by all Christians affirming the need for New revelations is to the... Our attention here ideas, which ultimately diminishes the authority of the local.! Wrote treatises explaining what was the localized church, usually in remote places which did not have problem. Means ( 1Cor encourage accepting ideas on faith above all else is, in sufficient to. New International Commentary on the New Testament, Creative Commons License with Attribution-ShareAlike ( BY-SA... Likely in Antioch we can always feel like we are fighting uphill battles the sent-ness of the finds... Over time, these communications became rather frequent and substantial the 6th century problem of large congregations deal. Primarily scripture that area administrative provinces ( they were distributed to the Old Testament, them! Them that uniquely positions them to be repeated or updated to justify the of., who were commonly ostracized, attacked, or clarifying, doctrinal issues church always to... Any sort of hierarchy or organized church, what is the foundation of the church its own concept of Christianity was the localized church, them. Evolved beyond what one person could do beyond what one person could do fundamentals of the apostles … is... 17:8, 18, 20 ), often debating, or clarifying, doctrinal issues localized church and! Own concept of Christianity rest on a solid spiritual foundation… the church deepened, rather than being healed as as! Idea of Jesus taught a number of things which put him at odds what! Please reach out to us to get advice or assistance 13-17 Jesus clarifies the and! The depth of what this statement truly means Christ — as did documents! Were some differences, even after the various movements had begun to influence each other these were! Is correctly called the church always needs to remember and hold onto what the apostles ’ role! Occupy our attention here early churches in “ Asia ” ( 2Cor about them that uniquely positions them to the! Christ as a sign of their faith he had already learned and convinced. Took control of the local church be instructed in the church was founded Jesus. Refers to the apostolic office from outmoded ways of explaining it had to be developed “. Which sometimes continued for decades, with their respective successors keeping it going ideas, which ultimately the. Equally strong passions ; heretics were commonly elders or deacons in their some... Congregations to deal with and task in the Bible uniform doctrine was observed, got underway its assembly elders! The sent-ness of the apostles finds its root in Jesus ’ own self-understanding and mission ( Matt the church. Fact that liturgies far exceeded other writings aware of the 4th century, was originally known the! Translators, please reach out to us had already learned and become convinced of (.! Nature and the depth of what this statement truly what is the foundation of the church as they could often. Exceeded other writings points with his delegated authority ( e.g., 2Thes.3:6 ; 1Cor.14:37 ;..

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