Leaves Of Gold, March 2011

Leaves Of Gold

A Call To Return To Biblical Teaching and Preaching

“….to contend earnestly for the faith…”

Year Six, Number 3 MARCH 2011

WHY DO BAPTISTS REJECT THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH IDEA? Lesson 7

Romans 16:16b; I Corinthians 1:2; 16:1, 19a

Aim: To set forth biblical proofs of the local assembly concept.

Because the Terms "Universal" and "Church" Are Contradictory.

One of the major heresies of the day is the universal church idea. A common definition of it is "the true church is composed of the redeemed of all ages." If this were true, the church could never meet on earth to worship, to observe the ordinances, to administer discipline, or anything else the Lord commanded His church. Many who call themselves Baptists are subscribing to this false concept. They fail to realize a true church is a local, visible assembly.

The term "universal" means "whole, all, entire, unlimited." The word "catholic" is spelled from a Greek word meaning "universal." The term "universal" or "catholic" began to be used by the uninformed sometime in the second century. Subsequent writings enlarged on the subject, until Roman Catholics officially adopted it as their name in the fifteenth century. Several denominations claim to be catholic or universal.

On the other hand, the word "church" is more specific in its meaning. The word means "a called out assembly," a visible congregation of people meeting in a particular locality. "And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Acts 11:26).

The terms "universal" or "catholic" and "church" are contradictory. Universal is an unlimited word, which does not even suggest a visible congregation in a particular locality. Church is an assembly of baptized believers who congregate in a particular location. To speak of a universal church is like saying, "The tall, short man." They have opposite meanings; moreover it makes no sense to use them together.

Because It Has No Bible Basis.

The Greek word for universal is never used in the New Testament. The Bible never refers to a universal church. By the very nature of the word "church" its usage has to do with an assembly in a certain location. There is no other meaning for the word. Consequently, the universal church idea is totally without biblical basis.

There are a few passages of Scripture some mistakenly use to teach the universal concept. One such passage speaks of Christ as the Head of the church (Eph. 5:23-32). If one writes a letter to a particular church and uses the terms "the· church," what would he mean? More than likely, his reference would be to that church to which he was writing. Paul was referring to the Ephesian Church in his letter to the Ephesians. It is certainly no reference to a universal conglomerate.

Some maintain their universal application of the word "church" has Bible foundation, because the Lord referred to "the church" and the Book of Acts refers to "the church." One must understand such a reference was both grammatically and scripturally correct until the scattering of Acts 8. There was only one church, the one which settled in Jerusalem, until that scattering. Therefore, "the church" referred to the only church in existence at that time. It was both a local and a visible assembly.

The nature of a local assembly is always evident in its usage (Acts 19:32, 39, 41). If the church has a universal nature in its true form, why doesn't the Bible use the singular form of the word only (Acts 9:31)? What possible reason could there be for having a plural form ofthe word? "And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily" (Acts 16:5). Churches were "established in the faith" individually, and they "increased in number" individually, because each church is independent of the other and local in its assembly. Who could ever join a church no one can see? How could it be established in the faith? Who would instruct it?

Because It Confuses the Church with the Family of God.

The family of God is all believers in Heaven and in earth. "Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named" (Eph. 3:15). All believers are God's children. "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:26). That has always been true (Acts 10:43). From Adam to the last man who lives on this earth, eich one who receives Christ is in the family of God (John 1:12, 13; 3:3-7). Hence, the family of God is composed of all the redeemed of all ages, the common definition of the universal church.

But the Bible never refers to a person's being born into a church. Nor does it imply salvation and church membership are synonymous. That idea arose after the completion of the New Testament. A true church has never been, was never intended to be, and never shall be an ark of salvation. Christ Jesus is the only Savior (John 14:6).

A true church is composed of baptized believers who assemble in a given locality. That is the only kind of church God has in the world today (Gal. 3:27). To be in the family of God qualifies a person as a scriptural candidate for admission into one of the Lord's churches. He must be accepted into the fellowship, and he must follow the Lord in scriptural baptism. However, Paul discovered being in the family of God and even being scripturally baptized did not automatically make him as a member in the church at Jerusalem (Acts 9:26-28).

There is a basic difference in the nature of the family of God and the Lord's churches. One who is in the family of God is always in the family of God (John 10:27-29). One who is in a church of the Lord can be excluded from the membership (Matt. 18:17). One is permanent. The other may not be.

Because it destroys the local church concept.

God has never held truth and error in equal favor. His Word constantly promotes truth and opposes error. "The church of the living God" is "the pillar and ground of the truth", 2 Timothy 3:15. What other organization in the world teaches "...all the consul of God..."? Acts 20:27. There is none that even comes close. Now Satan knows this; therefore he promotes the "universal" church idea to combat the teaching of the local New Testament churches.

The universal church view minimizes church doctrine. It holds a loose view of the church and other major doctrines of the Bible. It dignifies heresy and degrades truth. It makes false church equal to (often superior to) the Lord's churches. There is not a single Bible teaching which the universal church people have not contaminated at one time or the other.

The local church is the place God desires to get glory, Eph. 3:21. The universal concept of the church avoids any obligation to glorify God in the local church. How would one go about attending an invisible church? Yet, God commands His people to assemble, Hebrews 10:25.

In view of the fact local churches are the only kind which can fulfill Christ's wishes, a universal church is superfluous and extraneous. The only reason for it is to destroy the local church concept. (These lessons will continue)