Posted by deangonzales on June 2, 2010
We recently completed the final module of “Marrow of Theology” program in Bogotá, Colombia. Greg Nichols, Professor of Systematic Theology, capped off the program with the Doctrine of the Church. Pastor Nichols was assisted by Pastor Luis Arocha, who served as the translator. Forty-seven students attended. Those who successfully complete the reading and course requirements will graduate with a Certificate of Theological Studies (C.T.S.), Lord willing, in October of this year. Below is a report of the module and a word of thanks from Pastors Gómez and Castañeda who have served as the onsite coordinators of the modules.
Dear Brethren:
We greet you with a heart full of joy and gratitude to God, as we report on the successful culmination of the first program, “Marrow of Theology”, in Colombia. To God be the glory always!
In this opportunity we had the privilege of closing the program in grand style by receiving the module “The doctrine of the Church” taught by Pastor Greg Nichols. As always, it was a time of intense study, in which the teacher demonstrated his great didactic skills and knowledge of the subject. It was very edifying for the students, the majority of whom had great expectations of learning the Baptist point of view of the church. This was amply explained as the teacher covered everything concerning the nature of the church and its expression as a living organism and well structured organization. The students were thus able to capture an ample vision of the church, not only from the reformed perspective, but, most importantly, from the divine perspective, according to the model given to us in the Holy Scriptures.
The module was developed with a dynamic of abundant instruction on the part of the teacher and great participation and interaction from the 47 students. Pastor Greg offered them a great opportunity to express their thoughts, questions and comments on the various topics discussed, which served to enrich the subject matter and dispel their doubts.
It was so delightful to enjoy the fellowship of Brother Luis Arocha, who always performs an excellent service in translation. We are grateful for these two brothers God has given to the church and pray that He will recompense their great work for the Kingdom.
In this opportunity the students expressed their enormous gratitude with great nostalgia for the ending of the Marrow. They manifested innumerable times the great benefit these studies, times of reflection and fellowship have brought to their lives. They recounted how valuable it was for them to participate and have the privilege being part of this group of students. They also expressed great sadness for not being able to continue receiving this kind of instruction.
This has been very stimulating to us, as it confirms that “Marrow of Theology” is a program that God has wanted to bless in His infinite mercy to impact the lives of those He has called for His service, through a serious reflection and analysis of the biblical doctrines. It has also awakened in them a greater delight for the systematic study of the Scriptures, generating greater reverence, care and pursuit of excellence in the exposition of the Word of God from the pulpit. It has also challenged us not to grow weary in finding ways to continue these programs so that these men, who have been legitimately called by God, may have access to an adequate and true instruction.
During these 4 years of the program, we counted with the faithfulness of our good Lord, proving much more than what we had expected. God was greatly glorified both in the most indispensable matters as well as the small details. To Him be the glory! For all this, brethren, we would like to take this opportunity to thank each one of you for the great love and interest you have shown during all this time. We know that many individual brothers and sisters and churches participated in this awesome effort. We would like to highlight the continued support offered by Pastor Robert Gonzáles, who, as deacon, did an excellent job as academic coordinator. He was always very attentive and up to date on the program, providing everything needed for each module. We felt his companionship, support and availability during all this time, which was essential for the development of the study plan. We also want to thank Pastor Oscar Arocha, who presented the program and motivated us to bring it to our country; and did all the necessary work to approve the project. Also, we would like to especially acknowledge our dear Brother Keith Maddy, for adopting, as his own the work developed by the seminar and was a channel of blessings, supporting the program with a great quantity of books and financial resources. And to all the teachers who labored and gave their best effort, sharing their knowledge of the Word of God, as good administrators of the gifts God granted each one of them.
Brethren, we elevate our prayer of thanksgiving to Him from whom every good and perfect gift has come, imploring that He will bless each one of you, and will continue blessing the church in Colombia through you.
With the love that unites us in Christ, full of joy,
Your servants for the Lord’s cause,
GUILLERMO GÓMEZ
JORGE E. CASTAÑEDA
Posted by John Reuther on May 5, 2010
God made us, and when a baby is born into our lives we stand in awe of God’s creative power and skill. But do we ever stop to think about the birth and origin of a true church of Jesus Christ in this world? Let’s look at how Paul describes the birth of the Thessalonian church in his first letter to that church.
Divine Birth
When Paul and Silas went on the 2nd missionary journey, they were prayerfully laboring to bring churches to birth. They preached to that end and trusted the power of God to do the work. Like the second birth of a Christian (Jn. 3:6), true churches are “born from above,” and are not the creation of man. God gave Paul, Silas, and Timothy an important part in this divine creation, but the origination was from Him alone. When we remember that God created the world, mankind, and believers in Christ, let’s remember that He creates churches too.
Just as our salvation is the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so is the planting of a church. More than this, the persevering of a church so planted is also His work. Notice Paul’s language in the letter as he writes that the new church in Thessalonica was in the Father (1:1, 3), in the Lord Jesus (1:1, 2), and with the Spirit (1:6). It happened in the will of the Father. It was the immediate effect of the work of the Son who was crucified, risen, and ascended to heaven. And the completion of the new church creation came about by the power of the Holy Spirit.
What a different view we will have of our church when we understand these things. How much more we will value its entire life span as we rejoice in its perseverance through the providence of God. A church is true by virtue of its divine creation.
Divine Choice
The second factor in the existence of the church is God’s choice of the people. How many times in our lives have we needed to choose our next church. But God in fact chooses the church. Paul wrote “….knowing, brethren beloved by God, his choice of you…” (1 Th. 1:4). God chose the people whom He saved and added to that church. Their conversion and the calling into existence of the body were coincident, at the same time. And after Paul writes of God’s choice in verse 4, he states that the Gospel which the missionaries preached “did not come to you in word only, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction….” (1 Th. 1:5). They spoke the word, the Spirit brought the word to life in them.
When Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica they immediately went to the synagogue and reasoned with them from the Scriptures (Acts 17:1-2). They gave evidence that Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead (17:3). “Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas” (17:4). Here were the first converts among God’s elect in that city. Paul taught them again that it was the word of God “which performs its work in you who believe” (1 Th. 2:13). They did not choose God, they did not choose the church in that city, God chose them. We see evidence all around us of “churches” that are the mere creation of man, but not this one. And in all generations it is the will of God working in the word of God, made effectual by the Holy Spirit, that reveals the sovereign choice and election of God in a true church. All else is counterfeit.
Human Instruments
God brings churches to birth because He is the Creator, but He uses chosen instruments as He did in Thessalonica. Paul was very conscious of the human agency of the missionary team in the divine planting of this church. The first mention of human agency is found in 1 Th. 1:5 where Paul says “for our Gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction…” Whose gospel was it that Paul and Silas were preaching? Paul says it was their Gospel. In this claim of ownership Paul is saying two things. First, that they were the human agents in preaching the gospel. Second, that those who had come to make trouble in the Thessalonian Church had a false message. After the missionaries had been “run out of town” (Acts 17:10), men with evil intentions came to discredit the gospel that Paul preached by attacking the messengers. But Paul said “you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.” God uses men of His choosing as human instruments to do what only He can do. Paul reminds them that in the preaching of this Gospel, they heard and saw the very power of God, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and the granting of the gift of assurance to the hearers. The Thessalonians were not to discount the human agency of Paul, Silas, and Timothy in the divine creation of their church. Neither ought Christians in any generation discount or minimize the work of God in choosing and sending missionary and pastoral agents to them to bring them to faith and their church to life.
Healthy Baby
God accomplished His will to bring to birth a new church in the great city of Thessalonica, and the result was “a healthy baby,” a healthy church. Warren Wiersbe described chapter 1 as “a church is born” and chapter 2 as “helping the baby grow up.” That’s it.
When a baby is born into the world the doctors look to see whether the vital signs are strong and the baby is breathing normally. Paul mentions their vital signs in 1:3. The Thessalonian Church was born into the world with vibrant spiritual health. Paul commends them for their work of faith, their labor of love, and their steadfastness of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the presence of God. It is as if Paul is setting forth the standard of a healthy baby church: Faith directed toward God in Jesus Christ; Love flowing from Him through us to others and manifested in good deeds; and that future-looking Hope, the visionary grasp of what awaits us in Christ that makes spiritual work a labor of love and not a burden. This health is the result of true conversion: “you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, who rescues us from the wrath to come” (1 Th. 1:9-10).
Another concern which we have when a baby is born is the bonding of that infant with his or her mother and father. Paul speaks of this with reference to the church in Thessalonica. In 1 Th. 1:6 Paul writes of the bond of love and communion which was created between them and the Lord. “You became imitators of us and of the Lord.”
All the family and friends want to see the new baby. And so it was with the Thessalonian Church. Paul says “so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth…” (1 Th.1:7-8).
Healthy baby – healthy church, because God brought this church to birth through faithful men whose desire was to do the will of God in obedience to the Great Commission. They were not men who resorted to gimmicks or deception in order to draw people to themselves. “For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts. For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed. God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others… but we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having so fond an affection for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us” (1 Th. 2:3-8).
Now what does all of this mean for us today? Let’s be much in prayer that God will bring true churches to birth. Let us pray for the work of church planting in our generation and for faithful, fervent men like Paul who will go forth to preach and gather converts for churches. As the Gospel is preached and sinners hear of the salvation that is found only in Jesus Christ, may they be formed into true churches like the Thessalonian church. Let’s be deeply concerned and prayerful about the Gospel vitality of our own church and seek, by His powerful grace, to foster it in our own lives. And let’s always return to the Scriptural standard and pattern of what the churches of Christ were designed to look like. A careful analysis of these Thessalonian letters will greatly aid us in that pursuit.
A true church is God’s baby. If you have ever had a little baby yourself, you know exactly what this means, and you can easily figure out how it will help us all to regard the church, both in its divine and human aspects, standing in awe at God’s work of creation, and holding esteem for those whom God used to do the work (1 Th. 5:12-13). May we also repudiate all man-centeredness in the planting, planning, and populating of churches.
Pastor John Reuther, Covenant Baptist Church, Lumberton, NJ – Reformed Baptist Seminary
Posted by John Reuther on March 16, 2010
I was asked this question recently by a very godly person in our church. The question was asked sincerely and respectfully. I took it seriously and sought to give the best Scriptural answer I could. Here is the essence 
of my response, made suitable for this presentation. This article is not intended to be exhaustive but suggestive. Naturally, there is much more that could be said.
Public Ministry Speaks Volumes
In a church where the elders are bound to the word of God, where pastors faithfully expound the Scripture and prove all things from the Bible, you will have a good foundation upon which to build your relationship to your elders. This will give members the trust and confidence they need and can have in their leaders. It will give believers a sense that their church is a true sheepfold where the voice of Christ our Prophet, Priest, and King is being heard. You will have the assurance that neither church politics nor powerful personalities are subtly directing the church. What you see and hear the elders doing in the pulpit week by week, message by message, in expounding the Scripture, is what really reveals who they are and how they function in their office. This, of course, is another reason why attendance upon the public ministries of the word is so crucial. We not only have dealings with our glorious God who comes to us in the preaching of His word, we also come to know the heart and devotion of our pastors to God and His word.
Be Prepared
Read and study your Bible with a view to learning how to have a good relationship with your elders. We do not want to repeat the sins of saints of old in this regard. There are plenty of “how-not-to-relate-to-your-pastors” situations in the NT. It must be stated that true pastors worthy of their office and work will be doing the same in being warned against abuses. Faithful pastors should be looking to themselves to be the kind of servant-leaders Christ calls them to be. Members want to see signs and evidences in the lives and teachings of their elders which show that they are humble men who want to do the will of God and be what God wants them to be. This way, they will not need to be afraid or suspicious nor have an uncomfortable, questioning posture toward their elders. This will help them to be prepared when their pastors do issue a call for repentance, denounce sin, or make a tough judgment call in a complex life situation. So meditate on the main passages that deal with pastor-people relationships (1 Thess. 5:12-15; 1 Peter 5:1-10) just as pastors should meditate on all the passages related to their calling as pastors. Understanding these passages (Acts 20:28, 1 Cor. 12:28, Titus 1:5, Heb. 13:7, 13:17, etc.), is much more helpful than trying to come up with wooden rules about when or whether to challenge elders. Concentrate on the relationship, understand their calling, understand your calling as a church member, and be much in prayer that the design of Christ will be fulfilled by all. This big perspective often settles some of the little questions that we have about procedure.
Communication Circumvents Challenge
Strive for open communication with your pastors in the interest of developing a healthy personal and working relationship with them. Communication is the second most important thing in maintaining a good relationship with elders and honoring their office and calling. Scripture calls on us to honor the truth by proving all things (1 Thess. 5:21), but also calls on us to honor our pastors (1 Thess. 5:12f). Often challenges come because communication does not. This is of course the safety factor that we must always keep in place. Be observant, look for hints, ask reasonable questions, show concern and yet respect, all within the boundaries of godly communication.
Exercise Expectations
So often we expect too much and are troubled when our own expectations are not met. I am saying that we should exercise our expectations, i.e., discipline them; make them lean, strong, and useful, not fat and unreasonable. We should not expect that we can understand every decision that is made by our spiritual leaders. There is a place for trusting God in matters that are not within a Christian’s personal realm of responsibility and stewardship. In other words, in some cases, the solving of problems is the responsibility of leaders and Christians may not be able to enter into the specifics of a given situation. It may be sin for them to make judgments about matters not within their realm of responsibility or knowledge (Prov. 26:17).
Remember the True Source of Trouble
Recognize that the Devil is always at work trying to drive a wedge between the people of God and their leaders. His malicious and malevolent design is always to bring strife, disunity, disaffection and discouragement and he will not hesitate to use pastors or people to do this. But there is a very important principle in this regard: “Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered” (Zech. 13:7). This means that Satan will bring challenge, accusation, and doubt even within the church to strike the shepherd. Truly he is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8), so let us all be sober.
Rest Assured in Providence
Always remember to pray for your pastors and entrust their lives and ministries to God, just as they pray for you and the people of God. Prayer for leaders cultivates rest and assurance regarding church matters among believers, knowing that God WILL take care of problems (perceived or real). When real problems exist, our Confession of Faith offers some helpful direction: “No church members, upon any offence taken by them, having performed their duty required of them towards the person they are offended at, ought to disturb any church-order, or absent themselves from the assemblies of the church, or administration of any ordinance, upon the account of such offence at any of their fellow members, but to wait upon Christ, in the further proceedings of the church (Mt. 18:15-17, Eph. 4:2-3, the Scripture references given in LBC, Chapter 26, par. 13.). This is certainly good advice with regard to one’s relationship with elders.
A Helpful Analogy
A related question is: May children challenge or question the decisions and actions of their parents? Parents would all agree that the spirit of the child and the challenge is the crucial factor. Is it appropriate for children to challenge their parents? When children are very little, this is usually inappropriate or uncalled-for. So new Christians should keep in mind that being babes in the faith, they may need to trust more and question less. As children grow, and become more mature and trustworthy themselves, they may see things their parents do not see, and parents would welcome the “challenge” coming from a loving and understanding child in the right spirit. This is a very important analogy because we are called the “children” of God. Paul and the apostles viewed their converts and church members as their spiritual children (Gal. 4:19 – “My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you,” 3 John 1:4).
The Bottom Line
Sure, a believer may respectfully challenge or question the actions and decisions of their elders. Let me quickly add two qualifiers. First, perhaps challenge is not the right word to use here. Webster says that challenge means “an accusation, reproach, objection, invitation to engage in a contest or controversy, demand of a right, call to account.” This means that confronting elders with real sin in their lives should be challenged, and on biblical grounds (1 Tim. 5:19). But what about everything else? In the daily, weekly, and yearly course of life in the church of Christ, challenge is not particularly appropriate. What word would you suggest to replace challenge? Perhaps: May Christians question their elders? May Christians disagree with their elders? May Christians dialogue with their elders? I think we are getting closer! One thing is certain, church members must have good communication with their elders, communication which respects their position in the church, the elder’s stewardship of confidentiality, and their desire to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3). And pastors should respect the need for church members to have assurances and allow their questions to be asked. Elders must always have an open posture toward the people of God. And the people of God must also make Ephesians 4:3 the banner over their relationship to their pastors.
The second qualifier is that we must relate to our elders with all of the above-stated principles and practices in place. And remember to wait on the Lord before approaching your elders by prayerful recourse to these principles. Think of it this way: Do members not expect their pastors to prayerfully wait on the Lord before questioning them lest they unnecessarily offend or discourage them? Many church members are equally thoughtful in this area toward their pastors. So we must all wait on the Lord, trust Him to work, and seek wisdom as to when to speak or ask, or not to do it, in our respective roles of leading and following; shepherding and being shepherded.
Consider the interesting and instructive OT example of the Reubenites and Gadites in Numbers 32, wanting to settle on the East side of the Jordan rather than in the Promised Land. This originally angered Moses, and he saw evil in it (how can he be faulted for that!?). But the tribes “turned away wrath” with their gentle answer, were reasonable with Moses, and Moses himself proceeded reasonably with them. A beautiful resolution ensued, and continued under Joshua (see Joshua 1). Over the years I have observed over and over again that where believers live by these principles the relationship between pastor and people is as smooth and enjoyable as ever. And I have also seen the opposite.
John Reuther –Pastor, Covenant Baptist Church, Lumberton, NJ / Reformed Baptist Seminary
