In Search of the
Elder Milburn Cockrell
Pastor -
Chapter I
THE MEANING OF ‘EKKLESIA’
Throughout all Protestant Christendom there prevails the teaching that the word
church has a twofold meaning in the New Testament. They say at times it is used
in the local sense and at other times in the sense of a universal, invisible
church consisting of all believers. They make the word to have a literal sense
and a figurative sense.
Universal church people are
not agreed on just what this invisible church really is. The strict
dispensationalists would give this definition: "The true church, composed of the
whole number of regenerate persons from Pentecost to the first resurrection (I
Cor.
Strict covenant theologians
have a much larger church than dispensationalists. They say: "The catholic or
universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect,
that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head
thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of
Him that filleth all in all" (Confession of Faith of
the United Presbyterian Church, Chap. 25, Article 1, p. 36, of the
1961-62 annual).
For 117 years of its
existence the Southern Baptist Convention had no article of faith about the
universal, invisible church. In the 1950s and 1960s the liberals ceased power,
and in 1962 a revised confession was adopted which said: "The New
Testament speaks also of the church as the body of Christ which includes all the
redeemed of all ages" (Article VI). This is essentially
the strict covenant view of the church.
The
dispensationalists make the church to be the whole number of regenerate persons
from Pentecost to the first resurrection. They would exclude the Old Testament
saints from being in the church and all New Testament saints before the day of
Pentecost. The covenant theologian has a much larger church consisting of the
whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or
shall be gathered into one. Nevertheless, both schools have
a universal, invisible church. This view is so generally believed that any
person who dares to reject it is branded as a "misguided fanatic."
In this booklet I shall not
inquire any more as to what theologians and creeds say about the church. There
is no such thing as an inerrant creed or an infallible theologian. The final
court of appeal is the Bible. What men may say about the Bible is unimportant.
The great question is: What is the New Testament idea of a church? Does the New
Testament authorize only the local idea of the word church, or does it authorize
the universal, invisible idea, or both? It will be my purpose to prove that when
we are shut up to the New Testament alone, only one definite idea of the church
rules the field. In the New Testament the true and actual church is a local,
visible body of baptized believers.
A limited reading of the New
Testament will prove that a church made disciples (Matt. 28:19), baptized
these disciples in water (Matt. 28:19), and taught them what Christ
commanded (Matt. 28:20). A true New Testament church received members (Rom.
14:1), elected officers (Acts 1:23; 6:5), sent out missionaries (Acts
13:1-4), observed the Lord's Supper (I Cor. 11), had regular and
stated meetings (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:1-2), settled disputes (Acts
15:1-41), excluded the disorderly (I Cor. 5:9-13; II Thess. 3:14),
restored the penitent (II Cor. 2:1-10), and condemned false doctrine (Rom.
16:17-18). None of these things could have been done by a universal,
invisible church.
Since the term "the
universal, invisible church" is no where found in the New Testament, I must say
that we do not have much to go on in our search. But in order to make sure the
word church never has any meaning other than a local church, we must examine
every passage in the New Testament on this important subject. Let us look into
the Book and see what God has been pleased to reveal. If the universal,
invisible church is of the great importance which some attach to it, surely the
Bible will set this doctrine forth in plain language for all to see. Otherwise,
there is no need nor place for the universal,
invisible church.
The word "church" found in
our KJV is a translation of the Greek word ekklesia.
In the Greek New Testament it occurs 115 times. In our KJV church is found
114 times. However, two of these times should be excluded from our study. In
Acts
THE NON CHRISTIAN USAGE
In order
to discover the primary and literal meaning of the Greek word
ekklesia, let us look carefully at its non-
Christian usage in
Wickcliff (1380) translates these three passages "church." Tyndale
(1534), Cranmer (1539), the Geneva Bible (1557), and the
Rhemish Version (1582) all translate the word in Acts 19 "congregation."
The New International Version, the New English Bible, The New Testament by
Charles Williams, the Twentieth Century New Testament, the Centenary
Translation, the Judaean New Testament, the Weymouth
Version, Moffatt's version, and the Emphasized Bible
all translate all three verses in Acts 19 as "assembly." The Amplified
New Testament translates verse 39 and 41 "assembly," but in verse
32 it is "gathering." The New Berkeley Version translates verse 32 and 39
"assembly," but in verse 41 it is "gathering." The New Testament in Basic
English has "meeting" and so does the Good News for Modern Man (a version which
is so bad it ought to be called bad news for any man).
None of these translate
ekklesia "the called out." If as our
opponents claim the word means "the called out," why did not any of these
scholars so translate? Yet they say all scholars agree with them! The word
ekklesia does not mean "the called out." It means
"assembly," "congregation," "gathering," or "meeting." This literal and primary
meaning precludes the so-called universal, invisible church. There is no such
thing as an assembly which cannot assemble, or a congregation which never
congregates. The meaning of the word prohibits such a meaning. The universal,
invisible church has never assembled and never will on this earth in this gospel
age. Hence such a thing is a mere concept of the mind, having no real existence
in time or place.
One time in the New Testament the
word church ekklesia is applied to the
congregation or assembly of
ITS PLURAL USAGE
The word
Ekklesia in the plural form occurs 36 times
in the Greek New Testament (Acts 9:31; 15:41; 16:5; Rom.
16:4, 16; I Cor. 7:17; 11:16; 14:33-34; 16:1,19;
II Cor. 8:1, 18, 19, 23-24; 11:8, 28;
12:13; Gal. 1:2, 22; I Thess. 2:14; II Thess. 1:4;
Rev. 1:4, 11, 20; 2:7, 11, 17, 23,
29; 3:6, 13, 22; 22:16). So far as I know no
one has yet invented the doctrine of the universal, invisible churches.
Therefore, the plural tolerates nothing but the local idea. It leaves no place
for either the universal, invisible church of the Protestants, or the universal
visible church of the Catholics. These 36 plural usage's
confirm the literal and primary sense of the word is correct. This leaves 75
other passages.
Some make a big to do over
Acts
THE CHURCH IN A CERTAIN PLACE
Twenty
times the word church is used in the singular number, and it points to a church
which meets in a certain place. These passages are as follows:
"The church which was
at
"The church which was
in
"The church that was in
"The
church at Cenchrea" (Rom. 16:1).
"The church that is in
their house" (
"The
"The
church which is in his house" (Col. 4:15).
"The
church of the Laodiceans" (Col. 4:16).
"The
church of the Thessalonians" (I Thess. 1:1).
"The
church of the Thessalonians" (II Thess. 1:1).
"The
church in thy house" (Phile. 2).
"The
"The
church in
"The
church at Pergamos" (Rev. 2:12).
"The
church in Thyatira" (Rev. 2:18).
"The
church in
"The
church in
"The church of the
Laodiceans" (Rev.3:14).
These verses most certainly
refer to a local church, an assembly of people who meet in a given locality, a
body of baptized believers. There is no such thing as a universal, invisible
church which meets in a certain place. A church which gathers in a certain place
is both local and visible. This leaves 55 more verses to consider.
LOCATION IN THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT
In 23
other passages the word church is located in a certain place in the immediate
context. These verses are as follows:
"The Lord added to the
(
"Fear came upon all the
(
"As for Saul, he made
havock of the (
"His hands to vex
certain of the (
"But prayer was made
without ceasing of the (
"And being brought on
their way by the (
"They were received by
the (
"He ... saluted the
(
"Called the elders of
the (Ephesian) church" (Acts
"The church that is in
their house" (
"Least
esteemed in the (Corinthian) church" (I Cor. 6:4).
"Despise ye the
"He that
prophesieth edifieth the
(Corinthian) church" (I Cor. 14:4).
"The
(Corinthian) church may receive edifying" (I Cor. 14:5).
"The
edifying of the (Corinthian) church" (I Cor.
"In the
(Corinthian) church I had rather speak" (I Cor.
"Let him keep silence
in the (Corinthian) church" (I Cor.
"For
women to speak in the (Corinthian) church" (I Cor.
"Let
not the (Ephesian) church be charged"
(I Tim.
"In the midst of the
(
"Thy
charity before the (Ephesian) church"
(III John 6).
"I wrote unto the
(Ephesian) church" (III John 9).
"Casteth
them out of the (Ephesian) church"
(III John 10).
IN CONNECTION WITH COMING TOGETHER
We are
now going on to consider the remaining 32 passages. Three times the word church
is connected with a coming together. This precluded a universal, invisible
church in the strongest possible manner. They also demonstrate what a church
really is in the New Testament sense. These verses can mean nothing but a local,
visible body of baptized believers.
First, consider Acts
Second, look at Acts 14:27:
"And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they
rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he
had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles." Please note the words
''gathered the church together.'' A church in the New Testament
sense can be gathered together in one place. In this one place the things of God
can be rehearsed. Such can never be said of some supposed universal, invisible
church.
Third, I Corinthians
THE
We now
have 29 passages left. Thus far we have not found even one thing which in the
least resembles the universal, invisible church. To the universal church people
the whole church consists of "the whole number of the elect,
that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one." But in the New
Testament "the whole church" is always used to refer to a local church. Then why
do they use the expression "the whole church" to mean all the elect? Where is
their Scriptural authority for doing so?
I shall prove what I have
said. "If therefore the whole church come together into one place, and all
speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers,
will they not say that ye are mad?" (I Cor. 14:23). The whole
church here could be assembled into one place. The meaning is the whole
membership of the Corinthian church. Note Romans 16:23: "Gaius mine
host, and of the whole church, saluteth you."
This is the church which met in Gaius' house, the church which could salute
the Roman Christians. The same usage can be seen in Acts
COUPLED WITH OTHER WORDS
We are
now down to 26 passages yet to be studied. Two times the word church is
accompanied by the word "every."
"And when they had
ordained them elders in every church"
(Acts
"I teach in every
church" (I Cor.
One time church is coupled
with "no."
"No church communicated
with me" (Phil.
These verses point also to a
local visible body of baptized believers. These churches had elders and sent
offerings. The universal, invisible church has no elders and sends no offerings,
seeing it is a conception of the mind, having no existence in time or place, and
is not a historical fact, being only an ideal multitude without organization,
without action, and without corporate being.
We have already seen that 92
out of the 115 times the word ,ekklesia(church)
occurs in the Greek New Testament it means a local body as well defined as the
legislative assembly of a Greek Free City. This makes it certain that the local
idea commonly and exclusively rules in the New Testament. Ninety-two verses out
of 115 favor my position - a very strong argument in favor of the Landmark
position. Unless there are good reasons contained in the Scriptures themselves
to make the word have a new meaning, we must always understand the word church
to refer to a local body of baptized believers.
FIVE OTHER SURELY LOCAL
When one
takes a close look at five other passages, he will see that they
also point to a local body.
I Timothy 3:5
says: "For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take
care of the
James
Three other passages need not
claim our attention long either.
"I persecuted the
"Concerning zeal,
persecuting the church" (Phil.
3:6).
Any person knows that Paul
did not persecute the elect of all ages, some dead, some alive, and some not
born. According to Acts 8:1-4, Saul or Paul
persecuted the
Chapter II
THE MEANING OF 'EKKLESIA
(Continued)
I went
to great length to examine the usage of ekklesia in
the Greek New Testament. Ekklesia is the Greek word
translated church in our English Bible. My examination revealed that in 97 of
the 115 passages the word has the primary and literal meaning of a local,
visible assembly. In none of these 97 verses did the word church mean a
universal, invisible church consisting of all the elect.
There
remains 18 more verses to be examined. These are the debatable passages.
Most theologians maintain the word church takes on a new meaning in these
verses. They say that the 18 remaining passages use the word church in the
larger sense, meaning a big universal church. This new meaning is contrary to
the primary and literal meaning of ekklesia, and
this new meaning is contradictory to the local idea which permeates the entire
New Testament. The big church idea has been invented from theological necessity,
not from etymological requirement.
But do these remaining 18
verses authorize a new meaning of the word church? Or, does the word retain its
primary meaning of a local, visible body of baptized believers? From what we
have already seen the odds are 97 to 18 against such a new meaning.
Nevertheless, the Biblical answer can be discovered only by a careful
examination of these remaining 18 verses. If the word church has a new meaning
the text and context should give sufficient evidence to warrant this new
meaning. On the other hand, if such a meaning is not required, then we have
every reason to reject the universal, invisible church theory as totally without
scriptural warrant.
THE GENERIC USE OF A WORD
I
believe that in a number of the remaining 18 verses the word church is used in
the generic sense. In such a case the word may be singular and yet not refer to
any particular object of the class but to every object of that class. Let me
illustrate what I mean by a word being used abstractly, or generically. "The
home is a Divine institution." The word home is used generically or abstractly
in this sentence. The definite article with the word does not mean there is one
particular home singled out from the rest. The word home has not taken on a new
meaning; it retains its common meaning. There is no such thing as a universal,
invisible home.
The word church is used
abstractly in some of these debatable verses, not referring to any particular
church at any definite place, but to the church as an institution. When a
concrete application of the word is made it must be to a particular local church
somewhere. Most Bible scholars chose to ignore the abstract usage of the word
church in the Bible, although they will freely concede such is true of other
words. Rather than allowing the word to retain its common meaning throughout the
New Testament, a most reasonable and logical thing to do, they ascribe a new
meaning to the word. They say it must mean a universal, invisible church.
ekklesia never had such a
meaning in the Greek writings. This new meaning is contrary to the primary and
literal meaning of ekklesia. If I can give a
word a new meaning so as to fit my creed when the common meaning makes good
sense, then I can change the entire Bible to suit my fancy and the next person
can do the same!
I shall take these verses in the order in
which they occur in the books of the New Testament. The first one to be
considered is
Jesus spoke here to His
disciples (Matt.
The ordinary sense makes
perfectly good sense in Matthew 16:18. First, the words were addressed to
a local, visible body of baptized believers. They were not addressed to the
elect of all ages. Second, those who heard these words would have understood
ekklesia in its primary and ordinary sense. I
say this because I cannot believe the Master Teacher would have intended a
common word to have a new meaning without some word of explanation. Third, by
reading the Gospels and the Book of Acts, we see the kind of church which Christ
built. He personally built the church which later became known as the
The fourth reason I believe 'ekklesia
must be understood in its primary sense is because Jesus used this word
23 times, 3 times in Matthew and 20 times in Revelation. Twenty-one of these
times the word is admitted by most as having the common meaning. Then why give
it a new meaning in Matthew 16:18? Remember, the odds are 22 to 1 that
Christ used it in its primary meaning. It seems to me to be the height of folly
to assume that our Lord announced He would build a universal, invisible church,
and then he never mentioned this church again while speaking 22 other times
about a church He never promised to build!
Some
seem to think the big church is referred to in
Then
there is
But an objector will say,
"This church was purchased by the blood of Christ. This must mean all the elect
for whom Christ died." Not so! The Scriptures elsewhere limit the death of
Christ to
I CORINTHIANS
Next is
I Corinthians
An objector will say, "But
this is the church in the broadest sense, which embraces the whole number of the
elect. This must be so for the passage speaks of Jews and Gentiles." This
reasoning ignores the fact that many churches had both Jews and Gentiles in
their membership. Also the offense mentioned in this verse was to individual
Jews and Gentiles. Hence it must have referred to those living in the community
where the Corinthian church was located. Paul is merely telling the
I CORINTHIANS
Another
passage is I Corinthians 12:28 which says: "And God hath set some
in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after
that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of
tongues."
Universal, invisible church
contenders maintain that the apostles were not officers of a local church. They
affirm that the ministry of the apostles was for all believers. But in what
sense can it be said the apostles were ministers to the elect in the Old
Testament time? Remember, the universal, invisible church "consists of the whole
number of the elect, that HAVE BEEN, are, or shall be
gathered into one."
This contention ignores the
fact that Jesus only personally set apostles in one church, the first church
known as the
Universal church men consider the Book of Ephesians their stronghold. One
passage they rely upon to teach their doctrine is
Some attempt to make the word
church to mean in this verse the totality of all the redeemed of all ages. The
context will not allow such a broad meaning of the word church in this verse.
Christ was made the head of the church following His resurrection from the dead
(Eph.
When you hear someone say,
"The husband is the head of his home," no one understands such a speaker is
referring to a big universal home made up of all the little homes. They know the
speaker has used the word home in the institutional sense. Then why can't they
see that the word church is used in the institutional sense in Ephesians 1:22?
The head of the church is locally and visibly present in Heaven at the Father's
right hand. Likewise, His body on earth is local and visible; otherwise, you
have a visible Head and an invisible body - a monstrous thing, a spooky church!
Next I
call attention to
Verse 21, of Ephesians Chapter 3, goes on to say: "Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end." This is another generic usage. God receives glory through the church as an institution. This means He receives it in each local assembly of baptized believers. Everything done in the church according to God's revealed will is to His glory. Preaching, teaching, praying, singing, giving, ordination of officers, and the administration of the ordinances are all to God's glory by Jesus Christ (I Cor. 14:23-24; II Cor. 8:19-23). God can receive no glory from an invisible church. But He can and does receive glory from the institution He founded "unto all generations of the age of ages."
One of the chief proof texts of universal
church men is said to be
In this portion of Scripture
Paul's primary object is to expound marriage. To do this he uses the
relationship between Christ and the church as an illustration of the
relationship which ought to exist between husband and wife. (See especially
verses 23-25). What is said in these verses is as applicable to one church as
another, just as what is said of the marriage relation is equally applicable to
all husbands and wives.
Paul does not in
Ephesian 5 introduce a new teaching
about some universal, invisible church. It would be exactly as sensible to argue
from this verse for the existence of a universal, invisible wife as a universal,
invisible church. One is just as Scriptural as the other.
Look at the verse: "The
husband is the head of the wife."
Does this mean that there is
a great big universal, invisible wife who includes all the little wives? Our
opponents would say no. But then they turn around and say that the rest of the
verse, "even as Christ is the head of the church," means
that there is a universal, invisible church. They ignore the word "even"
which means in the same way. To be consistent our opponent should believe in
both a universal, invisible church and a universal, invisible wife. However, it
would be much more sensible and Scriptural to see that the word wife and church
are used generically in this verse.
Some Baptists contend the
word church is used in Ephesians 5 in a broad sense and not to a
particular church. They say such a church has no real existence now except in
the preparation of its members. They say it is not yet a church except in
purpose, plan, and prospect. They say it is a church by anticipation. Then they
go on to make this church in prospect include all the saved. Such Baptists have
two kinds of churches in the Bible just as much as the Protestants.
I do not believe in the
so-called glory church of the future any more than a universal, invisible church
at present. First, the apostle does not speak here in the future tense. "Christ
is (not shall be) the head of the church." "The
church is (not shall be) subject to Christ." There would
have been no point in using the relationship between Christ and the church to
illustrate the relationship which ought to exist between husband and wife,
unless the relationship between Christ and the church already existed and was
fairly well understood by the
It is
urged by some that
Colossians
To understand a symbol we
must first understand the reality of the symbol. The body of a man is something
both local and visible. The same may be said of the bodies of both plants and
animals. Never does the word body mean a universal, invisible nothing. There is
no such thing as a scattered, invisible, mystic, non-functioning body. A heap of
heads, hands, and hearts do not make a body. Miscellaneous, scattered,
unattached units do not make a body. Neither can invisible members scattered
throughout the world and divided by centuries make up the body of Christ.
Every local church in the
apostolic age was the body of Christ in that place. The
According
to Ephesians 4:4, "There is one body" as to kind in this
gospel age. If it is the universal, invisible body, then there is no
local and particular body. On the other hand, if it is the local body (a thing
which harmonizes with the Bible's definition of the body of Christ in I
Corinthians
I TIMOTHY
Another
debatable verse is I Timothy
Beginning at chapter 1 of the
Book we can see the church of the living God is the church at
The
chief proof text for either the universal, invisible church or the glory church
is supposed to be
Many are absolutely sure the
word church means something quite different than its common meaning in these
verses. Here they say it definitely means a universal, invisible church. Others
would refer it to a future glory church consisting of all believers. A brief
examination of the verse excludes both ideas. This cannot refer to the
universal, invisible church of all believers, for the writer says, "Ye are
come." The invisible church has not come together as some of its members
are unborn. Nor can it point to some sort of a visible glory church to be
gathered in Heaven at some future day. "Ye are come" militates
strongly against the glory church idea. The writer does not speak in
Hebrews 12:22-24 of a future church, but of a present church.
This section of Hebrews 12
contrasts the Old Testament dispensation with the New Testament dispensation,
the earthly
We cannot
understand this to mean these Jewish Christians had literally come to
All these
things were so because they were come into the church of the firstborn. Those in
the church in the Hebrew Epistle were registered in Heaven, but they were not
yet in Heaven. "God the Judge of all" shows how God is the
qualified Judge of all, especially those in the church (I Peter
OBSERVATIONS
Thus we have concluded our
examination of every one of the 115 verses in the New Testament dealing with the
church. Out of the entire 115 we have not found one single verse which teaches
the universal, invisible church. Therefore, I conclude the term "invisible"
church is most appropriate as the big church is no place found in the New
Testament. In the New Testament there is no reference which does not fall under
the local idea or one of its logical derivatives, which is simply the local idea
in another form. The Bible is utterly innocent of the inward conflict of the
theory of a universal, invisible church. It is everywhere self consistent. The
Landmark position is overwhelmingly affirmed by the Word of God.
The common sense impression
made by reading texts in which the word church occurs and a critical examination
of doubtful passages demonstrate the actual church of the New Testament is a
local society and never anything but a local society. The real
Chapter III
The Evils Of
The
Throughout all Christendom people speak of the blessings of belief in the
universal, invisible church theory. Most of these are imaginary. Really there is
neither a need nor a place for such a church. Belief in this theory has resulted
in great disobedience to Christ and untold harm to true New Testament Baptist
churches. I shall point out a few of these evils.
1. This theory teaches an
imaginary church. This is not something affirmed by some lone Landmarker. Our
opponents freely concede such is the case in their own writings. Edward T.
Hiscox defines the universal, invisible church he
believed in as "a conception of the mind, having no real existence in time or
place, and is not a historical fact, being only an ideal multitude without
organization, without action, and without corporate being" (The New Directory Of
Baptist Churches, p. 24). This is a most noble confession. It admits the big
church exists only in people's minds, and that it is not capable of literal
manifestation at the present time.
2. This false teaching
discredits the local church of the New Testament. Universal church men apply
such terms as the body, the house, the building, and the bride of Christ to the
big church. Hence they miss the great lessons being taught concerning the local,
visible body of baptized believers. These metaphors of the church are perverted
and abused until they lose their practical teaching. Great stress is laid upon
"the true church" (universal, invisible mythical church) as being Divine
while a local church is "man's church."
Some of these universal
church theorists look upon the local church as a "necessary evil." Others see no
need of attending or being a member of a local church. They watch TV or go to
the golf club while the "unimportant" local church meets on the Lord's Day.
Their tithes and offerings are sent to some evangelistic association, mission
board, Christian foundation, or Christian college. The universal church teaching
has robbed local churches of active members. If people took the invisible church
teaching to its logical conclusion, they would close the doors of all local
churches and leave God's preachers without a church in which to preach.
On page 1299 of the
Scofield Reference Bible there is found this note:
"Church (visible) Summary: The passages which speak of the Church of God (here
and I Cor. 10:32) refer to that visible body of professed believers, called
collectively 'the church,' though it exists under many names and divisions based
upon differences in doctrine or in government. For the most part, within this
historical church has existed the true Church, 'which is his body'. It is plain
from this note that Mr. Scofield does not look upon
the local church as "the true church." This implies each local church is a false
church and not a true
3. The universal, invisible
church robs God of His glory. The Bible teaches that God receives glory in this
age through the church (Eph.
4. This theory is responsible
for much of the disobedience with regard to the ordinances. Why are there so
many professed Christians not church members? Why so
many nominal believers living without New Testament baptism? Why is there little
or no desire to remember the Lord's death? It is because vast multitudes have
been convinced they are already members of the big imaginary church which is the
real important thing. These unbaptized, disobedient,
misguided souls pride themselves as being a part of "the true church." To many
of them the ordinances are "non-essentials" which greatly divide the body of
Christ. It would be below their dignity to concern themselves with such "minor
details." They feel they have the baptism of the Holy Spirit and that is all
that really matters. Any system of teaching which causes men
to fail to be baptized as Christ was does not honor the Head of the
church.
5. This theory is responsible
for much of the inter-denominationalism and non-denominationalism of this
generation. According to modern thinking, to be "unsectarian"
is to become an angel among devils! Heretical preachers and union revivalists
have founded their whole movements upon the premise that all Christians are in
"the true church." They say Christians should drop their "petty differences" and
work together to advance the "cause of Christ." Down with
the little local church which stands in the way of "church unity." Invite
all to the "Lord's table" regardless of their faith or lack of saving faith.
Take anyone's immersion regardless of what they teach. Doctrine is not
important. We have no creed but Christ. This is the cry heard from universal,
invisible church men in this generation even in so-called Baptists ranks.
Baptist churches have nothing
to gain from a union meeting and everything to lose. By such meetings Baptists
declare that man-made churches are equally churches of Jesus Christ, although
many of them teach just the opposite of what Christ taught! With the pleasing
pretense that there is "no difference," Baptist churches are affectionately
requested to surrender the doctrine of God's sovereignty, salvation by grace,
and believer's baptism. The reason they must do this we are told is because we
are all members of the big church, the mystical body of Christ made up of all
believers. For Baptists to unite with heretics is to say that error is as good
as truth, disobedience is as good as obedience, unrighteousness is as good as
righteousness. All know that this is not so. The truth is a sacred truth that we
Baptists have no right to betray for any cause or under any circumstance.
6.
This theory promotes the Ecumenical Movement
which is destined to become the Great Whore (the apostate church) in the Book of
Revelation. Those familiar with the writings of ecumenical leaders know these
liberals plead a visible union of all churches on the basis of the fact that all
believers are in the universal, invisible church. These super church men know
that so long as a Christian makes the true church the local church which is
sound doctrinally, he will never become a part of the Ecumenical Movement.
Liberals in the Southern
Baptist Convention have been laboring for years to get rid of Landmarkism, or
the belief in a local, visible church to the exclusion of a universal, invisible
church. They know that Landmarkism must go before the Southern Baptist churches
will be willing to enter the National and World Councils of Churches.
W. 0. Carver (1868-1954)
taught for years that the word church is used in the New Testament primarily to
refer to "the universal, invisible spiritual church, regenerate believers,
constituting the body of Christ." This teaching can be found in an article on
"Baptist Churches" written by Carver for the book, edited by R. Newton Flew,
entitled: The Nature Of The Church. Mr. Carver's
paper on "Baptist Churches" was a part of a "group of papers, prepared as
material for discussion at the Third World Conference on Faith and Order At
Lund, Sweden, (which) gets down to specifics in hope for church unity in
Christendom" (inside front jacket).
You want more proof that the
universal, invisible church teaching is preparing Southern Baptist for entrance
into the Ecumenical Movement? E. Glen Hinson, Professor of Church History,
Southern Baptist Seminary,
Mr. Hinson declares on page
33 that if we consider the Bible infallible and inerrant in all its parts, "we
will apostatize from what it teaches by letting bigotry create an excuse of zeal
to make everyone believe what we believe." On pages 110-111 he justifies the
ordination of women to the ministry and pleads with churches to push for ERA. On
page 140 he says, "To affirm evolution is not to deny God ..." On page 145 he
says the job of the church is not "winning the lost to Christ" but to make "a
wholesome, well integrated person within the context of the society in which he
or she lives."
Please consider that this
liberal has no problem with belief in a universal, invisible church. All
liberals hold to the big church idea. Ye not one single person who believes in
the local church only can be found who is a liberal theologian. This fact alone
should open some people's eyes. If liberals and the leaders of the Ecumenical
Movement were deprived of their invisible church, they would lose their chief
argument for the super church they seek to build. This also should open some
people's eyes. Furthermore, I would ask can a system of teaching which fits
perfectly with liberal theology and fosters the Ecumenical Movement be of
God?
7. This erroneous view
greatly confuses Christians. It would have them to believe there are two
different kinds of churches in the world today, one local and visible while the
other is invisible and universal. When they read the Bible and come across the
word church, they must pause and ask themselves, "Which church is this?" To
ascertain the answer they must not consult the Holy Spirit but books written by
universal church men to know the answer. To teach that Christ has two different
kinds of churches in the world today is contradictory to the Bible. Ephesians
4:5 says: "There is one (as to kind) body."
Universal, invisible church people have two bodies!
According to
I Corinthians 4:5, a church must be
assembled to carry out its business. Paul said it must "gather together." This
can only be so of a local church. The universal, invisible church has never yet
assembled as some of its members are not yet born. Nevertheless, invisible
church theorists insist a person must believe this never assembled church is the
"true church" of Jesus Christ. This is most confusing to any intelligent person
who can see from I Corinthians 5:4 that
what can't gather together cannot properly be considered a church in the New
Testament sense.
The Bible teaches disorderly
church members are to be disciplined (Matt.
8. This theory is utterly
impractical in preaching the gospel to a lost world. If such a thing as the
universal, invisible church exists, its membership is known only to God. It has
never met or assembled in all the history of the world. Hence it furnishes no
place for believers to engage in public worship (Heb.
Since the organization of the
Even the most pronounced
advocates of the invisible church are forced by stark realities to organize
multitudes of congregations to meet the need of their religious programs. From
the practical stand point, none of them want to preach in an invisible church to
invisible members who sit in invisible pews. No universal, invisible church
preacher wants to pastor an invisible church nor draw
an invisible salary. Isn't it strange that they make so much over the supposed
invisible church!
9. This theory ruins young
preachers. Often some young Landmark preacher will begin to read the Puritans
who were universal church men. He will become so engrossed with their writings
that he embraces their ecclesiology, never knowing that the Puritans were bitter
persecutors of their Baptist forefathers. At other times some young Land mark
preachers will hear some silver-tongued, Reformed Baptist preacher bring a great
message on justification. He becomes so carried away with such a person that he
jumps on the Reformed (I prefer the term "Deformed") Baptist bandwagon. I
personally know of some who did this and became scarcely less than immersed
Presbyterians.
In my lifetime I have seen
this theory ruin the ministry of young preachers in our ranks. Some very
promising young ministers were widely used in revival meetings and Bible
conferences. Others were successful pastors. Then they jumped on the universal,
invisible church bandwagon. Some lost their churches, had their revival work
terminated, and ceased to be used on Bible conference programs. At least two
ended up having to go to work in a store to support their families. It grieves
me to see our young men fulfill the prophetic Scripture (II Tim. 4:3-4).
I, for one, long to see them be recovered from their
errors. The universal, invisible church took much away from them and gave them
nothing in return.