The foundation of the assembly’s unity is the nature of the assembly herself. There is unity between the Father and the Son: “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me” (John 17:20, 21 NASB). There is unity between the Son and His own: “And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me” (John 17:22, 23 NASB). There will be one flock with one Shepherd (John 10:16). One body represents the assembly (Eph. 4:4). God the Father is one; Christ the Mediator is one; and the Spirit who unites the elect to Christ is one. The assembly is the one body of which Christ is the Head, the one building of which Christ is the corner Stone, and the one bride of which Christ is the Bridegroom.

Properly speaking, the assembly Christ is building is the absolutely invisible assembly. Therefore, the visible aspect of the assembly is not the reality of the assembly any more than the Christian’s understanding, experience, and interpretation of God’s love is the perfect reality of His love. For example, the love that surpasses man’s knowledge of its pluriform dimensions—breadth, length, depth, and height—does not hinder the unity of fellowship of that love (Eph. 3:14-19).

“Pluriformity,” a term used by some theologians, protects the outlook of one flock and one Shepherd (John 10:16); and, on the other hand, it keeps men from closing their eyes to the actual multiplicity of the assembly. Paul used the adjective polupoikilos when speaking of God’s wisdom: “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; in order that the manifold [polupoikilos] wisdom of God might now be made known through the church [assembly] to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:8-10 NASB). This adjective is a compound word made up of polus, which means much or many, and poikilos, which means varied or diverse (manifold). Peter used the adjective poikilos in I Peter 4:10—“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (NASB). God’s wisdom is greatly diversified. The visible aspect of the assembly is not swallowed up in the invisible, and the invisible is not swallowed up in the visible. Christ had two natures in His incarnation, but one nature did not swallow up the other.

The unity of Christ’s assembly, which is His body, cannot be affected by the ignorance, inconsistency, and sin of her members. Disorders in the local aspect of the assembly never affect the unity God gives His people in their standing (position) before Him (Eph. 4:1-16). Disorders affect the fellowship (state or condition) but not the unity of the assembly. The unity that is imperfectly manifested now will be completely revealed in the kingdom. The degree of its manifestation in the present is determined by the degree of spiritual growth.

The threefold work of Christ must not be overlooked in regard to His assembly: (1) He died for the assembly—past tense (Eph. 5:25). (2) He sanctifies and cleanses the assembly—present tense (Eph. 5:26). (3) He will present the assembly to Himself in all her glory, holy, blameless, without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing—future tense (Eph. 5:27). The eschatological outlook does not leave room for a defeated attitude because it is a stimulus to live for Christ (Phil. 2:15; I Pet. 2:9, 10; I John 3:2, 3).

The local aspect of the assembly with her appointed officers and ordinances does not constitute the assembly’s essence. These officers and ordinances belong only to her earthly manifestation. By her very nature, the assembly has two aspects—invisible and visible, internal and external. In the local aspect of the assembly, the two aspects do not fully correspond. The local aspect has a certain amount of contradictions that keep her from perfectly expressing what she is before God. Therefore, the “mystery of godliness” of I Timothy 3:16 helps Christians to understand the mystery of the assembly (I Tim. 3:15; Col. 1:18-29). Heavenly truth has been committed to an earthen vessel. This means that union with the Head by the Spirit of regeneration is experienced in an earthly vessel (II Cor. 4:6, 7).

The invisible aspect of the assembly is the life principle. However, the invisible aspect has a visible function in the world. The grace of God has been deposited in earthen vessels. God’s grace is not dead capital that can be laid up in a napkin (Luke 19:20). It is a living possession and blessing (I Cor. 4:7; 6:19, 20; Acts 2:41-47).

The incarnation of Christ is both a manifestation and a mystery (I Tim. 3:16). Beware of those who seek to merge humanity with Deity or Deity with humanity. The same principle of manifestation and mystery applies to the assembly. Therefore, the assembly is visibly manifested, but she is not absolutely visible. Her visibility is only a sign directing Christians beyond the visible to the invisible. Christians are already what they are becoming, and they are becoming what they already are in the sphere of grace.

The assembly is neither visible nor invisible. She is both. To say the assembly is wholly visible would be like stating that Christ is purely human. As the human nature of Christ is the only manifestation of God, the local aspect of the assembly is the only manifestation of the invisible principle of life. Therefore, both Christ and the assembly are mysteries to the world.

Christ followed His statement “I will build my assembly” by assuring the security of the assembly: “…and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18 NASB). The Greek noun for “gates” is nominative feminine gender and plural number of pule, which means gate (Matt. 7:13—twice, 14; 16:18; Luke 7:12; 13:24—KJV; Acts 3:10; 9:24; 12:10; 16:13—translated city in the KJV; Heb. 13:12). It is used metaphorically in Matthew 7:13-14, architecturally in Luke 7:12, as a prison gate in Jerusalem in Acts 12:10, as a city gate in Jerusalem in Hebrews 13:12, and figuratively, as the gates of Hades in Matthew 16:18.

The Greek word for “Hades” (hades) means the underworld in contrast to heaven, the place of punishment, or the lowest place or condition. In the Septuagint, the Hebrew sheol is translated by the Greek hades. Poetically, it is said to have gates, which shows that something more than the grave is meant: “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? They are high as the heavens, what can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth, And broader than the sea” (Job 11:7-9). Hades is the invisible state that has a depth that cannot be known. (See Deut. 32:22; Job 26:6; Ps. 16:10; 18:5; 139:8; Prov. 5:5.) Luke explained that both the righteous and the unrighteous went there in Old Testament times (Luke 16:19-31). Abraham’s bosom and the place of punishment are said to be in Hades, but they are separated by a great chasm (chasma, a great chasm, used only in Luke 16:26).

Jesus Christ has the keys of death and Hades: “…I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things. As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches [assemblies], and the seven lampstands are the seven churches [assemblies]” (Rev. 1:17-20 NASB). When Christians compare this passage with Matthew 16:18, they are assured of what Christ’s death on behalf of the elect accomplished. It accomplished not only their deliverance from sin, but also their preservation for the kingdom. As the living Stone, Christ is the Guarantor of the perpetuity of the living stones. The gates of Hades shall never prevail (future active indicative of katischuo meaning to be strong to another’s detriment, to overpower—Matt. 16:18, to predominate, or to get the upper hand—Luke 23:23) against Christ’s assembly. When Christ gave the commission to the disciples He told them all authority had been given to Him: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” (Matt. 28:18, 19 NASB).

The final seat of authority is not found in any religious denomination. That would be subjectivism. The final seat of authority is in the completed revelation of Scripture, which points to Jesus Christ who is God’s eternal Son. Biblical authority in conversation is one thing, but Biblical authority in practice is another. To argue about the Bible being authoritative but being unable to agree on what it says is self-defeating as far as doctrinal teaching is concerned. Denominationalism and non-denominationalism prove the disagreement that exists on what the Bible actually says. There is no unanimity on basic principles in professing Christendom.

There will never be perfect unanimity of mind on every Bible subject until imperfect Christians are perfected in eternity. However, that is no excuse for Christians making no effort to discover the main problem in professing Christendom. The greatest problem seems to be the mystical claims of many who say they are guided by an inward light that discards the rules of grammar and the common use of words. Their common statement is “God spoke to me about that verse or subject.” That is subjectivism in which they take refuge. The inspired apostles and prophets never spiritualized away the culmination of history into pure subjectivity (II Pet. 1:16-21).

Too many religionists today set themselves up as guardians of Jesus Christ; and, like Peter, they are correcting Christ with their false statements concerning His Person and Work. If Peter had not appointed himself as a guardian, he would not have rebuked the Lord Jesus Christ. Note that Christ’s rebuke of Peter came immediately after he made a true confession. His self-appointment as guardian became the object of rebuke from Christ. “And He [Christ] warned them to tell no one about Him. And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, and said, Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Mark 8:30-33 NASB).

“Get behind Me Satan” should be told every person who misrepresents Christ’s Person and Work. Matthew’s account of this incident states, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me” (Matt. 16:23 NASB). Every God-called elder should tell every Catholic Pope this because the Pope places water before blood—baptism before regeneration by Christ’s blood. Furthermore, every preacher who says Christ is peccable should be told, “Get behind me Satan.” What is the difference between Peter, who desired that Christ not go to Calvary, Catholic Popes, who believe in baptismal regeneration, and preachers, who say Christ could sin? Peter repented and was used by God, but how many Catholic Popes and preachers repent of their heresies?

 

Copyright ã   2002

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