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What is an Idol?

Many people (at least in Russia) considering themselves
Christians believe that Christ is something like
Jesus’ last name. Thus, these two words (Jesus and Christ)
become closely related in their minds.
But the fact is that Christ is not a last name but rather
a title or a post. Christos is a Greek word; its Hebrew
equivalent is Moshiach, or Messiah in modern spelling.
By these words they call the One who comes to the Earth
from God-the-Father — as a Part of Him — to give help
of the highest Divine level to incarnate people.
In order to understand this phenomenon correctly,
one has to comprehend well all that was said in the previous
chapters: that God-the-Father is One Consciousness
and, at the same time, He is a totality of former human
Consciousnesses merged into Him. These Consciousnesses
were individualized in the past, but aft er att aining
full spiritual self-realization and merging into the Father,
They dwell in His Abode in the state of mutual mergence,
forming a single Whole. This idea is expressed in the
Gospel of John (1:4): “In Him (in the Father) was life; and
the life was the Light of men”. There is a statement about
the same in the Gospel of Philip (87): “The Children of
the Bridal Chamber (the Abode of the Creator, where one
merges with Him in Love) have one name (i.e. all They
are God-the-Father now)”. But They — former human
beings who became coessential with the Father — are
capable of individualizing Themselves again for a time
in the form of the Holy Spirit if it is necessary for the purpose
of fulfi lling a certain task of the Father.
Therefore, it is correct to say that Jesus Christ is a
Part of God-the-Father and that it was not always like
this — Jesus also has a human past. When was it? — in
this or one of the previous Manvantaras? — it does not
matt er. It is only important that upon att aining full Perfection
and merging with God-the-Father, He came to
people from the Abode of the Father as a Part of Him
with a Mission of helping them.
There were several Christs on the Earth during the
history of mankind. They came to the Earth at diff erent
times and to diff erent nations, creating every time a hearth
of spiritual culture, giving knowledge about God, about
the meaning of human life on the Earth and the Path to
the ultimate Goal. Jesus Christ was One of Them.
From the description of Jesus’ childhood, we know
that even at the age of 12 He astonished teachers of Jerusalem
with His wisdom in a religious conversation
(Luke 2:42-52).
The further period of Jesus’ life is described in two
sources: The Life of Saint Issa3, Best of the Sons of Men
and in the Tibetan Gospel. This is what is writt en in the
former:

“When Issa had att ained the age of thirteen years,
the epoch when an Israelite should take a wife, the house
where His parents earned their living by carrying on a
modest trade began to be a place of meeting for rich and
noble people, desirous of having for a son-in-law young
Issa, already famous for His edifying discourses in the
name of the Almighty. Then it was that Issa left the parental
house in secret, departed from Jerusalem, and
with merchants set out toward Sind…” (4:10-12).
In every land that Jesus visited during these years
— India, Tibet, Persia — He healed the sick, raised people
from the dead, opposed paganism, and preached
about Universal God-the-Father and about the Path to
Him. His favorite audience was people of lower social
ranks; later it was the same in Judaea.
In the homilies in India, in particular, He taught:
“Worship not the idols, for they hear you not. Listen
not to the (four) Vedas, for their truth is counterfeit.
Never put yourself in the fi rst place and never humiliate
your neighbor.
“Help the poor, support the weak, do ill to no one,
and covet not that which you have not and which you
see belonged to another.” (5:26-27).
In Persia, answering questions of the highest priest
of the Zoroastrian faith, He said the following:
“… Even as a babe discovers in the darkness its mother’s
breast, so even your people, who have been led into
error by your erroneous doctrine and your religious ceremonies,
have recognized … their father in the Father of
Whom I am the prophet.
“The Eternal Being has said to your people through
the medium of My mouth: ‘You shall not worship the Sun
(as God), for it is but a part of the world which I created
for man.
‘The sun rises in order to warm you during your
work; it sets to allow you the repose which I Myself have
appointed.
‘It is to Me, and to Me alone, that you owe all that
you possess, all that is to be found about you, above you,
and below you.’”.
“But,” said the priests, “how could people live according
to the rules of justice if it had no preceptors?”
Then Jesus answered, “So long as the people had
no priests, the natural law governed them, and they preserved
the candor of the souls.
“The souls were with God, and to commune with
the Father they had recourse to the medium of no idol or
animal, nor to the fi re, as is practiced here.
“… The Sun is acting not spontaneously, but according
to the Will of the invisible Creator, Who gave
it birth.
“… The Eternal Spirit is the Soul of all that is animate.
You commit a great sin by dividing It into a ‘Spirit
of Evil’ and a ‘Spirit of Good’, for He is only God of
Good, Who, like the father of a family, does but good to
His children, forgiving all their faults if they repent
them.
“The ‘Spirit of Evil’ dwells on the Earth in the hearts
of those men who turn aside the children of God from
the right Path.
“Therefore I say unto you, beware of the day of judgment,
for God will infl ict a terrible chastisement upon
all those who shall have led His children astray from the
right Path and have fi lled them with superstitions and
prejudices!…” (8:8-20).
Also there is an account of some words that Jesus
said to Tibetans:
“I came to demonstrate the human potential. What
I do (let) everyone will be doing. What I am (let) everyone will be.
 These boons are for every nation, (they are)
the water and bread of life.” (Tibetan Gospel).
Jesus “returned to the land of Israel” only at the age
of 29 (The Life of Saint Issa, 9:1). It is that which He did
and said there that became well known to the future generations.
Upon returning to the native land, Jesus with several
disciples-assistants began to travel visiting many towns
and villages. He worked wonders such as healing sick
people and raising people from the dead, preached in synagogues,
in houses, in the open air about what the Heavenly
Father wants people to be.
Thousands of people listened to Jesus, witnessed
miracles and got healed of their diseases. Some of them
gave up their earthly occupations and joined Jesus in
order to travel with Him and to learn from Him.
He taught them by explaining the Path to Perfection
and by demonstrating the methods of spiritual healing
and meditative techniques.
No doubt, He wanted to fi nd them as people to
whom He could give all the highest knowledge about the
Father. He wanted them to enter the Abode of the Father
together with Him. “Father! I want those you have given
Me to be with Me where I am!…” (John 17:24)
But when He said something that exceeded their
ability to comprehend, they surprised Him with their
lack of understanding; many left Him doubting the adequacy
of His words and even His sanity… (John 10:19-
20; 13:36-38; 14:5-7; 16:17-18; Luke 9:54-56, etc.)
Even His mother and brothers once came to the place
where He was preaching to take Him home, for they decided
that He was insane if He is saying things like that…
(Mark 3:21,31-35)
At the end — aft er three years of teaching, giving
discourses, working wonders — He was with only 12
male disciples (one of them was Judas Iscariot who betrayed
Him later) and Mary Magdalene.
And where were the crowds of thousands of excited
commoners who listened to His sermons, ate the food that
He materialized for them, and got healed of various diseases?…
It turned out that these crowds did not need the
Teachings about the eff orts that one has to make in order
to enter the Kingdom of God. They wanted Jesus only to
heal, to pay att ention to them… (Luke 9:11)
Jesus saw this and began to avoid the crowds. “…
Crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of
their sicknesses. But Jesus oft en withdrew to lonely places…”
(Luke 5:15-16).
Yes, He healed some of them, but it could not continue
like this forever. He wanted people to learn the true
faith, to make personal eff orts on becoming bett er. Then
the diseases would go away by the Will of the Father…
“You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer
must I be with you, bear with you?!” He cried once
because of hopelessness of this situation (Luke 9:41).
And the crowd, being stirred up against Him by the
priests, got angry… “… You look for an opportunity to
kill Me, (only) because there is no place in you for My
word!…” He said once trying to bring them to reason…
(John 8:37)
But it was too late: the crowd of resentful wanting
primitive people got more and more angry because they
could receive more but were given too litt le…
Soon, the same people yelled to Pilate: “Crucify, crucify
Him!”… (Luke 23:21).
“And they having taken the Lord pushed Him as
they ran, and said: ‘Let us hale the Son of God, now that
we have gott en authority over Him!’ And they put on Him
a purple robe and made Him sit upon the seat of judgment,
saying: ‘Give righteous judgment, you King of
Israel!’ And one of them brought a crown of thorns and
set it upon the Lord’s head; and others stood and did
spit in His eyes, and others buff eted His cheeks; and others
did prick Him with a reed, and some of them scourged
Him, saying: ‘With this honor let us honor the Son of
God!’” (The Gospel of Peter, 3:6-9)
… Why did the clergy not accept Him? There were
no formal diff erences between them and Jesus as to the
faith’s basis: they spoke about the same God-the-Father,
they referred to the same Jewish Bible…
But in reality there were very important diff erences
between them: Jesus preached Living God, Whom He
knew very well personally; while the priests only believed
in God without knowing Him. With the help of
religion, they secured a good social rank and material
well-being for themselves and therefore wanted to protect
the foundations of their confession.
What did these foundations consist of? They consisted
of a number of detailed religious ceremonials,
rules of everyday life and repressive measures against
their transgressors4.
If there is such a confessional structure with temples,
impressive shows in the form of worship services,
an ideology pervading the whole society, and fear of God’s
retribution inculcated in the minds of people, then the
priests of this confession become very exasperated if
someone disturbs this way of life: if this person says
that it is wrong and that the priests are hypocrites who
do not know God but deceive people…
It is always the case with “mass” confessions, which
put the emphasis on ritualism and rules of conduct and
inevitably forget Living God…
In Judaea at that time, the one who opposed religious
hypocrisy was Jesus Christ — a Messenger of Godthe-
Father.
… Jesus knew from the Father that the end of His
earthly life was coming. He knew also what kind of death
He was going to die.
Could He avoid it? — Of course, He could! He could
simply leave Judaea together with His disciples, and all
would have been satisfi ed; people would have sett led
down and forgott en about Him.
But He did not leave. Why?
Because if He had done it, no one would have remembered
about Him aft er a few years, there would have
been no Christian Churches, no New Testament…
This is why the plan was diff erent.
The plan was, fi rst, to fulfi ll all the prophecies about
the earthly life of the Christ-Savior to come — to the extent
that “not one of His bones will be broken” and “they
will look at the One they have pierced”. That is, when
the soldiers broke the legs of the two criminals crucifi ed
together with Jesus to make them die before the night,
Jesus had left the body already, and the soldiers just
pierced His side with a spear… (John 19:31-37)
Second, His death and the days that followed were
marked by many miracles: darkness fell too soon, the curtain
of the Jerusalem temple got torn in two ‘by itself’
(Luke 23:44-45), Jesus’ body disappeared from where it
was placed, Jesus several times appeared to His disciples
materializing a body, He had conversation with them, edifi
ed them.
But people were astonished most of all by the evident
“Resurrection of Jesus from the dead”. Though these
people were religious, they did not understand that aft er
parting with the body every man arises in the other world
with self-awareness in the non-corporeal form (Matt 22:30).
Jesus proved this and did actually much more: with His
Divine Power He dematerialized His body taken down
from the cross and then several times materialized it again
for some time.
His disciples, Paul, and then many others devoted
their lives to preaching about the Son of God Who came to
the Earth, was crucifi ed, and then arose, Who taught about
the Heavenly Father and about how to enter His Abode.
                       by Mikhail Nikolenko

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 Theology at Midnight




"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them" (Acts 16:25).
You discover your theology at midnight.
Until then, it's all theoretical. When midnight comes, you discover the difference between theory and reality. I used to think that I learned my theology during the four years I spent at seminary. But that's not quite true. For one thing, I already knew what I believed before I went to seminary. Those four years of systematic theology, Greek, Hebrew, Bible exposition, church history and world missions gave me depth and breadth and perspective. I suppose looking back, I would say that in seminary I learned how much I didn't know, and I was given the tools to learn more when I was out on my own.
When I graduated from seminary I felt like most graduates do - that I could answer any question that came my way. Back then I had very definite opinions about everything, including many areas where my knowledge was actually quite shallow. I say that with a smile because it's good for young people to think they can conquer the world. Where would we be without some young bucks to challenge the status quo, to make us feel uncomfortable, and to push the envelope? I like it when I meet young folks with big dreams about what they want to do for God. In this fragile, unpredictable world, we need the fire of optimism that cries out, "Let's take that city for God!" So God bless the young men and women who believe that all things-yes, all things!-are possible, and who have no time or patience for those who ask questions or say, "Perhaps we should think about that for awhile."
Not an Easy Road
Paul seems to have been that sort of man. Perhaps it was inevitable that a man who had been zealous against Christ before his conversion would be equally zealous for Christ afterward. Armed with nothing more than the gospel of Jesus, he spearheaded the Christian movement through Turkey into Greece and on to Rome, the capital of the Empire and the greatest city in the world. He was, it seems, a force of nature. A man possessed by one great idea ("this one thing I do"), he proceeded to preach Christ wherever his name had not been preached so that those who had never heard might come to saving faith.
But it wasn't an easy road. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 he enumerates some of his hardships:
I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
When he mentions being in prison frequently, he perhaps did so with a bit of a wry smile because it was while he and Silas were in prison in Philippi that God worked a wonderful miracle on his behalf. The story as told in Acts 16 goes like this. After casting an evil spirit out of a slave girl, Paul and Silas were thrown into prison for what we today would probably call disrupting the peace. The two men were beaten, thrown in jail, put under close guard, and placed in the inner cell with their feet bound in stocks.
It was not a pleasant situation.
So what do you do when you have been arrested, beaten, imprisoned, placed under guard, with your feet bound in stocks, for nothing more than preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ?
If you are Paul and Silas and it's midnight, you start praying and singing hymns of praise to God. Acts 16:25 says that the other prisoners were listening to them. No doubt these two strangers looked like a mess after being severely beaten. The fact that they were in stocks and under close guard told the other prisoners that Paul and Silas were not ordinary criminals. So I ask again, what do you do at midnight?
The answer is, it all depends on your theology, which you generally don't discover until midnight. At that point you can't walk over to your library to pull out some book on theology, and you can't rifle through that big stack of notes from your Greek class to see what it says to do when you've been arrested. You don't have access to a computer so you can't send an email or update Facebook or Twitter your friends.
In that lonely moment, you discover your theology. You find out what's real and what's purely theoretical.
Recently I read a short story about Major Ian Thomas, founder of Torchbearers International, that mentioned a saying that was fundamental to his understanding of the Christian life:
Go where you're sent,
Stay where you're put,
Give what you've got.
The wisdom of that advice struck me, and as I meditated upon it, I began to consider what great biblical principles it represents. It throws light on the darkness of that prison cell in Philippi where Paul and Silas were singing and praying at midnight.


I. Go Where You're Sent.
If you consider that statement by itself, it may seem to have mainly a geographic component. Abraham was called by God to go to a land that he would later receive as an inheritance (Genesis 12:1-3). So he went out from Ur of the Chaldees by faith, not knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8). For him the "where" was definitely a location, one particular place. He was always on the way to the Promised Land. If we examine Paul's case, we can see that God definitely called him from Turkey to Greece (Acts 16:9-10), and when he crossed the Aegean Sea, he ended up at Philippi and began to preach the gospel, winning men and women to Christ, and proceeding to establish a church in that city. Paul's one great calling was to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. The "where" depended wholly on the Lord. That's why he wasn't thrown for a loop when he ended up in jail, notwithstanding the very great physical ordeal of enduring a beating by the authorities. While we don't need to sensationalize that, we shouldn't downplay it either. When Paul years later told Timothy to "endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:3), he knew what he was talking about.
There was nothing easy about being accused of disturbing the peace, being publicly disgraced, derided, maligned and vilified. Nor was it pleasant to be beaten or thrown in prison alongside men who were truly criminals. Certainly having your legs in stocks not only meant you could hardly move, it also meant you would have great difficulty lying down. So what do you do in that situation?
It all depends on your theology. If you don't believe in the sovereignty of God, then you'll probably be bitter and angry and very discouraged. If you don't believe in a God who numbers the hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30), then you may think that something terrible has happened to you. But if you believe in the sovereignty of God, then you know that nothing can happen to you by accident. In that case, your reaction is likely to be quite different.
You pray and sing hymns at midnight.
We find the key to the phrase "Go where you are sent" in the word sent. It means that in every situation of life, Higher Hands are at work, leading you on from where you are at this moment to where you are supposed to be next. Many times those Higher Hands will seem to lead you in ways that make no sense, and you may not see any purpose in the things happening to you.
Several weeks ago I received an email from my friend Andy McQuitty, senior pastor of Irving Bible Church in Irving, Texas. When I call Andy my friend, that doesn't quite do justice to the situation. Back in the 80s, he we served together at Northeast Bible Church in Garland, Texas. Often I would go back to his office and we would kibbutz together, dreaming about new ideas for the church. Because we lived in the same subdivision and had young children, we became very close. I can still remember when he came into my office and said he felt called to move to the other side of Dallas and take the pastorate of a small church that had fallen on hard times. That was in the fall of 1987. In the years since then, under the good hand of God, Andy has led Irving Bible Church through many building programs, a major relocation, and in the process it has become a mighty powerhouse for the Lord, attracting thousands of people every Sunday.
I say that simply to mention that Andy and his wife Alice are dear friends of ours. The email came out of the blue with some bad news. Following a routine physical exam Andy was diagnosed with colon cancer. That led to surgery which led to a pathology report revealing that the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes, which means it might be elsewhere in his body. Not good news at any time, but especially when you are only 53 years old.
So what do you say to that? How does the godly man respond to such a turn of events? The answer is, it all depends on your theology. Remember, you don't learn your theology at midnight. You discover it. You find out what you really believe. Here are some quotes from two emails he sent to his congregation after the news broke.
After discussing his medical situation, he put it in this context:
I'm not looking forward to all this and truly wish it wasn't on my plate, but it is what the Lord has teed up for me and I'm at peace with that. After all these years shepherding other people through these situations, it's my turn now! Alice and my family are confident and trusting and a huge bulwark of strength for me, and I think the Lord has much to teach me in these days. So we go forward.
My doctors are very hopeful that we will have a very good outcome to this surgery and that the procedure itself will be curative. Ah, but that's where the Great Physician comes in. We're just putting it all in His hands.
The Lord is my Shepherd, and yours too. . . we shall not want!
And certainly he is praying for healing and trusting that that is what the Lord has in mind. But there is always a deeper reality when you face something like colon cancer:
God truly is the strength of my heart. I kind of look at this fight with cancer in the same way I look at riding motorcycles. If God is finished with me, nothing can save me. If He's not finished with me, nothing can touch me. Just so you know, I've given Him all kinds of reasons not to be finished with me and I think I made an adequate case. We'll see.
Next

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 According to the Hebrew Bible, New Testament and Qur'an as well as their
respective interpretive literatures, Abraham is the first human to realize and act out
the divine will. Although foundational figures appear in literatures such as the
Gilgamesh Epic that are more ancient than the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), these
have been forgotten to history and only rediscovered through archaeology and the
deciphering of dead languages. Abraham first appears in the book of Genesis and
serves as the original human to affirm monotheism and to act on that affirmation. The
symbolic meaning and significance of Abraham differs among the three great
monotheistic religious systems. 


Abraham's symbolic importance is first established in Genesis, where in
biblical religion he epitomizes obedience to the divine will. He obeys God's command
to leave his ancestral home for a foreign land (Genesis 12), to circumcise himself and
his male offspring as part of God's covenant (Gen. 17), exile his eldest son Ishmael
(Gen. 21) and finally, in his greatest act of obedience, raise up Isaac, his only
remaining child, as a burnt offering (Gen. 22). In return for his obedience, God
promises through the divine covenant to provide Abraham with a multitude of
offspring and a land in which his progeny will live. 
In the Christian Bible (New Testament), Abraham's significance lies in his
unwavering faith. In Romans 4, Abraham's merit is associated less with obedience to
the divine will than in his faith in God's ultimate grace. It is his faith that provides him
the merit for God's having chosen him for the covenant in the first place, and the
covenant becomes one of faith rather than obedience. Members of the divine covenant
are, therefore, only those who demonstrate faith in the saving power of Christ
(Galatians 4:21-5:1). 


In the Qur'an, Abraham signifies human submission (the meaning of the word,
Islam), to God (2:127-128, 37:103). Abraham rebels against idolatry (37: 83-99),
fulfills God's commands (2:124), raises up and purifies the foundations of God's
"House" in Mecca (2:125-132), and establishes his offspring there (13:37). Although
the ancient Israelites and Christians and Jews predate the emergence of Islamic
monotheism, they did not remain true to the divine covenants (5:12-14) because they
refused to submit themselves fully to God's absolute unity (9:30).  Therefore,
"Abraham was not a Jew nor a Christian, but was an early monotheist (hanif), one
who submits to God's will (muslim), not an idolater" (3:67). Abraham's importance is
so firmly established in the foundation narrative of the Hebrew Bible that he cannot
be ignored in subsequent scriptures. Each scripture, however, imbues a special quality
to the person of Abraham and the meaning of his character.  


The nature of Abraham's leadership is also depicted with some variety among
the three Scriptures. The Abraham of the Hebrew Bible is a literary character with
foibles and weaknesses who struggles to realize his role of lonely monotheist in an
uncertain and overwhelmingly idolatrous world. When he fears for his own life, he is
willing to risk the well-being of Sarah (12:12-13, 20:1-11), and he seems on occasion
even to question God's promise (17:15-18). By the time of the New Testament,
however, religious figures have taken on a more consistently righteous character:
"When hope seemed hopeless, his faith was such that he became 'father of many
nations,' in agreement with the words which had been spoken to him: 'Thus shall your
 descendants be'....And that is why Abraham's faith was 'counted to him for
righteousness.'  Those words were written, not for Abraham's sake alone, but for our
sake too: it is to be 'counted' in the same way to us who have faith in the God who
raised Jesus our Lord from the dead..." (Romans 4:18-24). And by the period of the
Qur'anic revelation, the biblical prophets (among whom was counted Abraham) were
considered free from error. Thus Abraham, as well as David and Solomon and a host
of other characters are free of all doubt and epitomize a somewhat different prophetic
image in the Qur'an. The strength of Abraham's intellect proves the true unity of God
(Q.6:74-79) and Abraham never doubts the divine will nor God's goodness (Q.37:83-
113).

 While Abraham's role in world history is, therefore, mythic founder of
monotheism, he symbolizes three different and often conflicting narratives. The
competing and polemical narratives transcend the person of Abraham and bring in the
other members of his family, including Sarah, Hagar, Isaac and Ishmael as well as
other scriptural characters and institutions. Not only does each narrative serve to
justify a theological position, it also serves as a polemic to argue against the
theological and institutional positions of the others. This, in turn has served to justify
and fuel ongoing intellectual, economic, political and military competition and
conflict between the three monotheistic religious systems in history.  




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The Holman Bible Dictionary, in its article "Church," explains the background of the word church (emphasis added throughout):
"Church is the English translation of the Greek word ekklesia. The use of the Greek term prior to the emergence of the Christian church is important as two streams of meaning flow from the history of its usage into the New Testament understanding of church.
"First, the Greek term which basically means 'called out' was commonly used to indicate an assembly of citizens of a Greek city and is so used in Acts 19:32, 39. The citizens who were quite conscious of their privileged status over against slaves and noncitizens were called to the assembly by a herald and dealt . . . with matters of common concern. When the early Christians understood themselves as constituting a church, no doubt exists that they perceived themselves as called out by God in Jesus Christ for a special purpose and that their status was a privileged one in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:19).
"Second, the Greek term was used more than one hundred times in the Greek translation of the Old Testament in common use in the time of Jesus. The Hebrew term (qahal) meant simply 'assembly' and could be used in a variety of ways, referring for example to an assembling of prophets (1 Sam. 19:20), soldiers (Num. 22:4), or the people of God (Deut. 9:10). The use of the term in the Old Testament in referring to the people of God is important for understanding the term 'church' in the New Testament.
"The first Christians were [mostly] Jews who used the Greek translation of the Old Testament. For them to use a self-designation that was common in the Old Testament for the people of God reveals their understanding of the continuity that links the Old and New Testaments. The early Christians understood themselves as the people of the God who had revealed Himself in the Old Testament (Heb. 1:1-2), as the true children of Israel (Rom. 2:28-29) with Abraham as their father (Rom. 4:1-25), and as the people of the New Covenant prophesied in the Old Testament (Heb. 8:1-13).
"As a consequence of this broad background of meaning in the Greek and Old Testament worlds, the term 'church' is used in the New Testament of a local congregation of called-out Christians, such as the 'church of God which is at Corinth' (1 Cor. 1:2), and also of the entire people of God, such as in the affirmation that Christ is 'the head over all things to the church, which is his body' (Eph. 1:22-23)."

After Jesus' resurrection He instructed and encouraged His disciples over the course of 40 days (Acts 1:3). He told them to remain in Jerusalem so they could receive God's miraculous power. On Pentecost the disciples were assembled in Jerusalem when God gave them His Spirit, validated by signs and wonders (Acts 2:1-4). The apostle Peter then spoke to the people who were gathered from many nations to keep that feast (verses 5-14). On that day 3,000 people believed Peter's inspired words, repented of their past way of life and were baptized (verse 41).
When the apostle Paul visited gentiles in cities like Rome, Ephesus and Corinth, many kinds of people were added to God's Church. Age, race or sex made no difference. They all became "fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19). This is an important point: God makes people from all races and ages and from both sexes as one body of believers. We fellowship as the family of God.
But how does this godly fellowship begin?
Our fellowship begins with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3). It is God who calls us, and it is Christ who works with us and will resurrect us (John 6:44). Christ's disciples come into fellowship with each other after they have responded to God's fellowship from above. The disciples of Christ begin their fellowship with God through God's calling (verse 44). Then, led by God's Spirit and His human servants, they begin to meet and fellowship with one another (1 Corinthians 2:9-10; Hebrews 10:24-25).
Wonderful Christian fellowship with one another will grow in direct proportion to our respect and reverence for God. "Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on [esteem] His name. 'They shall be Mine,' says the LORD of hosts, 'on the day that I make them My jewels [literally "special treasure"]. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him'" (Malachi 3:16-17).
Christ's disciples look to God first, then to others who also first looked to God. God calls us to His fellowship: "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:9). He invites us to participate in that fellowship through becoming members of His Church. Eventually all people will enjoy the same uplifting and encouraging fellowship when Christ returns to earth.
God's fellowship is reserved for those who strive to obey God and have faith in Him and His promises. God and members of His Church want you to share in His loving fellowship.
We who are a part of God's Church are much like you. We desire and pray for God's Kingdom to come to earth (Matthew 6:10). But, while we wait for that to take place, we are about our Father's business (Luke 2:49; Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20). We are united in a great mission, seeking to please Him by serving Him and mankind.
The United Church of God prays eagerly for new people to become part of the divine fellowship that exists between God and His Church. Those who respond to God's invitation will enjoy His uniting fellowship through God's Spirit. "Therefore if there is any consolation [encouragement] in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind" (Philippians 2:1-2).
The United Church of God extends a warm welcome to all those who honor God and His living principles of life

The Bible uses several analogies to teach us about God's Church—how it is organized, how it works and how we should relate to the Church and each other. One of these compares the Church with something close at hand—our amazing human body.

What does the Bible reveal about the way the Church is organized?

"For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ ... But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, wherewould the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body ... Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues" (1 Corinthians 12:12, 18-20, 27-28).
To do the work God has given it to do, the Church is organized to function as a unit. In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul compared it to a human body made of many different parts with different functions, each being necessary for the smooth functioning of the whole. Paul even calls the Church Christ's Body (Colossians 1:24). Members of the Body should all "speak the same thing" (1 Corinthians 1:10) and do things decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40).

Who is the head of the Church?

"And He [Christ] is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18).
"And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:22-23).
Paul explained Christ's leadership role in the Church, not only as the head of a body, but as a husband who "loved the church and gave Himself for her" (Ephesians 5:25).
Christ nourishes and cherishes the Church; He made the ultimate sacrifice for it. The Church, in thankfulness and appreciation of His sacrifice, serves Him.

What are some of the serving responsibilities that were established in the Church?

"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-13).
These serving responsibilities were given for the benefit of the whole Church, to help equip, edify and unify the Body. A person ordained to such responsibilities is generally called a "minister," a word that means servant. In the Scriptures they are also referred to as elders.

How are the elders to handle their responsibilities?

"The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder ...: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:1-3).
Following Christ's example of service would prevent the misuses of power that occur naturally in human governments (Matthew 20:24-28; Luke 22:24-26). Leaders in God's service are commanded to work for the benefit of those they serve in an atmosphere of mutual love and respect.

What part do all members play in the effective working of the Body of Christ?

"But, speaking the truth in love, [we] may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love" (Ephesians 4:15-16).
"But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it" (1 Corinthians 12:24-26).
God calls and places each member individually in the Body where he or she can best grow and serve for the benefit of the entire Body.

What other analogies show how God supports and nurtures members through the Church?

"... The Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all" (Galatians 4:26).
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit ... Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples" (John 15:1-8).
God, through His Church, cares for each of His children. Paul referred to the Church as "the mother of us all." As a mother feeds, clothes, teaches and comforts her children, the Church is to give the spiritual care that each member needs (see "God's Church Is Like a Loving Mother").
Jesus also compared this relationship with a grapevine. Each member attached to the vine draws nourishment and support from the vine and so can produce good fruit. But if that close-knit relationship is severed the branch will wither. Whether the comparison is to a body or a vine, the message is the same: Members of the Church must be connected to Jesus Christ and one another to grow and thrive. The Church is one of the greatest blessings God has given His children!

Are members to be active participants in the work and functioning of the Church?

"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,' is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,' is it therefore not of the body? ... And the eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you'; nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you'" (1 Corinthians 12:13-16, 21).
When God gives us His Spirit, we become members of Christ's Body, His Church. He expects us, since we are members of His spiritual Body, to serve Him, to participate in its example to the world and its work of spreading the gospel. He also expects us to know, love and serve one another. He tells us, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).
We can do this only if we are active participants in His work and service. The Scriptures admonish: "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:24-25). Christ expects the members of His Body to be actively working together, cooperating to accomplish the mission He gave His Church.

Our word "baptize" is translated from the original Greek word "baptizo", which means to immerse.  All Greek Bible dictionaries define the word "baptizo" only as immerse, dip or plunge.  "Baptizo" does not mean sprinkle or pour.  If our Lord had wanted people to be sprinkled, he would have inspired the New Testament writers to use the Greek word "rhantizo".  If our Lord wanted people to be poured He would have inspired New Testament writers to use the Greek word "katacheo".  But he didn’t, so "baptizo" was used, which can only mean to immerse.
     Let’s look in the Bible to see how people were baptized.  In John 3:23 we read, "Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there."  Why was John baptizing near Salim?  "Because there was much water there."  Scriptural baptism, which is immersion, according to the Bible requires much water.
     In Mark 1:5 we read, "Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to Him, and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River."  Why was John baptizing in the Jordan River?  Could it be "because there was much water there" in a river?
     In Mark 1:9-10, we continue to read, "And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove."  When Jesus was baptized, he was baptized in the Jordan River.  Why?  Again, because there is much water in a river which is required for scriptural baptism, which is immersion.  Also notice after Jesus was baptized, he came "up out of the water."  So scriptural baptism not only requires much water, but it also requires "coming up out of the water."  This cannot be said of sprinkling or pouring.
     Next we turn to Acts 8:36-39.  The evangelist, Philip, had been teaching the gospel or good news of Christ to an Ethiopian eunuch while they were riding along in a chariot.  Then in verses 36-39 we read: "Now as they went down the road, they came to some water.  And the eunuch said, See here is water, what hinders me from being baptized?  And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may.  And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  So he commanded the chariot to stand still.  And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.  And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing."  Here we see the baptism God has authorized in the Bible requires the "coming to some water", "going down into the water," and after a person is immersed it requires "coming up out of the water."  How much clearer could the Bible be on the mode of baptism?  Also notice after the eunuch was baptized, "he went on his way rejoicing."  Why?  Because he was now saved and all of his sins had been taken away.  This is certainly something for one to rejoice.
     Romans 6:4 says, "Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death."  Here we see that baptism is a burial, which is what is done when one is immersed.  Sprinkling is not a burial; it is only sprinkling.  Neither is pouring a burial.  Both are unlawful substitutions made by man which will cause many people to be lost. 
     Colossians 2:12 says we are "buried with him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him."  Here again God requires the one being baptized, to be buried and raised when he is baptized.  When we bury a dead person in the cemetery, we do not lay him out on the grass and sprinkle a little dirt on him.  No, that would be absurd, and it is just as absurd in trying to substitute sprinkling for baptism.  Sprinkling for baptism is foreign to the scriptures.  God did not authorize it.  There is not one instance anywhere in the Bible where anyone was sprinkled for baptism.
     But we then ask the question, from where then did sprinkling or pouring come?  The first recorded case in all of early church history was that of Novatian in 251 AD, who lay sick on his bed and water was poured on him.  Who made this first exception, man or God?  Man did without the authorization of God.  God has not approved of it.  Sprinkling is just as vain as if it had never been done.  This man made exception over the centuries became the man made accepted practice until at the Council of Ravenna in 1311 AD, man legalized sprinkling for baptism, but without God’s authority.
     The person who insists on following this man made teaching of sprinkling or pouring has refused to obey God.  Sprinkling is without God’s authority.  There is no baptism in the absence of immersion.  If you were sprinkled or poured, then you have not been scripturally baptized.  You still have every sin that you have ever committed and are still lost.  If you refuse to admit that your sprinkling is wrong, you will go to your grave refusing to do God's will.  On the Day of Judgment you will be eternally condemned to the fires of Hell.  Such a tragedy.

For many people a church is mostly a social club or a place to be seen as an upstanding member of the community. But God had a bigger purpose in mind for His called-out people. We can have a role in the greatest work being done on earth today!

What job has Christ called the Church to do now?

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14).
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).
Jesus commissioned His Church to do His work. God calls Church members to support the work of preaching the good news—the gospel—of Christ's coming Kingdom to the whole world. In this way members of the Church are coworkers with Christ in this crucially important work. The gospel of the Kingdom of God, as explained in Lesson 6, is being proclaimed using modern means like the Internet, radio, television and the printing press, as well as the spoken word.

What else can God use to draw people to the gospel message?

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16).
The example of Church members plays a big part in the work God calls the Church to do. Their positive example is a fruit of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of God's "called, chosen and faithful" servants (1 Thessalonians 1:6-10; Revelation 17:14).
Also, by making the changes in our lives necessary to set a godly example, we prepare ourselves for the work God has for us in the future. The Christian life is a training ground for future service in the Kingdom of God.

What roles are Church members preparing to fulfill in God's Kingdom?

"You have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth" (Revelation 5:10, New Revised Standard Version).
"Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him" (Daniel 7:27).
"And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years" (Revelation 20:4).
Even though Paul refers to members of the Church as the weak of the world—in contrast to those who are the powerful of the world (1 Corinthians 1:27)—membership in the Church is, in a real sense, God's training program to prepare His people for great roles of service in this age and the age to come. Those who are presently considered the weak, in the eyes of those who are the wise and powerful in this world, will become kings and priests with Christ through the transforming power of God's Spirit working in them.

How do our actions in this life provide a training ground for future rulership?

"He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?" (Luke 16:10-12).
"Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.' And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities'" (Luke 19:16-17).
Each little decision we make can be a building block for a solid foundation of faithfulness on which God can build great things. Our faithful attention to details of God's instruction does not go unnoticed by Jesus, our Savior and High Priest.

Does the growth-and-training process for these high offices involve testing and trials?

"I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings" (Jeremiah 17:10).
"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy" (1 Peter 4:12-13).
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:2-4).
So they may be able, in the future, to serve those who have experienced the full range of human suffering, God's chosen people experience trials in today's evil world. But through God's help they can rise above the fray by striving to mirror the attitudes and character Christ demonstrated in the midst of His trials.

How will leaders in God's Kingdom rule?

"But Jesus called [the disciples] to Himself and said to them, 'You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:42-45).
The leaders of this world naturally seek their own benefit, often to the detriment of those they rule. Christ set the example of leadership that benefits those served, what we might call "servant leadership." We can learn from His example and instructions the way to honor and provide for those who are in our care when we become priests and rulers in the Kingdom of God (Revelation 20:6).

What is a primary function of a priest?

"For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts" (Malachi 2:7).
One of the responsibilities of priests is to teach the right application of God's law, which affects every aspect of life. As future priests Church members must themselves learn now how to apply God's laws and prepare to educate others. A teacher who doesn't practice what he teaches doesn't have much credibility with his students. But, in God's plan, teachers will have complete credibility. The students will know that the teachers have thoroughly prepared and mastered the material—God's truth.

What is the basis for godly rulership?

"... It shall be, when he [Israel's king] sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left ..." (Deuteronomy 17:18-20).
God commanded the kings of Israel to personally write out a copy of His law and regularly study and apply it during their reigns. By doing so, said God, they would be humble and virtuous rulers. God's righteous law will be the foundation and standard for all who reign as kings and priests in the Kingdom of God.

As we've seen in previous lessons, God has a plan for bringing mankind to salvation in His Kingdom. Since His creation of Adam and Eve, God has worked with people in various ways but always with the same goal in mind.
Before Christ came, God called only a few people out of their societies to serve Him and further His work. Many of them are mentioned by name in Hebrews 11, a chapter in the Bible we could call the faith hall of fame.
Even as He called and worked through individual leaders and prophets to do a spiritual work, God established a physical nation to help fulfill His plan. This nation, the descendants of Abraham through his grandson Israel, was also known as God's congregation (Acts 7:38) or "church," as it is translated in the King James Version. Understanding how God worked through people in the Old Testament is important background for understanding why and how God established the Church in the New Testament.

Has God worked with people in different ways?

"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made theworlds" (Hebrews 1:1-2).
God spoke to Adam and Eve directly, as He later communicated with Moses. However, He often conveyed His message in other ways—through dreams and visions, through prophets and priests, and through His inspired written Word, the Holy Scriptures. But the message always fit into the same overall mission.

Why did God call Abraham?

"Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed'" (Genesis 12:1-3).
God had a plan for Abraham. In His mission to extend His love to all humanity, God chose a man who was faithful and obedient to serve as a physical and spiritual role model. Abraham set an example of obedience in leaving his home country at God's command, not even knowing the final destination (Hebrews 11:8). He believed God would fulfill His promises, in spite of the seeming impossibilities involved. He was even willing to give up his own son (Genesis 22), prefiguring the sacrifice of Christ. Why was Abraham willing to do this? In faith he knew that God could raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19).

Why is Abraham so important?

"For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness'... that he might be the father of all those who believe ... [and] that righteousness might be imputed to them also" (Romans 4:3, 11, emphasis added throughout).
"And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; ... and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws" (Genesis 26:4-5).
"Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ" (Galatians 3:16).
Not only did Abraham become the father of many nations, including those that descended from Israel, but his example of faithfulness to God led God to call him the father of the spiritually faithful. Over the years God extended the promises He made to Abraham not only to his physical descendants (Genesis 13:16; 15:5; 17:3-6) but to the whole world through the promised Seed, Jesus Christ.
The faithful—all those called and chosen for a relationship with God in the past, present and future—are Abraham's spiritual descendants. But God also worked through Abraham's physical descendants.

What was the nation of Israel called to do?

"Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?" (Deuteronomy 4:5-8).
One of the responsibilities God gave to the physical nation of Israel was to represent Him, to show by example that God's way works. The nations around should have seen the beauty of God's laws at work in the lives of the Israelites.

Did the Israelites fulfill the mission God called them to do?

"But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went" (Ezekiel 36:21).
"Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against You, cast Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets, who testified against them to turn them to Yourself; and they worked great provocations" (Nehemiah 9:26).
"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke ..." (Jeremiah 31:31-32).
Israel not only failed to set a good example for its neighboring nations, but the Israelites also broke their agreement with God and even caused God's name to be blasphemed (Romans 2:24).

Why did Israel fail?

"... They did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone followed the dictates of his evil heart ..." (Jeremiah 11:8).
"You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you" (Acts 7:51).
"But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (Jeremiah 31:33).
The Israelites didn't have the heart needed to fully accomplish God's will (Deuteronomy 5:29). They resisted the Holy Spirit, as does all of mankind without the special calling of God. But God has a plan to make a new heart available to us all and to write His laws in our minds.

What role did Israel's failure play in setting the stage for the New Testament Church?

"What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Just as it is written: 'God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.' And David says: 'Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense to them. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see, and bow down their back always.' I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!" (Romans 11:7-12).
Paul explains that Israel, not having the Holy Spirit, was unsuccessful in becoming a righteous nation before God, but that God has not deserted the Israelites. They are temporarily blinded, and during this time God is calling people from other nations. But, says Paul, the time is coming when the people of Israel will all be saved (Romans 11:25-27). As a result of Christ's sacrifice, God's Spirit now is available to individuals of any nation or race who genuinely repent.
God's ultimate purpose is salvation for all people, both Israelite and gentile (non-Israelite). Yet now only "the elect" are being transformed into the righteous servants of God, and both Israelites and gentiles can become part of His spiritually transformed people, His elect. This step, of course, historically required the next step in God's plan, the founding of the Church.

When the New Testament talks about the Church, it speaks of an assembly of people. In the Bible the word church is a translation of the Greek word ekklesia, meaning "a calling out." (See "The Historical Background of the Word Church".) It never refers to a building or meeting place, but always to people, the ones "called out" of the world's society by God calling them into His service. The Church of the Bible is not a cold, stone building, but a group of warm and loving people specially chosen by God.
In the Scriptures church can refer to the group of believers in a particular location, such as a city or region, or to the entire body of believers God has called.
So a building with no worshipers cannot really be a church in the biblical sense. The New Testament Church is a group of people called out of this world's society by God, even if they meet in a rented hall or on a grassy hillside. For example, the apostle Paul greeted the church—the congregation of people—that met in the house of Priscilla and Aquila in Rome (Romans 16:3-5).
What are the roots, the history, of the Church? What sets apart people whom God calls His own? How does God use the Church to achieve His purposes? What does the Church do for us, and what should its members do for the Church? How can we be part of what God is doing through His Church?
When Jesus said, "... I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18), He was saying the Church—His chosen people—would not die out. It would be alive-a warm and caring body of believers striving to serve God, do His work and support each other. Today, with so many conflicting doctrines and practices, how can we recognize the Church Jesus built?
In this lesson let's learn what the Bible teaches about God's Church and what it means for us.

Background
The New Testament contains the sacred books that are unique to Christianity. All the New Testament books were written in the Greek language over the period of about 50 to 120 A.D. None of the New Testament books were originally written as part of a Christian Bible, but they were read at church services for instruction in the faith.
The collection of books we know as the New Testament emerged in the late second century, A.D. The church leaders accepted books they believed were based on eyewitness accounts of the events narrated, while rejecting many other early Christian writings. Eventually, the 27 books which form the present New Testament, along with the Old Testament books, became the Christian Bible as we know it today. The New Testament canon was formally adopted by the Synod of Carthage in 397 A.D.
Synopsis
The New Testament tells of Jesus' birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection, the growth of the early Christian Church, and predictions of the second coming of Jesus. Jesus was born sometime between 6 and 4 B.C. in the city of Bethlehem, and He was destined from birth to fulfill the role of Messiah or Christ (the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word "messiah"). He lived an ordinary life for 30 years, and then He began His ministry among the Jews.
Jesus traveled from town to town, healing the sick and preaching about the coming kingdom of God. He taught that God's kingdom is a spiritual kingdom that is now growing among the faithful, and it will find its fulfillment in the eventual sovereign rule of God and defeat of all evil. Jesus said He will come again someday to bring God's kingdom to fulfillment. He promised a wonderful eternal life after death for those who put their trust in God and obey His commandments.
The Jews of the time believed that holiness could be achieved by obeying the Ten Commandments and many other rules stated in the Old Testament Law. But Jesus taught that love of God and love of our fellow men are the two "Greatest Commandments" that should totally guide our lives. He taught obedience to God and love for all people, both Jews and Gentiles, and even for enemies! Jesus did not abolish the moral and ethical laws that had been in effect from the time of Moses. He affirmed and expanded upon those principles, but He said obedience must be from the heart (attitudes and intentions) rather than just technical observance of the letter of the law.
Many of the Jews had expected the Messiah to be a great political and military leader who would defeat Israel's enemies, but Jesus saw His kingdom as spiritual rather than worldly. He taught the way to victory is not through force and violence, but through love, humility, and service to one's fellow man. Jesus was not the type of "Messiah" the Jews had expected, and many of them rejected Jesus and His teachings.
The religious establishment of Israel saw Jesus as a threat. His claims of divine authority and His refusal to follow some of their religious rules were usurping their authority over the people. This conflict ultimately led to Jesus' execution by crucifixion only three years after He had begun His ministry.
Three days after His death, Jesus' body was discovered missing from the tomb, and over the next 40 days Many people saw Him alive again, and He talked with His disciples. At the end of 40 days, He ascended to heaven, returning to God, His Father.
Jesus' miraculous resurrection convinced many people that He truly was the Christ and their personal savior as well. Christianity was born, and Jesus' former disciples became its leaders. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is portrayed as the Son of God, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, and as the means of our personal salvation from the power of sin and death.
The young Christian communities suffered much persecution from the Jewish religious establishment and from the Roman Empire. Saul, a member of the Jewish religious establishment, was one of the fiercest persecutors of Christians. One day, while on the road to Damascus, Saul saw a blinding light and Jesus spoke to him saying, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" As a result of this overwhelming experience, Saul had a complete change of heart. Now known as Paul, he became a zealous Christian missionary and extended Christianity outside Judaism, founding many Christian communities in the Gentile world.
Paul wrote many letters to the people of the churches he had founded. He explained his beliefs about Jesus, instructed them in proper modes of worship, and sometimes chastised them for moral lapses. He taught that the way to salvation and eternal life is through faith in Jesus Christ and high moral standards, not through obedience to the Old Testament Law. Many of Paul's letters have become part of the New Testament. Through these letters we know Paul as the most energetic and influential interpreter of Jesus' life and teachings.
From the teachings of Jesus and Paul, we see that the Old Testament Laws - circumcision, dietary restrictions, blood sacrifices, Sabbath observance and the many other rules - are no longer binding. Jesus and His apostles gave us a radically new understanding of the true intent of the Old Testament Law; they brought a new era of the rule of love for all people and spiritual truth instead of rule by law.
Tags:: The Birth of Jesus, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, The Greatest Commandment and the Parable of the Good Samaritan, What Does the Bible Say About the Old Testament Law?, Good Friday - The Crucifixion of Jesus, Easter - The Resurrection of Jesus, What does the Bible Say about Love?, What Does the Bible Say about Eternal Life and the Resurrection of the Body?, What Does the Bible Say about Salvation?.