Lesson 8 / The Church / 8/16– 8/22/23
Memory Text:I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me(John 17:20-21, NKJV).
The roots of the Christian church can be traced back to Adam, Abraham, and the sons of Israel. The Lord had called Abraham, and later the Israelites, to enter into a covenant relationship with Him in order to bless the world through them. In the course of sacred history, that covenant relationship was continued by the church.
The church was not an invention of the apostles or of any human being. During His ministry, Christ Himself announced His intention of establishing His church: I will build My church (Matt. 16:18, NKJV). The church owes its existence to Jesus Christ. He is its Originator.
According to the Gospels, the term church appears on the lips of Jesus only three times (Matt. 16:18, 18:17). This doesn’t mean, however, that He didn’t deal with the subject. In fact, He taught very important concepts relating to the church. Our study this week will center on two main ideas: the foundation of the church and the unity of the church.
Sunday August 17 The Foundation of the Church
Jesus said on this rock I will build My church (Matt. 16:18, NKJV).Who is the rock (petra in Greek) upon which the church is built? Some interpreters believe that Peter is the rock. They argue that the Lord used a play on words between Peter and rock (Petros and petra, respectively, in Greek)-a play that presumably would be clearer in the Aramaic language, which Jesus probably used. The fact is, however, that nobody knows with certitude the exact wording of Jesus’ statement in Aramaic.We have only the Greek text recorded by Matthew, which distinguishes between Petros (stone) and petra (rock), a distinction that should not be overlooked.
There are good reasons to affirm that petra refers to Christ. The immediate context of Jesus’ statement (Matt. 16:13-20) centers on Christ’s identity and mission, not Peter’s. Besides, Jesus had previously used the image of building upon a rock, clearly identifying the rock as Himself and His teachings (Matt. 7:24-25).
What is the symbolic meaning of rock in the Old Testament?Deut. 32:4; Ps.28:1; 31:2-3; 42:9; 62:2; Isa. 17:10.
Deut. 32:4“He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” A Possible Answer: The symbolic meaning here is in reference to Jesus as God.
Ps. 28:1 Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. A Possible Answer: The symbolic meaning here is in reference to the Lord.
Ps. 31:2,3 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.3For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. A Possible Answer: The symbolic meaning here as David prays one who hears and answers prayer, God.
Ps.42:9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? . A Possible Answer: The symbolic meaning here is in reference to Jesus as God.
Ps. 62:2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. A Possible Answer: The symbolic meaning here is in reference to one who could offer salvation, that is Jesus as God.
Isa. 17:10 10Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips: A Possible Answer:Isaiah’s use of parallelismunderscores the symbolic meaning that the rock is God who offers salvation.
When Peter and the other apostles heard Jesus speaking of building His church on a rock, they would have interpreted the image in terms of what it meant in the Old Testament-namely, a symbol of God.
Peter himself affirmed that Christ is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone(Acts 4:11, NKJV), and he applied the term rock to Christ as the foundation of the church(1 Pet. 2:4-8). While he compared Christians in general to living stones, he applied the term rock (petra) to Christ alone. In the Bible no human being is called petra, except Jesus.
The apostle Paul used the term petra in reference to Christ(Rom. 9:33, 1 Cor. 10:4) and decidedly declared that no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ(1 Cor. 3:11, NKJV). We conclude, therefore, THAT THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH UNANIMOUSLY UNDERSTOOD THAT JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF IS THE UNDERLYING PETRA UPON WHICH THE CHURCH IS BUILT, AND ALL THE PROPHETS AND APOSTLES, INCLUDING PETER, ARE THE FIRST LAYER OF LIVING STONES IN THE CHURCH’S SPIRITUAL EDIFICE (EPH. 2:20).
Why is it important to know that the church, feeble as it sometimes may seem, is founded upon Christ Himself? A Possible Answer: Because 1) It’s the truth. 2) It provides a consistency of truth that the Church would overcome all other kingdoms, powers and systems. In order for that to happen its originator had to be larger than, more powerful than and be in a position to demonstrate prerogatives that would accomplish that. 3) Any other identity would not be of divine origin, hence of ‘another’ world or origin.
Monday August 18 Christ’s Prayer for Unity
It was Thursday night. After the Last Supper, Jesus and the disciples went toward the Mount of Olives. On their way to Gethsemane, Jesus stopped and prayed for Himself, for His disciples, and for all who later would believe in Him through the apostles’ preaching. Although the agony of the Cross was before Him, His greatest concern was not for Himself but for His followers. John 17 presents Jesus’ longest intercessory prayer recorded in the Bible. It is encouraging to think that He prayed for everyone who believes in Him, including each of us.
ReadJohn 17. What was Jesus’ main prayer request to the Father regarding the believers?See especially verses 21-23.
“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:2As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.4I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.6I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.7Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.8For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.9I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.10And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.11And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keepthroughthine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.12While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.13And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.14I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.15I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.16They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.18As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.19And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.20Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.22And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:23I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.24Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.25O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.26And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
What was Jesus’ main prayer request to the Father regarding the believers? A Possible Answer: That the Disciples would be united as one reflecting the same unity of the Godhead.
Unity is crucial for the life of the church. We can measure its importance by the fact that four times Christ repeated His eager desire that His followers may be one(John 17:11, 21-23). In that special final hour, the Lord could have prayed for many other very significant and necessary things. Instead, He focused His prayer on the unity of the believers. He knew that the greatest danger for the church would be a spirit of rivalry and division.
JESUS’ PLEA IS NOT FOR UNIFORMITY BUT RATHER FOR A PERSONAL UNITY SIMILAR TO HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER.He and the Father are two persons, distinct from each other, with different functions. Yet, they are one in nature and purpose. By the same token, we all have different temperaments, backgrounds, abilities, and roles, but we all should be united in Jesus Christ.
This kind of unity does not happen spontaneously. In order to have it, we must fully accept Christ’s lordship in our lives. He must mold our character, and we must surrender our will to His will.
This unity is not an end in itself.It is a testimony to inspire the world to believe in Christ as the Savior sent by the Father. Harmony and union among men of diverse dispositions is the strongest witness possible that God has sent His Son to save sinners. It is an unquestionable evidence of Christ’s saving and transforming power. And we have the privilege of bearing this witness.
Many times unity is threatened by nothing other than selfishness. How can we make sure that we are not guilty of jeopardizing unity for no good reason? A Possible Answer:By keeping the goal of unity in mind. By working towards reflecting the character and will of God in all that we do. By submitting our wills first and foremost to God and then to the recognized authority of duly elected entities. By making that a subject of prayer.
TUESDAY August 19 Christ’s Provision for Unity
What is the basis for the unity that Jesus prayed about for His church?See John 17:23 and John 15:1-5.
John 17: 23I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” A Possible Answer:Self-less Love and abiding in Him… both of which isa result of depending on Him and demonstrated in abundant fruit-bearing.
You in Me, and I in you (John 14:20, NKJV) expresses the intimate relationship we need to have with Jesus.The presence of Jesus in our hearts produces unity.He brings to our lives two things that are indispensable for unity: the divine Word and divine love.
If we have Jesus, we will also have His words, which are actually the words of the Father (John 14:24; 17:8, 14). Jesus is the truth (John 14:6), and the Word of the Father is truth, as well (John 17:17). Unity in Jesus means unity in the Word of God. In order to have unity, we need to agree on the content of the truth as presented in the Word of God. Any attempt to attain unity without adherence to a body of biblical beliefs is destined to failure.
The Lord also wants His followers to be united by true love. If we have Jesus, we will have the perfect love the Father has for the Son (John 17:26). This love is not a temporary emotion or feeling but a living and permanent principle of action.In order to have true love, we must have less of self and more of Jesus. Our selfish pride must die, and Jesus must live in us. Then we will truly and sincerely love one another, making the perfect unity that Jesus prayed for possible.
When those who claim to believe the truth are sanctified through the truth, when they learn of Christ, His meekness, and lowliness, there will be complete and perfect unity in the church. — Ellen G. White, TheSigns of the Times,® September 19, 1900.
It has not always been easy to maintain a high view of truth and to have deep love for one another at the same time.There is always the risk of emphasizing one at the expense of the other.There was a time when doctrine alone was considered the most important element for unity. Fortunately, this lack of balance has been gradually corrected. Today, however, we run the risk of going to the other extreme: to think that love is more important than truth for unity. We need to remember that love without truth is blind, and truth without love is fruitless. Mind and heart must work together.
The apostolic church exhibited the unity for which Christ prayed. They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine [truth] and fellowship [love] (Acts 2:42, NKJV).
Wednesday August 20 A Great Obstacle for Unity
How can Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:1-5 help us to avoid divisions and conflicts in the church? Matthew 7: 1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
1. Judge not. Jesus here refers particularly to judging another’s motives, not to judging the right or wrong of his acts. God alone is competent to judge men’s motives, because of the fact that He alone is able to read men’s innermost thoughts (see Heb. 4:12; DA 314). Looking thus on men’s hearts, God loves the sinner the while He hates the sin. Able to discern only the “outward appearance” (1 Sam. 16:7) and not the heart, men inevitably make mistakes. Jesus does not here refer to that fine sense of discrimination by which the Christian is to distinguish between right and wrong (Rev. 3:18; cf. 5T 233), but rather to the habit of censorious, sharp, and usually unjust criticism.[1]
A POSSIBLE ANSWER:We can avoid division and conflict by endeavoring to not judge others.The judging of other’s motives over against evaluating right and wrong, predisposes one to be unjust. In so doing it causes greater division, heart ache, pain and in the end provokes divine judgment. One needs to spend the time afforded his or her in correcting their faults and weaknesses before attempting to correct others.