This week’s sermon by the Rev. Johann Vanderbijl of the Anglican Church of St. George the Martyr in South Carolina is titled “Being Confident” and is based primarily on Philippians 1:3-11:
Psalm 32 Philippians 1:3-11 St. Matthew 18:21-35
Being Confident
In his Epistle to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul boldly spoke about His confidence in the ability of the Lord Jesus to bring to completion that great work He had begun in each one of them, no doubt at the time of their entrance into the Body of believers through the administration of the Dominical Sacrament of holy baptism in which they affirmed their vows to renounce the devil and all the vain things of this world and to embrace by faith their new life in Jesus. However, he would have been the first to object to any thought that this confidence was not also dependant on their continuing in the fellowship in the Gospel of that same Lord Jesus. Indeed, the rest of the Epistle deals with the need for them to be unified in what they believed about Jesus. True faith in Jesus was and still is foundational to what it means to be Christian. Change what we believe about Him and we run the risk of worshiping a foreign god made in our own distorted image.
We may well ask why people could be prepared to surrender some, most or even all the essential claims of historic Christianity and yet remain doggedly determined to stay within the Christian Church. A Buddhist scholar recently asked a blunt yet pertinent question in her book “Buddhists talk about Jesus- Christians talk about Buddha”: “If they,” she wrote, “(and by “they” she meant to reference the Christians talking about Buddha in the book) were so taken by Buddhism, why did they hang on to Christianity?” Now, of course, her remark is limited to Christian-Buddhist dialogues, but as Dr. Timothy Tennent correctly concludes in his book, “Christianity at the Religious Roundtable”, her observation could be applied “throughout the whole field of interreligious studies”. And this is just as true in general social circles as it is in higher academic circles. We have all cringed at public remarks made by Christian leaders in which they clearly abandon the faith once received for a more inclusive, and in many ways, totally vague religion in which the god…(if they can even use the word for fear of offending nontheistic religions like Buddhism and Taoism)…but their god simply cannot be known other than through the individual’s subjective experience of some nebulous reality.
I mean, what does one do with comments such as “Our Mother Jesus gives new birth to a new creation and we are his children.” This statement doesn’t even make grammatical sense. Or, what about this? In answering the question, “Is belief in Jesus the only way to get to heaven,” this same church leader stated, “for us to assume that God could not act in any other way is, I think, to put God in an awfully small box.” (cf. Thaddeus Barnum, “Never Silent”, Eleison Publishing, Colorado Springs, CO, 2008, 251.) Never mind that Jesus said that He was the only way, the only truth and the only life and that no one could come to the Father except through Him. If this Christian leader is correct, what does it mean when Jesus tells us to follow Him if He is just one way amongst many others? Not to mention the fact that if He said He was the only way while He was not He was either deluded or blatantly deceitful. And what then happens to our confidence in that same Jesus bringing to completion that which He began in us if He is not Who He said He was?
Only someone totally ignorant to the claims of all other faiths can ever think that they are all the same. The Hindu believes in an impersonal Deity called Brahman who is above and beyond a pantheon of lesser deities. The Muslim believes in a very personal god called Allah. The Buddhist believes that in order to reach ultimate fulfillment one has to detach oneself from ones dependencies including any form of Deity. Now, how on earth can these all be equal? Either God is personal or He is not. Either He is the ultimate source and sustainer of everything that exists or He is not. Or as Tennent says, “Either He became incarnate in Jesus Christ or he did not. Either Allah spoke to Muhammad through Gabriel or he did not….(you see, dearest brethren, when one begins to study these religions in detail we cannot help but see that) there are genuine points of departure among (them).” Otherwise, St. Paul’s exhortation for the Philippians to walk by the same rule and to be of the same mind is totally meaningless…and his comment regarding those who were enemies of the cross of Christ (whose end is destruction and whose god is their belly, and whose glory is their shame and who set their mind on earthly things) is rendered nonsensical. If all religions lead to the same goal, then the death and resurrection of Jesus was an unfortunate blip on the radar screen of eternity.
If world religions merely “embody different perceptions and conceptions of, and correspondingly different responses to, the Real from within the major variant ways of being human”, as John Hick claims in his book “An Interpretation of Religion” (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989, 240), then “Christianity is just one among many religions and has (absolutely) no unique claim as the final or authoritative truth” (Tennent, 22). In this case, we might as well pack it all in and go home to meditate on the divinity residing in our big toe. We may as well dispense with the Creeds and abandon any hope of ever knowing God at all, other than the god or gods of our own creation. And while we are about it, we might as well give up on the future because if the god of the Jihadists is the same God of the Christians then we are in a very sorry state indeed. With such an extremely dangerous infinitely huge schizophrenic ruling the universe, our only hope is that when we need Him, He will be in a calmer state of mind.
Now, I know I have painted a bit of a caricature of the pluralist position, nevertheless I do believe that if I am to be true to what the Bible has to say about the God I claim to follow, there are certain nonnegotiable hills I should be willing to die on. Dr. Tennent summarizes these neatly in his book into three basic statements and I am going to flatter him through unashamed plagiarism.
Firstly, he says, we must “affirm the unique authority of Jesus Christ as the apex of revelation and the norm by which all other beliefs must be critiqued. This position points out that the early church rejected the option of remaining a (private cult), which would have permitted Christianity to survive as a privatized religion accepting equal footing with other religions. (Indeed) the early church insisted on challenging the (whole) Roman Empire with its many religions by claiming that Christ was not only head of the Church, but (also) Lord of the entire (universe).” And really, dearest brethren, if we believe what we read in the Scriptures, we must affirm that “Jesus is not just one of many lights in the religious cosmos: (Rather) He is the Light. Those who are without Christ are, to use the words of the apostle Paul, “without hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12).” If we don’t believe that, why are we here? Why do we call ourselves by the name of Christ? Why confess our sins…indeed, if all this is just one myth among many, how do we know there is such a thing as sin at all? And if our God is not Who we think He says He is, then how can we be confident of anything He claims to do? If His Word is not true it is not trustworthy in any form, shape or sense.
From the Rev. Charles Camlin of Holy Trinity REC in Virginia comes another excellent sermon, Principles of Worship. This sermon is based on Ephesians 5:15-21 and Fr. Camlin outlines seven principles of true worship:
- true worship requires our time;
- true worship engages our minds;
- true worship includes edifying music;
- true worship involves both the heart and the mouth (or body and soul);
- true worship is Trinitarian;
- true worship involves thanksgiving, and
- true worship is life-transforming.
These principles are a good standard by which to examine both our corporate worship and our own personal worship. For certain, the second of these is something we should all ponder and think about whether we actually practice it: do we actually engage our minds in worship?
Secondly, true worship engages the mind. St. Paul writes in verse 17, “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” How do you think we might come to “understand what the will of the Lord is?” Preeminently, this happens when we are confronted with the Word of God. The 8th day is used frequently in early Christian literature to point to the fact that what began with the resurrection of Christ was a new creation—or a new age. public reading and preaching of the Scriptures are vital to the children of God who are seeking to live a careful life in this world. A large amount of our time each Sunday morning is given to the reading of Scripture. We have lessons from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the Epistles and the Gospels. We read a lot of Scripture in our worship service—much more than most Churches who would consider themselves to be “Bible-believing Churches.” St. Paul told Timothy the pastor—“Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” (1 Tim 4:13)
Now we live at a time when we all have copies of the Scriptures in our homes. It is very accessible and we have the ability to read the Scriptures at any time. But there is something special about gathering together in the Lord’s house on the Lord’s Day and hearing the Scriptures read publicly. Personally, I read these passages multiple times before Sunday mornings but I frequently find myself hearing things on Sunday mornings that I did not catch during the week. We believe that when the Scriptures are read, the Spirit of God is at work in our hearts and minds if we are attentive. St. Paul alludes to this in the context of worship from Romans 12 (a passage which is included in our Liturgy every week): “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (12:1-2) When we come to worship to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, we are having our minds transformed by the Word of God. And it is the Word of God which reveals to us the will of God.
I would say this helps us see that if we do not engage our minds in worship we are not living up to the Apostle’s instructions in Romans 12…something we may not always realize.
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From the Rev. Roger Salter of St. Matthew’s Anglican Church near Birmingham, here is a meditation titled ”The Consummate Victory of Christ” which is based on Psalm 68:16:
From a distance in time the Old Testament prophets foretold the coming of the Saviour and from things they observed in their time they foreshadowed his great work of deliverance. The God who inspired them gave them clues through his acts in history and the ordinances he gave to Israel. The Spirit illuminated the meaning of these acts and ordinances which pointed to Christ. From a distance the prophets described what they saw without fullness of detail. From a nearer vantage point the apostolic authors completed the picture. The Old Testament is forward looking and the New Testament is the witness of fulfilment. From a distance not everything foretold is visible in its entirety. The scene ahead is sketched in simple lines. Close up the friends and observers of the Messiah himself can complete his portrait to perfection. The Bible is developmental in character. By a series of steps or stages it advances our understanding of the divine purpose and it reveals the truth of the Lord in instalments. Paradigms of saving realities are established and patterns of divine behaviour are revealed and these are enlarged as the history of God’s dealings progresses until at last with the advent of the Lord Jesus we are able to appreciate the scope of God’s saving work through his Son. What he did in and for Israel as his chosen people, as recorded in the Old Testament, becomes a preview of what he will do for and in the people he has chosen from out of the whole world – the completed and true Israel comprising all believers Jewish and Gentile. The former acts in and for Israel are repeated and enlarged on a universal scale and in a spiritual way. The exodus foreshadows our deliverance through the cross, return from exile our conversion, resettlement in the promised land our grace-given entitlement to heaven. The Old Testament in a multiplicity of senses through sign and symbol is promissory. The New Testament assures us that things formerly pledged are now within our possession by faith in Christ.
Nothing is more thrilling than to find the intimations of Christ and his accomplishments throughout the pages of the Old Testament. We are given a taste of the excitement that must have been experienced by the ancient people of God who lived in anticipation of future events that would answer to their hopes and prayers for total redemption from sin and restoration to God in soul and circumstance. For those of us who now know the outcome of God’s plan of salvation for the world the clues given about the Messiah in prophecy are confirmatory. We see what he was meant to be and do, and to our delight the Lord Jesus matches the expectations exactly. The Old Testament outlines his assignment and the New Testament reports his achievement and both Testaments complete our comprehension of him. A “New Testament” Jesus alone, as some would have it, is impossible. The former writings indicate his identity and the apostolic writings are proof that he fits the description. To separate Jesus from prophecy and the preceding history of Israel is to virtually leave him in anonymity as a figure who has popped up suddenly with neither background nor destiny nor the rich theological significance that is predicated of him by the prophetic oracles that prepare us for his reception and appreciation. The sects and Christian societies that close the Old Testament or see it as merely a collection of interesting tales and character sketches from antiquity scarcely have an ample understanding of Jesus. The dimensions of his importance are constructed from all the pieces of information gained about him from the insights of Israel’s saints and spokesmen who the Lord guided to testify of him. However much Israel as a nation proved faithless to God the believing remnant within it upheld the divine commission effectively by giving us adequate witness to the Saviour and sufficient evidence to recognize him. Their intense and earnest longing increases our love him, for we see his desirability and indispensability to yearning souls and we cannot regard him casually. He is the culmination of human history that puts things to right in a sad world, and he is the portal to a new future where everything will be right. Christ is not just the darling of the chosen nation but the desire of all nations and the Old Testament heralds his appearing. Without it our knowledge of him would be impoverished. Purely “New Testament” churches that discount the Old lack the keys to the treasury of the gospel. They can only wonder at the assertions that New Testament writers make as if they are overhearing a conversation halfway through.
It is the long-range vision of the Old Testament, now verified, that establishes its validity and worth as a senior “second voice” sounding the name of Jesus for our attention, instruction, and joy. Any true witness to him is welcome and the prophets of old are authentic tellers of his story as they commence the narrative of our salvation in him, relating our need and relaying the news of his approach. The instances of these predictive announcements are abundant and the amplifications of their message occur with frequency in the gospels and epistles, and it is infinitely enriching to pair them together and see how the whole Bible hangs together as the convincing word of God replete in the internal evidence of its divinity.
The psalmist, for example, sees in a victory procession of exultant ascent to the temple the ultimate victory of the awaited Messiah. The facts before him are portents for a far more glorious future. A military success for Israel is but a forerunner for a mighty and miraculous conquest for the coming liberator of the captive people of God in the end times. “When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from (for) men, even from (for) the rebellious – that you, O Lord God, might dwell there” (Psalm 68:18). Whatever the precise meaning of the passage, it is clear that God is triumphant in battle, receives plunder (homage) from the defeated, submission from the rebellious, and glad acceptance of the fact he dwells among them. The victor is seen as distributing favour to his enemies and reinstatement to rebels and they are thankful for his restored rule. Captivity has turned to liberty and prosperity. The conqueror is kind to the vanquished. Those who fought him find freedom through him, and survive on gifts from him. The rebels who resisted him are renewed in their hearts and happy with his reign. His weapons that achieved their submission were mercy and love. Grace is overpowering. Here we have a succinct summary of salvation from the moral rebellion and captivity of human sin and all the benefits of Christ’s victory in our hearts. The church is the company of rebels released from their spirit of revolt and resistance to the gospel, who have been taken captive by the Saviour’s love, and under his gentle rule receive all the blessings of salvation, the necessary gifts for service, and the benefits of all forms of ministry that he confers upon his people.
This interpretation of an ancient ascription of honour is confirmed by the apostle Paul, for he says: “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. That is why it says: ‘When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men’” (Ephesians 4:7,8). Christ having completed his work of atonement in his death and resurrection ascends to heavenly glory, and there in his sovereign majesty lavishes his gifts and graces upon the ones he has won to himself through the defeat of Satan and the ransoming of the elect. Slaves of sin and disobedience have been set free to follow him, subscribe to his Lordship, dwell in his presence, and do his bidding. Together, psalmist and apostle celebrate the well-deserved exaltation of the Saviour to heavenly majesty and our undeserved elevation to glory with him. It is only to be expected that King Jesus would be good to his subjects. It is even more wonderful that he would be gracious to rebels.
That is actually a good description of the Church: those who have been taken captive by the Saviour’s love and set free to follow Him.
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From the Private Devotions of Lancelot Andrewes: “Prayer for Grace” for the Sixth Day
From the Private Devotions of Bishop Lancelot Andrewes, here is his “Prayer for Grace” for the Sixth Day:
the works of the flesh,
adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness,
idolatry, witchcraft,
enmities, strifes,
emulations, heats,
quarrels, parties,
heresies, envyings, murders,
drunkennesses, revellings,. and such like.. . . .
the fruits of the Spirit,
love, joy, peace,
long‑suffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance;
the spirit of wisdom, of understanding,
of. counsel, of might,
of knowledge, of godliness,
of fear of the Lord:—
and the gifts of the Spirit,
the word of wisdom, of knowledge,
faith, gifts of healing,
working of miracles,
prophecy, discerning of spirits,
kinds of tongues,
interpretation of tongues.
May Thy strong hand, O Lord,
be ever my defence;
Thy mercy in Christ
my salvation;
Thy all‑veritable word,
my instructor;
the grace of Thy life‑bringing Spirit,
my consolation
all along, and at last.
The Soul of Christ hallow me,
and the Body strengthen me,
and the Blood ransom me,
and the Water wash me,
and the Bruises heal me,
and the Sweat refresh me,
and the Wound hide me.
The peace of God
which passeth all understanding,
keep my heart and thoughts
in the knowledge and the love
of God.
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Via the Anglican Church League of Australia’s site, I found this incredible offer of a free audiobook: John Piper’s Desiring God can be downloaded free during the month of November! Simply go to the christianaudio.com site and follow the download instructions. If you want to get some insight into what “glorifying God and enjoying Him forever” really means, this is a great book!
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From the Church of the Good Shepherd in North Carolina we have another audio sermon on Psalm 23 by the Rev. Kyle Wallace, titled He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Rev. Wallace shows us in this message how badly we do need a Shepherd; as he points out, Isaiah 53:6 shows us that we will inevitably go astray if we are not led by our Shepherd. I’d say this makes the meaning of this portion of Psalm 23 more meaningful – see what you think.
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From the good people of Jesmond Parish Church in the United Kingdom comes a sermon titled Isn’t the Church Full of Hypocrites? by the Rev. Ian Garrett, which is based on Matthew 7. This sermon is part of a series on “The Big Questions” being preached at Jesmond Parish and there is no doubt this is a commonly asked question. To some extent it can be a defensive manuever, as it were, to help someone avoid wrestling with the truth of the Gospel. As Rev. Garrett says, “And often, behind that question, is the attitude that says, ‘And doesn’t that destroy the credibility of Christianity and give me permission to walk away from it, or not even give it a look?’” But this sermon is an honest answer to that question; Rev. Garrett deals with the hypocrisy of the false Christian and with the imperfection of the genuine Christian. But he sums it up with an exhortation for all of us (believer or nonbeliever) to examine ourselves:
Would you turn back over to Matthew 7, and verse 24. And here’s Jesus’ final application of the whole sermon on the mount, Matthew 7.24-29:
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock [and I take it the storm is a picture of that judgement day when our genuineness or otherwise will be exposed]. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law [ie, not as any merely human teacher].
So the final application is simply: examine yourself. If you profess to be a Christian, examine yourself regularly to make sure you’re not only hearing the word of Christ, but doing it. Read through this sermon on the mount and its description of the genuine Christian and ask yourself, ‘Is this me?’ That’s the way for us to avoid hypocrisy.
But let me say a last word to those who wouldn’t call themselves Christians. Enough about our hypocrisy. What about yours? You see, you can play the relativist’s game of saying that the standards of Christ are ‘true for us but not true for you’. But the moment you cry ‘Hypocrite’ when we fall short of those standards (which we do), it shows you’re not a relativist. It shows you believe in at least one absolute – namely, integrity. And actually the Bible says that, deep down, you know that all the other absolutes God has created into your conscience are true – the other standards of Christ like goodness and justice and mercy. So examine yourself: how do you measure up to those standards?
Faced with that question, I think you only have two options – unless you retreat into relativism. Either you can pretend you do live up to those standards, in which case you yourself are inviting the cry, ‘Hypocrite’. Or you can admit that you don’t and that you can’t – and that like me, you’re a person who needs Jesus to forgive you and change you.
If someone is asking this question honestly, I do believe this sermon is an honest, Biblical answer.
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The Rev. William Klock: “One Spirit, One Baptism, One Body” (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)
In the sermon One Spirit, One Baptism, One Body, the Rev. William Klock of Living Word REC in British Columbia gives us an exposition of 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 that gives a great deal of insight into the unity and diversity of the Body of Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Fr. Bill has a section on the importance of each of us to the Body that I think you’ll find helpful:
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. (1 Corinthians 12:14-16)
What if you were a foot and you looked up at a hand and said, “I can’t do all the things a hand does. I’m not that flexible. I don’t have an opposable big toe. I can wiggle my toes, but I can’t hold things like fingers do. I just can’t do what that hand can do, so I guess I just don’t belong in this body.” That’s ridiculous. The foot’s deceiving itself. But we do the same thing when we say things like, “I can’t preach like the priest. I can’t sing like the choir. I can’t teach like the Sunday School teacher. I can’t evangelise like Bill Hedges. I’m thinking that I’m pretty much worthless to the Body of Christ.” You’re deceiving yourself, just like that foot. You need to start looking at yourself the way God does and see the vital part he’s given you in the body.
There aren’t any unimportant parts in the body. We fall into the trap of thinking we’re unimportant because we have a wrong view of what the Church is. We mistake the Church for a Sunday morning gathering where we come to hear the word proclaimed, to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, to pray, to praise God, and to fellowship with each other. We see the people who use their gifts as part of all that and if we’re not directly involved we think, “Well, I don’t have gifts to do those things, so I must be unimportant – I don’t have a part to play in the Church.”
Brother and Sisters, what we do here on Sunday morning, as important as it is, is only a small part of what it means to be the Church. The work of the Church is to take the Gospel message to the world. To share the saving grace of God found in Jesus Christ with the world. To share it in word and deed that the people out there might be delivered from the guilt and misery of sin and find new life through the Spirit of Christ. That’s the work of the Church. Sunday morning here with each other is a pit-stop where we come to be equipped and strengthened so that we can go back out into the world. Sunday morning is when we come to give God thanks and praise for what we’ve seen him do during the past week as we were out doing the work of the Church in the world. It’s only a small part of the Church’s work that goes on here. Most of it should be going on when you leave here – as you go back to non-Christian family members, friends, and co-workers; as you go out to serve the poor and weak and oppressed; and especially for you parents, as you return to the missionfield of your own home as you raise your kids in the love and fear of the Lord. This place is a place of equipping. Some of us have a primary role ministering here, but most of us are going to find our gifts put to work in other places. That’s Paul’s point here. Don’t let yourself be deceived into thinking that because you can’t preach, teach, lead a Bible study, or aren’t musical that you have no part in the body.
Fr. Bill goes on to stress the point that we all need each other to work together in the Body of Christ. Indeed, as he says, “Paul’s point is that God has established his Church in such a way that we all need each other.” May we all honor God by using our individual gifts to serve Him together.
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From The Falls Church in Virginia, here is an excellent audio sermon by the Rev. Dr. John Yates, titled It’s Time to Grow Up. This sermon is based on Ephesians 4:1-16, and Rev. Yates makes a compelling argument that it is our responsibility as Christians to grow in our spiritual maturity. Certainly this is part of our sanctification, and we are to strive to advance in holiness throughout our lives – and growing in spiritual maturity is not optional in order to accomplish this. This is another good message in this series on Ephesians from the Falls Church – please give it a listen.
Incidentally, Calvin says about verses 2 and 3 of this passage, in his Commentary on Galatians and Ephesians:
He now descends to particulars, and first of all he mentions humility. The reason is, that he was about to enter on the subject of Unity, to which humility is the first step. This again produces meekness, which disposes us to bear with our brethren, and thus to preserve that unity which would otherwise be broken a hundred times in a day. Let us remember, therefore, that, in cultivating brotherly kindness, we must begin with humility. Whence come rudeness, pride, and disdainful language towards brethren? Whence come quarrels, insults, and reproaches? Come they not from this, that every one carries his love of himself, and his regard to his own interests, to excess? By laying aside haughtiness and a desire of pleasing ourselves, we shall become meek and gentle, and acquire that moderation of temper which will overlook and forgive many things in the conduct of our brethren. Let us carefully observe the order and arrangement of these exhortations. It will be to no purpose that we inculcate forbearance till the natural fierceness has been subdued, and mildness acquired; and it will be equally vain to discourse of meekness, till we have begun with humility.
Forbearing one another in love. This agrees with what is elsewhere taught, that “love suffereth long and is kind.” (1 Cor 13:4.) Where love is strong and prevalent, we shall perform many acts of mutual forbearance.
3. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit. With good reason does he recommend forbearance, as tending to promote the unity of the Spirit. Innumerable offenses arise daily, which might produce quarrels, particularly when we consider the extreme bitterness of man’s natural temper. Some consider the unity of the Spirit to mean that spiritual unity which is produced in us by the Spirit of God. There can be no doubt that He alone makes us “of one accord, of one mind,” (Phil. 2:2,) and thus makes us one; but I think it more natural to understand the words as denoting harmony of views. This unity, he tells us, is maintained by the bond of peace; for disputes frequently give rise to hatred and resentment. We must live at peace, if we would wish that brotherly kindness should be permanent amongst us.
These are wise words for all of us to heed in our relationships with others, whether in our churches, our families, or our workplaces. (Calvin uses “meekness” where Rev. Yates talks about “gentleness.” As Rev. Yates says, “meekness” does not mean “weakness”!
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From the Rev. John P. Richardson, who writes the Ugley Vicar blog, here is an essay titled The Thirty-Nine Articles and the Church. I like his introductory thoughts on “The Nature of the Church”:
The nature of the Church
But what is the Church? Article XIX tells us:
THE visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ’s ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.
Notice first, the reference to the visible Church, as distinct from the invisible Church. The invisible Church is the company of faithful believers known only to Christ. And indeed the Westminster Confession of 1647 began its definition of the Church there:
The catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect … [emphasis added]
But of course the membership of the invisible Church is known only to God, and the Articles leave that aside, concentrating only on the visible. And what is visible is the preaching of the Word of God and the ministering of the Sacraments according to Christ’s commands. Where you have those, you have the Church.
Rev. Richardson develops this further, and throws in a few twists as well (for example, is the “church” referred to here the parish church, the diocese, or the national church?). See what you think!
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