The Real Foundation Of The Church

This is the Eighth post in the series from Chapter 5 of Friends With God: God’s Called Out Ones. In the previous post we looked at the scriptural basis for the false doctrine of “The Primacy of Peter”. In this post we will now examine some of the characteristics of the true Church, and how to identify it.

Peter is not the foundation of the church, for what it’s built upon is clearly explained in Ephesians:

For through Him (Christ) we both (Jews and Gentiles) have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore you (Gentiles) are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building (which is) fitly framed together, grows unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom you also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Eph 2:18-22)

It’s through this relationship with the Father that we become members of ‘the household of God’, through the power of the Spirit we NOW live with the Father in his household!

This ‘household’ is built upon the chief corner stone of Christ, and also upon all the apostles from the New Testament, and all the prophets from the Old Testament.

Other scriptures tell us that it is even more than this, for all called and chosen righteous people since the time of Abel are part of the foundations of God’s household. (Matt 23:35, Luke 11:51, Heb 11:1-40)

The Spirit Of God In The Living Temple

Even so, this holy temple in the Lord is not physical, it’s a living habitation of God through the Spirit of God. It’s through the indwelling of the Spirit of God that we are set apart, sealed, and protected by God, for his purpose:

And He has sealed us, having given us the earnest (small portion) of the Spirit in our hearts. (2Cor 1:22)

We are sealed by the Spirit of God to be in the habitation of God through the Spirit. We are part of God’s household, which is where he dwells! Similarly:

“in whom also you, hearing the Word of Truth, the gospel of our salvation, in whom also believing, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, (Eph 1:13)

And again:

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed until the day of redemption. (Eph 4:30)

In this habitation we are now in his Kingdom:

giving thanks to the Father, who has made us meet (enabled us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. For He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son; (Col 1:12-13) We are now in the Kingdom of God!

The King Of The Kingdom

From the time of his birth, Jesus was proclaimed to be the King of the Kingdom:

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:30-33)

This household is the Kingdom of God, and it’s not merely a physical group of people on Earth. While physical people are integral to its structure (at least while they are in this life) the temple is not physical- it’s spiritual:

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is well-pleasing to God, and approved by men. (Rom 14:17-18)

And Christ tells us … the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24)

In order for Christ to build his church, he must use people, for people are what the church is made of. But people die, and God the Father then calls more people to be part of the body of Christ on Earth.

It’s only at the time of Christ’s return to the Earth, that he will raise up those from the grave who have ‘died in Christ’, and grant them the gift of eternal life. (1Cor 15:52, 1Thes 4:16)

It’s through the Spirit that we are raised up and are sealed until the day of redemption, meaning the resurrection from the dead. (Eph 4:30)

The Representatives Of God’s Kingdom On Earth

The people in the church on Earth today are representatives of God’s Kingdom on Earth. They make up the household of God, and are those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells.

In working with the Spirit, we create a relationship with God the Father, because it’s the Spirit that guides our understanding of how to walk the way of life that Jesus (as the King of the Kingdom of God) lived and demonstrated for us to imitate.  

In doing this walk of life, we achieve the ultimate goal of being friends with God, as we walk in the way of life that Abraham, Moses, the Prophets, and the Apostles walked, and is exemplified and perfected in the life of Jesus. This is why Jesus is the chief cornerstone of the temple- the point from which the entire structure of the building is drawn.

Abraham, Moses, the Prophets, and Apostles are all built into the foundation because they were in line with Christ, reflecting his mind and way of life, while also being individual persons in their own right, as elaborated on in this previous post.

They were not automatons blindly following the directives of God. They were God’s friends. They would obey God for certain, however, if something seemed too unreasonable or too difficult, they would request mercy and leniency and not event balk at telling God to repent! (see this previous post).

This dynamic and complex relationship with God of loyalty, love and friendship, (including communication and robust discussion, explored in this previous post) is the mortar holding the foundation of the temple together- . Like Enoch, they walked with God (Gen 5:22, Heb 11:5)

Where Two Or Three Are Gathered In My Name 

Coming back to Matthew 16:19, discussed in the previous post in this series, we see that the context of walking with God is what it’s actually talking about.

And I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever you shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matt 16:19)

Is this talking about Peter having absolute authority to forgive and remit sins? Well not really, for shortly after saying this, Jesus said exactly the same thing to not only the other Apostles, but also to all the disciples in Matthew 18:18.

Again, we need to be careful not to quote just one verse out of context, but to look at the entire subject being spoken of, before and after Matthew 18:18. This whole section is about dealing with a person who is not repentant of sin:

Moreover if your brother shall trespass (sin) against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone: if he shall hear you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear you, then take with you one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear (be corrected by) them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto you as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matt 18:15-20)

Christ is talking to everyone, not just the Apostles. He is telling us about how to walk the life of a Christian, and specifically how to deal with unrepentant individuals on both a personal level, and as part of the church.

These verses again clearly spell out that there is no Primacy of Peter, indeed not even the primacy of the apostles as: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. This ‘binding and loosening’ is shown to be the responsibility of all members of the church. It’s not the exclusive role and power of the apostles.

In Matthew 16:13-19, when Christ said “whatsoever you shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” he was talking about the fact that the apostles will have the power to make administrative decisions; such as who will be allowed to fellowship with the other members of the congregation. Then, in Matthew 18:20, this responsibility is expanded beyond the Apostles, and is given to a group as small as ‘two or three gathered together in my name’.

Then almost the same words are used in the Gospel of John to all the Apostles: Whose sins you remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose sins you retain, they are retained. (John 20:21-23)

So, from all these examples we can see that Jesus was giving this specific authority to not just the apostles, but to all members of the Body of Christ who were “in his name”. What being “in his name” means is explored in this previous post.

Until Jesus made these statements in Matthew 16:13-19, 18:20, and John 20:21-23, the authority to bind and loose was vested in Israel. (Matt 21:33-46) At that time only those who joined themselves to Israel through circumcision were able to draw near to God.

However, as we will see in the next post, these statements giving authority to all members of the Christian Church to represent Christ, also necessitated that the nation of Israel actually be removed from being the physical representatives of God on Earth- until at least Christ returns. (Matt 21:33-46, Zec 14:16-18)