In Chronicle number one of “the church of God”
series we saw that believers are given two sets of instructions:
one, concerning something they were in; and two, concerning the
place where God lives. In the OT, they were in the land
of promise which was their gift from God, and then came
to the temple at Jerusalem where God was. In the NT the believer
is in Christ through the gift of the Spirit of promise,
and as God’s living temple of Christians come together
in one place where Jesus is: the local church.
Continuing to focus in this series on the place where God
lives, we saw that it was to be the gathering center for His
people to give worship and service unto Him and not a
place of getting one’s own needs satisfied. It is a place
for God, not self. Is He worth such? In this chronicle we will
see that the house of God is to be the place where His Name
is. In a world of many religious names, His house is for
His Name alone.
In Deuteronomy 12 God gave Israel instructions concerning
what would make the place of gathering special. Israel was to
destroy all other names from the land. All shrines and religious
gathering places were to be overthrown. Anything that hinted
of the name of another god was to be eradicated. But there was
one name they weren’t to eliminate, That was the Name of
their God, Jehovah, for He had put His Name in one place.
This one place, then would become His people’s only religious
gathering center in the land.
Then there shall
be a PLACE which the LORD
your God shall choose to cause his NAME to
dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I
command you; your burnt offerings, and your
sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of
your hand, and all your choice vows which ye
vow unto the LORD (Deu. 12:11).
It is the name of the Lord in that place that then makes that
place holy and sacred; different from all other places. When
one puts their name on a house it expresses certain facts. What’s
in a name on a place?
A name conveys:
1. The identity of the person who lives there
2. The authority over all that transpires there
3. The personality that must be pleased there
Initially in Israel, the place God chose for His tabernacle
(living place) was Shiloh. Eventually, God chose Jerusalem with
its temple to put His Name there (1Kings 11:36). Jerusalem became
the one gathering center for Israel because the Lord’s Name
was there.
“The place ... the Lord put
His Name”
expresses His authority
“Ye shall
not
do ... every man
whatsoever is right in his
own eyes”
(Deu. 12:8) |
 |
“What
thing soever
I command you, observe
to do it.”
(Deu. 12:32) |
The fact that God’s Name was at the place of His
choice conveys that His absolute authority and wisdom were there
because His presence and Person was there. For example, when
one comes to your door in the name of the IRS, you understand
“name” to mean all the authority of that office. God
stressed two ways by which His people were not to operate
in His house.
One, by what seemed right in their own eyes (Deut.
12:8). Their authority would not be what seemed to make the most
sense to them nor what produced the best results, nor what was
the most popular.
Two, by how the other nations functioned (Deut. 12:30,
31). His people were not to ask how the other nations served
their gods and then imitate such methods for Jehovah. They were
not to go by the systems of men, but by the authority of the
Lord alone, for His Name was there.
Israel was not to subtract from God’s Word: that would
be liberalism. Neither was Israel to add to God’s Word:
that would be legalism. They were to walk the middle road between
the two extremes of liberalism and legalism – God’s
Word alone.
Therefore, God said:
Take heed to thyself that
thou offer not thy burnt
offerings in every place that thou seest: But in
THE PLACE which the LORD shall choose in
one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt
offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I
command thee (Deut. 12:13,14).
Thus the faithful would perhaps travel many miles past other
former places to the place where God had put His Name. God’s
house became a place of separation. For to gather unto
HIS NAME ALONE was to recognize no other names or places.
The popular saying
“Go to the
church of your choice” is wrong.
One should go to the place where
God chose to place His Name.
And this matters to God for He has said, “I am the LORD:
that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another
...” (Isa. 42.8), and “... For the LORD, whose name
is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Ex. 34:14).
From Jerusalem to Jesus - Where
has Jehovah Lord God placed His Name today? Is it in one holy
city on earth? Is there a central place on earth unto which Christians
are to gather for their authority?
In Acts chapters 6 and 7 a great progressive transition was
revealed by God. The Jews accused the Christian, Stephen, of
speaking “blasphemous words against this holy place
[temple].” Stephen reminded them that the Scriptures said,
“the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands.”
As they began to attack him, Stephen saw the glory of God. It
wasn’t in the temple as before, but now with Jesus standing
on the right hand of God.
By resurrection to His own right hand, God has graphically
demonstrated that this Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified as
a criminal by religion and government is indeed Lord ( Acts 2:36).
Philippians 2:8-11 shows that God has now given Jesus a Name
above every name – the name is Lord! Thus the Name
of the Lord Jesus Christ alone has authority to give salvation,
remit sins, grant access to the Father, discipline sinning believers,
and authorize a church gathering place of believers that is recognized
by God (Acts 4:12, 10:43, Eph. 5:20, 1 Cor. 5:4, 2 Thess. 3:6,
Matt. 18:20).
Not only is the
Name of the Lord
Jesus Christ the only Name by
which to be saved, but it is also the
only Name to own in the church.
The Corinthian epistle deals with the truth of the Name of
the Lord Jesus Christ in the local church. His Name is the only
Name with which to identify, own as an authority, and from which
to draw wisdom. As brought out in Chronicle #1, a local church
is those in Christ Jesus who in a given locality (anywhere in
the world) come together in one place to call upon the Name
of Jesus Christ our Lord (1Cor. 1:2). An assembly of believers
that calls upon His Name is recognized as God’s temple.
His Spirit is then in their midst (1Cor. 3:16).
In 1 Corinthians, the opening issue is renouncing all other
names for His Name: the Lord Jesus Christ.
The New Testament Gathering Center
“And
whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to
God and the Father by him” (Col 3.17). |
 |
“In the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together,
...
with the
power of
our Lord
Jesus Christ”
(1Cor. 5.4). |
The Corinthian Problem
The Corinthian believers had placed personal faith in the
gospel and were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ
(Acts 18:8). The grace of God had been given to them. They were
very gifted. They were confirmed blameless to the end in Christ
and had been called by God Himself into the fellowship of His
Son (1Cor 1-9).
Yet, as fundamental as they were, within the church they were
identifying themselves by different names – even good names.
And, of course, this created contentions and disunity. Rather
than just telling them to stop doing it, the apostle gives the
reason behind the truth. Thus they could have committed minds
in doing it the Lord’s way. He deals with 3 areas that will
be affected by identifying with a name other than the Lord Jesus.'
1. The Name and unity
2. The Name and glory
3. The Name and authority
What’s in a name? For example, consider a newly
married couple. What if Mrs. Jones now said to Mr. Jones, “Wasn’t
the preacher eloquent who performed the wedding. Would you please
call me Mrs. Preacher”? Or what if she said, “What
a lovely bathroom you have provided, would you please call me
Mrs. Bath”? Or what if she said, “I appreciate your
orderly methods. Please call me Mrs. Method.” Or what if
she said, “It’s such a delight being your wife. Please
call me by what I am, Mrs. Wife."
Such an attitude that would want another Name would affect
the unity of the marriage, the glory of her husband’s name,
and it would question His authority.
Now I beseech you,
brethren, by the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same
thing, and that there be no divisions among you;
but that ye be perfectly joined together in the
same mind and in the same judgment (1Cor. 1:10).
When a believer or Christian group identifies themselves by
a name other than the Lord Jesus, whether it be a good man, an
organization, a church, or a doctrine, he has introduced a division
to the one body of Christ. For a Christian to say “I am
a ‘this’,” by definition means some other isn’t:
we now have a difference.
The apostle takes their minds back to the truths connected
with the gospel. Who was crucified for them? And in what name
were they baptized? Of course, the only answer is Jesus Christ
the Lord. Then that is the only Name to own. Our mind-set and
all our decisions (evaluations and judgments) should only come
from the risen Lord through His Spirit-inspired Word. This will
take humility, time and trusting His Spirit to rightly divide
the written word of truth to our seeking hearts.
This is not a unity of purpose, all agreeing to do the same
thing, for that could simply be a unity of error. But it is a
unity of truth, based on the Name (authority) of the risen Lord
alone.
We should also
never say when
asked what we are, “We have no
name,” for we do have a Name –
Jesus Christ the Lord.
That no flesh should
GLORY in his presence. ...
That, according as it is written, He that glorieth,
let him GLORY in the Lord. ... Therefore let no
man GLORY in men (1Cor. 1:29,31, 3:21).
The Lord has said, “I am the LORD: that is my name:
and my glory will I not give to another ...” (Isa.
42:8).
You would be highly insulted and hurt if your children announced
to you that they’re changing their family name. So the Lord
is defamed and hurt when we do such. Isaiah. 43:7 tells us that
every one called by His Name is created for His glory.
Again the apostle takes us back to gospel truth to explain
church truth. He reminds the Corinthians that every grace
they have is of God in Christ Jesus. Thus, their redemption for
sins, righteousness, sanctification, and even their wisdom came
not from any human source. So the only One we dare glory in is
the Lord for He only is worthy of such (1Cor. 1:29-31). All titles
of sacred honor must only be given to Him (Matt. 23:7-12). Glory
is a reason why it matters by what name we identify ourselves
as we come together in the church.
Where is the wise?
where is the scribe? where
is the disputer of this world? hath not God made
foolish the wisdom of this world? (1Cor. 1:20).
Of course the term, “name,” also has to do with
authority, such as one coming in the name of the law.
When the apostle calls for unity of mind and judgment, he does
it by “the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Here he is not even satisfied with those who say “I am of
Christ.” For while one might believe in Messiah Jesus, does
he submit to His risen authority as Lord over the church?
Not what Moses (law) or tradition say but only the risen
Lord. (Christ is called Lord 7 times in 1 Cor. 1.)
It is the authority that supplies the wisdom and logic for
the commands it gives. As the apostle goes on to teach, the Lord’s
wisdom is the only wisdom we are to seek and apply in the church.
For His wisdom alone is true and good: the best and right. That’s
why we need to own His Name (authority) alone.
Again the apostle appeals to the gospel as he proves in whose
wisdom a church should walk. He shows that the cross of Christ
has exposed the wisdom of the wise as nothing. In light of the
“Lord of glory” being crucified by men, religious
and intellectual men, God asks, “Where is the wise?”
To think, the church was now looking to men for their
authority and wisdom.
How has the cross destroyed man’s wisdom and proven God’s
wisdom? The cross, you see, was capital punishment. It was where
only criminals went: the vilest scum, who were unfit for society.
World’s Wisdom
Demonstrated by the cross |
God’s Wisdom
Demonstrated In Christ |
Princes (authority) of this world crucified Lord
of
glory not knowing it
was He 1Cor. 2:8 |
God knew Christ was
Lord and raised Him from dead – using the preaching
of cross to save 1Cor. 1:21b |
Ignorance in crucifying Lord has now exposed
man’s wisdom as unable to know God: foolish
1Cor. 1:18-21 |
God in His wisdom used man’s
wisdom in
crucifying the Lord, thus
proving man’s poverty and
God’s richness 1Cor. 1:21a |
Cross has now destroyed
any logical confidence in man’s wisdom to discern
the things of God via
human rationalization
1Cor. 1:19, 2:9 |
The Spirit has now given
the believer the mind of
Christ so that by
revelation one can now
know the wisdom of God 1Cor. 2:10-16 |
The Lord Jesus Christ
is not just
an issue of one’s personal heart but
the Name we name. And His Name
is not just a right title to mouth but
promotes unity, glory and wisdom.
If you’re saved by the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
may you also take no other Name in the church for His sake. Could
the above truth be part of the reason why the assembly in Philadelphia
received no rebuke from the risen Lord but only compliments?
“The church in Philadelphia ... for thou ... hast kept my
word, and hast not denied my name” (Rev. 3:7,8).