Chapter
Three : The Substructure Of The Church - Part 1
"For
other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
I
Corinthians 3:11
The
Baptist Text Book
New Testament Baptist churches have but one theological text book, and
that is the infallible word of God, commonly called, the Bible. Creeds
and tradition may have some value, but the best of them is yet fallible,
and can never qualify as a source from which any theological doctrine is
to be formed. Nevertheless, Roman Catholicism claims when the Pope speaks
ex-cathedra, his word is as much inspired of God as the original scriptures,
and so it follows, the primary theology of Romanism is based upon papal
decrees, rather than the word of God.
Protestantism has ingested much of the leavening of Romanism, and as a
result, are teaching for doctrine the commandments of men, i.e. the popes.
Luther and Calvin did not separate from Rome so far as to deny its ecclesiastical
motherhood, nor its sacramental salvation. Both Luther and Calvin taught
that baptism is a sacrament, and therefore, essential to salvation. Luther,
Calvin, Zwingle, and Knox, all taught that the memorial supper is a sacrament,
and inherently efficacious in the forgiveness of sins. (MY CATHOLIC FAITH,
Chapter: "MEANS OF GRACE", Pages 266- 288. Augsburg Confession, Pages 45-47.
The Confession of Faith - Presbyterian, pages 151- 164).
Rome, observing the great measure of similarity between the doctrines of
Catholicism and Protestantism has declared: "Today (1969) more than ever
before, the various Protestant denominations are making great efforts to
unite among themselves. There is a wholesome leaning towards the Mother
Church, the Apostolic Church; and a better understanding of many of her
doctrines. It seems that the hour is near when all the christian churches
will unite, divisions will disappear, and there will be 'One Shepherd'
and 'One Flock' (MY CATHOLIC FAITH, Pg. 155).
Knowledgeable Baptists are acutely aware that the ecumenical church could
be an any day reality. Baptists also know that Rome's claim of papal apostolicity
is not merely erroneous, but absurd, and that the "One Shepherd" referred
to in the above paragraph will be none other than the "false prophet"
of Revelation 16:13.
All men are in their Adamic nature egocentric, and the most fierce conflict
the saint has or shall ever have is with his egotism, or exaggerated self
importance (Galatians 5:17). All too often the battle with our old
nature is sadly and badly lost, but never more glaringly and devastatingly
than when the saint looks to something other than the Bible as being the
all exclusive rule for his conduct and doctrine.
Baptists have never claimed an errorless orthodoxy for their churches,
for they know the regenerative experience does not bring perfection to
the whole man; and as a result of this imperfection there cannot be one
infallible church this side of heaven. However, Baptists do know the omniscient
and immutable God has made their churches the repository of His unerring
word, and through their proclamation of that glorious word, the gospel
of Christ will reach the uttermost part of the earth. (Matthew 28:19,20;
John 17:8; Acts 1:8).
Now, let us go to "the record that God gave of His Son" (I John
5:10), and from that flawless and eternal "record" glean a measure
of the precious and infinite proof which irrefutably proclaims that the
person of the Lord Jesus Christ is THE unchangeable and unshakable substructure
or foundation of His church. It is my prayer and desire unto God that He
will indelibly stamp this Christ honoring and church edifying truth upon
the heart of every person who may read this exposition, and is concerned
for the glory of God in His church. (God willing, the term "ekklesia" and
"church" will be variously considered in a forthcoming chapter).
The
Baptist Church At Corinth
"Unto the church of God which is at Corinth ... I thank my God
always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus
Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by Him." (I Corinthians
1:2,4,5)
The very first and most important thing a prospective home buyer should
do, is to give a detailed inspection of the foundation on which the would-be
seller's house is built. If there are cracks, leanings, disjointments,
or disintegration in the substructure, the superstructure, regardless of
its attractiveness, is dangerously unsound. BUYER BEWARE! This being unquestionably
true and vitally important in the temporal realm of life, it is all the
more important and necessary for every person who desires to have a church
home with a Scripturally sound foundation, for a church home has to do
with eternal issues.
In carnal building construction a foundation may be laid that is as perfect
as man can make it, but this is no guarantee that a superstructure with
equal quality will be built upon the foundation, and so it is, the very
best of man's works are infinitely lacking in perfection, and consequently,
durability. Conversely, Biblical ecclesiology does not allow for any of
the Lord's churches to be built upon a substructure that can be moved,
experience wear, or that is in any sense less than eternal and absolutely
perfect.
The apostle Paul in writing to the Lord's church in the city of Corinth,
said: "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise
masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.
But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereon" (I Corinthians
3:10). Paul does not mean that he actually laid the "foundation",
but as a "wise masterbuilder," he had by Holy Spirit direction revealed
unto them the one indispensable foundation, which the Lord Himself had
laid. In the following verse Paul positively identifies and personifies
the "foundation", and gives it singularity and immutable substance.
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid (past tense),
which is Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians 3:11).
Paul, the "wise masterbuilder" admonished the Corinthian church
to "take heed" how they would build upon the foundation which heaven
had provided. The Corinthians followed Paul's instruction to a large degree,
but some unspecified building materials had become a part of the superstructure.
There was much wrangling, and abuse of the supernatural gifts in the Corinthian
church. Some in the church had denied the Headship of Christ, and were
divided by factions and cliques. Some were saying: "I am of Paul,"
others were saying: "I am of Apollos," Yet there were others in
the church who owned Peter as their head, and there were some who as yet
said: "I am of Christ" (I Corinthians 1:12).
Paul rebuked the Corinthians by asking them: "Is Christ divided? Was
Paul crucified for you, or were ye baptized in the name of Paul" (I
Corinthians 1:13). Paul delineated the errors in the Corinthian church,
and with the unscabbarded sword of the Spirit, he dissected those errors
and found them fearfully hurtful to the superstructure. Paul knew the Corinthian
church had the divinely approved foundation, even Jesus Christ, and in
the light of this truth, he says unto them" "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 judgement" (I Corinthians
1:10).
While the Corinthian church merited the censures Paul leveled against it,
we need to remember they were a New Testament church, and that it was built
upon the solid Rock. Paul addressed the Corinthian as "the church of
God which is at Corinth" (I Corinthians 1:2), and in verses
4-9 of this same chapter, he commends the Corinthian church as highly,
if not higher than any church to whom he wrote. While there is to a greater
or lesser degree some theological error in every New Testament church,
there is however, some basis for fellowship with every church that is built
upon and anchored in that living and glorified Rock, Christ Jesus.
Paul, better than any man, knew of the repugnant errors in the Corinthian
church, and he sternly voiced his disapprobation of them, but knowing they
had the right foundation and that they were called unto the fellowship
of God's Son (I Corinthians 1:9), he continued with them a year
and six months, teaching the word of God among them (Acts 18:11).
The Corinthian epistle was not written exclusively to the church at Corinth,
but its compass extends to and includes "all that in every place call
upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours" (1:2).
Seeing then contemporary Baptist churches are included in Paul's salutation
to the Corinthian church, it would behoove them to take the very same yardstick
which Paul used in measuring the soundness of the Corinthian superstructure,
and see if the dimensions of their spiritual house agree with Scripture.
Could it be, while we have the one and only sure foundation, we might discover
some of the same cracks in our superstructures that the Corinthian church
had? Are we totally free of divisions, and every member of the same mind?
Are we on such a high spiritual plane that the insidious spirit of cliqueism
and partyism cannot afflict us? Are we so firmly anchored in the Rock that
our superstructure never leans, and never needs a replenishing of spiritual
vitality?
Beloved, every church must answer for itself. The foundation of Baptist
churches is immovable, but the superstructures with whom I was associated
as pastor for almost forty years, and which was without a single doubt
set upon the eternal and living Rock, was nevertheless, in constant need
of spiritual repair and growth. They were strong spiritual churches, but
not so strong that the devil was afraid to attack them. Hence, the unceasing
need of reinforcing our walls and ramparts, and so it is with every New
Testament church (Ephesians 5:26).
The
Rock of Ages
"He is the Rock, His work is perfect ..." (Deuteronomy 32:4).
The Old Testament abounds with symbolism, and one of the symbols frequently
used in reference to God is "Rock". Especially is this true of the Psalms,
for in those blessed songs the Lord is referred to no less than twenty
four times as "Rock". This symbolic usage of the term "Rock" in reference
to God in the Old Testament was carried over to the New Testament, and
was used by both Paul and Peter in reference to Christ (Romans 9:33;
I Corinthians 10:4; I Peter 2:8). Moreover, Christ used the symbol
"Rock" in referring to Himself as the foundation of His church. This assertion
will be amply proven in a forthcoming exegesis of Matthew 16:18.
Paul, in writing to the Corinthians of the "Rock" which Moses and David
so often praised in song, said: "Our fathers were under the cloud, and
all passed through the sea ... and did all drink the same spiritual drink:
for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock
was Christ" (I Corinthians 10:2 & 4). The term "Rock"
as used by Paul in this text (I Corinthians 10:4) is used in reference
to Christ as the foundation and life giving source of His church, to say
otherwise would have Paul contradicting himself (I Corinthians 3:11),
and would be to say that truth can be inconsistent with itself.
Whatever, or whoever the large stone or ledge rock of Matthew 16:18
may be, the text leaves no doubt as to its place and part in God's ecclesiastical
building. It is the FOUNDATION upon which the superstructure is built.
With this verity Roman Catholicism and Baptists concur. They agree, the
"rock" of the text is the foundation upon which Christ has built
and is building His church. However, Rome takes an unqualified and acrimonious
difference with Baptists as to who the metaphorical "rock" of the
text represents. Protestantism, takes yet another view of the "rock"
of the text, a view which does not personify the "rock", but which
is nevertheless, close akin to the Romanistic theory of the "rock".
It is divinely incumbent upon all seekers of ecclesiastical truth to scrupulously
examine the purported view of Romanism, Protestantism, and Baptists, as
to who or what is the authentic foundation of the Lord's blood bought church.
It is certain that only one view of the above mentioned claimants is in
accord with heaven's building code, and the other two are counterfeit and
contradictory, to the designs of the omniscient Architect. Simply, there
is only one divinely approved foundation, and the other two are caricatures
or ridiculous imitations of the biblical Rock, having as their foundation
the shifting sands of carnal reasoning.
Ecclesiastical
Aberrations
Let us consider first the two parodies: that is, the Romanistic and Protestant
concepts of the "Rock", or foundation of the Lord's church. First we shall
consider the Roman Catholic idea of the foundation of the New Testament
church, not that it is in great degree antithetical to the Protestant theory
of the foundation, but because it is the first in origin of the two ecclesiastical
aberrations.
Ecclesiastical Romanism contends that the word "Rock" as used by Christ
in Matthew 16:18 is a direct and exclusive reference to the Apostle
Peter, and that Christ in this reference identifies Peter as the foundation
and head of His church. "Christ promised to make Peter the head of His
church (Matthew 16:17-20) ... As stones are the foundation of buildings,
Peter was to be the foundation for Christ's church" (MY CATHOLIC FAITH
- Pg. 108). This exegetical incompetence of Romanism has been consistently
and successfully refuted by Baptists from the time it was first implied
by Ignatius in 115 AD (A HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS, Page 115, Vol. 1 - John
T. Christian).
Nevertheless, it is yet appropriate and essential to the consistency of
this volume to present once again a small measure of the overwhelming,
and incontrovertible refutation that Baptists have brought forth from the
very beginning of apostate Romanism.
Ergo: The erroneous claim made by Romanists as to the ecclesiastical Foundation
and Headship of Peter is the mother of many devastating heresies, including
the doctrine of apostolic succession. According to this ill begotten supposition,
Christ made Peter the first Pope, and all who have succeeded him, have
brought with them the title and officiality of the apostolic office.
It is not at all strange to see heresy begetting heresy, for it is an inviolable
law that like begets like, and Romanism's false notion as to Peter being
the first Pope has led to many grievous errors, among which is the attribution
of super naturalness to the Pope. The Catholic Encyclopedia on page 48,
vol. 6 states, "The Pope is of so great a dignity and so exalted that he
is not a mere man, but as it were, God, and the Vicar of God." The Papal
office has been inundated with flattering titles, all of which but a few
are of pagan origin, and the claim of deity was inherent in those ancient
pagan titles. A few of the titles which are given to the head of the Roman
Catholic church, are: Supreme Pontiff, Monsignor, Pope, Cardinal, and Reverend.
These titles are a mere sampling of the many laudatory designations ascribed
by Roman Catholics to the occupant(s) of the Papal office, and everyone
of them is utterly devoid of Scriptural warrant.
The dissimilarities between Christ and the Pope, and that of the apostolic
office and the Papal office, are so numerous they defy computation: but
so as to highlight the extremity of these diversities it is necessary to
reference a few of them. These differences are not merely incompatible,
but ostensibly declare the utter indefensibility of the Romanistic claim
that the Pope is the Vicar of Christ, and the successor of the apostolic
office. My purpose in citing the following contradictory examples is that
I am persuaded they will help to convince the serious student of Scripture
that the Baptist interpretation of Matthew 16:18 is correct, and
will increase the appreciation of Baptists for their foundational "Rock",
which is Christ the Lord.
Some
of Papalism's Disparaging Dissimilarities
Christ wore a crown of thorns, the Pope wears a jeweled mitre. Christ was
hung on a cross, the Pope sits on one of the world's most magnificent thrones.
Christ washed the feet of his disciples, the disciples of the Pope kiss
his toe. Christ had not a place where to lay His head, the Pope lives in
the Vatican which has 10,246 rooms. Christ bore the cross upon His shoulders,
the Pope is borne in state upon the shoulder of men. Christ told Peter
to put up his sword, the Popes in the dark ages slaughtered millions of
Baptists by the sword. Christ said: "Render unto Caesar the things which
are Caesar's", and Christ submitted unto the civil authorities of His
day and was put to death by the Roman Government. But the Roman Catholic
church teaches: "The Pope must be a Sovereign himself. No temporal prince,
with an empire, or king, or president, or legislative body, can have any
lawful jurisdiction over the Pope." (Plain Talk About Romanism - By Hugh
Montgomery, Page 112).
