Being His Hands and Feet

Old Erich Proverb: Organization is a good servant but a bad master.

I would like on this my 500th post to look at some of the things I have said about the church, which is the body of Christ, and on how to behave within that church (1 Timothy 3:15).

1. The church is Christ's body and consists of different parts that are brought together to accomplish His purposes (On Being the Body, Understanding Christ's Bride What Is the Church?


2. The unity of the church does not result from agreement on every teaching or from some broad vague inclusion, but from agreement on the basics (Basis of Unity, Breaking Out of the Circle, Superficial Unity)

3. While the church is to be organized, it is not primarily an organization, and it is not possible to solve all the problems of the church simply by rearranging the organization (A Preoccupation with Clothes, Reconstructing the Maze, Rearranging the Deck Chairs)

4. The authority of the church is not passed on mechanically, but is based on the faith of the members. (Who Is in Charge?, Binding and Loosing, Who Has Received the Authority?)

5. The validity of the sacraments is not based on the theory of them or on who administers them, but on the faith of the recipients. (The Badge of the Christian, Sign and Seal, Who Has the Authority)

6. There are various appropriate ways to worship God, and freedom should be allowed within broad boundaries. (The Fight Over the Celebration, The Worship War,   Spirit and Truth)

7. It is sometimes hard to get along within the context of the church, but we need by God's power to work to overcome our differences. (Sharks, The Dark Side of Community, In Search of the Perfect Relationship)

Living together within the context of the Christian church, whether local or universal, is not always an easy endeavor, but we need to promote the unity God calls us to (Philippians 2:1-11).