The Church

Editor's Journal

Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church.—Colossians 1:24

Footstep followers of Jesus are variously called "the church," "the body of Christ," and "the bride of Christ." One author has traced over 100 titles of Christ and his church. Each of these titles emphasizes a different feature of the close and intimate relationship that exists between Jesus and his followers.

In the symbol of "the body of Christ" we see the close intertwined relationship between the two. As the "head," Jesus does the planning and the church fulfills his desires. The "body" relationship also shows the variety of functions which are delegated to different followers.

The picture of the Bride lays stress on still another aspect of the spiritual bond between Jesus and his followers. Here the aspect of love and the anticipation of a bride for her beloved come to the fore. This illustration also highlights the unity of Christ and his church, for this spiritual marriage is based on the same matrimonial law given to Adam and Eve: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).

But it is as the "church" that we note the religious connection between the two. The followers form the congregation with their Master as their teacher. The Greek word translated "church" in the New Testament is ecclesia. This word has the significance of "to call out," denoting a class that is especially selected to do a certain work. Paul puts it simply in Hebrews 5:4, "No man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron."

The Bible clearly teaches that the present age is the time for the selection and testing of this church. This training is preparatory for a future work of assisting Christ in the uplifting of the human race to perfection and eternal life.

The articles in this journal relate specifically to God’s dealing with this special class.

We open with a treatise entitled God’s Purpose for the Church, showing how its selection is for God’s ultimate purpose of bringing together in him all things, both of which are in heaven and on earth (Ephesians 1:10).

The formal opening of the Christian walk begins with an outward confession of faith andcommitment to Christ. As with Jesus and his disciples the commitment to do God’s will andoffer oneself as a living sacrifice is expressed through the symbol of baptism. The origin and use of this symbol form the subject matter of the second article, Buried in Water.

The third subject to be treated, under the title Declaring the End from the Beginning, examines the biblical concepts of God’s foreknowledge and predestination.

The next article, Making the Church Righteous, looks at the process by and through which God can deal with imperfect beings as though they were actually perfect creatures.

Sanctification, the setting apart for a holy work, is the next topic. In Duties of a Holy Priesthood, the author shows how God’s dealings with the priesthood of ancient Israel form a picture of his dealings with the church, the bride of Christ.

Though appreciative of all the grace of God extended to the church during the present lifetime, the real expectation of Christians is to be glorified with their Lord and live with him forever in the heavens. It is this resurrection that is the topic of The Deliverance of the Church.

The final article is our usual monthly verse-by-verse Bible study feature. Entitled Unity with Diversity, this month’s study looks at the fourth chapter of Ephesians, sometimes called the Constitution of the Church.

We trust that this series of articles will be edifying to all true Christians who are called to be a part of this elect class and that, through faithfulness in well-doing, they may make their "calling and election" sure (2 Peter 1:10).