"And He is head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have preeminence" (Cor. 1:18).
The church is a living organism that possesses authority structures designed for the nurture and growth of every individual in the body. As Christians, we are not isolationists, but we are part of a community. This concept often flies in the face of the rugged individualism of American culture. As our society has degenerated into squabbling factions where authority is scoffed at and individual rights extolled as the highest virtue, the very concept of being a part of a community to which you are accountable and inextricably bound is often frightening and even offensive.
But this is not the only problem the church has faced during the past few decades. Some people are attracted to the community ideals of the church, yet they reject the authority structures that God has designed to go with it. They want to gather with other Christians, even establish a Christian community, but on their own terms and not by the terms explicitly given in the Scriptures. At the other end of the spectrum, we have those professed Christians who think they do not need to worship with other believers and to be accountable to those in authority. They claim that they do not need to be a member of a local church, but that they are perfectly capable, by themselves, to worship in isolation.
Both of these extremes are contrary to the way God has established His church in history. The body of Christ consists of individual parts. We are brought into the kingdom individually, we are responsible for our own sins, we will stand in judgment alone. But, this does not mean that we live “unto ourselves.” As infants need to grow in the context of a family, so Christians need the nurture, oversight, and encouragement of the rest of the body. As a people set apart from the world, we are not placed in isolation but we are providentially placed in the fold of a nurturing, and, yes, disciplining church that will help us grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. As members of the body, we each play a different role, but always under the authority of Christ and the structures He has established. As Paul so eloquently reminds us, we are unified by one Spirit not for the purpose of self-edification, but for the benefit of the whole body, that Christ might be glorified by our service.
Take some time to read these verses: In 1 Timothy 8–15, what kind of order is there in the church? In 1 Timothy 3:1–13, what kind of leadership does the church have? In 1 Timothy 4:1–16, what is the leaders’ responsibility? In 1 Timothy 5:1–16 and James 4:11–12; 5:12–14, how are church members to care for one another?
