LectureshipIssue.com

Modern Institutional Concepts

by Chris Peltz

It seems there has always been a tendency among brethren to "institutionalize" the work of the church. Although they may say the church is all-sufficient and fully capable of doing the work God gave it to do, they continue to depend upon other organizations to do the work. This article will look at 2 examples of how brethren are institutionalizing the work of the church.

(1) Training up preachers and teachers. God has given this important task to the church (Eph. 4:11-12; 2 Tim. 2:2). Yet some among us rely on Florida College and other schools to train up young evangelists. I have heard brethren say, "If you want to be a preacher, you need to go to Florida College." Such comments are insulting to the Lord's church and reek of an institutional mindset. The first century church did not need a college to train up young evangelists, and neither do we!

(2) Evangelism and Edification. God has given this important task to the church and individuals (1 Thess. 1:7-9; Acts 11:22-23; 2 Tim. 4:1-4). Yet some among us have no problem with human foundations and schools doing the work of evangelism and edification. Where is the authority for a human foundation or school to conduct gospel meetings? Do they classify as a local church? No. Do they classify as individuals? No. Then how can we say they are authorized to do this work? Consider the chart...

The local church does not need a foundation or school rivaling its efforts. For instance, suppose Florida College had its annual gospel meeting on the same week as a nearby church of Christ in Tampa. Brethren would be forced to choose whether to go to the church of Christ to hear the gospel preached or the college to hear the gospel preached. Can you not see the rivaling nature of such a situation? The church is being rivaled by the school! Suppose that Truth Foundation had its annual gospel meeting on the same week as a nearby church of Christ in Bowling Green. Again, brethren would be forced to choose whether to go to the church of Christ to hear the gospel preached or the foundation to hear the gospel preached. The church is being rivaled by the foundation! Consider the FC Bible camp this past July, 2004, in Missouri. It began on Sunday afternoon and provided its own worship service that evening as well as a Wednesday night service. Not only is this promoting the forsaking of the assembling of local churches, but it is evidence of a mindset which puts man-made organizations on equal plane with the local church as God has designed it. That my friends is pure blasphemy!

The faithful brethren of the past who fought institutionalism defended the all-sufficiency of the church. They opposed the idea of allowing institutions to do the work God has given the church to do. Unfortunately, the same principles are still under attack. The only difference is churches sending money vs. individuals sending money to finance the efforts of the institutions. The issue should not be just how the institutions are funded (whether by churches or individuals), but brethren having no confidence in God's design and plan for the church to accomplish what God has set forth in scripture.

Several respectable preachers have taken a stand and refused to participate in gospel meetings hosted by human institutions. We should ALL stand for the truth and make sure there is authority for what we do (Col 3:17). Surely brethren who take time to study the issues presented in this article can see that the modern institutional concepts of some among us are without scriptural authority. This is not a matter of "extremism" or "radicalism" as some have suggested, but a matter of seeking the "old paths" (Jer. 6:16). Think on these things.