Chapter 12

Beyond Culture – The Kingdom Network

FastCounter by bCentral

In this chapter: what is the church? A non cultural definition: a network linking communities from all cultures through their realisation of Jesus being Christ, Son of the living God

So far, we’ve emphasised what the church isn’t – i.e. It isn’t a community of alternative subculture.

As I’ve said, I’m not in favour of simply tearing down Christian culture where it exists. However, just knowing that the church isn’t defined by ‘Christian culture’ may already be too much of a culture shock for many. To simply leave off with the knowledge of what it isn’t wouldn’t be right, because it’s only when we realise what the church is, that we can more easily accept and live with the knowledge of what it isn’t.

Indeed, knowing what the church is, may be vital to our survival come times of crises and social upheaval, just as it was for the church in China when they found themselves suddenly bereft of the support mechanisms of Christian culture.

I’m not for tearing down culture – it may simply come crashing down all by itself one day. Then, we must know exactly who and what we are as the church, or we’ll perish.

Before we go further, let me just say that many embark on a teaching like this with the intention of clarifying that their own group is the true church, or is the right church to be in, and that other groups may be in danger of finding themselves in outer darkness. That isn’t our intention here. In fact, I hope we’ll come away from this study with the realisation that the church exists in many places that we previously thought it didn’t. However some among us may still find that they fall short in the most basic point.

the head of the church

What better place to find out what the church is, than from the Head of the church Himself? There are two passages in Matthew where the Head of the church, Jesus, tells us what we need to know. One is Matt. 16:13-20 (NKJV):

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’

So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’

He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’

Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’

Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’

Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

This passage is hinged around the question, not What is the church?, but Who is Jesus? This is important, because it’s only when we know who Jesus is that we can know what the church is.

We all know, of course, what the right answer is just by reading Peter’s answer, but the real question is, do we really know it? Judging by Jesus’ response, there is a difference. To simply parrot Peter’s answer isn’t enough, because Jesus said, ‘Flesh and blood hasn’t revealed this to you, but my Father.’

The knowledge of who Jesus is can only be imparted by the Father. No preacher can do it, no evangelist, no Sunday school teacher and no missionary. Each of these brings the message, but the best they can do is work with the Father as He imparts that knowledge to the hearts of the hearers. Christian culture may teach us to parrot the words, but only the Father, through the Holy Spirit puts the knowledge inside us where it makes a difference.

Once Peter had the revelation, then Jesus began to teach about the church.

To begin with, he made a statement, You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church. Two important things we must consider are, what is the rock Jesus was talking about, and who builds the church.

the rock

There are two opinions as to what the rock is. I believe there is truth to be gleaned from both.

One meaning is based on the literal wording of Jesus’ statement, saying that Peter, himself is the initial rock, and therefore that this statement was an apostolic appointment. Ephesians 2:19 and 20 supports this application, saying we, as the church, are the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.

The Roman Catholic Church takes this as meaning that Peter was appointed the first Pope. Whether or not there was an unbroken line of apostles, or popes, carrying the exact same mandate as Peter up until the present or not, we can at least recognise the inference to an anointed leadership of some sort. Many believe that the apostles are here today as missionaries or as anointed pastors of large mega-churches. I believe these can be regarded as apostles to an extent, but that at present, the apostolic gifting hasn’t been released yet as it will be. I won’t dwell on this, because when that time comes, the apostles will speak for themselves, and we’ll know them in the same way as ‘The sheep know His voice’ (John 10).

However the other possible meaning of rock that does apply to us all, is related to how Peter qualified to be a rock in the first place, through the revelation of who Jesus is. Peter said, later, in his epistles (I Peter 2:4,5 NKJV):

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones , are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Who would better know what Jesus was referring to than Peter, himself? According to his epistle, Peter isn’t the only rock Jesus had in mind. In the above verse, he refers also to Jesus as the living cornerstone, and all of us as living building stones. We, like Peter, become living stones on our realisation of who Jesus is, and then we are built into the spiritual house, the church.

The statement could thus be paraphrased and amplified: Because of this revelation, you are ‘Rock’ – on this revelation of Me, the Cornerstone, I will lay you in as a foundation on which to build many other rocks into my church.

Peter’s place as part of the the foundation of the apostles and prophets, is also inferred in this as well, but for us, the most important thing is that the revelation of Jesus as Messiah, the Son of the living God is what makes us a part. According to Ephesians 4, the apostles and prophets and other gifts are there to build us more firmly into the the full stature of Christ.

The other important question answered by Jesus’ statement is:

who builds the church?

Peter and the other apostles and prophets are part of the foundation, and we are all stones in the building, but Jesus said, I will build My church.

The church isn’t an organisation that someone can simply start up by submitting papers to the appropriate civil authorities requesting recognition as a registered charity. Only Jesus can build the church.

It’s interesting that there is no command anywhere in the New Testament for the disciples to go out and plant churches. There are commands to ‘preach the gospel to every creature’ (Mark 16:15), to ‘be wittnesses’ (Acts 1:8), and to ‘make disciples’ (Matt 28:19), but none to start churches. Jesus is the builder of the church.

Even in the book of Acts and in the epistles, there’s no mention of the word ‘church’ in connection with establishing churches. Never is it directly said that Paul or anyone else established or planted or started a church. Only that he preached the gospel and made disciples. Only after the disciples are made are the group of them referred to as a church. If you don’t believe me, do a word search on ‘church’ and ‘churches’.

You won’t find any references to anyone but Jesus building the church. What you will find are verses like the following that reinforce Jesus’ role in both starting, building up, exercising authority and being Head of the church:

• Acts 2:47 the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

• Acts 20:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

• I Cor 12:28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

• Eph 1:22,23 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

• Eph 5:23-27 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Saviour of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church , not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

• Col 1:24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,

• Heb 12:22,23 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect

• Rev 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands which you saw are the seven churches.

• Rev 2:1-5 To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘... Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent...’

• Rev 2: 12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘... Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against [those who hold the doctrine of Balaam & those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans] with the sword of My mouth...’

• Rev 2:18-23 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘...I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts...’

• Rev 3:14-20 And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘...I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ... Behold, I stand at the door [of the church] and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me...’ (NKJV)

Most of the above references are to the church in general, the universal Body of Christ, but the last few are regarding seven local congregations listed in Revelation¹⁷. These are, of course the congregations of whole cities, which would have included numerous house churches. For instance, Paul also mentioned a church that met in the home of Aquila and Priscilla while they lived in Ehpesus (I Cor16:19) and again later in Rome (Rom 16:5). Of course, there was much more solidarity between the house churches – not like today where you have the First Baptist Church here, and within earshot, 3^rd Street Assemblies of God, and further down, 2^nd Presbyterian Church, right next door to Park Street Toronto Blessing Centre, each of whom have their doubts about the other. On the other hand, they were probably not simply all cell groups of the same big church like we see today in many places, all studying from the same curriculum. The word ‘church’ seemed to apply to the house groups, just as it applied to the whole church in the city and to the Body of Christ as a whole. However, it was not the same word ‘church’ that we know today.

The concept of the church existed, as is clearly stated in the above verses, but the word, ‘church’ didn’t. What I mean is, in the ‘Christian culture’ that existed then, there was no word that just meant ‘church’ as we mean today. The word that they used meant, ‘assembly’, or ‘congregation’ in the sense of a Jewish synagogue. ‘Assembly’, of course, meant what we mean today, a bunch of people gathered together for a common purpose – any purpose. The Greeks used it to mean a political meeting, or a called together meeting of the towns people to agree on civic decisions. The Greek speaking Jews used the same word to refer to the gathering of a sufficient number of their men to conduct a communal worship service. In this context, it has a meaning for us, which we’ll discuss in a bit.

So, our English word, ‘church’, is only a translation of a generic Greek or Hebrew word that only meant a gathered group of people. Maybe the word, network would serve just as well – or kingbdom network. When Christians used their first century word in the universal sense, as we saw in the verses above, it meant ‘the people of God’ or worldwide network. In the city wide sense as we see with the seven churches in Revelation, it meant ‘the Christian community’ or kingdom network in this or that city. In the more local sense, it was the ‘group that meets at Priscillia’s house’ – a link in the network. What the context tells us in each instance is far more important than any standard definition. However, we can learn quite a lot from that, which we will do now.

the Matthew 18 passage

Since the next point in the Matthew 16 passage is also included in the next passage we are about to look at, we’ll save it till we get to it there. What we’ll look at now is the whole of Matthew 18, supplemented by a bit of the parallel passage in Mark 9:

Matt. 18:1-35 (with Mark 9:37-41 inserted in brackets between verses 5 and 6) At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me [and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.’

Now John answered Him, saying, ‘Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.’

But Jesus said, ‘Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.] But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

‘Woe to the world because of offences! For offences must come, but woe to that man by whom the offence comes! If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

‘Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

‘What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

‘Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

‘Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that “by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.’

Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’

Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

‘Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.

‘The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, “Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.”

‘Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

‘But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, “Pay me what you owe!”

‘So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.”

‘And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

‘So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.

‘Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?”

‘And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.’ (NKJV)

Two key concepts link this passage to the one in Matthew 16, the word ‘church’ and the teaching on binding and loosing. It’s as though Jesus is continuing the teaching he began there.

first things first

It’s significant that Jesus begins his teaching in this section by emphasising humility as being the key factor in the Kingdom Network. He illustrates it graphically by calling a child to Himself. To enter the kingdom, He said, one must become as a child – teachable, not ambitious, not seeking to control others, readily available without preconditions and accepting of others. Moreover, it’s the key to advancement in the Kingdom Network. The more childlike, the more humble, the more one promotes others above oneself, the farther one will be advanced. Those seeking greatness, as the disciples were when Jesus answered their question, are disqualified from it. True greatness only comes to those not actively seeking it, but rather, seeking to serve others.

With this Jesus sets the pattern of how things work in the Network – user-friendliness; inclusiveness whenever possible, as opposed to exclusiveness at every excuse to be so; people and relationships as being top priority.

Right about here, according to Mark’s account, Jesus addresses the question of someone outside their group casting out demons in Jesus’ name. John mistakenly thought that anyone not immediately associated with their group was not qualified to exercise kingdom authority. The fact that the person in question did not ‘follow us’ could mean that he was not a part of the authority structure within their immediate group, or that his understanding of the Bible was different. Roman Catholics and Anglicans would have said he could not claim apostolic succession. Evangelical Protestants would have said he lacked pastoral covering – or even apostolic covering, according to some. Maybe he was even a member of a cult!

Jesus’ response indicates that kingdom authority does not rest exclusively with any one church or organisation, but that all who exercise faith in the name of Jesus are a part of the network, however distantly related. It is indeed a network, not an organisation. Even the small act of offering a glass of cold water ties one into the network. The object is to include rather than to exclude.

The requirement of a childlike attitude, and the object of inclusiveness gives us a clue as to what the priorities are in the kingdom network. The general attitude of the world is, It’s okay to offend the ‘little people’ (i.e. children, the underprivileged, the ‘peons’, etc.) who have nothing to offer anyway; but we must respect the ‘great’, because it is they, that will offer us the chance to get ahead and become great ourselves.

asset value

We might not think so, but that attitude is hidden in every aspect of society, even where we pretend to be ‘politically correct’. How many times do we think that if we stick around successful people, their success will rub off? The Charismatic version of that is, ‘stick around people with the anointing, and their anointing will rub off on you!’ Are people without the anointing, or less successful people really of less value to God? Or are you sure you don’t have something that you ought to allow to rub off onto them – such as your friendship?

If you think about it, even the phrase, ‘Our people are our greatest assets’ reflects this attitude. Without realising it, those who say that are saying, in effect, people are no more than assets. That’s exactly the world’s attitude.

The kingdom attitude is just the opposite. It’s not our objective to become ‘great’, but rather, to humble ourselves, become as children and serve others. This attitude gives much greater priority to the ‘little people’, or those whose ‘asset value’ doesn’t seem as great.

So, Jesus said in verse 6, Woe to the world because of offences! For offences must come, but woe to that man by whom the offence comes! The worldly tendency to put an ‘asset value’ on people is a major cause of the offences in the world. Viewing the situation from a kingdom perspective, with kingdom priorities, we see that offending others is a serious matter. Any part of our lives, even a hand or foot, that causes ‘little people’ to stumble (or causes us to commit the sin of offending them), get rid of it. The inclusion of the passage on the man casting out demons in Jesus name in Marks account, and the man with 100 sheep in Matthew’s account indicate that the ‘little people’ means more than the young in age, but also those of less influence, ‘the peons’, or those that we would tend to disregard. Therefore, this sin can cover anything from betraying a child's trust, to giving the ‘cold shoulder’ to someone of less ‘importance’.

individual importance

In his parable of the lost sheep (verses 10-14), Jesus even goes so far as to indicate that not only are the ‘little people’ important, but also the individual apart from the collective whole. Political correctness pays lip service to the small, but too often, only as they find their place in society and put in their little bit. If not, they’re ‘sacrificed for the sake of the whole’.

Even in churches that seem to be operating more visibly in the gifts of the Spirit, it’s easy to fall into the attitude that if the other’s can’t keep up with us, or can’t accept our style, they’ll be left behind ‘eating our dust’. We have to be very careful of this attitude as it’s one of those that offends. Like a hand or a foot that causes us to offend, perhaps God could see fit to cut off our giftings if we don’t take heed. People, however large or small, or seemingly out of range of our teaching, or however slow to see the light, are far more important than our giftings and resources, and are worthwhile going out of our way for. They are the sole reason we have gifts in the first place.

God isn’t in such a hurry. We can’t afford to leave anyone behind.

Now, Jesus has given us the priorities we need before actually telling us how the network actually works. In the other passage, it was only after Peter came to a revelation of who Jesus is, that Jesus gave him the keys to the kingdom. In this passage, it’s only after making sure that we know that people and relationships, however small and seemingly unimportant, are top priority – indeed, the reason for the Kingdom Network – that He goes on to tell us how to administrate the network and tap into it’s power.

authority in the Kingdom Network

For those who haven’t realised the importance of people in the Kingdom Network, the next section (verses 15-20) would be entitled, ‘How To Get Rid of an Erring Brother or Sister’. That’s usually the result of reading only verses 15 to 20 without understanding it in relation to the surrounding context. Jesus’ objective in giving us this wasn’t to show us how to get rid of undesirables, but how to restore them. It’s in the act of restoring people that we begin to see the components of the Kingdom Network actually at work. The steps Jesus describes here are not for the purpose of verifying that the brother or sister is indeed in error or sin; but rather, they are each an additional attempt to induce him or her to repent and be restored. The erring brother or sister is the lost sheep that we, in the Kingdom Network must go out of our way to bring back into the fold.

Only once we understand this clearly can we look at how authority works in the kingdom of God, because that’s what the authority is there for. Those who are to be vested with the greatest authority in the Kingdom Network must be the most lowly and meek. That’s why Jesus prefaced the teaching by emphasising that the greatest in the kingdom must come humbly like a child. The more childlike and truly humble one is, the more naturally sensitive one will be towards those needing to be restored.

In the context of the kingdom network, we see that authority rests in two groups: in verse 16, in the two or three witnesses, and in verse 17, the congregation, or the minyan.

When Jesus gave the above teaching, it was to a group of Jewish, synagogue going, working men who had a general knowledge of how their legal system worked. He didn’t have to explain it to them in depth, because they already knew how their system of handling legal and social problems worked. Perhaps if we took a brief look at the Jewish legal system we’d have a clearer understanding.

The concept of the two or three witnesses is found in Deuteronomy 19:15:

One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. (NKJV) (see also Deut. 17:2-7)

The concept of the congregation in judging is found in Numbers 35:24,25:

then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgements. So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. (NKJV)

The concept of the congregation is very important in the Jewish community. Even though I’m not Jewish, I’ve been to synagogue services on a number of occasions. On one occasion, I arrived thinking I was late, and that the service would be already in full session. Instead, I found just a few of the members standing around, chatting. They asked me immediately if I were Jewish – not because I wasn’t welcome to participate, but because there were only nine of them otherwise, and they needed a quorum of ten Jewish men, or a minyan in order to have an official synagogue service. We didn’t have ten, so after a while, we adjourned to the social room for the after service kiddush and refreshments. Once everyone was thoroughly engaged in chit-chat, along came a family of stragglers, and everyone said, ‘Here comes our minyan!’ On another occasion, I was in a situation where there were eight of them, plus myself, waiting for the minyan before commencing, and I was afraid I would be mistaken for a Jew, and they’d begin the service, under the assumption that they had their ten. Two more showed up, which made ten, not including myself, so my mind was at ease.

Why do they settle on ten? The rabbis cite a number of inferences in various passages, such as Abraham’s pleading on behalf of the city of Sodom. His final plea was, would God spare Sodom on account of ten? For one congregation of ten, God would spare the city of Sodom from destruction. Abraham didn’t feel the need to go any lower. Then, there is the passage in Numbers 14:27, cited by the following passage from the Mishnah, in which the ten spies are referred to as a congregation. Also, in Exodus 18:21 Moses set up a hierarchy of elders, the lowest rank being ‘leaders of ten’, inferring that congregations, or what we could today call cell churches, were composed of ten people.

This following passages from the Mishnah will also explain the legal structure of the Jewish community that has existed from ancient times. By way of explanation, the smaller court, or Sanhedrin, which dealt with capital offences consisted of 32 members. Minor infractions were dealt with by a court of three judges, and the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, consisting of 72, was like a supreme court.

Whence is it that the small Sanhedrin consisted of twenty-three? As it is said, "The congregation shall judge ... the congregation shall deliver: (Num 35:24 f). Since a "congregation" judges (i.e. convicts) and a "congregation" delivers (i.e. acquits), we have a total of twenty judges. But whence is it that the term "congregation" denotes ten persons? As it is said, "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation?" (Num 14:27). Here it refers to the twelve spies with the exclusion of Joshua and Caleb (and therefore indicates a body of ten persons). Whence is it that three more are to be added to the twenty? This is deduced from the text, "To be after a majority for evil" (i.e. a conviction, sic Exod. 23:2). I infer that I may follow a majority for good (i.e. for acquittal); if so, what is the purpose of the words "To be after a majority"? They teach that there is a difference in the majority required for an acquittal and a conviction. For the former a majority of one suffices; for the latter two are necessary (and so twenty-two are required); and to avoid the Court being equally divided one more is added, giving a total of twenty-three. What must the population of a town be to qualify for a Sanhedrin of its own? One hundred and twenty. Rabbi Nehemiah said, Two hundred and thirty, so that each member (of the Sanhedrin) should be "a ruler of ten" (Exod. 18:21) (Mishnah: Sanh. 1:6/ A.Cohen, Everyman's Talmud; p. 302 f.)

Civil cases are decided by a court of three. According to Rabbi Meir, each party selects one judge and they jointly select the third. The Rabbis assert, the two selected judges appoint the third. Each party can reject the nominee of the third, so declares Rabbi Meir; but the Rabbis assert, They can only do so on bringing proof that the nominees are related to the litigants or otherwise disqualified. If, however, they are fit to act as judges or are experts, they cannot be disqualified (Mishnah: Sanh. 3:1/ A.Cohen, p. 304)

We won’t go into detail in explaining the above passage, as it’s mostly self explanatory. Some may feel that we are being overly highbrow as it is simply by referring to rabbinical sources. However, the rabbinical understanding of the first century forms the basis of quite a few things that we do and believe today. The following are examples:

Today, in many of our court systems, a unanimous decision by a jury of 12 is required to convict. This is based on the majority of 12 required of a Sanhedrin of 23 judges.

For that reason, the number,144,000, in Revelation is significant. Why is the number of God’s special servants set at this figure? That’s 12,000 from each tribe, or 1000 majorities, as though that were the official number needed from each tribe of Israel to welcome Messiah

It is also interesting to note that on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell initially on 120 believers, which included 12 apostles. Each apostle was thus a ‘ruler of ten’.

In the understanding of the Jewish community, there must be ten male adult Jews present to make the minyan before they can have the worship service. But this is true both in the local synagogue building, and anywhere else as well. In other words, if ten Jewish men, each from a different country, just happen to find themselves on the same airline flight, they also can conduct a worship service right on the aeroplane. It would be just as much a Jewish worship service as one conducted in a synagogue with ten members of the local community.

However, all of this is not to say that we must legalistically stick to the number ten, or that if we do, they must all be adult males; but simply to show how important, in the understanding of the Jewish community, is the concept of the congregation.

The Jewish understanding of minyan was also the basis of the first century Christian understanding of the congregation. We see this from the way Jesus simply referred to the congregation without otherwise explaining what He meant. He didn’t suddenly coin a new word on the spot while He was teaching, and He certainly wasn’t referring to Paul’s epistles, as they weren’t written yet. What He said was, ‘...if he will not hear, take with you one or two more [witnesses], that “by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the local congregation or minyan. But if he refuses even to hear the local congregation or minyan, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.’ (Matt 18:17 NKJV my own paraphrase in bold types)

This also helps us see exactly where the church departed from God’s idea of what’s a church. The Christian community, early in our history, began to place an important role on the building. To most of us today, the word ‘church’ conjures up an image of a building with a steeple with a cross at the very top. Is the church a literal building? In some cases we go so far as to call it ‘holy ground’, or ‘the house of God’. Christian folk lore, as depicted in films like The Omen, even holds that the physical ‘church’ building is a place where one is safe from demons and witchcraft curses! While the Jewish community does place a value on their synagogue buildings, they have never lost sight of what actually constitutes a congregation.

In the step by step instructions of Jesus in exercising authority in the church, the first step was the word of the two or three witnesses, and then, the congregation. The two or three seems to have a double meaning, both in the rabbinical understanding, and in Jesus’ teaching. Three elders of the community sat to judge in minor offences, and two or three were required to testify against the accused. After Jesus’ mentioning of the two or three witnesses and the congregation, He then teaches about the power of agreement vested in the two or three (verses 18,19):

Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

The statement on binding and loosing was also made in the passage in Matthew 16, right after Jesus told Peter that ‘on this rock’ He would build the church.

In one sense, this would allude to the authority of those in apostolic leadership, the rock, or the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph 2:19,20). The terms, to ‘bind’ and ‘loose’ are rabbinical terms that refer to the concept of diney torah, or the binding decision. Whenever there was a question regarding the application of a point of the law, where the wording in the scripture seemed to give no obvious solution, the court would discuss the situation, and search for further scripture and other possible meanings of the words. When a decision was made, it was then a set precedent that could be referred to in later cases. Many of these precedents, or halakot, are recorded in the Mishnah and the Talmud. The local elders and the rabbinical councils were thus empowered to make decisions on behalf of the Jewish community as to what was legal and what wasn’t. It’s this same authority that Jesus gave to the church.

But we’ve always been taught that the binding and loosing was to bind demons, and to loose answers to prayer. What about all our teachings on faith?

Jesus once demonstrated that authority did not just reside in one sphere only. In Mark 1:23-25, it says that Jesus spoke with authority in teaching the scriptures. This would have been in the form of declaring what God’s intent was in inspiring the scripture in the first place, or diney torah. He said things like, ‘You have heard that it was said ... but I say to you ...’ (Matt 5). The people were already awed by this speaking with authority in this way, and then suddenly, Jesus demonstrated the same authority in a different realm – that of the spirit, by casting a demon out of a man. We of course see later that this authority also worked towards healing the sick and even calming the sea.

From this demonstration, we see that the same authority given to the church to render decisions and speak authoritative, is exactly the same authority as that is used to cast out demons and bind principalities, and loose people from their afflictions.

So in the kingdom network, the two or three have the authority to judge, or determine if a course of action is scriptural or not (with the confirmation of the congregation according to vs 17); and they have the power of agreement in casting out devils and praying the prayer of agreement.

In one sense, this all seems new to us because we haven’t seen it at work yet in our own time.

Or have we?

Was the Ulster Covenant a diney torah made by the church of Northern Ireland? Notice the wording, ... we ... do hereby pledge ourselves in solemn Covenant throughout this our time of threatened calamity to stand by one another in defending ourselves and our children our cherished position of equal citizenship in the United Kingdom, and using all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland.... Having bound ourselves to such an oath, and loosing the option of ‘using all means which may be found necessary’, is the church in Northern Ireland in the position to put a stop to the violence of the Protestant para-militaries? We, the church, loosed it ourselves, therefore, it’s loosed in heaven. God will not come down and stop the violence until the church renounces what it has loosed.

Perhaps there are other declarations that the churches in various locations have made throughout history that could account for the way things are. Where this is so, God won’t step in to solve the problems, because He gave that authority to the church of that location. In the above example, the churches in Northern Ireland united to make the binding and loosing statements, using this authority in a negative way. However, there are also many cities in the world today where the churches decided to pray together and join in making binding and loosing declarations in a way that opened the heavens, loosing God’s blessings over their city. There are excellent books already written on this, so I won’t go into detail here.¹⁸

Jesus imparted this authority to the ‘two or three’, and also to the congregation. He also went so far to say that where two or three are gathered, He Himself would be present. Compare that with the following passage from the Talmud:

Whence is it that when ten assemble for prayer the Shechinah is in their midst? As it is said, "God standeth in the godly congregation" (Ps. lxxxii. 1). And whence is it that when three sit and judge, the Shechinah is in their midst? As it is said, "In the midst of the judges He judgeth" (ibid). And whence is it that when two sit and occupy themselves with the study of the Torah, the Shechinah is in their midst? As it is said, "Then they that feared the Lord spoke one with another, and the Lord hearkened and heard" (Mal iii. 16). And whence is it that even if an individual sits and occupies himself with the study of the Torah the Shechinah is with him? As it is said, "In every place where I cause My name to be remembered I will come unto thee and will bless thee" (Exod. xx. 24). (Talmud, Berachot 6a)

The Shechinah is a rabbinical term used to mean the presence of God. It’s derived from a root word that means to dwell, and the concept is that in the tabernacle, and later with the temple of Solomon, God dwelled with His people. Shechinah literally means, the dwelling (in the active sense).

If we compare the concept expressed in the passage from the Talmud with the statement of Jesus, ‘there am I in the midst of them’, we can conclude that Jesus was identifying Himself as the very dwelling of God, or the Shechinah. Actually, this concept also helps shed light on the doctrine of the Trinity – God sent His Shechinah to be born as a man, Messiah. It’s the same concept as the Logos of John 1:1.

This same Shechinah is with the two or three gathered in Jesus’ Name, and it is with the congregation that assembles for prayer. When the Shechinah is in our midst, there is authority, because this Shechinah is the Head of the Church, Jesus.

Now, how does all this tie in with culture?

Our cultural definitions of the church involve just about everything but the congregation with Jesus present as the Shechinah.

Take, for example, the British cultural definition of the church – the Church of England. The Church of England fits just nicely into British culture. Good Englishmen, from birth, are christened into the church (at least in the old days they were), and are Christian by virtue of the fact that they are British. In the Church of England, apostolic succession is unbroken since the time of the apostles. During the Reformation, of course, the king became head of the church instead of the Pope of Rome, and all the bishops and archbishops became English bishops and archbishops instead of Roman ones, but they were still the same ones who had succeeded from the apostles.

By the cultural definition, the present Queen of England is the head of the church. By the actual definition of the church, as we’ve just looked at, Jesus is the Head. We are not members of the church by virtue of being Englishmen, or being christened with an English name, but by receiving the revelation of Jesus being Christ, Son of the Living God, just as Peter did.

However, an interesting thing has been happening. The C of E, as a whole has been shrinking in membership as more and more people are losing interest in Christianity. However, the number of churches within the C of E that are, what we call, Evangelical, or Charismatic are growing. In other words, that part of the C of E of which Christ is actually the Head is growing in numbers, and should soon turn the whole growth pattern of the C of E around as they become the majority.

Similar things are happening within the Catholic Church, as I gave the example in an earlier chapter. Also, within all the denominations. That’s why I said, at the beginning of the chapter, that once we truly know what the church is, we will be free to recognise it in more places than we thought it existed before.

Maybe there are members of the Kingdom Halls (Jehovah’s Witnesses) and the Mormon Churches¹⁹ that have, by no fault of the hierarchies, accidentally met the true Jesus. As we noted in earlier chapters, there are Muslims and Hindus as well as Orthodox rabbis who have had an encounter with Jesus. Does the sign over the door have anything to do with whether it is or isn’t the church?

Back in the days when I was involved in Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship, we were very careful to insist that our gatherings were not church gatherings. We were afraid of frightening the local pastors who would see us as being in competition with the existing churches. Of course, we were going by the ‘Christian cultural’ definition of what a church is. In my heart, I had the feeling that maybe we were the church after all. Now, I’m more convinced than ever that my feelings were right. Anywhere where believers in Jesus are in fellowship, inside or outside of organisational structure, there is the minyan, and thus, the Shechinah. There are churches in office buildings and factories where believers meet for prayer during their lunch breaks. There are people among them moving in gifts of pastor and teacher, who give private council and encouragement to their fellow workers, as true servants that God called us to be. There are apostles who have no idea that they are apostles, and yet, are moving in the leadership gifts. They are as children, humble, and least in the ‘cultural church’ but great in the Kingdom Network.

what keeps us together?

In making statements like these, am I encouraging ‘church hopping’? Am I giving licence to Christians who refuse to settle down and be faithful to a particular church?

Not if the mortar that sticks us together is relationship. Where relationships are strong, the local church is strong. Where people are committed to each other, not programs or schedules, they won’t easily forsake the local fold for something more exciting. We are, after all a building composed of building blocks, not a leaky bag of marbles.

No matter how strong a church seems to be, how mature the members, how professional the PR, how in-depth the teaching, if the members are only casual in regard to their relationship towards one another, the church is weak. If church members are treated like assets, or church programs are carried out with a view to good human resources management, then what we have is, at best, a leaky bag for keeping marbles in. Once the bag goes, the marbles scatter.

Some would still ask, what about covering?

We are covered by our relationships with one another. Just as a husband who is committed to his wife, we won’t stray far from our brothers and sisters in Christ whom we love and honour. In a relationship, we remain accountable to one another and seek one another for prayer and council, not because we feel obligated to, but because we simply love and honour one another too much to do otherwise.

Some, of course, still insist on the covering of the cloth type – as in a cloth bag to keep marbles in – but that’s no match for allowing the Master Builder to reshape us into blocks that won’t role, and set us into a building.

A building built with blocks, each designed to fit into a special place in that building, will stand any crises. What enables us maintain our square shape, so as to fit, is how we relate to our fellow believers. One of the most important aspects of this is the issue Jesus addressed at the end of the Matthew 18 passage, forgiveness.

One of the biggest reasons for changing churches is unresolved conflict with the members or leaders of the previous church. Unforgiveness sends them rolling away like marbles.

During the first centuries of church history, there weren’t a large number of churches in town where one could roll to if one were dissatisfied with one’s own church. They had no choice but to resolve their problems with one another. As the following passage from The Didache, an early second century church document shows, they took relationship very seriously:

14 On the Lord's own day gather yourselves together and break bread and give thanks, first confessing your transgressions, so that your sacrifice may be pure. Let no man who has a dispute with his fellow join your assembly until they have been reconciled, so that your sacrifice may not be defiled; for it was this sacrifice that was spoken of by the Lord; "In every place and at every time offer Me a pure sacrifice; for I am a great king, says the Lord, and My name is wonderful among the nations."

15. Therefore, appoint for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men who are meek and not lovers of money, and true and approved; for to you they also perform the service of the prophets and teachers. Therefore don't despise them; for they are your honourable men along with the prophets and teachers.

Reprove one another, not in anger but in peace, as you find in the Gospel; and let no one speak to any who has gone wrong towards his neighbour, nor let him hear a word from you, until he repents. But in your prayers and your alms giving and all your deeds, do as you find it in the Gospel of our Lord. ²⁰

If we suddenly began applying the above guideline in our churches today, how many members would we have left? Or, more to the point, do you suppose the church today is weak because we don’t? Is that why we have to preach so endlessly against church-hopping, and do backward somersaults to make the grass seem greener on our side of the fence?

Once the revelation of Jesus becomes central to the life of the church, and the ones in leadership are those who are the most humble, childlike servants of all, and as the above passage states, worthy of the Lord, men who are meek and not lovers of money, and true and approved, then, we will see the church built as a building, both locally, and the entire Kingdom Network.

in summary – two basic principals

The most basic principal is the revelation of Christ. We’ll never know who we are until we truly know, by revelation who Christ is.

Once we know who Christ is, we can also know who we are because of Him, sons and daughters of God. Only then, can we be at liberty to cease to try to be anything that we’re not – i.e. Christian culture – and simply be members of our various cultures who have been regenerated by the Shechinah in our midst.

The second basic principal is humbling ourselves and coming as a child.

Once we’ve been transformed by our revelation of Christ, and we allow His love to have top priority in our decisions by promoting others above ourselves, and being sensitive to relationships, rather than judging people according to their ‘asset value’; we’ll then be in the position to see the value of other cultures, and readily open ourselves to what they can teach us. Then, we’ll truly be strong and effective links in the international Kingdom Network.

• Return to Table of Contents
• Go to Bibliography

Footnotes