Bible Doctrines of the New Testament Church's Ministries.... Bishop J. L. Payne

The Church and the New Testament

 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).

If the Bible is God's instruction manual, do we need the Church; or is the church to be a place where we come as a good place to make friends or we simply gather in the church as a place to learn about the Bible as a month of inspiration and knowledge.  The fact is that God sent His Son and this was the beginning of the New Testament to mankind and the process of salvation. The Church was founded by Christ and the Church development began with Him.

UNDERSTANDING

Are we as a Church in this age becoming  more unbiblical? The church should mean studying the  "the Bible." There are many who distrust the church. They feel we in the church have betrayed the teachings of Christ by many of actions in contrary to Christ's Words. . 

THE NEW TESTAMENT OF THE APOSTLES
 Apostle Paul speaks of the Scriptures as being inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16). At the time of the Apostle Paul writing of this statement, there was no "New Testament" in print to refer to the New Testament as a vital part of written Scriptures in the bible. However, the New Testament was  in process of formulation. As we study further, there is discovery that the early Christians used a Greek translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint. This translation, which was begun in Alexandria, Egypt, in the third century B.C., contained an expanded the canon of the scriptures  which included a number of books called "deuterocanonical" (or "apocryphal") books. Although there was some initial debate over these books, they were eventually received by Christians into the Old Testament canon. In reaction to the rise of Christianity, the Jews narrowed their canons and eventually excluded the deuterocanonical books-although they still regarded them as sacred. The modern Jewish canon was not rigidly fixed until the third century A.D. (Refer to Bishop Payne's book title "Bible Doctrines of the New Testament Church's Ministries"). It is also interesting to note that the later version of the Jewish canon of the Old Testament, rather than the canon of early Christianity,  is most modern text for Christians and Protestants today. What the Apostles lived and wrote is simple; it is  finalized in the New Testament and the Old Testament. 

EARLY APOSTLE'S WRITINGS
The New Testament books as we have them today did not appear until over 300 years after the death and resurrection of Christ. (The first complete listing was given by St. Athanasius in his Paschal Letter in A.D. 367.)  If the writing of the New Testament had been begun at the same time as the U.S. Constitution, we wouldn't see a final product until the year 2076! The four Gospels were written from thirty to sixty years after Jesus' death and resurrection. In the interim, the Church relied on oral tradition-the accounts of eyewitnesses-as well as scattered pre-gospel documents (such as those quoted in 1 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Timothy 2:11-13) and written tradition. Most churches of this era had only parts of what was to become the New Testament. As the eyewitnesses of Christ's life and teachings began to die, the Apostles wrote as they were guided by the Holy Spirit, in order to preserve and solidify the scattered written and oral tradition. Because the Apostles expected Christ to return soon, it seems they did not have in mind that these gospel accounts and apostolic letters would in time be collected into a new Bible. During the first four centuries A.D. there was substantial disagreement over which books should be included in the canon of Scripture. The first person on record who tried to establish a New Testament canon was the second-century heretic, Marcion. He wanted the Church to reject its Jewish heritage, and therefore he dispensed with the Old Testament entirely. Marcion's canon included only one gospel, which he himself edited, and ten of Paul's epistles. Sad but true, the first attempted New Testament was heretical. Many scholars believe that it was partly in reaction to this distorted canon of Marcion that the early Church determined to create a clearly defined canon of its own.

 The destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, the breakup of the Jewish-Christian community there, and the threatened loss of continuity in the oral tradition probably also contributed to the sense of the urgent need for the Church to standardize the list of books Christians could rely on. During this period of the canon's evolution, as previously noted, most churches had only a few, if any, of the apostolic writings available to them. The books of the Bible had to be painstakingly copied by hand, at great expense of time and effort. Also, because most people were illiterate, they could only be read by a privileged few. The exposure of most Christians to the Scriptures was confined to what they heard in the churches-the Law and Prophets, the Psalms, and some of the Apostles' memoirs. The persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire and the existence of many documents of non-apostolic origin further complicated the matter.  It  is the church powerful foundation that give the church survival and as give it the prospering force without a complete usage of the New Testament's document. Unquestionably, the Early church accomplished this success. They walked in the total life of Christ's Words and Teaching. The Church had the written Word in their hearts.

OTHER GOSPELS ACCORDING TO WHOM?
 The "gospels" we refer to are those other than the New Testament canon and were circulating in the first and second centuries. These included the Gospel according to the Hebrews, the Gospel according to the Egyptians, and the Gospel according to Peter, to name just a few. The New Testament itself speaks of the existence of such accounts. Saint Luke's Gospel begins by saying, "Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us . . . it seemed good to me also . . . to write to you an orderly account" (Luke 1:1, 3). At the time Luke wrote the his gospel; prior to this writing only  Matthew and Mark were the only two canonical Gospels that had been written. In time, all but four Gospels were excluded from the New Testament canon. Yet in the early years of Christianity there was even a controversy over which of these four Gospels to use. Most of the Christians of Asia Minor used the Gospel of John rather than the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Based upon the Passion account contained in John, most Christians in Asia Minor celebrated Easter on a different day from those in Rome. Roman Christians resisted the Gospel of John and instead used the other Gospels. The Western Church for a time hesitated to use the Gospel of John because the Gnostic heretics made use of it along with their own "secret gospels." Another debate arose over the issue of whether there should be separate gospels or one single composite gospel account. In the second century, Tatian, who was Justin Martyr's student, published a single composite "harmonized" gospel called the Diatessaron. The Syrian Church used this composite gospel in the second, third, and fourth centuries; they did not accept all four Gospels until the fifth century. They also ignored for a time the Epistles of John, 2 Peter, and the Book of Revelation. To further complicate matters, the Church of Egypt, as reflected in the second-century New Testament canon of Clement of Alexandria, included the "gospels" of the Hebrews, the Egyptians, and Mattathias. In addition they held to be of apostolic origin the First Epistle of Clement (Bishop of Rome), the Epistle of Barnabas, the Preaching of Peter, the Revelation of Peter, the Didache, the Protevangelium of James, the Acts of John, the Acts of Paul, and The Shepherd of Hermas (which they held to be especially inspired). Irenaeus (second century), martyred Bishop of Lyons in Gaul, included the Revelation of Peter in his canon.

CONTROVERSIAL BOOKS
The Epistle to the Hebrews, was clearly excluded in the Western Church in a number of listings from the second, third, and fourth centuries. Primarily due to the influence of Augustine upon certain North African councils, the Epistle to the Hebrews was finally accepted in the West by the end of the fourth century. On the other hand, the Book of Revelation, also known as the Apocalypse, written by the Apostle John, was not accepted in the Eastern Church for several centuries. Among Eastern authorities who rejected this book were Dionysius of Alexandria (third century), Eusebius (third century), Cyril of Jerusalem (fourth century), the Council of Laodicea (fourth century), John Chrysostom (fourth century), Theodore of Mopsuesta (fourth century), and Theodoret (fifth century). In addition, the original Syriac and Armenian versions of the New Testament omitted this book. Many Greek New Testament manuscripts written before the ninth century do not contain the Apocalypse, and it is not used liturgically in the Eastern Church to this day. Athanasius supported the inclusion of the Apocalypse, and it is due primarily to his influence that it was eventually received into the New Testament canon in the East. The early Church actually seems to have made an internal compromise on the Apocalypse and Hebrews. The East would have excluded the Apocalypse from the canon, while the West would have done without Hebrews. Both sides agreed to accept the disputed book of the other. During the sixteenth-century,  Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation,  held that the New Testament books should be 'reconsidered' or given a 'grade' and that some were more inspired than others (that there is a canon within the canon). Martin Luther gave secondary rank to Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation, placing them at the end of his translation of the New Testament. Luther gave the 'sola scriptura' and assumed the authority to edit the present written Word of God!

THE NEW TESTAMENT DEVELOPS
Where is the legitimate edivence of New Testament books. There are those who believe that the Muratorian Canon is the oldest, dating from the late second century. This canon excludes Hebrews, James, and the two Epistles of Peter, but includes the Apocalypse of Peter and the Wisdom of Solomon. It is not until A.D. 200-about 170 years after the death and resurrection of Christ, that we first see the term "New Testament" used, by Tertullian. Origen, who lived in the third century, is often considered to be the first systematic theologian.  He questioned the authenticity of 2 Peter and 2 John. He also tells us, based on his extensive travels, that there were churches which refused to use 2 Timothy because the epistle speaks of a "secret" writing-the Book of Jannes and Jambres, derived from Jewish oral tradition (see 2 Timothy 3:8). The Book of Jude was also considered suspect by some because it includes a quotation from the apocryphal book, The Assumption of Moses, also derived from Jewish oral tradition (see Jude 9). Moving into the fourth century, one discovers that Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea and the "Father of Church History," lists as disputed books James, Jude, 2 Peter, and 2 and 3 John. The Revelation of John he totally rejects. Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest complete New Testament manuscript we have today, was discovered in the Orthodox Christian monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai. It is dated as being from the fourth century and it contains all of the books we have in the modern New Testament, but also includes Barnabas and The Shepherd of Hermas. During the fourth century, Emperor Constantine was frustrated by the controversy between Christians and Arians concerning the divinity of Christ. Because the New Testament had not yet been clearly defined, he pressed for a clearer defining and closing of the New Testament canon, in order to help resolve the conflict and bring religious unity to his divided Empire. However, as late as the fifth century the Codex Alexandrinus included 1 and 2 Clement, indicating that the disputes over the canon were still not everywhere firmly resolved.

APOSTOLIC
Within time the Church discerned which writings were truly apostolic and which were not. It was a prolonged struggle, taking place over several centuries. As part of the process of discernment, the Church came together several times in council. The Church councils confronted a variety of issues, among which was the canon of Scripture. It is important to note that the purpose of these councils were to discern and confirm what was already generally accepted within the Church at large. The councils did not legislate the canon so much as set forth what had become self-evident truth and practice within the Church. The councils sought to proclaim the common mind of the Church and to reflect the unanimity of faith, practice, and tradition as it already existed in the local churches represented. The councils provide us with specific records in which the Church spoke clearly and in unison as to what constitutes Scripture. Among the many councils that met during the first four centuries, two are particularly important in this context:
(1) The Council of Laodicea met in Asia Minor about A.D. 363. This is the first council which clearly listed the canonical books of the present Old and New Testaments, with the exception of the Apocalypse of Saint John. The Laodicean council stated that only the canonical books it listed should be read in church. Its decisions were widely accepted in the Eastern Church.
(2) The third Council of Carthage met in North Africa about A.D. 397. This council, attended by Augustine, provided a full list of the canonical books of both the Old and New Testaments. The twenty-seven books of the present-day New Testament were accepted as canonical. The council also held that these books should be read in the church as Divine Scripture to the exclusion of all others. This Council was widely accepted as authoritative in the West.

The New Testament consisted of twenty-seven separate documents which, inspired by God was written and compiled by the Apostles.. It was also clear that this work had not been accomplished by individuals working in isolation, and by the collective effort of all Christians everywhere; the Body of Christ, the Church. The authority of the Church ENDORSED these compiled scriptures.

CHRIST, THE FOUNDER OF THE CHURCH
Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, is not only God but also man. Christ is a single Person with two natures-divine and human. To de-emphasize Christ's humanity leads to heresy. The ancient Church taught that the Incarnate Word was fully human-in fact, as human as it is possible to be-and yet without sin. In His humanity, the Incarnate Word was born, grew, and matured into manhood. I came to realize that this view of the Incarnate Word of God, the Logos, Jesus Christ, paralleled the early Christian view of the written Word of God, the Bible. The written Word of God reflects not only the divine thought, but a human contribution as well. The Word of God conveys truth to us as written by men, conveying the thoughts, personalities, and even limitations and weaknesses of the writers-inspired by God, to be sure. This means that the human element in the Bible is not overwhelmed so as to be lost in the ocean of the divine. It is clear that as Christ Himself was born, grew, and matured, so also did the written Word of God, the Bible.  The Apostles freely cooperated with the will of God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to write scriptures.

Church's authority

The Church have determined which books composed the Scriptures; their realizes authority had been given them.  God spoke authoritatively His written Word to the Church. The written Word of God is concrete and revealing to the Church. The Church is visible and reveals the Kingdom of God in the earth, but  located physically upon the earth. The Church has an earthly assembly of people. The New Testament is about real bodies of churches, not ethereal ones. God has spoken authoritatively, not only through the Bible and scriptures, but speaks through His Church. The very Church which in whom He had produced, protected, and actively preserved the Scriptures. 

THE CHURCH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
is in view of the every Christians. God spoke His Word not only to but through His Body, the Church. It was within His Body, the Church, that the Word was confirmed and established. Without question, the Scriptures were looked upon by early Christians as God's active revelation of Himself to the world. At the same time, the Church was understood as the household of God, "having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord" (Ephesians 2:20, 21). God has His Word, but He also has His Body. The New Testament says: (1) "Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually" (1 Corinthians 12:27; compare Romans 12:5). (2) "He [Christ] is the head of the body, the church" (Colossians 1:18). (3) "And He [the Father] put all things under His [the Son's] feet, and gave Him to be head overall things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:22, 23). In early times there was no organic separation between Bible and Church, as we so often find today. The Body without the Word is without message, but the Word without the Body is without foundation. As Paul writes, the Body is "the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). The Church is the Living Body of the Incarnate Lord. The Apostle does not say that the New Testament is the pillar and ground of the truth. The Church is the pillar and foundation of the truth because the New Testament was built upon her life in God. In short, she wrote it! She is an integral part of the gospel message, and it is within the Church that the New Testament was written and preserved.

THE SPOKEN WORD OF GOD 
The Apostle Paul exhorts us, "Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle" (2 Thessalonians 2:15). The very God who speaks to us through His written Word, the Bible, spoke also through the Apostles of Christ as they taught and preached in person. The Scriptures themselves teach in this passage that this oral tradition is what we are also to keep! Written and oral tradition are not in conflict, but are parts of one whole. We are not reject Holy Tradition. It is resolved that the Church or the New Testament is part and parcel of the Incarnate Word of God. Jesus Christ, had called the Apostles, who in turn formed the nucleus of the Christian Church. The Eternal Word of God had preceded the Church and gave birth to the Church. Ephesians says, "God has chosen us in Him before the foundation that we should live holy in Him. When the Church has the Incarnate Word of God and commits God's Word to writing, the Church then participated with God in giving birth to the written Word, the New Testament. Thus it was the Church which gave birth to and preceded the New Testament. To the question, "Which came first, the Church or the New Testament?" the answer, both biblically and historically, is crystal clear. Someone might protest, "Does it really make any difference which came first? After all, the Bible contains everything that we need for salvation." The Bible is adequate for salvation in the sense that it contains the foundational material needed to establish us on the correct path. On the other hand, it is wrong to consider the Bible as being self-sufficient and self-interpreting. The Bible is meant to be read and understood by the illumination of God's Holy Spirit within the life of the Church. Did not the Lord Himself tell His disciples, just prior to His crucifixion, "When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come" (John 16:13)? He also said, "I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). Our Lord did not leave us with only a book to guide us. He left us with His Church. The Holy Spirit within the Church teaches us, and His teaching complements Scripture. It is foolish to believe that God's illumination of scriptures ceased after the New Testament books were written and did not resume until the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century, and it foolish to make an argument of God ever being static at any point of His existence among men. God through His Holy Spirit was in the Church throughout the centuries following the New Testament period, leading, teaching, and illuminating Church understanding of the gospel message. The Church has not been a spiritual orphan, but authoritative" teaching the Word of God in Scripture, "for God is not the author of confusion but of peace" (1 Corinthians 14:33).

A TIME TO DECIDE
The Church is an active participant in the development of God kingdom in the earth and and the preservation of saved souls. Rather than trying to understand or judge the Church according to our modem preconceptions about what the Bible was saying, we need to humble ourselves before the teaching of scriptures and come into union with the Christ and His Church that produced the New Testament, and allow Christ to guide us into an  understanding of Holy Scripture. there must be profound study of the Foundation laid by God in His Church. Let not look at the various church bodies as a guide; but realized that Bible is not dead and the New Testament Church is alive. The Pentecostal Apostolic Church today has a direct and clear historical continuity with the Church of the Apostles, and it preserves intact both the Scriptures and the Holy Tradition which enables us to interpret the New Testament  properly. But to deny and separate,  isolate the Scriptures from the Church, to deny 1500 years of history.  The true New Testament Church, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, identifies those books which compose the New Testament; they study the history of the early Church and the development of the New Testament canon. Using source documents where possible. (It is amazing how some of the most "conservative" Bible scholars of the evangelical community turn into cynical and rationalistic liberals when discussing early Church history!) Examine for yourself what happened to God's people after the twenty-eighth chapter of the Book of Acts. Read Acts of the Apostles in entirely. 

The life and work of God's Church did not come to a halt after the first century and then start up again in the sixteenth. If it had, we would not possess the New Testament books which are so foundational  to every Christian believer today. The separation of Church and Bible which is so prevalent in much of today's Christian world is a modern phenomenon. Early Christians made no such artificial distinctions. The New Testament Church is a historic Church which produced the New Testament, preserved it, and selected those books which would be part of its canon. Every Christian owes it to himself or herself to discover , study, know the Church and to understand its vital role in proclaiming God's Word to our generation.