| Highlights of Dawn | February 1964 |
Contemplating the Religious World
AS WE look out upon the religious world today we find it to be one in which the number of professed Christians is constantly becoming smaller in proportion to the total population. Anglican bishop, the Rt. Rev. John W. Sadiq, of Nagpur, India, who was an observer at the Vatican Council, later visited the United States and while here said that “about thirty per cent of the world population is now Christian. Unless the trend changes, by the end of the century only about sixteen to twenty per cent will be Christian.”—Kansas City Times
No matter what the reasons for this situation might be, the denominational churches, both Catholic and Protestant, are placed on the defensive, causing them to seek better understanding and a larger measure of unity among themselves in order to put up a more united front against increasing ungodliness and the encroachments of other religious faiths. The Ecumenical Council, another session of which closed in December, has as its long-range objective the fostering of a better understanding with the Protestant world, and perhaps even union with some of its branches.
According to Bishop Sadiq, the situation brought about in India by a divided church is particularly bad. He said that the whole country was opened to the Gospel in 1950 and that six different denominations immediately began to compete for the souls of men. He said that the missionaries were accused of causing disorder; that they seemed to stand for competition rather than peace and love. Thus they made nonsense of the Gospel of reconciliation.
The bishop asserted, in his sermon in Kansas City, that unity of the church, especially in India, has become a matter of life and death. The church must realize that it is in a terrible situation, the bishop continued. These sentiments seem to represent the feelings of many high dignitaries in the various denominations today, and for this reason they are pressing hard for unity, a unity which they hope will save them from foundering altogether in this rapidly changing world.
Change and Compromise
Both the Catholic and Protestant churches realize that they must make some changes in order to bring about unity. They speak of change, but seldom do we hear the word compromise used, although, judging from what they considered fundamental at one time, and which they are willing to give up, or relegate to the background now, compromise is a better word than change. The need for change has been particularly stressed in Catholic circles, this need being highlighted by the Ecumenical Council.
The Catholic Church, and in fact, all the churches, are desirous of getting as much publicity as possible through modern means of communication. So they like to present their views on television, over the radio, and in the public press, in as favorable light as possible. On television particularly, the general public can look within the Catholic Church, see and hear its services, note its pomp and ceremony, and determine whether or not they like what they see and hear. For this reason the church is anxious to present as favorable an image of itself as possible. This, of course, is also true of the other denominations.
At the Vatican Council, this has already brought about a drastic change, in that now priests are permitted to recite the mass in the language of the local community so that it can be understood. The ritual of the mass has no scriptural foundation. There is nothing in the Bible to indicate that gatherings of believers in the days of the Early Church adhered to rituals of any kind. The only exception to this was the annual commemoration of the death of Jesus by partaking of bread and wine. But this was a simple service, containing none of the ritualistic aspects of what is now called the mass.
While the use of an understandable language in the mass will help to take away some of its mystery, it would be still better if the church would give up the dogma that at the mass the bread and wine used is turned into the actual body and blood of Christ. The Bible view is that these elements represent the broken body and shed blood of Christ, and that the partaking of them is in commemoration of the Redeemer’s death. It is not a re-sacrificing of Jesus.
Tolerance
Another point discussed at length by the thousand bishops who attended the Vatican Council concerned the attitude of the Catholic Church toward Protestant denominations. For centuries the position of the Catholic Church has been that she is the one and only true church, and that members of other denominations are not Christians at all. True, in countries where Catholics have been in the minority, this view has been kept considerably in the background. But in countries where Catholics are well in the majority, it has been different.
In this day of growing tolerance among all professed Christian groups, this restricted Viewpoint of the Catholic Church has been growing more and more unpopular. But what to do about it is the problem confronting the Catholic Church. To change its position on this point would be tantamount to admitting that the Catholic Church is not the one and only true church. If nothing is done about it one of the main roadblocks to co-operation and unity with other groups would still remain.
A similar dilemma is presented by the claimed infallibility of the Pope. If the head of the Roman Catholic Church is infallible in his utterances, then he is in a position to overrule and and change any views expressed or advocated by others. None of the Protestant groups will accept a situation of this sort; so again, if there is ever to be co-operation and unity, this will have to be changed; the Catholic Church will have to admit that the Pope does not speak with greater authority than do the servants of other groups. In the last analysis, this would imply the necessity of returning to the Bible as alone the voice of authority among Christians.
God’s True Church
The word “church” is a translation of the Greek word Ekklesia. This word was used many times in the Vatican Council. It means “a calling out,” or a called-out class. Jesus said to his disciples, “I have chosen you out of the world.” (John 15:19) The aim of the Catholic Church, and of Protestant churches as well, has been to convert the whole world, and to bring everybody into the church. This aim overlooks the very meaning of the word church. The Bible does not teach that the whole world was to be brought into the church. In the great plan of God, the church remains a class “called out” from the world, a “little flock” to whom it is the Father’s good pleasure to give the rulership of the messianic kingdom.—Luke 12:32
The Head of this true Church is Christ. It has no pope enthroned in glory in Rome, or anywhere else in the world. It has twelve apostles, appointed by the Lord himself, and there are no successors to these. (Rev. 21:14) There are pastors, teachers, evangelists. (Eph. 4:11-15) In this true church of Christ there are no class distinctions such as clergy and laity. All are brethren, and one is their Master, even Christ.—Matt. 23:8,10
This one and only true church cannot be identified by man. Its roll of membership is not kept on earth, but in heaven. (Heb. 12:23) No one on earth has the privilege of examining this list to see whose names appear thereon. Only the Lord knows those who are his. (II Tim. 2:19) The Lord has revealed the qualifications for membership in his true church. These qualifications are belief in Christ as our Savior and Redeemer, a full consecration to do God’s will, and a daily, faithful following in the footsteps of the Master. Those who meet these qualifications are members of the true church, but only the Lord, who reads the hearts, can determine who these are.
To be Completed
The building or development of the church is not to go on forever. One day, and in the Lord’s due time, it will be completed, and when it is, all its members will have been exalted to heavenly glory to be with Christ, and to reign with him. (Rev. 20:6) Then there will be no church on earth at all; none, that is, which is recognized by the Lord. When completed and glorified, the true church, in association with Jesus, will be the channel through which God’s promised blessings of peace, health, and life will flow out to all the people of the earth.
Jesus said to Peter, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18) The “rock” referred to by Jesus, upon which he said he would build his church, was the great fact of his messiahship, to which Peter had just confessed. (vs. 16) In Ephesians 2:20 the Apostle Paul refers to Jesus as being “the chief corner stone” into which his church is built, and of which the apostle also says he is the foundation. (I Cor. 3:11; Phil. 3:20, RSV) In I Peter 2:6 we read concerning Jesus, that he, as the chief corner stone, was laid in Zion. This is a quotation from Isaiah 28:16. Jesus is identified thus as the corner stone in God’s building, the church, because he is the Messiah of promise, the One whom the Heavenly Father sent into the world to fulfill his promises of blessing.
In a promise to Abraham, the Messiah is referred to as a “Seed”—the “Seed” of Abraham. (Gen 12:3; 22:18; Gal. 3:16) The promise is that through this “Seed” all the families of the earth would be blessed. These promised blessings cannot reach the world until the church is completed. The reason for this is that the church is considered by God to be a part of the promised Seed. Paul points this out in Galatians 3:27-29, where we read that “as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
“If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed,” Paul wrote. It is not a matter of being a Catholic or a Protestant; a Baptist or a Methodist; a Lutheran or a Bible student. The qualification is to be “in Christ Jesus.” The only ones who are “in Christ Jesus” are those who have completely surrendered themselves to the doing of God’s will as they find it expressed in the Word of God. In the symbology of the Bible this is likened to the burial of our wills, a “baptism” into the body of Christ, which is the church. It is thus that each member of the church is added.—Eph. 1:22,23
Being a member of a religious group does not assure membership in the true Church of Christ. Oftentimes dedication to a creed, or to the rules and regulations of a church group, is mistaken for consecration to the Lord. Faithfulness to such a dedication might well stand in the way of knowing and doing the Lord’s will as it is set forth in his Word. The true church, being built upon Christ, is shaped in keeping with the great messianic purpose of God. It is the will of God that its members shall participate in that messianic purpose, and his will for them now is to be prepared for this great future work of blessing mankind with health and life.
Nothing Can Hinder
Jesus said that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against” his church. This is often taken to mean that nothing can harm God’s church, as though the “gates” of hell were reaching out to engulf and imprison her. But the correct thought is that the gates of hell will not be able to stand in the way, or in any way hinder, the great work of God which he has planned for Christ and his church.
The hell of the Bible is the death condition. Those who are in the death condition, or hell, are likened to prisoners. The Bible assures us that these prisoners are all to be released. (Isa. 61:1; Ezek. 37:12-14; Hosea 13:14) This means that the gates of hell are to be opened. In Revelation 1:18 the resurrected Jesus informs us that he has the “keys” of hell, meaning that he has the authority, and the power, to unlock this great prison of death, and set its captives free.
Let us recall the promise God made to Abraham that through his Seed all the families of the earth would be blessed. Where are all these people of earth? Where are those who lived in Abraham’s day, when God made that wonderful promise to him? They are dead. All who lived prior to that time are also dead. Those who have lived since are dead. The present generation is dying at the rate of one hundred thousand every twenty-four hours.
Those who are dead, in the Bible hell, are unconscious, and incapable of receiving blessings. (Eccles. 9:5,10) However, the promise is that the “Seed,” the great Messiah, is to bless all these people. In view of the circumstances, how can this be done? Only by releasing them from the prison of death. And Jesus has the keys to open the gates of hell. He purchased those keys by his own death as man’s Redeemer. He took the sinner’s place in hell, was restored to life by the power of his Heavenly Father, and now, having the authority and the power, will, in due time, restore all mankind from the sleep of death.
And the church will participate with Jesus in this great future work of blessing all mankind. The fact that the vast majority of those to be blessed are now dead will not interfere with the church’s future work. First, the members of the true church are themselves restored to life by divine power. The gates of hell are opened for their release. Then they are exalted to heavenly glory with Jesus, to be associated with him in the release of the remainder of mankind from death. No wonder Jesus said that the gates of hell will not prevail against his true church!
God’s promises to the dedicated followers of the Master assure them of a heavenly reward. They are called to a “heavenly calling.” (Heb. 3:1; II Pet. 1:4) Through a misunderstanding, these “exceeding great and precious promises” have been understood as expressing God’s provision for all who receive life through Christ. Many also suppose that God wants to get as many of the world into his church as possible, so the erroneous view is also held that all the saved must go to heaven.
Jesus promised his disciples that he would prepare a place for them, but he did not promise that he would prepare a special place for the whole world of mankind. (John 14:2,3) God’s provision for mankind in general was stated to Adam when God commanded him to multiply and to fill the earth. (Gen. 1:28) The earth was created to be man’s home. (Isa. 45:18) Jesus did not need to go away to prepare a place for mankind. It was already prepared. God gave man dominion over the earth. The earth was his domain. He forfeited this kingdom by his sin, but it was redeemed by Christ; and all the families of the earth who, when the time comes, qualify for eternal life, will hear those wonderful words, “Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”—Matt. 25:34
As the Sun
Jesus’ Parable of the Wheat and the Tares is a prophecy showing the development of the true church and its part in the plan of God. (Matt. 13:24-30,36-43) In this parable the faithful members of the true church are depicted as “wheat,” and the merely nominal members as “tares.” Jesus interprets the wheat to be “the children of the kingdom,” and the tares, “the children of the wicked one.” The original wheat in this parable was sown by Jesus, and the original tares by an “enemy,” “the Devil,” which crept into the field after the apostles fell asleep in death.
The title given by Jesus to the wheat class is significant—“the children of the kingdom.” These are enthused and begotten by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom. They have laid hold upon the promises of God which assure them that if they suffer and die with Jesus they will live and reign with him in his kingdom. (II Tim. 2:11,12) They are assured by Jesus’ promise, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:23) These lay down their lives bearing witness to the Gospel of the kingdom, even as Jesus did.
When, at the end of the age, the wheat class have all been developed, they are “harvested” into the “barn.” In his explanation of this point in the parable, Jesus said, “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Matt. 13:43) In a prophecy of the kingdom, Malachi wrote, “But unto you that fear [reverence] my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings.” (Mal. 4:2) This is a reference to the Messiah in his kingdom glory, shining forth for the foretold blessing of all the families of the earth. And we have Jesus’ assurance that “the children of the kingdom” in the parable will shine forth with the Messiah, as a part of that “Sun of Righteousness.”
There is surely a glorious hope set before “the children of the kingdom”; that is, those who compose the true church of Christ. But at the end of the age the tares are destroyed, not as individuals, but as tares, or imitation wheat. Throughout the age, and even now, these, as a body, have claimed, and are still claiming that they have reigned and are now reigning with Christ. Through church-state systems they have attempted to set up Christ’s government ahead of time. But their efforts are all doomed to failure. And as the increasing light from the Sun of Righteousness dispels more and more of the darkness that enshrouds the minds of men, these great systems of religion will be seen in their true light as, at the best, just worldly institutions which must give place to the authority and power of the true kingdom of Christ.
And grand will be the blessings of that kingdom! Because Jesus has the keys of hell, and will open the gates of hell, we read in Revelation 20:13 that hell will deliver up the dead; that is, they will return to life again. And this will include all the dead: the young, the old, the rich, the poor; the religious and the nonreligious. All will come forth to be enlightened by God’s truth, and to be given the opportunity to respond to that truth in obedience, and to live forever. As we see nominal Christianity fighting for its life in a losing battle, let us rejoice in the sure victory of God’s true messianic purpose.