____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ January 9, 1994 ____________________________________________________ The Sponsoring Church by Lynn Wessell In the last forty years or so, we have seen division in the Lord's church over what is called the ``sponsoring church.'' This division came about as a result of brethren failing to understand what the New Testament teaches about the church and how it is to function in congregational cooperation. Once the division started, there came departure after departure from the truth until, in some places, the Lord's church is hardly distinguishable from the denominations. The ``sponsoring church'' arrangement is one which activates the church universal through a central organization by having many local churches pool their funds under one eldership. This eldership oversees the work being accomplished by churches of Christ that are acting collectively to pay for it. In effect, the sponsoring church becomes a central agency for collecting money and managing a work that is bigger than any of the churches involved could do on their own. The individual Christian (I Tim. 5:16) and the local congregation (Acts 14:23) are the only two functioning units that Christ has authorized. Organization to mobilize the New Testament church to accomplish work is only found in the local church. The universal church is made up of the sum total of the saved. The unit which makes up the universal church is the individual Christian, not local churches. A functioning organization that is composed of local churches is unknown in the pages of the New Testament. There is no organization for the brotherhood of saints (I Pet. 2:17) other than local, autonomous churches. What we have in the sponsoring church is something different than what is found in the New Testament. The work done through the sponsoring church is not being done either by the individual Christian or as a local church because the ``sponsoring church'' is larger than a local congregation. The elders of a ``sponsoring church'' have assumed a work of ``brotherhood'' proportions. It is a work that places the funds of a number of congregations under the management of the ``sponsoring church'' eldership. These elders are no longer just elders of a local church; but, in effect, have become ``brotherhood'' elders. They are now functioning in a capacity which the New Testament knows nothing about. What is authorized is the oversight of the local church only; that is, of the flock of God which is among them (I Peter 5:2). No congregation in New Testament days did its work through another congregation. The church in Antioch made up her own contribution and sent it directly to the elders of the churches which were in need in Judea (Acts 11:27-30). In this instance, we have a church with an abundance sending to churches in need that they might do their own work, not a brotherhood work. The church at Corinth made up her own funds by the giving of her members and sent it directly to Jerusalem by the messenger of her own selection (I Cor. 16:1-3). The Jerusalem church was in need (Rom. 15:25-27), and this contribution from Corinth was to help her do her own work, not some brotherhood work. The churches of Macedonia sent wages directly to Paul as he preached the gospel in Corinth (II Cor. 11:7-9). Each church supported him directly; they didn't do their work through a ``sponsoring church.'' The church at Philippi was one of the Macedonian churches that sent support to Paul. They sent it to him by Epaphroditus who acted as their messenger (Phil. 4:14-18). Paul did not have a sponsoring church gathering funds for him from all over the brotherhood. We can read nothing in the New Testament about a sponsoring church. This is an arrangement that is foreign to the teaching of Christ. It is denominational in nature. We need to speak as the oracles of God (I Peter 4:11) and do the Lord's work only in the way He has authorized. We are to please God and realize that we can't improve upon His plan. Attempts to do so are departures from the faith and cause division in the church. -- Via The Dewey Avenue Bulletin, Volume I, Number. 35, December 5, 1993 ___________________________________________ "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God'" (Quoting Jesus in Matthew 4:4). ___________________________________________ Write today for our FREE BIBLE COURSE! ___________________________________________ HONESTY-ERROR-TRUTH by Eugene Britnell There are many good people in the religious world who are honestly mistaken, but when a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, one of two things must happen: He will cease to be mistaken or will cease to be HONEST. If he does not obey the truth, he will no longer be honest. If he does obey the truth he will no longer be mistaken. Honesty and error must separate when truth comes along. No man can be honestly mistaken if he has heard the truth! -- Via Sound Words, Volume II, Number I, January 5, 1993 ___________________________________________ Another View of It There is a story of a man whom others called poor, and who had just enough fortune to support himself in going about the country in the simplest way and enjoying the life and beauty of it. He was in the company of a great millionaire who was engaged in business, and worked hard at it daily, getting richer every year. The poor man said to his host: ``Really, I am a richer man than you are.'' ``Just how do you make that out?'' inquired the man of millions. ``Why, it is very simple. I have got as much money as I want or need, and you haven't.'' -- Selected from Sound Words, Vol. II, No. 38, Sept. 19, 1993 ___________________________________________ "'Can a man hide himself in hiding places so that I do not see him?' declares the Lord. 'Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?'" (Jer. 23:24). ___________________________________________ "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________