THE CHURCH AS MOTHER: THE HISTORICAL PRECEDENT
THE CHURCH AND THE GOSPEL
THE GOSPEL: WHAT CREATES THE CHURCH
17 The implications of this verse for the mission of the church will be discussed in the next chapter. 20Brian Rosner, "The Progress of the Word," in Witness to the Gospel: The Theology of Acts, ed. This pattern of evangelism leading to the creation of new members of the church is common in Acts.
The pattern from the Acts of the Gospel creating members of the church continues through the work of the apostles. Acts therefore ends with a reaffirmation of the power of the Gospel in creating members of the Church. Acts demonstrates the pattern of the early church in which the preaching of the gospel leads to the creation of members in the church.
It was only through God's work during Paul's preaching of the gospel that the Corinthian church was created.
The work of the Spirit in creating members of the Church through the preaching of the Gospel is also. This is according to the word of truth, and not truth in general, but that truth which makes up the good news of salvation." 174 The letter to the Ephesians 2:19-3:6 also vividly illustrates the role of evangelical preaching in the creation of church members.
The reason why the Ephesians were adopted into the family of God is that they have been built (evpoikodomhqe,ntej)180 on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (v. 20). Stott and Morris argue that the foundation refers to the instruction of the apostles and prophets and not the prophets and apostles themselves. For a complete list of the evidence supporting both interpretations, see Best, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Ephesians, 284-86.
In summary, Ephesians 2:19-22 indicates that the Ephesians became members of the church through their acceptance of the gospel message preached by the apostles and prophets. He argues that they are members of the church in Christ by their acceptance of the. In summary, Paul, in the midst of his discussion of Gentile inclusion in the church as well as its nature, asserts that the Ephesians are part of the universal church whose inclusion in it results from their acceptance of the gospel message delivered by the apostles and prophets. .
Therefore, it is the proclamation of the gospel that creates the members of the universal church of which the local church of Ephesus is a part.
THE CHURCH: PROCLAIMER OF THE GOSPEL
It is the "climax and crown"4 of Matthew's Gospel that serves to clarify the meaning of what Matthew recorded earlier5, for this passage looks back at Jesus' ministry as a whole ("all that I have commanded you", v 20) and also forward to one of the results of Jesus' ministry: the ministry of the church.6. As France argues, the reader's only appropriate response to Matthew 28:16-20 is to join the disciples in worshiping Jesus, preaching the gospel, and making disciples of all people (France, The Gospel of Matthew, 1109). This statement is an illusion of Daniel 7:14,11, for Jesus is the resurrected and exalted Son of Man mentioned in Daniel 7:14 whose (1) dominion over all men and (2) kingdom will never end (verse 18). 12 Matthew then goes on to explain in detail the mission of the church.
His use of the inferential ou=n indicates that this mission is a result of Christ's universal authority over all creation.13 The primary task of this mission is to make disciples (maqhteu,sate)14 — specifically to go (poreuqe,ntej) 15 and make. 8Karl Barth, “An Exegetical Study of Matthew in The Theology of the Christian Mission, ed. 10For a detailed discussion of the possible options for the identity of those who doubted, see Carson, Matthew, 663–64.
Osborne accurately summarizes the message of Matthew 28:16-20 regarding the church: “Thus Matthew concludes with a mixture of ecclesiology and eschatology – the church is God's chosen messenger in the interim before the consummation and as such is promised the constant presence of the one in authority.”24 Luke also mentions the role of the church as God's instrument for the proclamation of the gospel in Luke 24:44-49.
This coming of the Spirit would serve to (1) initiate the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus' followers and (2) mark the birth of the Church made up of His followers. 42Brian Rosner, "The Progress of the Word," in Witness to the Gospel: The Theology of Acts, ed. This passage follows the pattern in Acts where a member of the church—in this case Saul—is God's instrument through whom the proclamation of the gospel takes place.
This example of the proclamation of the gospel in Acts again shows a member of the church (Peter) being used as God's instrument to preach the gospel. 57In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas again preach the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit, as recorded in 14:3. Apollos, therefore, follows the pattern of members of the church serving as God's instrument through which the gospel is preached.
The book of Acts presents the church as God's instrument through which the gospel is proclaimed.
So, the majority of the Jews (those trying to earn their righteousness by obeying the law) did not receive. Given the context of the verse, it seems best to understand the o[ti as explanatory rather than causal. He then concludes his train of thought in verses 14-15a by asserting that faith comes through hearing and hearing through the word of Christ (i.e. the gospel) (verse 17).95 So, through the proclamation of the gospel by God's appointed ones. messengers (i.e. members of the church),96 people come to faith in Christ;.
In summary, by expressing the necessity for preachers to be sent to preach the gospel to the unsaved, Paul assumes that the church needs to send out messengers to preach the gospel; the church is therefore God's instrument for the preaching of the gospel, whose members both send preachers to preach the gospel and are the gospel-preaching preachers who go. Thus, preachers who preach the gospel are God's instruments through whom he speaks his message to the unsaved. Therefore, the preacher is just a tool that God uses to preach his message, the gospel.
97 As Schreiner claims, Paul asserts in verse 18 with his quote from Psalm 19:4 that the gospel message has been preached to both Jew and Gentile.
The idea that the church is God's instrument for the proclamation of the gospel is also expressed in Galatians 2:7-9. In other words, Paul's use of the word dokou/ntej is not saying that the theology of James, Cephas, and John should be rejected because they teach a theology of merit; instead (as Schreiner, Longenecker, and Matera point out), he wants to avoid unwarranted worship from them. Paul's use of the word "pillars" here indicates that James, Cephas, and John were the foundation of God's new temple, that is, the new people of God, the church.
104 As Hansen notes, God's miraculous work was evident in the offices of both Peter and Paul, proof that both were called by God to preach the gospel. However (as Schreiner, Betz, Longenecker, Matera, and Smiles argue), Paul's use of the word "fellowship" (koinwni,aj) indicates that this action signified Paul's equality with James, Cephas, and John—not his inferiority. Smile, the Gospel, and the Law in Galatia: Paul's Response to Judeo-Christian Separatism and the Threat of Apostasy (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical.
For the apostles Peter and Paul (= . members of the church) are shown as God's instruments through which the gospel is preached.
117 As O'Brien notes, "Those listed are ministers of the Word through whom the gospel is revealed, declared and taught" (O'Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians, 298). The last phrase "for the building up of the body of Christ" (eivj oivkodomh.n tou/ sw,matoj tou/ Cristou) is dependent on both the first and second phrases together. When this view is taken, the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers have the following three separate reasons given to the church: "(1) for the equipping of the saints, (2) for the work of the ministry , (3) for the building up of the body of Christ.” Therefore, in the second view, verse 12 does not involve the laity in the ministry unlike the first interpretation.
Instead, it is the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers that verse 12 refers to as doing the work of ministry. Paul closes this section in Ephesians by emphasizing the role of each individual believer in building up the body of Christ: the church (v. 16). For a detailed discussion of the debate and argument for the first view, consult Thielman, Ephesians, and O'Brien, Ephesians.
Given this evidence, it is best to view the verb as referring to the oral proclamation of the Gospel.
The church, therefore, from its leadership to its lay people, is God's instrument through which the gospel is preached. Paul is grateful for the Philippians, because he knows the faithfulness of God who saved them to preserve them.131 Therefore, it is God who will continue to enable the Philippians to be his instrument to proclaim the gospel (v. 6).132. Paul continues his letter by expressing his love for the Philippian church based on their willingness to proclaim the gospel despite Paul's imprisonment and their suffering (v.
Thus, Paul is grateful for the fact that the Philippians accepted the gospel and instrumentally participated in the gospel service as God's instrument with which the gospel is preached. In the next part of chapter 1, Paul describes the progress of the gospel message during his Roman imprisonment. For a thorough summary of the various possibilities for the identity of Paul's opponents: O'Brien, The Epistle to the Philippians, 102-105.
139 As Barth claims, with Paul's use of the word Mo,non in the sentence Mo,non avxi,wj tou/ euvaggeli,ou tou/ Cristou/ politeu,esqe, Paul raises a "warning finger" to the Philippian church to live in a way worthy of the gospel.
THE SYSTEMATIC FORMULATION AND THEOLOGICAL
CONCLUSION: A CALL FOR REFORMATION
