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The Call of the Church
Chapter
5
Jesus
died nearly 2,000 years ago. The question naturally arises, Why the
long delay before setting up his Kingdom for the blessing of all
mankind? One thing is clear throughout the Bible: God has not been
attempting to convert the world since Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The
Scriptures speak of God dealing with only a few for a specific
purpose. Christ’s followers are spoken of as a little flock.
“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to
give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) God is only calling a few; a
representative of every type of the human race is being called into
the church of Christ.
The
Greek word for church is ecclesia which literally means “called
out ones.” These called out ones, the little flock, will share
with Christ when he establishes his Kingdom for the blessing of all
mankind. Thus Paul says, “Know you not that the saints shall
judge the world?” (I Corinthians 6:2)
The
Revelator discloses that the followers of Jesus will live and reign
with him during his Kingdom, during the time that the benefits of
Jesus’ death are bestowed upon the world of mankind. (Revelation
20:4)
Jesus’
words in Mark 4:12 show that God is not presently interested in
converting even the majority of mankind.
“Unto you it is given to know the mystery
[secret] of the Kingdom of God, but unto them that are without
all these things are done in parables: that seeing they may see, and
not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at
any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven
them.”
This
scripture might seem strange to some, but it gives us an insight
into what God has been doing between the death of Jesus and the
return of Jesus to set up his Kingdom upon the earth.
Have
you ever wondered why the Bible is difficult to understand? By
divine intent it has been written in parables, dark sayings and
symbols so that it would not be easily understood. Why? So that the
majority would not bother and consequently would not be converted.
During the Christian Age, the Lord is only converting a few, a
“little flock,” the church of Christ, “who by patient
continuance in well doing seek for glory, honor and immortality.”
(Romans 2:7) These are elsewhere symbolically referred to as the
bride of Christ.
After
Christ returns, these believers will be raised to live and reign
with Christ in his 1,000 year Kingdom. (Revelation 20:6) Then the
conversion of the world will begin. Revelation 22:17 prophesied of
that time:
“And
the Spirit [the returned
Christ] and the bride [the true church] say, Come. And let
him that hears say, Come. And let him that thirsts come. And
whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
This
sequence of the call of the church, the establishment of the
kingdom, then the blessing of the remainder of mankind is also
corroborated by Acts 15:14-17.
“God for the first time did visit the Gentiles to take out of
them a people for His name [the true church]. And to this
agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, after this I will
return and will build the tabernacle of David which is fallen down;
and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: that
the residue [remainder] of men might seek after the Lord.…”
Note
these points: A small group, “a people for His name” is first
selected out of the Gentiles. Then the tabernacle of David, which
was an Old Testament type or illustration of the Kingdom of Christ,
is set up again.
Why is
the church first called? Why is the Kingdom (tabernacle of David)
then set up? “That the residue [all that remain] of mankind might
seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles.” First a choice group
(the Church) is called out of the Gentile nations so that
afterwards, by it the rest of the Gentiles—the vast majority—may
learn to call upon God’s name.
Remember, I Timothy 2:6, speaking of Jesus, said, “Who gave
himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time.” Our
English Bible is a translation of the Bible from the Greek
manuscript. The Greek word translated ransom means “corresponding
price.” Adam, a perfect man, with the human race in his loins
sinned. Thus his descendants, the human race, were born sinful. Then
Jesus, a perfect man, was the “corresponding price” for Adam. Jesus
died to redeem the human race. We read in I Corinthians 15:22,
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
The
“due time” (I Timothy 2:6) for the true church to learn of the
ransom is now during the Christian Age, but the “due time”
for the rest of mankind to understand the ransom is yet future in
Christ’s Kingdom.
The
vast majority of the human race went into their graves without
hearing or understanding the “ransom for all.” In the Kingdom
the dead will be raised, as Jesus tells us in John 5:28,29.
“Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in the which all that
are in their graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth; they
that have done good to a resurrection of life and they that have
done evil unto the resurrection of judgment.”
(RSV)
Yes,
all will be raised from the dead—first, “they that have done good.”
This refers to the true church. During Christ’s return they will be
raised to spiritual life and united with Christ, their heavenly
Lord. Then will follow the resurrection of the “evil class,” all the
remainder of men.
They
will come forth to a “resurrection of judgment.” The King James
Bible, translated in A.D. 1611, grossly mistranslated the word
“judgment” by using the word “damnation.” The American Revised
Version in 1881 used the word “judgment,” and no translation since
has used the word “damnation.”
The
Greek word in the text is krisis and it actually denotes “a
crucial testing time.” This Greek word is the source of our English
word “crisis.” And it has the same meaning. A doctor might say, “The
patient will reach his crisis tomorrow morning.” This does not mean
that the patient will die tomorrow morning. Rather, the crisis of an
illness is that period when the patient will take a turn for the
better or for the worse.
The
“crisis” or trial time for the church is in this present life, but
the "crisis" or trial time of the remainder of mankind will be when
the dead are raised in the Kingdom. Billions of mankind before and
after Jesus’ earthly ministry died without receiving the light of
Jesus. Yet John 1:9 states that Jesus is the light that “lights
every man that comes into the world.”
This is
a further Scriptural confirmation that, for most, truth
enlightenment will require an awakening from the dead, as was
detailed in John 5:28, 29.
Why the Church Is
Called First
Why is
the true church first selected to share with Christ in the Kingdom
work of blessing mankind? There are a number of reasons given in the
Scriptures.
One
reason can be illustrated by the noble work of Alcoholics Anonymous.
An essential step of AA therapy is to assign a former alcoholic to
each alcoholic that comes for help. The victim being driven by
alcohol will not readily accept help or advice from just anyone. How
could anyone know his agony, his depression, his desperation, unless
he also shared the same experience? But the alcoholic will accept
help from a former alcoholic because he knows that this person can
understand his agony. And this former alcoholic stands ready at any
time to come to his side, to plead with him. It requires a former
alcoholic to rehabilitate an alcoholic.
When
mankind comes forth from the grave in Christ’s Kingdom, they will be
informed that they have been purchased with the precious blood of
Christ and they will be made aware of the fact that they are now
under the reign of Jesus Christ and his church. (I Corinthians 6:2)
What
confidence they will have that the church will know just how to
enter into their problems! Why? Because the church also were once
sinners. This plan for rehabilitation will work. The majority
will gladly receive the instruction, the disciplining, the nurturing
necessary to pass their trial for eternal life.
The world, for whom Christ died (John 3:16), is about to embark on
an Age which will realize all humanity’s deepest longings. (Romans
8:20, 22; Isaiah 25:9)
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