The motivation of this thread is to clarify the difference between a ministry and a church, from Scripture. I dare say that few Christians ever give this matter much thought, but it is important to be clear. This is not really about right versus wrong for the sake of right versus wrong (although it is nice to be right sometimes). This is about churches and ministries being effective in serving God. Ineffectiveness in church and ministry is a hindrance and delay to the end of the world and Lord's return (Matt 24:14). I believe it is one reason why church attendance is quite low in comparison to the number of professed believers. Christianity as a whole would be better off if God's way, the Bible way, was done the first time, rather than the confusing situation today of ministries and churches being confused with one another.
Some, may think that chaos and confusion is a normal situation, or not a problem, as long as everyone loves each other and spreads the gospel. But I would remind such people that God is primarily a God of order (1 Cor 14:33, 1 Cor 14:40), and He has a very specific reason for doing things a certain way. The Bible mentions knowing God and His ways (Psalm 103:7). It is not enough to just know God (that He is love etc), we must also know His ways, and how He likes things done (Heb 3:10). If we don't know His ways, it is like knowing your wife's personality but not knowing the way she likes her eggs cooked for breakfast - ultimately it will make her upset. Similarly, not knowing God's ways upsets God (Heb 3:10). In the Old Testament, there are many examples of God's servants not doing things exactly as He commanded (Numbers 20:11). Therefore God's way of order in the church is important. Although God does use chaos to accomplish His plan, such as evident in nature/biology, or even wartime, environmental catastrophe and persecution - His church, as a reflection of His person, on this earth, should be characterized by order, and the Apostle Paul desired to see order in the church (1 Cor 14:33, 1 Cor 14:40).
In today's Christianity, we have the confusing situation of ministries being called churches, and the results of ministry going back to the ministry rather than the church. Ministries may get bigger and bigger and be bigger than the local churches. Ministries today may pull in millions and millions of dollars, far exceeding the wealth of local churches. Ministries are headed up by one man or woman, but the biblical principle is of ministers being sent out "two by two".
In order to try and arrive at the truth in God's Word, we shall examine the life of one of God's main ministers - the apostle Paul, and his relationship with the churches.
About Ministry
About Church
Further Points of Clarification:
Regarding ministries being bigger than churches
According to the Bible, a ministry is smaller than a church. Therefore a situation of a ministry having 100,000 members, and a local church having only 50 members, is not normal.
- church is an entire locality of believers (Rev 2).
- a ministry within a locality must therefore be smaller than a church.
- a locality may have many ministries within it, but there can only be one church.
Regarding ministries being independent of the churches
- a ministry should not be independent of the church. The concept of believers being saved by a ministry and then joining the ministry is unbiblical. In the Bible, the saved were added to the church (Acts 2:47).
- a ministry is not "a church" but a ministry is to the church.
- a local church may be established as a result of ministry but a ministry is not a substitute for the local church.
Regarding the results of ministries going back to ministry instead of the church
Regarding ministries being headed by a single man or woman
Some, may think that chaos and confusion is a normal situation, or not a problem, as long as everyone loves each other and spreads the gospel. But I would remind such people that God is primarily a God of order (1 Cor 14:33, 1 Cor 14:40), and He has a very specific reason for doing things a certain way. The Bible mentions knowing God and His ways (Psalm 103:7). It is not enough to just know God (that He is love etc), we must also know His ways, and how He likes things done (Heb 3:10). If we don't know His ways, it is like knowing your wife's personality but not knowing the way she likes her eggs cooked for breakfast - ultimately it will make her upset. Similarly, not knowing God's ways upsets God (Heb 3:10). In the Old Testament, there are many examples of God's servants not doing things exactly as He commanded (Numbers 20:11). Therefore God's way of order in the church is important. Although God does use chaos to accomplish His plan, such as evident in nature/biology, or even wartime, environmental catastrophe and persecution - His church, as a reflection of His person, on this earth, should be characterized by order, and the Apostle Paul desired to see order in the church (1 Cor 14:33, 1 Cor 14:40).
In today's Christianity, we have the confusing situation of ministries being called churches, and the results of ministry going back to the ministry rather than the church. Ministries may get bigger and bigger and be bigger than the local churches. Ministries today may pull in millions and millions of dollars, far exceeding the wealth of local churches. Ministries are headed up by one man or woman, but the biblical principle is of ministers being sent out "two by two".
In order to try and arrive at the truth in God's Word, we shall examine the life of one of God's main ministers - the apostle Paul, and his relationship with the churches.
About Ministry
- Colossians 1:23 - Paul was a minister.
- Who did Paul minister to? Eph 4:11-12. The church, Body of Christ.
- what did Paul minister? Rom 15:16 - the gospel of Christ, 2Co.3:6-8 - the Spirit.
- In the Bible, ministers normally ministered two by two (Mark 6:7, Acts 13:1-3). Paul and Barnabas went together, Peter and his wife went together. Even when Paul and Barnabas split over sharp contention, Paul then took Silas, and Barnabas wanted to take John Mark (Acts 15:37)
About Church
- Church is an assembly of believers, but not just any assembly - for example 5 or 10 Christians going out for lunch is not a church (Heb 10:25).
- The church is local in practice (Rev 2), and universal and one in essence (Ephesians 4:4-6). In contrast, a ministry may travel place to place, wherever the minister goes. Paul's travels are one such example. Paul traveled from town/city to town/city, but in each town/city he visited, was a local church. The ministry traveled, but the church stayed put in its own locality.
- The church is broader than a ministry, and consists of a plural leadership structure (James 5:14).
- The church has all kinds of ministries and gifts (Eph 4:11-12, 1 Cor 14:12), whereas a ministry may only have one or two gifts.
- Ministry comes out of church (Acts 13:3).
- A church is first established by ministry (Acts 14:23), but then becomes semi-autonomous under the leadership of the elders not the ministers.
- The results of ministry come back to the church, not ministry (Acts 2:47).
- A church is like a home-base for the spiritual growth of believers - a church is where shepherding and feeding takes place, resulting in spiritual growth (John 21:17). But a ministry comes and remains for a time, and then goes somewhere else.
- A local church may produce ministers to be sent out (Acts 13:1-3)
- Unlike a ministry which is temporary and may start and end with the minister, the church continues on forever (Matt 16:18). Paul's ministry died when Paul died, but the churches continued on even to this day.
Further Points of Clarification:
Regarding ministries being bigger than churches
According to the Bible, a ministry is smaller than a church. Therefore a situation of a ministry having 100,000 members, and a local church having only 50 members, is not normal.
- church is an entire locality of believers (Rev 2).
- a ministry within a locality must therefore be smaller than a church.
- a locality may have many ministries within it, but there can only be one church.
Regarding ministries being independent of the churches
- a ministry should not be independent of the church. The concept of believers being saved by a ministry and then joining the ministry is unbiblical. In the Bible, the saved were added to the church (Acts 2:47).
- a ministry is not "a church" but a ministry is to the church.
- a local church may be established as a result of ministry but a ministry is not a substitute for the local church.
Regarding the results of ministries going back to ministry instead of the church
- A church is like a "container" or home base for ministers to be sent out and the results of ministry to come back to the church. This is the established pattern in the New Testament.
- The result of the apostle Paul's ministry was not the growth of "Apostle Paul Ministries Incorporated", but local church growth.
- Therefore mega-ministries centering around one man and the growth of large ministry organizations without a subsequent growth in the local church is not biblical.
- Therefore all ministers who see the results of their ministry come back to the ministry rather than the church are not the same kind of ministers as the apostle Paul. They are not for the Body of Christ but for themselves and their own ministry.
- Results of ministry going back to the ministry and not the church contributes to another unbiblical situation which is ministries growing larger than churches.
Regarding ministries being headed by a single man or woman
- According to the Bible, we see Jesus (in the Gospels), the Holy Spirit (book of Acts) and the church (Acts) sending out the ministers two by two.
- Although sometimes ministers may have to minister alone due to circumstances (2 Tim 4:16), the biblical principle is two by two because two are better than one (Ecc 4:10), for accountability, support, work-load sharing etc.
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