The Church

Philip Bassham's 'Project Thailand' website

Earlier this weekend I had read Nick Baines’ blog regarding an “academic ecumenical conference” that was held and included an “explication of ecclesiological heterogeneity inherent in Fresh Expressions, Emerging Church.”

That prepared me a bit for Sunday evening’s service. How I wish Bishop Baines could have been at our old-fashioned then to hear Philip Bassham, missionary on deputation give an enthusiastic, very spiritual, view of the church he’s serving.

He started with:

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. (Ephesians 5:22 KJV)

Nope, we didn’t get the almost-expected “submission” sermon. Verifying we knew them, he skipped another ten verses to introduce an explanation of the church:

This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:32 KJV)

He then described the Bride of Christ, cared for by Him in the same manner He requires an earthly husband to care for his wife. He moved on to another of Paul’s descriptions of the church and how it is made up of so many different parts, all working together to accomplish God’s will through Christ:

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12 KJV)

How could this be? A bride? A body? How does it all come together? Ah, that is the beauty of the mystery – we’ve been told how to build this church:

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:20-22 KJV)

So, we’ve come to understand how Christ protects and cares for those who make up the body of the church that is built on the strength of Himself as it’s chief corner stone. What’s next? We’re to tell others, who are to tell still others:

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2 KJV)

Are we committing our faith to those who will teach others?