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Bro. Turner:
 Please
discuss in Plain Talk "What determines church
membership?" L.N.
Reply:
The
"church" in the aggregate, or in the "universal
sense," consists of all followers of God in Christ. It is
the body of the saints, likened in a figure to a physical body
of which Christ is the head (Eph. 1:22-23). One becomes a
"member" of that body when "by one Spirit are we
all baptized into one body" ...and are "made to drink
into one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13). That which puts one into
Christ (Rom. 6:3, Gal. 3:27) makes one a member of the aggregate
body of those who have come into Christ, therefore a member of
His church. We might add that whatever takes one out of this
relationship takes one out of His church. (See Rom. 11:17-23,
Rev. 2:4-5)
But
"church" is also used with reference to groups of
saints, that function as a unit or "team" (Phil.
4:15), having "overseers" and "servants" (1:
1). This unit can hear and speak (Matt. 18:17); write letters (1
Cor. 16: 3); choose and send messengers (2 Cor. 8:19);
discipline (1 Cor. 5:5); etc. Now, what can put one in, or take
one out of this relationship? Ideally, it is a
local working group of exactly the same kind of people who make
up the body of saints in the aggregate. One could become a
member only by the process that puts one into Christ, and would
no longer be considered a member if unfaithful to Christ. But
the local church comes short of this ideal, and must by
its nature. It is less than ideal because the human
element enters into this "roll" taking.
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The
Corinthian church maintained fellowship (accepted as a
"member") one who was unfaithful to the Lord. They
were sharply condemned for this, and told "he that hath
done this deed" should be "taken away from among
you" (1 Cor. 5:1-f). Turning the picture around, in 3 John
we read of a church which "cast out" (no longer
accepted as "members") those who sought to do as the
Apostle John directed. From this it is clear that
"membership" in a local church rests upon fallible
human judgment. The Apostle Paul was rejected by the Jerusalem
disciples until Barnabas convinced them he was indeed a true
saint (Acts 9:26-28).
It
was wrong — to keep fellowship with the incestuous man, to
"cast out of the church" those who sought to do John's
bidding — it was not according to the ideal — but
they did it anyhow. And the same sort of errors exist today
in the local churches.
A
local church of Christ consists of those who judge one-another
to be followers of God in Christ; who have therefore covenanted
together, tacitly if not expressly, to function as a team in
that which they believe to be divinely authorized church worship
and work. Strictly speaking, they are "of Christ" to
the extent that their faith and practice is true to Him.
Local
church membership is indicative of ones agreement to such
fellowship, and acceptance by the same. It imposes
"team" obligations, not the least of which is to
maintain "team" faithfulness to Christ. Our first
loyalty must be to Christ, hence we never lose individual
responsibility.
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