Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 10
August 7, 1958
NUMBER 14, PAGE 7a

Mission Of The Church

Lloyd Moyer, El Cerrito, Calif.

In accomplishing its mission, the church must respect God's organization and government. It can not do its work in such a way as to violate the above. The mission of the church may be summed up under the heads: 1. preach (1 Tim. 3:15; Rev. 1:12,20) 2. edifying itself (Eph. 4:16); 3. benevolence (1 Tim. 5:8-16; Acts 6:1-6; 1 Cor. 16:1-3; Rom. 15:25-26). The church cannot scripturally engage in any other work than these three. The church is God's Missionary Institution. It cannot use human missionary institutions through which to do its work of preaching; neither can the church turn its benevolent work over to some human benevolent institution; nor can one congregation become an agency through which the church universally is activated. This would violate congregational autonomy and independence and would result in an earthly headquarters with centralization of oversight, direction and control. It has been argued that since individuals are members of the church, whatever the individuals do, it is the church doing that particular thing. 1 Timothy 5:8-16 clearly shows that individuals may do a work and the church not be doing it "and let not the church be charged." Whatever we do as individuals, we do as members of the church but this does not mean that it is the church, as such, doing it. As an example, we might get every member of the Supreme Court of the United States of America together and ask their opinions on a matter and each one give us an opinion. They would be doing this simply as individuals. It would not be an opinion handed down by the Supreme Court; yet, if these same men convene and function as the Supreme Court, it would not be the individual opinion, but would be an opinion rendered by the Supreme Court as such. There are many things that we, in the individual capacity, may do that the church as such does not and cannot do. There are some things that we as individuals do that the church can and does do. There must be a clear line of distinction made between individual capacity and congregational capacity.

Human institutions such as U.C.M.S., Orphans Homes, Old Folks Homes, etc., have no divine right to exist to do the work God has ordained for the church to do. No one congregation has the divine right to become an agency through which other congregations may do their work, whether it be in preaching the gospel or benevolence.