"Assuming A Work"
We have heard and read a great deal about churches "assuming a work." We are afraid that, for a long time now, both individuals and churches have been doing entirely too much "ASSUMING" about many things. The idea of "assuming a work" is foreign to the teaching of the New Testament. The only work which the Lord intends for churches or individuals to do is authorized and therefore does not need to be "assumed."
Brethren today talk about a church going somewhere (away from their own locality) and purchasing a lot on which to erect a meeting house in which to establish a congregation. According to them, this is "their work." They have "assumed" it. Now where in all of God's word can we find anything that even remotely resembles that? Brethren have become so engrossed in what they are doing these days that they have forgotten all about the Bible and what that inspired book teaches us to do.
Expressions like "the church being commanded to preach the gospel," "the church at such and such a place establishing a church at some other place" and a number of other expressions which are just as foreign to Bible teaching, are common expressions today. Now someone may throw up their hands in "holy horror" at this and say, "what in the world is that 'crack-pot' talking about?" But this just goes to show how far afield brethren have actually wandered.
We wish to ask some pertinent questions about these things. In the apostolic times, how were New Testament churches established? Were they established by some church going to a place and buying a lot, erecting a building and establishing a church? If so, we have failed to find the account of it in the Bible. Were they established by some church "assuming" the establishment of them? If so, we fail to find the account of it in the Bible. According to what the Bible says, they were established when the gospel preachers went into those places and preached the gospel. The establishment of a congregation always has been the result of the preaching of the gospel, including the first one which was established in the city of Jerusalem.
We read in the New Testament that churches supported (paid wages to) preachers while they preached the gospel. But we have not found where the apostles, or anyone else, spoke of the congregations which were established as being the work of the churches who were supporting the preachers, "assumed" or otherwise. If the establishment of a church (A) is the work of another church (B), when does church (A) cease to be the work of church (B) and become an independent congregation? There never has been a congregation of the Lord's church which ever was a work of another congregation, according to what is revealed in God's word. The only work which church (B) had in it was the support of the preachers who did the preaching. The preaching was the preacher's work and the establishment of church (A) was the result of the preaching. And when church (A) was established, it was not anybody's work but it was an independent congregation of the Lord's church. It is as simple as that.
The present day concept of the work of a congregation is far from what the New Testament teaches to be the work of a congregation. Today, a congregation will pick a town or even a whole nation or a national radio program and "assume" it as their work. Then as long as they put their money in it, the whole thing is their work. And if they do not have enough money to carry on the entire project, they will "beg" other congregations to help them by sending contributions to them. This last they call "cooperation." Since they are the "sponsoring church," having "assumed" it, it is still "their work." Anything like that in the Bible? No, those things are found in the language of Ashdod.
Brethren on both sides of the issue today have a lot to say about "cooperation." Personally, we are not very concerned about any kind of "cooperation." We are a lot more concerned about what the Bible teaches individual Christians and churches to do; doing them and getting others to do them. If it turns out that what the Bible teaches us to do is "cooperation," well and good. If it turns out that what the Bible teaches us to do is not "cooperation," well and good. If the latter happens to be the case, then the Bible does not teach "cooperation."
Do you not think, instead of selecting "a field of work" and "assuming" it as "our work," it would be better to find a sound gospel preacher, one who is more interested in preaching the truth than in promoting something, and support him, sending the support to him instead of to "the work" which has been "assumed"? Do you not think it would be better to let the preaching done by this sound gospel preacher establish the congregation? And when it is established, let the preaching of this preacher instruct them in carrying on "their work." If the newly established congregation is not composed of paupers, they can furnish everything which they need to carry on their work. If it were not for the figures of vast sums of money we see today in connection with the various "brotherhood projects," when folks talk of helping one another, we would get the idea that the greater part of the church was composed of a bunch of paupers. All that we can find in the New Testament of churches doing anything about carrying on the work of preaching the gospel is their support of the preachers. If the brethren in any particular place are in destitute circumstances, which they cannot help, then certainly churches, who are able financially, should come to their rescue just as in the case of the poor saints in Jerusalem and Judea. But the idea of churches sending contributions to churches other than in that case, must be "assumed" because it is not in the Bible.
Some object to the Bible way of doing things because they see a need which the Bible does not contemplate. But what they see is actually only a mirage. They see a congregation of only a few (maybe just three or four) members. They reason that these few cannot provide a building in which to worship. And reasoning thus, they immediately "assume" this "mission work" as "their work." They erect a commodious meeting house which these brethren do not need. But they make a big impression and folks talk about what this "big denomination," which used to be the church of the Lord, is doing.
Regardless of what terms are applied to many things which are being done by brethren today, they are not authorized by the teaching of God's word.