Vol. 5, No. 26 Pastor: Rev. Garry Eriks Phone: (970) 667-9481
Homepage on Internet: http://www.prca.org
In a previous article we pointed to the many names and descriptions used in Scripture that show that the church and Israel are identical. The church is "Mount Sion," the "city of God," the "heavenly Jerusalem" (Heb. 12:22-24; Rev. 21:9-10ff), the "holy nation" (I Pet. 2:9), the "vine" (Jn. 15:1-6 and Ps. 80), the "bride of God" (Ezek. 16, Eph. 5:32, Rev. 21:9-10). She is everything Israel was in the OT.
This identity of church and Israel is further confirmed by the fact that Israel is called the "church," i.e., "the church in the wilderness," in Acts 7:38. So too, the church is referred to as the Israel of the NT (in Rom. 9:27 where we are reading of those who are "called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles," and in Gal. 6:16).
Along the same lines the elect of God out of every nation are identified as the true Israel, the true Jews (Rom. 2:28, 29; 9:28; Gal. 3:29; Phil. 3:3). Indeed, the prophecies of Scripture that seem to refer to national Israel are spiritualized and applied to the church in the NT (compare Hos. 1:10 and with its fulfillment in Rom. 9:24-26 and Amos 9:11-15 with Acts 15:13-17).
This is of critical importance as far as the doctrine of the church is concerned. Only in this light is the OT, with its history, its warnings and its promises for the church. If it concerns a people who are not identical with the church then the OT has nothing to say to us today. The OT then can only be a matter of curiosity to us in the NT.
Think about it! Those NT Christians who believe that Israel and the church are two different groups cannot and do not do justice to the OT in their preaching and teaching. The OT is not for them. But if Israel and the church are one and the same, then the history of the OT must be preached as the church's history, and the promises and warnings in the OT as being addressed to the church. Have you ever heard it so preached?
This unity of Israel and the church is also foundational to an understanding of baptism, part of the doctrine of the church. It is the identity of covenants, promises, and of Israel and the church that lies at the root of the Biblical teaching regarding infant baptism. One must differentiate the OT and NT, their covenants and promises, and thereby differentiate between Israel and the church, in order to maintain "believer's baptism."
To understand this, however, it is necessary to remember that in the truest sense of the word only the elect are ever really called either "Israel" (Prince of God), or "Church" ("called out"). The rest are not really Israel (Rom. 2:28-29 and 9:6-8). They have the name only because of the fact that they are outwardly identified with the people of God by their natural birth.
Natural birth does not make a true Jew, nor a member of the church, as John said, "God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham" (Matt. 3:9). One must be born of the promise - born of God - to be a true Israelite, and of stones, both of Jew and Gentile, by the power of the promise, God has raised up a spiritual seed of Abraham. Rev. R. Hanko
Remission of Sins on Earth and Heaven
Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. John 20:23
Although two readers sent in this text, no question accompanied it. I have assumed that the readers would simply like an explanation of the passage.
One who is acquainted with the gospel narratives will recall, upon reading the above text, that Jesus spoke similar words to His apostles in Caesarea Philippi when Peter made that wonderful confession: Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God (See Mt. 16:19). And these same words are repeated in Mt. 18:18.
In the context of these words in John 20, the Lord had appeared to His disciples in the upper room on the evening of the day of His resurrection. Thomas was not there at the time, but the other disciples, with, of course, the exception of Judas, were present.
The preceding vss. are important. Jesus said to His disciples: "Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." After He spoke these momentous words, really giving to the disciples their commission, He breathed on them and said to them: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." Then the words of the text are spoken.
In other words, the disciples could not fulfill their commission without the Holy Spirit Whom Christ now gave them.
We all know the arrogant claim of the Romish Church concerning the passage in Matthew.
Rome claims that Christ gave to Peter and to him alone the power on earth to forgive sins. Peter, the first pope, gave that same power to his successors, the bishops of Rome. So all the bishops of Rome have the power here on earth to forgive sins.
This is an arrogant and preposterous claim. And the claim itself does not even stand up under the statement of this text, for here Christ is speaking to all his disciples, and not to Peter alone.
But we have heard Rome's boastful and blasphemous claims long enough and we will not trouble ourselves with them here.
When Christ, the Head of the church, establishes his church as a church institute in the world, He gives the church her work and calling. That work is: the preaching of the gospel, the administration of the sacraments, the exercise of Christian discipline, and the care of the poor.
It is interesting to note that, with the exception of the latter, the work which Christ gives the church to do is composed of three tasks which are also the marks of the true church by means of which the church of Christ may be known in the world.
The reference to remission of sins in John 20:23 is a reference to the exercise of discipline.
This exercise of discipline is called in Mt. 16 the use of the keys of the kingdom. This is a striking metaphor which our Lord uses.
The picture is of the church as a city in the world attacked by many enemies. The city is surrounded by high walls with iron gates which can be locked. As with any city, the gates can be the most vulnerable part of the walls; yet they are crucial and no city can be without them.
The gates of the city which is the church are for four purposes, all of which require the gates to be opened and shut. The gates must be shut to keep wicked people out of the city; and they must be shut to keep the people of God in the city, for, sad to say, they sometimes try to get out. The gates must be opened to let into the city those people of God who are born outside, but have to be brought in. And the gates must be opened to put out those who are born inside the city but are really wicked and allied with the enemy.
While the preaching of the Word and the exercise of discipline are both the key power, in this vs. in John, Christian discipline is especially emphasized.
Hence, the power to remit sins is the power to open and close the gates. It is the power of discipline.
The elders in the church are given these keys; the keys, so to speak, hang on a nail in the meeting room of the elders. They turn the keys and open and close the gates when they preach the gospel and exercise Christian discipline.
But we will continue our discussion of this in our next article.. H. Hanko
One of our readers has asked about showing compassion to those who are unsaved. Are we to be compassionate to them, and, if so, how do we show such compassion, especially in the face of unbelief, opposition, and wickedness?
That we must show compassion to those who are unsaved is clear from Jude, 22-23. The verse is not easy to translate or to understand, but it is referring to our calling to show compassion to the unsaved by "pulling them out of the fire."
Luke 6:35-36 confirms this. It calls us to be merciful to our enemies even as God is merciful to His. Mercy, here, is the same as compassion - the word translated "compassion" in Jude, 22, is the usual NT word for mercy.
The word mercy itself implies that we show it to the unsaved. We show mercy to those who are wretched and miserable and helpless - in the spiritual realm, to those who are lost in the darkness of unbelief and sin.
We should note, however, that though God requires us to show mercy indiscriminately, i.e., to all our enemies, that does not mean that God shows mercy to all His enemies. Nor does Luke 6:36 say that God is kind (merciful) to all without exception.
We must remember that God's mercy is one of His attributes and is, therefore, characterized by all the other attributes. Then it should be clear that God's mercy is ALMIGHTY and does (always) deliver those to whom He shows mercy. His mercy cannot be a powerless and ineffective mercy. It is the mercy of GOD.
But how do we show mercy and compassion to our enemies? That is the more difficult question.
Jude, 22-23 answers that question. We show compassion and mercy by seeking their salvation by all possible means.
This involves witnessing to them. Jude infers that in what he says about "hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." We show such hatred both by our words and by our own holy walk. Peter even says that the unbelieving husband can "without the word be won by the conversation (holy way of life) of the wives."
Jude, too, suggests that our witness, by the grace of God is often effective for their salvation. Thus he writes of pulling them out of the fire, not just trying to pull them out.
We must give that witness however, with kindness. It must be merciful. We need to be warned against trying to shove the gospel down the throats of those who continue unbelieving and unrepentant, against pressuring them, and against harshness.
It is often enough, having spoken to them to them, to be content with backing up that witness by a godly life, a total commitment to God and His truth, and by various deeds of kindness. That is also part of our witness.
Of such deeds of kindness Jesus is thinking in Luke 6. He speaks of doing good and lending, hoping for nothing again. The example Jesus gives elsewhere is that of the good Samaritan (Lk. 10:25-37).
In the parallel passage to Luke 6, Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus also speaks of loving them, blessing them, and praying for them. Doing such things, Jesus says, we will show ourselves to be children of our heavenly Father, who is kind to the unthankful and the unjust - we ourselves. Rev. R. Hanko
We have posted on our web page (prca.org) the audio sermons of our Reformed Witness Hour and have also begun posting each week an audio sermon from Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church. Check it out-and tell others of this new feature!