Membership and Commitment
How Individuals Assemble Into Churches - Biblical Ecclesiology in Eight Sessions
Having explored the foundation, metaphors, and leadership structure of the church in our previous sessions, we now turn to examine how individual believers come together to form local churches. This transition from theory to practice is paramount to the task of ecclesiology itself—living as the church is our calling, and our very purpose for engaging in this study of the Bible. The New Testament provides extensive instruction about how believers should relate to one another, gather together, and maintain the health and unity of the body. These practical guidelines help us understand both the privileges and responsibilities of church membership.
What does Scripture teach about our connection as members of Christ's body?
1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Ephesians 4:15-16
Guide participants to discuss both the privileges and responsibilities implied by membership in the body of Christ. Help them see how this metaphor challenges both individualistic Christianity and passive church attendance.
The metaphor of the body, which we touched on briefly in Session 2, takes on particular significance when considering church membership. Paul's detailed exposition in 1 Corinthians 12 emphasizes that every member, regardless of their function, is essential to the body's health and effectiveness. Critically, verse 25 states that this organization is “so that there may be no division in the body,” and that “the parts may have the same care for one another,” meaning that all members of the church are regarded as essential! The passage directly counters both superiority ("I don't need you") and inferiority ("I don't belong") complexes that can plague church relationships.
Ephesians 4:15-16 adds crucial details about how this body grows and builds itself up. The emphasis on "speaking the truth in love" establishes the twin pillars of truth and love as essential to healthy church relationships. Growth occurs as each part works properly — suggesting that church membership isn't merely about attending services but about active participation in the life and ministry of the body.
This calling is all-too-easy to leave unfulfilled: after all, don’t we have elders, deacons, or volunteers to do the ministry of the church? However, these New Testament concepts preclude even the possibility of leaving this work only to them! Instead, the body of Christ as a local church is called to be totally united under the single mission of Christ, all working equally towards the unifying goal of the Head (Colossians 2:19). The ministry of the church is not something to be cut up and divvied up as one might manage a corporate project; it is an all-encompassing mission of infinite value and impossible scope that is to totally occupy every member of the Church.
How should members of the body relate to and care for one another?
Romans 12:9-16, Colossians 3:12-15, Galatians 6:1-2
Help participants identify specific ways these instructions might be lived out in their church context. Encourage discussion of both the challenges and opportunities in developing deeper relationships.
The New Testament is full of instructions regarding “one another”—how we are to treat the fellow members of the Church—indeed, there are far too many of these instructions to summarize in this study. The three passages selected here represent a quick cross-section of our calling for involvement in the body of Christ.
Romans 12:9-16 begins with the foundational command that love must be genuine - not merely performative or superficial. The subsequent rapid-fire instructions paint a picture of active, engaged care for one another: showing honor, sharing needs, practicing hospitality, and rejoicing and weeping together. This stands in stark contrast with the often superficial relationships that characterize much of modern life.
Colossians 3:12-15 frames these relationships in terms of our new identity in Christ. The virtues listed - compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience - are presented as clothes we must "put on." This imagery suggests both a conscious choice and consistent practice. As is true of all of the Christian life, our responsibilities regarding loving and forgiving one another are to be "just as the Lord forgave you". This command grounds our interactions with one another both in the gospel and in the very sacrifice of Christ Himself—indeed, we are called to love one another to the same extent. Above all these virtues, we are to "put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."
Galatians 6:1-2 addresses the specific situation of helping fellow believers overcome sin, emphasizing both gentleness and humility in the process. The instruction to "bear one another's burdens" presents mutual support not as optional but as a fulfillment of "the law of Christ." Sin is common to all Christians, yet we have — in one another! — a way of bearing the burdens caused by sin. As hard as it may be to overcome the flesh, the Church is called to pursue holiness in community.
What specific instructions are given about gathering and encouragement?
Hebrews 10:24-25, Acts 2:42-47
Guide discussion about what elements from the early church's gathering practices might be adapted for contemporary church life. Help participants think creatively about ways to deepen community beyond Sunday services.
The author of Hebrews presents regular gathering as essential to maintaining faith and encouraging good works. The instruction to "consider how to stir up one another to love and good works" suggests that our gatherings should be purposeful, not merely social. The warning against "neglecting to meet together" indicates that regular attendance isn't optional but vital to spiritual health. This seems especially relevant in our current context where regular church attendance is often viewed as optional.
Perhaps as a prime example for us, Acts 2:42-47 provides a beautiful picture of the early church's gathering practices. Their devotion to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayers created a rich community life that attracted others to Christ. The radical generosity and daily gathering described here challenge us to consider whether our current practices of gathering are sufficient for building the kind of community God intends.
In each of these passages, we see that gathering isn't merely about fulfilling a religious obligation or gaining personal spiritual benefit. Rather, these gatherings are meant to be transformative community experiences where believers actively strengthen one another's faith, challenge one another toward good works, and display a visible witness to the world of Christ's transforming power. The early church's pattern of frequent, purposeful gathering centered on teaching, fellowship, worship, and prayer provides a model that transcends cultural contexts; this is not necessarily meant to be replicated exactly, but to inspire us toward deeper, more meaningful community life that reflects the same priorities and purposes.
What process does Scripture outline for addressing sin within the body?
Matthew 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11
Guide participants in discussing how these principles might be applied in contemporary church contexts. Emphasize that discipline aims at restoration while maintaining both truth and love. Consider exploring how churches can maintain meaningful accountability in a culture that often resists it.
Jesus provides a clear, progressive process for addressing sin within the church community in Matthew 18. The process begins with private, one-on-one engagement: "go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone." This first step emphasizes both discretion and the goal of restoration - "if he listens to you, you have gained your brother." Only if this fails does Jesus instruct taking "one or two others along," following the Old Testament principle of establishing matters by multiple witnesses. This process precludes gossip; those who are told of the sin are to confront the sinner! If the person still refuses to listen, the matter is then brought before the church. The final step, treating them "as a Gentile and a tax collector," indicates a formal separation from fellowship while maintaining the possibility of future restoration. Jesus' promise of His presence "where two or three are gathered" in this context specifically relates to the difficult work of church discipline, seeking divine guidance and authority in these challenging situations.
Paul's handling of the situation in 1 Corinthians 5 provides a concrete example of implementing these principles while revealing additional insights about the purpose of church discipline. The passage demonstrates how unchecked sin threatens the whole community - "a little leaven leavens the whole lump." Paul draws a crucial distinction between relating to sinful people in the world versus tolerating flagrant sin within the church. The church must maintain its distinct identity and witness while remaining engaged with the world. The instruction to "purge the evil person from among you" and "deliver this man to Satan" corresponds to Jesus' final step of discipline, creating a clear boundary between the church community and one living in unrepentant sin. This "delivering to Satan" represents both exclusion from the church's spiritual protection and a sobering recognition that those who reject the church's correction are choosing to live under Satan's domain.
However, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 completes our understanding of church discipline by showing its ultimate redemptive purpose. When genuine repentance occurs, the church must "forgive and comfort" the repentant person to prevent them from being "overwhelmed by excessive sorrow." Paul's instruction to "reaffirm your love" for the person demonstrates that discipline, even when severe, must never be punitive but always restorative. The warning that failing to restore the repentant can give Satan an advantage reveals how when misused, discipline can damage both individuals and the church's unity. This passage beautifully illustrates how church discipline, when properly practiced, follows the gospel pattern of grace - neither minimizing sin's seriousness nor withholding forgiveness from the truly repentant.
Conversation Starters:
Paul says that God has arranged the members of the body 'so that there may be no division' (1 Cor 12:25). How does this purpose challenge common practices of creating programs or ministries that might inadvertently separate parts of the body from each other?
Colossians 3:13 commands us to forgive 'as the Lord has forgiven you.' What would it look like to truly forgive others to the same extent that Christ has forgiven us? How might this radical standard change our approach to conflicts in the church?
Acts 2:46 describes the early church meeting 'day by day.' While our context is different, what principles can we draw from their frequency of gathering?
What would need to change in your church to more closely reflect the gathering practices described in Acts 2 and the “stirring up to good works” in Hebrews 10?
Can and should church discipline be practiced non-judgmentally? Why or why not? Consider how Paul's description in 1 Corinthians 5 of being 'grieved' might inform our attitude when practicing church discipline.
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