HoHum:
While Alexander Campbell was studying at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, the time had come for communion at his church. Communion was only observed a couple of times a year, so it was a pretty big deal. His church had a custom, like many churches of that day, to pass out “communion tokens.” People would line up, and present themselves to the minister. If the minister believed that this person was worthy that day to participate in communion, he would hand them a token, a little coin. This was one’s ticket to the table. When they arrived at the table, they would present their coin, and then and only then, they could receive communion. If the minister did not think one was worthy, he would not give a token, and thus, no communion for that person. It also implied there may be no heaven for that person either! With his communion token in hand, Alexander Campbell approached the communion table. When he was handed the plate where he was to place his token, it is said that Campbell, “threw” the coin onto the plate, publicly refused the Lord’s Supper, and then walked out as a “free man” in Christ.
WBTU:
If we were to examine Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell and others of the Restoration Movement, we would find some stern condemnations of the abuses of church membership. Taken to an extreme, any good thing can be abused until it is a bad thing. Some have interpreted their comments and concerns as being against any idea of church membership. There have been churches that I have served who have taken that stand. Have no church membership roles because against the whole idea of church membership. I am against this for 2 reasons:
1. On a practical level, how do we track things like attendance and offerings? If attendance is below normal, we need to find which members are missing and follow up. However, if there is no membership how do we follow up? Where are the people spiritually? Who has been baptized and who has not? Who comes from another church?
2. The concept of membership is implied in the NT. No, it is not laid out as some understand it today but the concept is there.
Thesis: 5 strands in the NT for local church membership
For instances:
1. The church is to discipline the members
““If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15-17, NIV.
If there is no church membership how can we define the group that will take up the matter of this unrepentant person and render a verdict about his sin and standing in the community? It is hard to believe that just anyone who showed up claiming to be a Christian could be a part of that gathering. Surely, “the church” must be a definable group to handle such weighty matters. Need to know who is talked about when we “take it to the church.”
2. Expelling (excommunication, shunning) exists
A. “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”” 1 Corinthians 5:12, 13, NIV. Two implications here:
One is that there is an “in the church” group and an “outside the church” group. Being in the church is definable.
A person can be removed from being “in the church.” Such a removal would not be possible if there were no such thing as membership- who is accountable and who is not?
B. Can this be abused? Oh yes. We even find in the NT this being abused. The apostle John was concerned about this: “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.” 3 John 1:9, 10, NIV. Church leaders need to make sure they are doing things in the NT way for the good of the church, and not operating out of jealousy, revenge or personality conflicts. Even so expelling is in NT.
3. Christians required to submit to their leaders
Church membership is implied in the requirement of Christians to be submitted to a group of church leaders, usually talking about elders. The point here is that without membership, who is it that the NT is referring to who must submit to a specific group of leaders? Some kind of expressed willingness or partnership (membership) has to come before a person’s submission to a group of leaders. Consider these Scriptures:
“Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13, NIV.
“The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.” 1 Timothy 5:17, NIV.
“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Hebrews 13:17, NIV.
How is this leadership and this submission going to work if there is no membership defining who has made the commitment to be led and who has been chosen as leaders? If we downplay the importance of membership, it is difficult to see how we could take these commands to submit and to lead seriously and practically.
4. Shepherds required to care for their flock
Church membership is implied in the way the NT requires elders to care for the flock in their charge. We need to consider whether the Bible tells elders that they are to have a special responsibility and care for a certain group- a group of members. “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Acts 20:28, NIV. This does not mean that elders should not visit and witness to unbelievers or those who are not yet members (all Christians should as part of the Great Commission). But it does make clear that an elders first responsibility is to a particular flock. How are they to know who their flock is? Who are the elders responsible for? For whom will they give an account to God?
This verse is even more clear: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” 1 Peter 5:2, 3, NIV. “Those entrusted to you” implies that the elders knew whom they were responsible for. Just another way of talking about membership. If a person refuses to be held accountable by a group of elders or be the special focus of the care of a group of elders, they will resist the idea of membership. They will also resist God’s way for them to live and be sustained in their faith.
5. The image of the body
Church membership is implied in the metaphor of the body in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. Sad that the world has taken over this term to mean a participant in a club or organization. The original meaning of the word member is a member of a body, like a hand, foot, eye, or ear. That’s the imagery behind the word member. “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12 English Standard Version).
So the question this imagery raises for the local church that Paul is describing in 1 Corinthians 12 is: Who intends to be treated as a hand or foot or eye or ear of this body? There is something unnatural about a Christian attaching himself to a body of believers and not desiring to be a member of the body.
So what?
Each of us should be a member of a local body of believers.
We should take responsibility to discipline those of the body who refuse to repent from public sin that bring reproach on the name of Christ. We should declare ourselves part of the body so that if we are wayward, we ourselves are open to discipline and correction. We should take our place under the leadership and authority of a particular group of elders. We should declare ourselves part of a group who expect to be watched over and cared for by a particular group of elders
We should find our place in the body of Christ as a member of that body in our local area.
This is God’s plan for us and for the church. That’s what we mean by membership. These aspects of membership are grounded in the truth that a local church is an expression of the universal church. Part of what it means to belong to the body of Christ is to belong to a body.
Church membership is a blood bought gift of God’s grace. Those who cut themselves off from this blessing are in for a tough road. “Lone ranger Christians” is a contradiction because being a Christian means being united to Christ, and union with Christ expresses itself in union with a local body of believers. In the eyes of the NT, to be excluded from the local church was to be excluded from Christ (no other church in NT world). The issue of membership is important.
