Devotion for July 9, 2008

An Organized Church

“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you——” (Titus 1:5 NKJV)

We see that Paul was very concerned for the wellbeing of the church. Elders were to be appointed in every city. It is interesting to note that Paul does not say in every church, but in every city. I don’t think Paul thought the same as we do.

The church in our minds is a local congregation with a pastor and deacons meeting in a building on Sundays and Wednesdays.  It is true that the New Testament speaks primarily to local congregations, but Paul obviously understood the Church to be one group spread throughout the world.

He considered those in Crete to be part of the same church as those in Macedonia. They were not part of the same gathering, but part of the same body, a body that needed to be organized. Therefore, he gives Titus the task of appointing elders in every city that they might provide oversight for that part of the Body of Christ.

It is sad to think that we have lost that unity. The church has become splintered so much that only a sense of global community still exists. While we are not organized into a world organization, let us not forget to pray for the universal church. We have brothers and sisters that are not part of our denomination whatever that may be.

I am thankful that God knows I am but dust. Truly we all want to be right about the things we believe, but let us never become so proud that we cannot be corrected with the truth. Even Peter had to be confronted by Paul because he had slipped back into Judaism (Gal 2:11-12).

I am not advocating ecumenicalism. I just want to remind all of us not to become so isolated that prejudices begin to rule our lives. Small groups tend to take on their own personalities. It would be good for all of us to stay well read and humble.