Alamo Drive
Church of Christ

Chart #5: How Does this Relationship Look?

 

God’s relationship to people showed in their organization, names, statements of faith, rules, worship, work and loyalty.

 

• People who relate to God through Jesus act like a household with Overseers and Servants.  Phil. 1:1. 

• They cooperate under the leadership of spiritually qualified fellow brothers who act as Overseers in example, word and rule.  Titus 1:5-11, I Pet. 5:1-11, Acts 20:28-32, I Tim. 3:1-7.

• They cooperate in serving under the leadership of spiritually qualified fellow brothers who act as special Servants.  I Tim. 3:8-13.  Cf. Acts 6:1-6 (?).

• People who relate to God through Jesus called themselves as a group by names that described their relationship to God and Christ.

• They called themselves God’s Town hall or assembly (“church”).  I Cor. 1:1.  Cf. Acts 20:28.

• They called themselves Christ’s Town hall or assembly (“church”).  Rom. 16:16, Matt. 16:18.

• They called themselves Christ’s body.  Col. 1:18, Eph. 1:23,  Eph. 4:11-16, esp. 12:13, I Cor. 12:12-28

• They called themselves Christ’s bride.  Rom. 7:4, Eph. 5:22-33, Rev. 21:9, II Cor. 11:2-3.

• They called themselves the town hall or assembly (“church”) of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  I Thess. 1:1.

 

People who relate to God through Jesus called themselves as individuals by names that described their relationship’s functions.

• They called themselves disciples since they were disciplined to follow Jesus.  Acts 11:26, Matt. 28:18-20, Jn. 15:8.

• They called themselves dedicated ones or holy ones (“saints”) since their lives were completely dedicated to serving God’s purposes.  Rom. 1:7, I Cor. 1:2, 6:9-11, Phil. 1:1. ,23:8, Matt. 12:49-50

• They called themselves brethren since they saw one another as one big family of equal inheriting status.  
  Gal. 6:1.

• They called themselves children since they saw themselves as dependent upon and related intimately to God.  I Jn. 2:1-2, 3:1-3, Gal. 3:26-27, Rom. 8:14-17.

• They called themselves Christians since they saw themselves as of Christ’s group or “party.”  Acts 11:26, 26:28, I Pet. 4:16.

 

People who relate to God through Jesus did not have elaborate statements of faith (“creeds” from Latin credo, “I believe”) since their conviction was simply that Jesus is the Messiah, God’s Son, and that His ways are our ways.  Matt. 16:18-19, 10:32-33, Acts 8:37.

 

• People who relate to God through Jesus simply followed His ways as their rules for religious faith and practice.

• They followed only the teachings of Jesus as taught by His apostles and prophets since they saw His power and authority. Matt. 28:18-20, Rom. 1:16, Heb. 4:12.

• They saw these teachings as completely adequate for life.  II Tim. 3:16-17, II Pet. 1:3.

• They saw these teachings as capable of generating this relationship in others.  Lk. 8:11, Matt. 13:3, Acts 6:7.

• They saw these teachings as the only offensive weapon necessary to succeed in the battle of life.  Eph. 6:17, Rev. 1:16, 2:12, 16, 19:15, Jn. 12:48

 

People who relate to God through Jesus worshipped together as spiritually as Jesus had instructed.

 

• They used singing to teach one another.  Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19.

• They used prayer to unite their hearts’ concerns before God. I Tim. 2:1-2, 8, I Thess. 5:17. , Acts 20:7

• They used preaching and collective instruction to unite in learning and applying God’s word.  I Cor. 14.

• They used a simple meal of unleavened bread and grape juice as “the Lord’s Supper” to unite their minds on Jesus body and blood each first day of the week.  Acts 20:7, I Cor. 10:16-17, 11:17-34.

• They used their weekly assembly to collect funds for specially authorized activities of the group.  I Cor. 16:1-2, II Cor. 8-9.

 

People who relate to God through Jesus did Jesus’ work by helping other souls relate to God through Jesus.  
Eph. 3:10, John 6:45, I Tim. 4:16.

 

• People who relate to God through Jesus were warned not to go beyond Jesus’ ways.  Gal. 1:6-8, Matt. 15:9, II Cor. 11:3, II Jn. 9-11, Rev. 22:18-19.  

• Consider God’s specifications in Noah’s ark (Gen. 6-7),

• Moses’ tabernacle (Ex. 25:8-9, 40, Heb. 8:5),

• Solomon’s temple (I Chron. 8:11-20, II Chron. 3:1-8:16, esp. 8:14-16) and Jesus’ disciples (Acts 2:38-42).

 

Next chart: How did people transition to this relationship?