Many lack a clear understanding about the term ‘Church’ that is mentioned in the word of God. For some it is the physical church, the organization one is a member of and for others it is the body of Christ.
The organizational church might or might not be a part of the body. If it is part of the body, it takes commands from Christ the head. Leaders of such a church would lead it according to the perfect will and commands of God. If there is any dispute, confusion or lack of clarity, they would collectively look into the word of God and ask Him for guidance rather than dictating their decisions.
Each member in such a church would also be part of the body of Christ, responding to the Head through the leaders above them. Submission to such spiritual leaders is according to the spirit of the word. There is no conflict of interests as all have accepted the Lordship of Christ and leadership of their leader whom God has put above them. They all function according to the gifts divided by God and for common benefit. (1Cor 12).
If it is not part of the body, it is merely an organization which might take the name of our Lord but with little or no connection with Him. The people leading them might have taken doctrines and teachings from the word of God and added or deleted according to their own convictions and conveniences. Decisions and leadership would then be based on the organization’s rules & regulations rather than from Christ the head. This makes it a totally corrupt system. Submission of a spiritual person (one who is in a personal relationship with God) becomes difficult as there is a conflict. Whom can one serve, God or the leader of the organization?
Spiritual submission is subject to the organ above us being a part of the body of Christ. Being part of Christ the head is not something one can simply claim but prove only by responses to the commands of the head. A person who is part of this body cannot take a command that is not from Christ the head. These could be small personal differences to major doctrinal issues. To make this point clear, let us look at an example.
Suppose an organizational church has affiliation or fellowship with another. They run into some issue resulting severing the relationship with the other. When the organization cuts off the relationship, what about the members of both organizations? Do they also cut off the relationship? If they don’t, the leadership will not be happy about it. If they cut off, what was the relationship all about? It was just a superficial one! They might have been calling each other brother, sister etc. But all of a sudden it became nothing!
Major issues could be doctrinal and of teachings. It is quite possible to start off with the right spirit and slowly deviate from the true spirit of God over a period of time. The leadership of such organizations would become so unteachable that no one including the Holy Spirit can correct them. One who is not ready to be corrected each day by the Holy Spirit, would form convictions outside the spirit of God. So we need to have the brokenness and humility to be taught even after years of experience with God, even to the last day of our lives.
Gal 1:6-12 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is {really} not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but {I received it} through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Church is a living organism and not an organization.
Eph 1:22, 23 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
1 Cor 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
As organs in the human body, organs in the body of Christ also have different functions. There is absolutely no competition between the organs but they all work for common benefit and hence is complimenting.
1 Cor 12:12-26 For even as the body is one and {yet} has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not {a part} of the body," it is not for this reason any the less {a part} of the body. And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not {a part} of the body," it is not for this reason any the less {a part} of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those {members} of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need {of it.} But God has {so} composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that {member} which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but {that} the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if {one} member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
All the above facts apart, it is the calling for every sincere believer to continue to love each other beyond differences of opinion, organizations etc. May God bless us all with His abundant grace to keep us humble and teachable and spiritual, to the end of our lives.
