"WHY STAND YE HERE ALL

Much can be understood about the church by a study of the terms by which it is called. The church for which Jesus died has been called by different terms according to the standpoint from which it is viewed and the various relationships under which it is contemplated. It is called the "kingdom of Heaven" (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 13:24,31,33,38,44,45), the "kingdom of God" (Matt. 6:33; Mark 1:14-15; 4:11,26,30; 10:14-15), the "kingdom of his dear Son" (Col. 1:13), the "kingdom of Christ and of God" (Eph. 5:5), the "kingdom of Jesus Christ" (Rev. 1:9), "the church of God" (1 Cor. 11:22; 15:9; 1 Tim. 3:15), "the church" (Acts 2:47; 5:11; Eph. 1:22), "the churches of God" (1 Cor. 11:16; 1 Thes. 2:14; 2 Thes. 1:4), "the churches of Christ" (Rom. 16:16), "the churches of Asia (1 Cor. 16:19), "the churches of Macedonia" (2 Cor. 8:1), "the churches of Galatia" (Gal. 1:2) or simply "the churches" (Acts 15:41; 16:5; 1 Cor. 7:17; 14:34; 2 Cor. 8:18-19). To this list might be added: "the house of God" (1 Tim. 3:15), "the body of Christ" (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18,24) and by inference "the army of the Lord" (Eph. 6:10-20; 1 Tim. 6:12), "the temple of God" (2:19-22; 1 Pet. 2:5) and "the vineyard of the Lord" (Matt. 21:28-31; 20:1-16).

The householder went out to hire laborers to work in his vineyard. Christians are to work in the vineyard of the Lord, which is the church.

Instead of standing idle, one should be working in the church. The Bible mentions and describes several kinds of works. There are individual works and there are works of the church. What kind of work should one be doing? What kind of work should be avoided?

The Bible describes works one must avoid. Works to avoid are: works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21), works of darkness (Eph. 5:11; Rom. 13:12), works of iniquity (Matt. 7:21-23), hypocritical religious works (Matt. 6:5), dead works (Heb. 6:1; 9:14), works of the Law of Moses (Rom. 3:20,28; Gal. 2:16; 3:10-11), works of human merit or goodness (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; 2 Tim. 1:9).

The Bible describes works that one must accomplish. Works to accomplish are: works of God (John 6:28-29), works of righteousness (Acts 10:34,35; Psa. 119:172), works of obedience (Phil. 2:12; John 14:15; 1 John 5:3), and good works (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Titus 2:7; 3:1; 2 Cor. 9:8; Col. 1:10; Heb. 10:24; Eph. 2:10).

Instead of standing all the day idle one must be involved in the work of the church. What is the work of the church? The work of the church is to prepare people for heaven. The work of the church in preparing people for heaven involves evangelism (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16). The word evangelismis not found in the Bible, but the word evangelist is found three times (Acts 21:8; Eph. 4:11; 2 Tim. 4:5). An evangelist was one who preached "the gospel of peace" (Rom. 10:15). The word which is translated "to preach the gospel" is found fifty five times in the New Testament (Smith, 156). This word means "to evangelize, proclaim the good news, almost always concerning the Son of God as declared in the Gospel (exceptions: Luke 1:19; 1 Thes. 3:6; Gal. 1:8). Used in the active voice to declare, proclaim (Rev. 10:7; 14:6); in the passive voice of matters to be proclaimed as glad tidings (Luke 16:16; Gal. 1:11; 1 Pet. 1:25), of persons as to whom the proclamation is made (Matt. 11:5; Lk. 7:22; Heb. 4:2,6; 1 Pet. 4:6); in the middle voice especially of the message of salvation with personal objective either of the person preached (Acts 5:42; 11:20; Gal. 1:16), or with a preposition of the persons evangelized (Acts 8:4,12; 13:32; 15:35;1 Cor. 15:1; II Cor. 11:7; Gal. 1:23; Eph. 2:17; 3:8)" (Zodhiates, 1692). This word is translated "preach," "preaching," "preached," or "preacheth" twenty three times (Luke 3:18; 4:43; 16:16; Acts 5:42; 8:4,12,35,40; 10:36; 11:20; 14:15; 15:35; 17:18; I Cor. 15:1-2; 2 Cor. 11:7; Gal. 1:8b,16,23; Eph. 2:17; 3:8; Heb. 4:6; Rev. 14:6), "preach the gospel" twenty two times (Matt. 11:5; Luke 4:18; 7:22; 9:6; 20:1; Acts 8:25; 14:21; 16:10; Rom. 1:15; 10:15a; 15:20; I Cor. 1:17; 9:16,16,18; II Cor. 10:16; Gal. 1:8a,9; 4:13; Heb. 4:2; I Pet. 1:12; 4:6), "bring good tidings" two times (Luke 2:10; 1 Thes. 3:6), "shew glad tidings" two times (Luke 1:19; 8:1), "bring glad tidings" (Rom. 10:15b), "declare" (Rev. 10:7), "declare glad tidings" (Acts 13:32), "preached the gospel" (Acts 14:7), "be preached" (Gal. 1:11), "by the gospel is preached" (1 Pet. 1:25). The only way the church can evangelize the world is to preach and teach the gospel of Christ.

The work of the church in preparing people for heaven involves edification (1 Cor. 14:26; Eph. 4:12). The word which is translated edification is found eighteen times in the New Testament (Smith, 244). This word means "to build, literally the act of building, building as a process and, hence also that which is built, the building. N.T. meanings: a building, edifice (Matt. 24:1; Mark 13:1-2, cf. 1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor. 5:1; Eph. 2:21); edification spiritual profit or advancement (Rom. 14:19; 15:2; 1 Cor. 14:3,5; 2 Cor. 13:10)" (Zodhiates, 1714). Thayer gives one of the meanings of this word as "the act of one who promotes another’s growth in Christian wisdom, piety, holiness, happiness." This word is translated "edification" four times (Rom. 15:2; 1 Cor. 14:3; 2 Cor. 10:8; 13:10), "edifying" seven times (1 Cor. 14:5,12,26; 2 Cor. 12:19; Eph. 4:12,16,29), "building" six times (Matt. 24:1; Mark 13:1-2; 1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor. 5:1; Eph. 2:21), "wherewith (one) may edify" (Rom. 14:19). Another word which is translated "edify" is found thirty nine times in the New Testament (Smith, 244). This word means "To build a house, tower, town, etc. (Matt. 7:24,26); to build in a spiritual sense, as the Church (Matt. 16:18); to profit spiritually, to edify (1 Cor. 8:1; 14:4,17)" (Zodhiates, 1714).

continued next week