What is “the work of the Church”?
I recently had a conversation where my interlocutor lamented that the Church “wastes” money on buildings and salaries instead of focusing on “the work of the church”, which is, in his view, feeding the poor. While that is, indeed, an important part of the life of every Christian (or should be), is that really “the work of the Church”? I think, no, it is not the primary work of the Church.
If not charity, what then is the primary work of the Church? I think Scripture makes it clear that the primary work is evangelism. Among Jesus’ last recorded words to his disciples is this:
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB)
The work of the Church is sharing the gospel with a lost and dying world. We see this played in Acts 6 when the disciples — now called the apostles — appoint deacons to address the needs of the Hellenistic widows, as the apostles were to be about preaching the gospel:
So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Acts 6:2
Additionally, Christians are commanded by the writer of Hebrews to gather together:
…let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NASB)
We see (also in Acts 20:7) early records of the Church meeting together (on the first day of the week, coincidentally) and encouraging one another. This requires a meeting place, obviously, and while Believers have successfully been doing this for 2,000 years in homes, mud huts, jungle clearings, etc., nothing in the Biblical texts precludes a structure built specifically for the equipping of the local body of believers. One can argue over what the buildings should look like (and churches have done exactly that for a long time, sometimes lamentably rancorously so), but that’s a different question than if they should be built at all.
Of course, all that said, charity is definitely something that should mark the lives of any followers of Jesus individually, and the Church as a whole. Jesus’ ministry was marked by feeding massive crowds (the 5,000 and the 4,000). We read in James 1 that
[p]ure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress
James 1:27
How about 1 John:
But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
1 John 3:17
Or 2 Corinthians:
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” James 2:14-17: “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can [a]that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, [b]be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is [c]dead, being by itself.
2 Corinthians 9:7
We can go on and on, but I hope the point is clear: charity is not an option for the Christian. In fact, to be most effective, the work of evangelism and of charity go best hand in hand. Meeting a need to earn a hearing, as the old saying goes.
These are but two tasks of the Church. Others include (but are not limited to)
- Encouraging believers
- Admonishing errant believers
- Teaching/preaching of the Word
- Corporate worship
- Helping bear the burdens of fellow believers
- and on and on
The work of the Church, then, is multifaceted. This assertion that we need to abandon buildings and paying pastors1 is, to be completely candid, based on a very poor understanding of the work of the Church. Primarily, we need to be about sharing the gospel, not engaging in whatever preferred activities critics of the Church might demand, and certainly not pushing a political party or system over the Kingdom. We are to be preparing the hearts of those around us to face eternity. All of the other works of faith flow from and out of that: a heart aligned with God’s so that we may love on the world.
- Again, any good thing can be overdone and abused, but that something can be abused doesn’t mean that thing should necessarily be done away with. ↩︎