THE INNER AND THE OUTER CHURCH

THE INNER AND THE OUTER CHURCH

There are two kinds of church, namely: the outer and the inner. The outer church is that which has a corporate name, e.g., Roman Catholic Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc. The outer church has at least three value or importance, namely; 1) the outer church, or more precisely her priests or ministers, serves as ‘tutor’ to immature souls; just human father is appointed for the purpose of providing physical food to the young children of God, so a priest is also serving as spiritual provider (guide) of the souls who are still immature, still needing milk; 2) the outer church, being an coalition of more like-minded people in this world where too much differences exist, serves as an excellent place of fellowshipping, where one fears no one to express his thoughts or her feelings most especially her disappointments and heartaches in the world or in the family, etc.

The family is first the place where a person should find solace, but whenever the family becomes ineffective because, for example, it is in the family that trouble exists, such as a conflict with the husband, the next best place to find solace and solution, is the church! Paul has a point when he advised the brethren not to neglect fellowshipping.

3) This fellowshipping is also an opportunity to share joys, such as someone’s new understanding regarding a spiritual topic or subject, share a joyful testimony about the Lord’s faithfulness, His wisdom, His love and His power, which testimony can edify and encourage the listeners!

There is a 4^th usefulness of the outer church: 4) Where a need is too heavy too bear for one, such as when there is a natural calamity or someone needs a business capital, etc., many hearts and many hands and pockets to contribute prayers, labor and money and other resources to solve the problem or meet the huge need.

It is of course wrong to pit one church denomination against another or to brag that your denomination is better or is the only true church on earth. Nay, this is wrong! This shows lack of understanding.

Membership to the true inner church is not by corporate name. Corporate name like Roman Catholic Church or the Church of Corinth or Church at Philadelphia or Church of Corinth, or the Southern Baptist Church, etc. these are all corporate names usually registered in the Securities of Exchange Commission (SEC), and not necessarily in heaven’s registrar!

Different churches by name already exist during Paul’s and Peter’s time. Paul’s many epistles were addressed to many churches. And they did not quarrel one another! But later on, when some more came up reaching now over 2,200 Christian church names, with different leaders, each one calling the others as ‘fakes’, division and troubles came! Even wars! Do you not know that the World War I and II were being fought by Judaists (Israel) on one side with the Protestants (Americans and the Allies) versus the Catholics on the other side (Germans, Italians)? Of course, some Allies were Catholics such as the Filipinos who would have fought against the Catholic Italians (Romans) were they not consigned to fight the Japanese in the Far East.

Anyway, the wars especially WW I and WW II were more than enough proof of our un-christianity because Catholics and Protestants are supposed to be brothers! They study the same Bible. The profess to know and worship the same God and the same Jesus Christ, and so on and so forth. So why such onslaught? This thought or question is too faith-breaking to begin with, and so many would prefer to evade it. But the deep thinking person would dare ask and consider as I do. The wars do not confirm brotherhood. The wars confirm Satan’s ‘divide and rule and destroy’ philosophy.

This should lead us to question the authenticity of many churches including the big ones. For Christ Himself forewarned of the appearance of false christs and therefore, the formation of false churches.

But the true church does not exist in the outer church. It cannot be found by hopping from one denomination to another. From the outer church you can find fellowshipping with like-minded brethren, gain solace and edification, as well as support but the true fellowshipping (communion) with God the Father and Jesus Christ occurs in private, namely: in our mind and heart and this usually is done more effectively alone! In prayers, meditations, and study of His Word. Also in fasting time.

This kind of need cannot be replaced, nor should be hindered by one’s membership or attendance of a church. You may attend a church but never shall you suppose that it is sufficient. No, it is not. The church should not be viewed to be the main source of strength or a replacement of direct personal quiet communication (connection) with God. While it is true that you can expect or even look for edification coming from your brethren, which act can sometimes become selfish or one-sided for it is also your duty to bring something for your brethren, be it an encouraging testimony or material blessing to share, etc., because a church, as in any other human organization, is a mutual relationship, a give and take relationship. You are not there just to get and receive. No, you are there to contribute something for the edification of the whole body. Using mainly your talents and its fruits (e.g., gains), you can greatly help strengthen your church.

But again, that does not make private fellowshipping with God unnecessary. As a matter of fact, all the more should you connect to God because only from God can you acquire the strength that you need to bring to the church! It is a state of immaturity (albeit valid to God) to ask or expect for strength from the church. But for the mature ones, we should come to God for all the strengths and with those strengths go to Church to distribute or share those strengths. We should graduate from the state where in we go to church to get and receive; we should now be able to go to church to give and share. The ‘getting’ and the ‘receiving’ let us leave that to our new members or those who are still weak and young in the body of Christ. It is a shame, to say the least, to stay and remain helpless and dependent on the church. We have to move on and become pillars of the church we belong.

This development is clearly stated in the Bible. First, there is the statement that some members need still milk and that they are to be under ‘tutor’ which first refer to the law or written scriptures which of course means that some minister or teacher is needed. But from that stage, we are to advance to what Jesus said in John 6:45: “It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’

Jesus quoted the prophecy Isaiah 54:13: “All your sons will be taught by Jehovah and great will be your children’s peace”.