Vision Track 1.3

THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

“...I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth... You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you...he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:16-17, 26

As we’ve seen already, God created us to know Him as our Father. Even when our sin separated us from Him, He loved us so much that He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. In putting our trust in the saving work of Jesus on the cross, we’re restored to right relationship with our Father in Heaven. What good news!

But it’s even better than that! So often, the gospel message we hear, and the teaching we receive on living the Christian life, leave out any reference to the Holy Spirit. Many Christians can identify with the disciples Paul met in Ephesus, who told him, “...we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit!” Acts 19:2

Why is it that the Holy Spirit has so often been ignored or misunderstood in the Church and the world? It could be because He doesn’t seem as tangible to people as God the Father and Jesus, both of whom we can “picture” (even if that picture isn’t particularly accurate) and, therefore, relate to on some level. Or perhaps it’s because we’re not sure what He actually does. Or maybe it’s because we’re uncomfortable with the supernatural dynamic associated with the Holy Spirit’s activity.

In fact, the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in every aspect of us becoming and being a Christian. Therefore, in this session and the two that follow, we’ll look in some detail at who He is and what He does. Let’s start with a couple of essential facts about the Holy Spirit.

HE IS A PERSON

The personhood of God the Father and Jesus Christ is challenging enough for most of us to grasp, but it can be even more difficult for us to see the Holy Spirit as a person. Perhaps part of the problem is that He’s called the Holy Spirit (and in older translations of the Bible, He is referred to as the Holy Ghost, which can add to the strangeness). We can tend to think of a spirit as a “force” or “essence”—an “it” rather than a “He.” However, the Holy Spirit is never referred to in the Bible as “it” (so let’s determine never to refer to Him that way ourselves), but as “He” or “Him.”

It’s also important to know that when Jesus tells the disciples that the Father would give them “another Helper” (John 14:16), the Greek word translated “another” signifies “another of exactly the same kind.” Jesus was—and is—a person, so the Helper to come must also be a person in order to be “exactly the same kind.”

Quite apart from how He is referred to, His interaction with and response to us shows that He is no mere “force” or “thing.” For example:

HE MAKES JUDGMENTS — “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:” Acts 15:28

HE SPEAKS — “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said...” Acts 13:2

HE LEADS — “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Romans 8:14

HE INTERCEDES — “...the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words...the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

HE CAN BE INSULTED, GRIEVED, AND LIED TO — “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has...outraged the Spirit of grace?” Hebrews 10:29

“...do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

“...Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit...” Acts 5:3

HE IS GOD

Having seen clearly from the Bible that the Holy Spirit is a person, we should remember that He is not just any person—He is God! This brings us to something very important—the nature of and relationship between God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. We’ll come back to focusing on the Holy Spirit shortly, but first we need to touch on this even bigger subject.

THE MYSTERY OF THE TRINITY

In Deuteronomy 6:4, we see the declaration, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” This was an important truth for the people of Israel to grasp, surrounded as they were by nations that promoted the idea that there were multiple “gods.”

However, even in the Old Testament, it was clear that there was something intriguingly “plural” about the one true God (and perhaps that’s why the declaration in Deuteronomy 6:4 had to be made). For example, right at the beginning of the Bible, we see the “dialogue” that God has regarding His intention in creating us:

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...’” Genesis 1:26

Who is He talking to? Who else made us? In whom else’s image were we made? Of course, God alone made us, in His image alone, as Genesis 1:27 goes on to clarify:

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

The “dialogue” was, in fact, with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, both of whom were actively involved in creation, as we see in (for example) Colossians 1:16 and Genesis 1:1-2. So God alone created us, acting in the fullness of who He is.

The oneness of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is often referred to as “the Trinity.” This is not a word found in the Bible, but is a term used by the Church through the ages to describe the truth found in Scripture that, although there is only one God, He manifests and acts in three distinct persons. This mystery is evident all the way through the Bible. We’ve seen it already in Genesis 1, but let’s look at a few other scriptures that show it:

ONENESS IN LORDSHIP

As we have seen in Deuteronomy 6:4, there is one Lord. And who is that one Lord?

He is God the Father:

“For you are our Father...you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.” Isaiah 63:16

But consider the following statements:

“...at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

So there is only one Lord, and that one Lord is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

ONENESS IN IDENTITY

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” Matthew 28:18-20

It’s interesting that Jesus is commanding the disciples to baptize in “the name” (singular) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Though they are three, they have one name. In Scripture, names have particular significance and convey aspects of identity and nature. This is especially true of God Himself, and this statement confirms the nature of the triune God as “one.”

We also see this oneness in identity in the Old Testament, for example in Isaiah 9:6:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

We often hear this scripture read at Christmas, and we know that the child/son referred to is Jesus. But it says that He would be called “Wonderful Counselor.” As we’ve already seen, the Holy Spirit is referred to (by Jesus) as the “Counselor.” What’s more, we see that Jesus will also be called “Mighty God” and “Everlasting Father.” So the Son is one with the Spirit and the Father.

“...I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth...” John 14:16

ONENESS IN PURPOSE

Even where Scripture emphasizes the distinction of the persons of the Trinity, the singleness of purpose remains evident. For example, the following verses show how each person of the Trinity is involved in the single act of giving us life.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us...made us alive together with Christ...” Ephesians 2:4-5

“For the bread of God is he [Jesus] who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:33

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11

And the following passage shows us how each person of the Trinity works in and through the people of God:

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

GOD IN ALL HIS FULLNESS

Though the reality of the Trinity is clear from Scripture, it is still difficult to grasp with our minds. Thankfully, this doesn't rob us of the joy of experiencing the wonderful triunity of God, as He expresses Himself to us and blesses us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14

So, keeping in mind that the Holy Spirit is God, let’s look further at what He has done and continues to do.

THE ACTIVITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

There is an abundance evidence in Scripture that points us to the role and work of the Holy Spirit.

We’ve already seen in the Old Testament that the Holy Spirit was involved in the creation of the world and of man. We see Him at work thereafter in and through the people of God, empowering, enabling and equipping them in diverse ways. Look at examples in Exodus 31:1-5 (Bezalel anointed for artistic craftsmanship), Numbers 11:16-17 & 24-26 (Moses and the elders enabled to prophesy), Judges 6:14-16 & 34 (Gideon leading the people to victory), Judges 15:14-15 (Samson empowered for a fight), and Isaiah 61:1-3 (Isaiah anointed to proclaim good news and do good works in the name of the Lord).

However active the Holy Spirit was in the time of the Old Testament, He only came upon particular people at particular times for particular tasks. It’s interesting that in the incident recounted in Numbers 11, Moses goes on to exclaim, “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

Maybe Moses didn’t know it, but this desire was prophetic. God did indeed have something greater in store for His people, as He later specifically promised:

“...I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” Joel 2:28-29

And what’s more, He promised that His Spirit would not just come upon people temporarily (for a particular time  and task), but would be in them and would change them from the inside out:

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” Ezekiel 36:26-27

How would the Holy Spirit be able to reside within unholy people? Only by the cleansing work of Jesus on the cross. Moving from the Old Testament to the New Testament, we see the significant role of the Holy Spirit in the coming of Jesus.

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE BIRTH OF JESUS

The virgin Mary became pregnant as a direct work of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). Surrounding this event, there was a dramatic increase of the Holy Spirit’s activity.

In Luke 1:15, the angel of the Lord tells Zechariah that the son he was going to have, John the Baptist, would be “filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” His wife Elizabeth, pregnant with John, was filled with the Holy Spirit when Mary visited her (Luke 1:41), and after John was born, Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied (Luke 1:67). We also see the Holy Spirit working prophetically through the lives of Simeon (Luke 2:25-35) and Anna (Luke 2:36-38).

Even though this accelerating activity of the Holy Spirit was still only in specific and isolated incidents, it speaks of the promised outpouring that would come through Jesus.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS

Though Jesus had been conceived by the Spirit, His public ministry began with an empowering experience of the Holy Spirit when He was baptized:

“Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” Luke 3:21-22

Jesus is described thereafter as being “full of the Holy Spirit” and as being “led by the Spirit in the wilderness” (Luke 4:1), where he was able to resist the Devil’s tempting. We are told that he then returned to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). He “went public” with his ministry and mission in the synagogue in Nazareth when He read out the words from Isaiah 61 to which we referred earlier, declaring himself to be the fulfillment of that scripture:

“And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’” Luke 4:17-21

In this, Jesus declared that the power in which He would operate would be by the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE MISSION OF JESUS

It’s interesting that Scripture shows us that the Holy Spirit was involved not just in the birth and ministry of Jesus, but also in His pivotal act of dying on the cross for us:

“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” Hebrews 9:14

By His death on the cross, Jesus has paid the price for our sins. But His mission goes beyond even this. See John the Baptist’s declaration of what God had revealed to him regarding Jesus:

“And John bore witness: I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” John 1:32-34

So Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak, minister, die, and rise from the dead, would ultimately “baptize” us in the Holy Spirit. We’ll look more at this wonderful truth in a later session. For now, having mentioned earlier the part that the Holy Spirit played in the birth of Jesus, let’s look at the role He has in our new birth.

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN SALVATION

“And when he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:” John 16:8

The Holy Spirit works in the hearts of unbelievers to bring them to a place where they recognize their need for salvation. It’s only then, by the Holy Spirit, that someone can be born again:

“Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again.” The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’” John 3:5-8

And it’s not just what the Holy Spirit does in us when we’re born again; it’s what He brings us into. By Him, we become part of the Body of Christ:

“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:13

So we receive new life by Him, and are brought by Him into the life of the Body of Christ. And that’s just the beginning!

THE CHURCH IS MULTI-ETHNIC

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?

1 Corinthians 12:13 says, “in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” That “one body” is what we now call church.

The English word church comes from the Old English and German word kirche. This word has its origin in the Greek word kuriakos, which means “pertaining or belonging to the Lord.” Perhaps surprisingly, it is used only twice in the New Testament, but on these occasions it is not translated in our English Bibles as church. In 1 Corinthians 11:20, it is used to refer to “the Lord’s supper,” and in Revelation 1:10, it is used to refer to “the Lord’s day.”

The Greek word translated as church in our English Bibles is ekklesia. This word comes from the combination of two Greek words, ek meaning “out” and kaleo meaning “to call.” It could, therefore, be thought of as literally meaning “called-out (ones).” It was not a religious word, but would have been used either to refer to a group of people summoned together for a particular purpose, or more generally to any gathering of people. It is used in Acts 19 to refer to both a mass assembly of citizens (verses 32 and 41) and a legal assembly that could settle a dispute (verse 39). However, of the 115 times that ekklesia appears in the New Testament, those are the only three times that it does not specifically refer to the people of God, and where it is not translated in most English versions of the Bible as church.

So why, in our Bibles, has the word church rather than, say, assembly, been chosen for ekklesia? The phrases ekklesia kuriake, meaning “assembly of the Lord,” and oikos kuriake, meaning “house of the Lord,” were commonly used by the post-New Testament Church. The emphasis was on kuriake—that which distinguished the people from just any assembly, and the building from just any house. By the time the Scriptures were being translated into English, church had similarly become established as the name given to those who assembled in the name of the Lord, and to the buildings in which they met. Subsequently most translators decided that church was an acceptable substitute for ekklesia where it was clearly referring to the people of God.

Though church can mean different things to different people today, our understanding must line up with what Jesus would no doubt have had in mind when he chose the word ekklesia (Matthew 16:18). For example, ekklesia could never be sensibly used for a religious building, as by definition it refers to people. Neither could His ekklesia have been a mixture of believers and non-believers, as His use of the word could only refer to those who are “elected” and “called out,” both being terms that apply to believers only (2 Peter 1:10). This is an important point that we should consider further.

A SET APART PEOPLE

God’s purpose has always been to have a chosen, set-apart people. All through the Old Testament, He emphasizes the importance of His people being distinct from those around them, so as to avoid corruption and in order to be clearly seen as different from those who do not belong to Him. He gave commands that would distinguish them and warned them against adopting the ways of other nations, inter-marriage with them, and so on. He even gave commands prohibiting the combination of certain ingredients in food and materials in clothing, as ongoing reminders of His abhorrence of mixture.

This principle continues with the Church. We are a people who have been chosen and “called out” by God to belong to Him and bear testimony to Him in the world (see, for example, 1 Peter 2:9). In the New Testament, Christians are often referred to as saints, translating the Greek word hagios, meaning “those who have been set apart and consecrated as holy” (so all true Christians are saints, contrary to the way that certain denominations have interpreted the word).

Therefore, a church, which is an unashamed mixture of Christians and unbelievers, is a contradiction in terms, just as one could not properly use the term flock to describe a mixed group of sheep and cows. Historically, where church has become a mixture of saved and unsaved, dilution and corruption have resulted, and the testimony and work of God have suffered greatly. This has been the case where, for example, Christianity has become the national religion and where church membership has been a product of citizenship, culture, or family, rather than authentic conversion.

Of course, non-Christians should be welcome as visitors to the assembly of the saints, but they should not be allowed to fall into the delusion that they are Christians by association. We do these visitors a terrible wrong if it is not clear to them that, unless they are born again, they are not, and indeed can not be, part of the ekklesia.

THE CHURCH IN SCRIPTURE

The Bible presents two views of the church:

THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18

In scriptures such as this, church is being used in a universal sense. The “universal Church” (also known as the “invisible Church”) is all born-again people—past, present and future. Many have died and are already in heaven (Ephesians 3:14-15). Those on earth will be in a host of different locations, conditions and denominations. However, because they are all born again, they are spoken of collectively as the one true Church, the redeemed community.

THE LOCAL CHURCH

“Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.” Acts 14:23 (NIV 1984)

In scriptures such as this, church refers to a group of Christians living in the same locality who are joined in intentional, committed fellowship under properly established leadership:

“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—” Titus 1:5

The letters written by the apostles addressed and defined the church in any given location as all those who were genuine believers. Originally, the local church in each city or area was one, as the following verses indicate:

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:” 1 Corinthians 1:2

“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:” 1 Thessalonians 1:1

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:” Philippians 1:1

So scriptures such as these again confirm that there is no notion in the writings of the New Testament of Church being a mixture of believers and unbelievers. Neither does the concept of denominations fit into the biblical picture.

A MULTI-ETHNIC CHURCH

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”  Romans 15:5-7

Paul writes this letter to a predominantly Gentile church planted in the city of Rome. In these words, he encourages them in unity and reminds them of God’s desire to bring different people groups together as a showcase of His glory.

GOD’S PLAN FROM THE BEGINNING

The multiethnic church is not the latest church planting idea, or even a modern response to racism in society.  Instead, it is the divine purpose of God seen both in His creation of all individuals in His image and in His calling of all the nations of the world into His family.

CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

From the very beginning, human beings stand out from the rest of creation in that we are made in God’s image and likeness. Every single human being was designed to be God’s image-bearer, His representative, here on earth. Because of this fact, the Bible teaches us that every person has immense value, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or socio-economic class. When we see other people, especially those who are different from us, through God’s eyes, we can honor the potential of His image in them.

CALLING OF ALL NATIONS INTO HIS FAMILY

"Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’”  Genesis 12:1-3

When God called Abram, His intention was not only to bless Abram’s family, but through him to bless all the nations of the world.  God’s plan was to raise up a people who would serve Him, obey Him and represent Him in the earth. He would then take those people (Israel) and use them as His witnesses to draw all the nations of the earth to Him. Because of God’s passion to reach the nations, He consistently reminded Israel that they were to be a light to the world:

"And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength— he says: ‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."‘”  Isaiah 49:5-6

THE MINISTRY OF JESUS

JEWS AND SAMARITANS

The rift between Jews and Samaritans dates back to 722 B.C. when the Assyrians invaded the northern kingdom of Judah. After conquering the kingdom, the Assyrians deported many of the Jewish citizens of the region to other Assyrian territories, while at the same time, many Assyrians immigrated into Judah. Over the course of time, this practice led to a blending of the Jewish people with the Assyrians—both in terms of racial lines and religion.  First, the resulting intermarriages between the Jewish people and the Assyrians were considered by many to be a clear violation of the law forbidding the Jewish people from marrying the sons and daughters of other nations.  Second, the Assyrians brought in pagan gods, beliefs, worship and rituals into Judah resulting in a different form of worship than was commanded by the Law.  An example of the resulting religious conflict can be heard in the Samaritan woman’s question to Jesus in John 4:

“Our fathers [the Samaritans] worshipped on this mountain, but you [the Jews] say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”  John 4:20

As a result of this mixture, many in the rabbinical tradition considered the Samaritans to be corrupted both racially and religiously.  Thus, an intense hatred developed between the two people groups over time.

In His messianic ministry, Jesus proclaimed a kingdom that is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises of God coming to His people and of all God’s people returning to Him.  In and through Him, the Jewish people and the Samaritans could be united again and worship God together.  Through their faith in Jesus as the Christ and their submission to Him as the messianic King, the door is open for both to be equal members of God’s family.  Jesus demonstrates the offer of His Kingdom to all not just by going to and speaking to the Jewish nation, but also traveling through Samaria, ministering to a woman there, and teaching a shocking parable where a Samaritan is the hero.

THE SAMARITAN WOMAN

In John 4, Jesus chooses to travel through Samaria at a time when the division between Jews and Samaritans was so pronounced that it was common practice to go around Samaria—even when traveling through it would have been quicker. It is on that journey that He meets a woman at a well and strikes up a conversation with her (John 4:1-42). In the course of the conversation, Jesus makes it clear that the salvation He is offering is not just for the Jew but for the Samaritan as well:

“Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’”  John 4:13-14

He goes on to make clear that God is not seeking worship from just one particular nation but from all people who will ”worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Jesus crosses ethnic, cultural, and gender boundaries to reach this woman with the good news of the Gospel.

THE SAMARITAN HERO

On another occasion, Jesus was challenged by an expert in the Law as to how one can have eternal life and what the heart of the Law is.  Jesus replied that the essence of the Law is to love God and love your neighbor.  So far, it seems Jesus has answered the test well enough.  However, the expert wanted to further trap Him, as well as justify his own actions, so he asks another question, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:25-29).  In answer to this, Jesus tells the following parable:

“Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You go, and do likewise.’”  Luke 10:30-37

What would have stood out the most to the listeners of His story was not the fact that your “neighbor” is someone in need.  Nor would they have been shocked by the truth that loving your neighbor involves practically caring for those needs.  What would have surprised them the most was the fact that it was a Samaritan, not the priest or Levite, that embodied the command to love your neighbor.  In this brilliant parable, Jesus was making clear that eternal life is not dependent on what what status you have or what race you are.  There is no advantage to being a priest or a Levite.  What matters is not your understanding of the Law or your ethnicity, but your obedience to the Law.  Once again, Jesus makes it clear that His Gospel is offered to all people regardless of race or socio-economic class.

THE GREAT COMMISSION

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”  Matthew 28:18-20

After Jesus is resurrected and is preparing for His soon to come ascent into heaven, He leaves His disciples with the above command. These words recorded in Matthew 28:18-20 are often referred to as “The Great Commission”, and are viewed by many to be the mission statement of the Church.

As first century second temple Jews, those listening to His words would have been deeply impacted by at least a couple of aspects of the passage that speak of the worldwide focus of the gospel.  First, it is surely significant that Jesus commands the disciples to go to a mountain in Galilee.  He has already appeared to them in Jerusalem and Jerusalem has, for centuries, been the center of the religious life of the Jews.  Instead of commissioning them there, He makes them travel to Galilee, a region known for its mix of Jew and Gentile.  In changing location, Jesus is already raising their vision beyond Jerusalem to the nations.

Second, His clear command to “make disciples of all nations” would have reverberated in their ears bringing to mind the promises of all nations coming to God.  If they were good students of the Old Testament, they probably would have recalled the words of the prophets Isaiah and Zachariah as well as of the Psalmist concerning the salvation and inclusion of Gentiles into Israel (see Isaiah 49:6; Zechariah 2:11; Psalms 18:47,117:1-2). The word “nations” that Jesus uses is the Greek word ‘ethnos’, which means mass, host or multitude bound by the same manners, customs and other distinctive features, i.e., tribes, nations, or people groups. Jesus is commanding His followers to preach the gospel to and disciple every nation and ethnicity.  To accomplish their task, His followers will have to cross ethnic and cultural boundaries and reach people with the gospel.

When we read the Great Commission, we often think of foreign missionary work and leaving our home country to reach other people groups. However, many of our own communities, right here, include people of different nations, ethnicities, and cultures, who need to hear the gospel of Jesus and be invited into God’s family.  As we live out the Great Commission locally, there should be a demonstration in our own communities of the unity among all of His disciples that results from the power of the gospel changing hearts and lives.

“‘I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.’”  John 17:20-21

Jesus’ heart to reach all ethnos with the gospel aims at all those disciples from varying people groups being united into one body. In fact, He goes so far as to say that the world will believe that He has truly been sent by God because of the visibly demonstrated unity of His disciples.

THE GOSPEL TO THE NATIONS

PERSECUTION IN THE CHURCH

In Acts 8:1 we read, “…And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” This moment marks the spread of the gospel outside of Jerusalem and ultimately to many other nations. Following this scattering, we find the Church expanding beyond the mainly Jewish congregation in Jerusalem to include the Samaritans, the Romans and the Greeks.  As the gospel powerfully saves people from these various people groups, the apostles and leaders of the young Church become convinced that the gospel of the Kingdom is aimed at building a Church made up of both Jew and Gentile.

THE GOSPEL TO THE SAMARITANS

“Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.”  Acts 8:4-8

After the stoning of Stephen, Phillip travels north to Samaria becoming the first person, following the resurrection of Christ, to preach the gospel outside of Judaea. It is significant that Phillip preaches to this specific people group, in light of the previously mentioned tension that existed between Jews and Samaritans. Despite their historical division, Phillip enters Samaria and proclaims the gospel seeing many born again and brought into the Kingdom.

THE GOSPEL TO THE ROMANS

In Acts 10, Peter has a vision from the Lord in which God spoke three times to Peter saying, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (Acts 10:15 NIV) While Peter is still trying to discern what the vision means, some men sent by a Roman military officer named Cornelius come looking for him. Peter travels to the household of this officer of Rome, an officer of the same government that carried out the execution of his beloved Master.  Once there, he begins to preach the gospel to this gathering of Gentiles. As he begins preaching, Peter realizes what the vision meant, and he boldly declares to them: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." (Acts 10:34-35) The entire household hears the gospel and is born again.

THE GOSPEL TO THE GREEKS

“But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.… And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.”  Acts 11:20-21, 26b

From this point, we see the gospel spreading throughout gentile communities with thousands of people being born again and gathered into churches. The predominately Jewish believers begin to preach the gospel to all ethnicities in fulfillment of the words of Jesus from Matthew 28:19-20. This accomplishing of the Great Commission takes another major step forward with the calling of the apostle Paul.

THE PATTERN OF ANTIOCH

“Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”  Acts 13:1-3

The church at Antioch was one of the first churches established outside of Jerusalem and emerged as a church with multiple ethnicities. Antioch, the third largest city in the Roman Empire, was a city filled with ethnic tension as more than sixteen different ethnic groups made up over 800,000 residents. The city was divided into ethnic ghettos and at times hostility spilled over into race riots. It is against this backdrop that a group of faith-filled Christ followers began to share the gospel and build a church marked by unity and love. It is in this diverse church that the apostle Paul was publicly commissioned. Paul spent one year in Antioch before he and Barnabas were sent out on their first apostolic journey.

THE TEACHINGS OF PAUL

The book of Acts shows Paul following on from the work of Peter and exponentially expanding the Church by continuing to preach the gospel to all nations, plant churches and establish those churches on the foundation of Christ. Although Paul always preached to the Jew first, he became known as an apostle to the Gentiles due to the great success God gave him among the gentile people. Through his preaching, planting and writing, God clearly used Paul to establish many of the essential foundations of the Church, including the great truth of the reconciling of all ethnicities in Christ.

First, Jesus broke down the dividing wall which separated Jews and Gentiles.

“For he [Jesus] himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”  Ephesians 2:14-16

For many devout Jews, including some Jewish Christians, the main impediment to the uniting of Jew and Gentile was the Law and its commands.   In much rabbinical understanding of the Law, to be faithful to God required being separate from the Gentiles.  This division was built into the physical structure of the temple itself reminding all worshippers of the clear distinctions among them:

“The temple campus was made up of a sequence of courts separated by gated walls. Each court moved closer to the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God dwelt. The gate of the Gentiles was the first gate through which God-fearing Gentiles were permitted to enter. Beyond that area, only Jewish men were permitted. Paul says that Jesus’ bloody cross demolished the walls of separation and segregation.”

— Dr. Derwin L. Gray (The High Definition Leader, 2015, p.58)

Paul boldly declares that Christ fulfilled the law and thereby abolished the system and ordinances of that law that divide Jew from Gentile.  In Christ, God made peace possible between these groups by established something new.

Second, Jesus created one new humanity made up of Jews and Gentiles.

“…His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,” Ephesians 2:15b NIV

To be born again is to be given a new identity. As new creations in Christ, “we regard no one according to the flesh” (2 Corinthians 5:16), not even ourselves. Therefore, our identity is anchored not in family history, socio-economic class, ethnicity, etc., but in the fact that we are now in Christ. Our belonging to Jesus surpasses our belonging to anyone or anything else.

Third, Jesus reconciled Jews and Gentiles into one body, who are now citizens and members of the same household and growing into a holy temple in the Lord.

“…And [Jesus] might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility… So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”  Ephesians 2:16, 19-22

The word reconcile here means to change from enemies to friends. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles are no longer bitter enemies, but friends, fellow citizens, and members of God’s family. Wherever Christian brothers and sisters are divided, the blood of Jesus compels us to lay our hostilities at the foot of the cross and pursue friendship with one another.

Fourth, God’s eternal purpose has always been for his manifold wisdom to be displayed in the church:

“This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.”  Ephesians 3:6-12

It was always part of God’s plan to reconcile all people groups to himself. God’s promise to Abraham was that all nations would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:2). Jesus’ death on the cross made salvation available to all those who would trust in Him. People from every tribe, nation, and tongue would be united together into Christ. Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:11 that this was part of God’s eternal purpose.

The word translated ‘manifold’ (greek: polupoikilos) is a rare term that combines the more common adjective poikilos, meaning “many-coloured, spotted, dappled, diversified, manifold” with the common adverb polys, meaning “many.” The word indicates complex variety in composition, color, reasoning or emotion. Paul applies this term to God’s wisdom defining it as complex or many-sided.  Certainly part of that complexity is seen in the variety of ethnicities He has created and is further displayed in the uniting of those ethnicities in Christ, expressed here as the unity of Jew and Gentile.  As we’ve previously discussed, God’s plan from the very beginning was to draw all people to Himself. The wisdom of God is showcased in His ability to unite a rich variety of people groups.  However, the challenge facing the church is the reality that this unity is seldom truly on display.

THE MULTI-ETHNIC CHURCH TODAY

A SEGREGATED CHURCH

“I think it is one of the tragedies of our nation, one of the shameful tragedies, that eleven o’clock on Sunday morning is one of the most segregated hours, if not the most segregated hours, in Christian America. I definitely think the Christian church should be integrated, and any church that stands against integration and that has a segregated body is standing against the spirit and the teachings ofJesus Christ, and it fails to be a true witness.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Interview on NBC’s TV program “Meet the Press”, 17 April 1960)

Sadly, this quote by Dr. King is as true today as it was in 1960. In his book, High Definition Leader, Dr. Derwin Gray puts it this way:

“Marinate on this sad reality: only 13.7 percent of churches in America are multiethnic. This means that 86.3 percent churches are homogeneous. And here’s more to be sad about: churches are ten times more segregated than the neighborhoods they are in and twenty times more segregated than the nearby schools.

Our neighborhoods are ethnically diverse, but the local church, which is supposed to exist as a community of God’s reconciliation, is not. Our public schools are ethnically diverse, but the local church, which is supposed to exist as a display of God’s love for all people, is not. Our military is multiethnic, but the local church, which exists as a showcase of Jesus’ unifying power, is not. Our nightclubs are ethnically diverse, but the local church, which exists as God’s new humanity brought into being through life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, is not.”

— Dr. Derwin L. Gray (The High Definition Leader, 2015, pp. 15-16)

When we look at the make up of the early church and the demographics of christians in many communities across the world, we are faced with challenging questions. Why aren’t more churches multi-ethnic? Why are Christians still so segregated?

• One factor in the creation of these homogeneous churches is racism. The racial violence, tensions and disparities that have existed throughout history have definitely contributed to segregation within the Church. The degradation of ethnic minorities that has led the way in segregating societies as a whole, has also had its divisive affect on local church life.

• Another contributing factor is the popularity of a church growth model that encourages churches to target a specific demographic within neighborhoods and communities. The question, “Who are you called to reach?” has dominated recent church growth strategy and the result has been churches based more on ethnic and cultural commonality than on unity in Christ. Many churches have experienced numerical growth as a result of these methods, but it has come at the expense of the unity of the church—reinforcing, rather than overcoming, racial and socio-economic divides.

• A third factor is that all people have a tendency to be most comfortable around those who are like them. As Miles McPhearson explains in his book The Third Option (2018, p. 37), culture causes us to sort people into groups that are either like me (in-groups) or not like me (out-groups). We then prefer spaces and relationships with people who are like us and tend to make dishonorable assumptions about people in our out-groups.

• Finally, some churches remain homogeneous purely because of a lack of ethnic diversity in their communities, cities or countries. It may be impossible to build a diverse local church when there is no local diversity. However, partnerships can be built with churches in other communities nearby or around the world to help build racial unity.

No matter the reasons for segregation within churches, God is calling us all to move beyond ethnic barriers and pursue reconciliation with each other. When we do, our churches will take significant steps toward becoming multi-ethnic and display the power of unity in Christ Jesus.

BUILDING A MULTI-ETHNIC CHURCH

“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”  Psalms 127:1

Building a multi-ethnic church requires dependence on God. We need to trust God, prioritize His Kingdom and keep His Word central as we pursue authentic relationships with those who are different from us. It’s only through the blood of Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit and our lives being built on His truth that we can be united into one body. To do this, we must build with humility, honor, and intentionality.

WITH HUMILITY — As people from different backgrounds and experiences join together, keeping an attitude of humility will deepen our relationships. We may be confronted with prejudices, hurts, anger, and/or fears. If so, it will require repentance, forgiveness, bearing with each other, renewing our minds and serving one another. When we treat each other with patience and love we build bridges instead of walls (Phil. 2:3-5, 1 Peter 3:8).

WITH HONOR — We may never be able to fully understand another person’s experiences or culture, but we can choose to honor them as someone who is created in the image of God. When issues arise we must choose to make honorable assumptions of others and show respect even when we disagree (Romans 12:10, 16-18). Ultimately, we must honor God and His Word above our personal histories and perspectives as we learn to be built together as the household of God.

WITH INTENTIONALITY — Building a multi-ethnic church means living multi-ethnic lives and celebrating the diverse creativity of our God who chose to create ethnicity. We are not a “color blind church” but a church which recognizes that God has given the world a beautiful array of ethnicities. We understand that our differences and diversities make us stronger as we live life together and grow in our understanding of the manifold wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10).

“God’s desire is for us to experience multiethnic fellowship now in the local church as it will be for eternity. God’s heart is total reconciliation.”

- Scot McKnight (Quote from Building a Multiethnic Church by Dr. Derwin L. Gray, 2021, p.32)

AS IT IS IN HEAVEN

When Jesus teaches us to pray, He tells us to ask for God’s kingdom to come “on earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)  In Revelation chapter 7, the picture that God gives John of heaven shows people from every ethnicity worshiping God together.

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”  Revelation 7:9-10

Our prayer is that this picture of a united church from every nation, tribe, people and language will be seen on earth as it is in heaven.  As we make disciples of every ethnos and learn to obey all that He has commanded, we believe that God will display His wisdom on earth in the visible unity of people in Christ from every ethnicity.  This unity is not just something to be believed in theory but to be seen in local churches as people from various ethnicities, nationalities, and socio-economic classes learn to live as one new man in Christ.