Preface

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Preface

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"Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment" (James 3:1).

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Rare is the individual that knows how to read the Bible as God intended. Instead, most read it for Him; naturally and therefore, legalistically. It is the equivalent of approaching God and His vital message for mankind from the extremely limited perspective of the old self under the rule of law.

Reading and studying the Bible from a natural, legalistic perspective is selfish in nature. Allowing for personal bias and the twisting of Scripture to meet individual expectation, it has historically led to interpretation and consequent practice that is largely fruitless (cf. 2 Peter 1:20).

In distinct contrast, God intended for mankind to read the Bible with Him, faithfully acknowledging Him according to the intimate rule of His indwelling life. Rather than selfish, it was designed to be a selfless endeavor that serves to protect the sanctity of biblical doctrine and thus, contribute to spiritual fruitfulness.

Reading and studying the Bible with the living God is a gracious gift satisfied by the indwelling Spirit of Christ. “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him” (1 John 2:27; cf. John 14:26; Acts 10:38; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 16; 1 Thessalonians 4:9).

Spiritually born of God, the believer is forever indwelt by the anointing presence of the Spirit of Christ. To “abide in Him” is to actively, dependently enjoy His indwelling presence. It is an act of divine grace experienced by cooperative faith alone.

To “abide” in the indwelling Spirit of Christ is facilitated by the cultivation of sensitivity to His anointing presence. It is the fruit of consistently walking by the fullness of the Spirit in the context of intimate, spiritual community (Philippians 2:1; 2 Corinthians 13:14). Abiding in the Spirit not only protects the accuracy of biblical interpretation and therefore, preserves the purity of biblical doctrine (1 Corinthians 2:12-16; Hebrews 5:14). Thus, it was intended to serve an integral role in the spiritual maturation of the church on earth.

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Protecting and preserving the purity of doctrine by the indwelling Spirit of Christ requires patience. Therefore, rather than turning immediately to the thoughts and ideas given by God to others within the church body (i.e., Bible commentaries and other reference tools), it is necessary to wait prayerfully for His gracious illumination of biblical doctrine. As a result, the essential biblical doctrine of grace through faith alone is preserved and an important foundation is laid for understanding the word of God in proper context.

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Learning to understand the church solely from a New Testament perspective has been a life-long process. Writing about it in the form of a book required faithful, prayerful dependence on God and thousands of hours over a span of more than 20 years.

Relative to the manner in which it was written, it is my belief that “The Distinct Church of the New Testament” provides a view of the church that is largely unadulterated by religious tradition, organizational strategy and cultural influence. Therefore, it provides solid answers to questions often left unanswered by traditional theological systems.

Please read “The Distinct Church of the New Testament” by the Spirit, prayerfully and dependently. As a consequence, I believe that you will be as blessed as I have been.