The New Testament Church is called to unite to make the name of Jesus known. We live in a time where it is overdue to go outside the four walls of the church and the walls of denominations and pursue a true and genuine outpouring of God’s Spirit. Unity of the body of Christ must be founded upon truth and not compromise. There is a portion of the church today that is compromising on numerous fronts, but there is a great remnant that is staying faithful. The Lord calls His remnant to join forces together, despite differences on secondary issues, and bring the Gospel to the lost.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:19-22 (LSB), “So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”.
This is in the context of the Apostle Paul addressing the dividing wall that existed between Jews and Gentiles before Jesus, and now no longer exists. All who have been born again into God’s Kingdom are one people, whether Jew or Gentile, there is no distinction. Yet today there are many denominations in Christianity, and that was never the intent.
If we would be led by God’s Spirit and put away pride we would see greater outpourings of God’s Spirit in this day, we would see the ongoing work of Ephesians 2, where believers are in fellowship together and are being matured both individually and corporately into a dwelling place of the Spirit of God! In Christ, believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and we are called in Ephesians 2 to be in fellowship with other believers for the ongoing growth of being a holy sanctuary of the Lord, that displays the Hope of Glory, Jesus Christ, to this world!
The New Testament Church was founded upon the five-fold ministry offices (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers) for the equipping of the saints, we are to be founded upon that today. The five-fold ministry along with the work of the Holy Spirit is what kept believers in unity in the Early Church as displayed in the Book of Acts, and it is the same for today as God does not change!
Some sincere believers take issue with the continuation of the five-fold or the sign-gifts of the Holy Spirit. Please know I affirm some extremes and abuses exist today, however, that does not change God’s Word. He is no respecter of person, and Jesus even commissioned the church in Mark 16 that signs would follow those who believe, He never limited it to any particular group.
A study of the early church writers even confirms this, and through the dark ages, many have become blinded to the way God wants to move. It is a doctrine of devils to say that God’s Power has changed. But God through time is bringing His church to the place and position it belongs to and that is walking in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Oregin of Alexandria in his work “Homilies on Numbers,” Origen notes: “The Church has received from the Apostles a ministry of teaching and prophecy, and the different gifts for building up the Church.” (Origen, Homilies on Numbers, Homily 6). Additionally in his commentary on John, Origen writes: “The power of miracles did not cease with the apostles, but it still continues in the Church to this day. Those who have received the Spirit are able to perform the same works of healing and other miracles as the apostles did.” (Origen, Commentary on John, Book 1).
Irenaeus of Lyons writes in Against Heresies “But, to this day, miracles are performed among us by the Church. We hear of those who are restored to health by the laying on of hands, and those who are possessed by demons are freed from their power, and those who are suffering from various diseases are healed by the invocation of the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 2, Chapter 32, Section 4).
Clement of Alexandria wrote, “And the Church is not without the gifts of the Spirit, which are still manifest today in various forms and work wonders.” (Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, Book 6, Chapter 6).