The visible church
(CONTINUATION)

OTHER MISINTERPRETED PASSAGES

• 2 Timothy 2:16-21

But avoid worldly {and} empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, {men} who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness." Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these {things,} he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

The house mentioned by Paul (v. 20) is identified with the church and the articles for noble and ignoble purposes are usually referred to the believers and unbelievers respectively who are together in the community.

It is correct to refer the house to the church since also the context is about the life of the community: there are Gnostic false teachers who should be kept clear of because their teaching spreads like gangrene and they disturbed already many in their faith. However, who are the articles for noble and ignoble purpose? In the Greek text the words time = honour, worth, value (NIV: noble purposes) and atimia = dishonour, the antonym of time (NIV: ignoble purposes) are used (they derive from the verbs timao = to appreciate, to honour and atimadzo = not to appreciate). Also in 1 Corinthians 12:23 Paul uses a word derived from time: atimoteros = more despised, NIV: less honourable. This passage may help us come closer to what Paul meant in 2 Timothy 2:20 by articles for noble and ignoble purposes:

For even as the body is one and {yet} has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)

And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those {members} of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need {of it}. But God has {so} composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that {member} which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but {that} the members may have the same care for one another. (1 Corinthians 12:21-25)

Here the presentable and the unpresentable (weaker, less honourable) members designate unambiguously Christians because this passage has the very message that every Christian is worthy in the same measure through the Holy Spirit who dwells in him, independently of his gifts. As well as every limb of the body is connected to the head and obeys it, so every member of the community is in connection with Christ. This passage in itself annihilates Augustine's fabrication of "corpus permixtum" (the body is only so far mixed as different members have different gifts or as they are on different levels in obedience, and not because some do, some do not have relationship with God) but it helps also understand the meaning of the "articles" in 2 Timothy 2. The articles for "noble" and the "ignoble" purposes do not designate the believing and not believing members but - on the base of the context - those members who stand firm in their faith and in the teaching and those who are weaker and can be influenced by false teachers. To cleanse oneself from "these" (in Greek the demonstrative pronoun: apo touton is used that literally means: "from these") is a similar thought to what verse 19 says: "everyone must turn away from wickedness...". So the demonstrative pronoun "these" does not refer to the articles for ignoble purposes (neither those can think so who believe in the teaching of invisible church because they do not want to separate themselves from the unbelievers in the church) but to the wrong teachings and teachers. The "articles for ignoble purposes" may have started to give in to the influence but if they separate themselves from the influence of the wrong teachers, they can become "instruments for noble purposes made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work".

• 1 Corinthians 15:34

Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak {this} to your shame.

In the context, the topic is the correct image of resurrection. Several Christians in Corinth - giving room to the influence of the Greek spirit - thought about resurrection in a wrong way (instead of resurrection in body just a further existence of spirit). Paul designates this thinking as far from God. He who thinks in a false way in this point, actually does not have correct image about God. Paul admonishes them with such strong words (there are some who are ignorant of God) in order to show: they cannot remain in this conception, they must change it. From the initial greeting of the letter (quoted above), however, it is clear that in the Corinthian community everyone "knew" God, had relationship with him.

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9)

• Matthew 25:1-13

Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and {began} to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet {him.}' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you {too;} go instead to the dealers and buy {some} for yourselves.' And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.' But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.' Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

The foolish virgins are really together with the wise ones but why would the parable speak about believers and unbelievers who live together in the church? Above we have thoroughly proved that the Bible does not know such a situation. The parable could be thought provoking for both the Jews who listened to Jesus but had not repented and the disciples who followed Jesus. The Jews thought that they all would reign together with the messiah when he comes because they were the chosen nation. The parable makes it clear that not all who think so can take part in the wedding (not all can enter his kingdom). There is a condition for entering it: one must be ready. Being ready in the case of the Jews could mean the acceptance of the one who was sent by God, that is, Jesus. The parable could be an admonition also for the disciples: it is not enough to start with Jesus - they have to persevere with him alertly till the end. It is valid for the church, too. Also in the church there can be such Christians who repented and gave their life to God but later they apostatise and abandon Him. (There are several passages which speak about apostasy in the New Testament, e.g.: Hebrews 6:4-8; 10:24-31) If somebody, however, decides not to live with God he has no place in the community anymore.

• John 10:14-16

I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock {with} one shepherd.

Jesus speaks about the one flock in future tense. That is why many people understand by the flock those believers whom Jesus will gather together from the diverse visible Christian denominations on the last day: then the believers scattered in many different flocks would be united in one flock. But why should we refer the future tense to the last day? It can mean any other later event. Jesus speaks about those who are "of this sheep pen" and those who are not. From the first sheep pen he had already called the sheep and the other sheep he would call later. Those sheep that listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd would form one flock. According to the theory of invisible church what would the first sheep pen refer to? To which church? How could Jesus have spoken about church at all when no church existed yet? In verse 16. he uses the specific demonstrative pronoun "this": "from this sheep pen". This sheep pen has to symbolise Israel since Jesus called the sons of Israel during his earthly ministry:

These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in {the} way of {the} Gentiles, and do not enter {any} city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' (Matthew 10:5-7)

The other sheep refer logically to the gentiles. Jesus wanted hint that there were people also among the gentiles who would listen to his call. The disciples experienced it indeed after some years. This experience is summarised by Paul in the letter to the Ephesians:

Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," {which is} performed in the flesh by human hands -- {remember} that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both {groups into} one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, {which is} the Law of commandments {contained} in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, {thus} establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household... (Ephesians 2:11-19)

Consequently, the unification of the sheep of the two sheep pens took place already that time in the visible churches. Hence, it is clear that there is no base to deduce from John 10 the teaching of invisible church.

SUMMARY

Without examining other Bible-passages, we can state that this teaching does not occur in the Bible (not even the expression "invisible church"). Not even one thought or statement of Jesus and the apostles alludes to it. Only conscious misinterpreting of biblical passages and complete disregard of the truth of the Bible can maintain it.

Even if there are differences between the members of the Christian church in regard of maturity in faith or obedience in one item each member is equal: he has relationship with the Head, Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 4:15-16). This church is seen by the world; this is the visible church, as also Jesus knew only the concept of visible church:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35)

...I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. (John 17:23)

How should the world judge if not on the base of what it sees: on the base of the visible church? The community of Christians always has to be aware of this responsibility. A community that lives as "mixed body" is not the body of Christ and does not fulfil the duty that Jesus entrusted to his church. Christians live in a deep fellowship based on the teachings of Christ. Only in this way, their testimony about Christ's love can be authentic in front of the world.