Articles
Problems in the Church
Problems in the Church
For over 20 years my dad served as an elder of the congregation where I grew up. Normally he said little about what he and his fellow elders dealt with, especially those of a confidential nature.
But one day at the kitchen table he must have been feeling unusually stressed as he told my mother and me that the elders were dealing with a terrible problem. He didn’t elaborate, but years later I found out what it was—and he was right, it was awful.
If we should feel discouraged by problems facing the church today, let’s consider what our brethren struggled with in the early days.
The Jerusalem church was troubled by the deceit of Ananias and Sapphira who lied about their contribution. Also, some were complaining that their poor widows were not receiving their fair share in the distribution of food.
The Antioch church was disturbed by brethren from Judea who were teaching that Gentile believers had to be circumcised to be saved. This same error worked its way through the churches of Galatia and threatened to undo the good work Paul had done in that area.
The Colossian congregation was endangered by a heresy of a different sort—evidently a combination of influences both Jewish and pagan.
The church in Corinth had problems on top of problems: division, a member living in an immoral relationship, brethren going to court with each other, abuses of the Lord’s Supper and of spiritual gifts, etc.
Paul instructs Titus what to do about the deceivers working among the churches of Crete. And according to Revelation 2 and 3, several of the churches of Asia were in deep trouble. Ephesus had left its first love. Pergamum and Thyatira were influenced by false teachers. Sardis was spiritually asleep. Laodicea was lukewarm.
What can we learn from all this? As long as the church is comprised of people, there will be problems. But the church is of divine origin, and that explains how it has endured through nearly 2,000 years, in spite of everything.
So let’s take heart! Although Satan does all he can to undermine the church, he can never destroy what Jesus loved so much that He purchased it with His blood. “…His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:14 NASB; see Matt. 16:18).
“…to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:21).
---David Gibson
