CHURCH of GOD

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Welcome to our Mailbox Bible Study Course. We are glad to be able to serve the Lord and
you in this way.  Many are being saved and helped through these simple Bible lessons.

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This particular Course has ten lessons.

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May God richly bless you as you proceed.
 

Your Instructor

Harold Smith

THIS COURSE  is the substance of addresses given at a number of places in New
Zealand. There is no  attempt at a scholarly exposition of the subject.  Rather, have we
written for the average reader in a style  easily understood. Wherever these addresses were
delivered a marked interest was shown, alike by old and  young, and not infrequently was
it remarked, " we rarely get ministry now along these lines." More than  ever is there the
danger of letting slip the truths we  have learned and been assured of, hence the need for
putting God's people in remembrance of them, though we  know them and be established
(2 Pet. 1:12-13). Especially  is it essential for the rising generation that there should be
given occasional restatements of Church  truths and principles.

 Looking back over 60 years of an intimate fellowship with Assemblies in this Dominion,
one cannot refrain from fervent praise to God for what He has wrought in planting a large
number of Churches of the New Testament pattern, well distributed over both Islands. Our
old teachers and guides taught definitely the truth which gathered us to the Lord's Name,
severing  our former connection with denominations where vital Church doctrines were not
practiced nor could be taught.  Some thousands of such companies of Christians are found
all over the earth today.

Things change with the times. This is ever so in the affairs of men:  not so with God and
His Word.  Here we have no change nor revision, for we read, "Thou art the same," and "
forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven." Whatever the character of the times the
"Churches of the saints" must still frame themselves  on the New Testament model, the
whole thing is to be the same way as at the first.
                 Reprinted by permission
                            Contents

     Lesson 1 The Gentiles the Jews.

     Lesson 2 The Church of God.
          The Church announced by Christ
          Pentecost: Birth of the Church.

     Lesson 3 God's dwellings: past and present.
          The new center of gathering.

     Lesson 4 A Local Church.
               The two great essentials.

     Lesson 5 The Head of the Church.
               Systems and sectarian names.
               Giving flattering titles.

     Lesson 6 Theological colleges and training
                               Institutes.
              Human ordination.
              A hired ministry.

     Lesson 7 Rule in the Church.
             Appointment of elders.
              Discipline in the church.

     Lesson 8 Reception of believers.
               The woman's place.

     Lesson 9 Separation from sin.
              Separation from the world.
              Separation from religious evil.
             The Church's consummation.
LESSON 1                                   THE CHURCH OF GOD
                                     By Franklin Ferguson      Its truths and principles.

ALL the peoples of the earth are now divided, by God's arrangement, into three divisions,
according to 1 Corinthians 10:32. " Giving none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the
Gentiles, nor to the Church of God." Not to observe this distinction is to fail to apprehend a
Divine plan working out a great purpose. A most important law, in the study of the Holy
Scriptures, is " rightly dividing the Word of Truth " (2 Tim. 2:15). The idea is seen in
Leviticus l: 6, concerning the burnt offering, " cut it into his pieces."

We shall now consider together this Divine partition of the human race.

           THE GENTILES

We find in the Bible the use of such words as  "nations," "peoples," and "heathen"; but
wherever found it is the Gentiles the writers have in view. our present use of the word
"heathen " is to distinguish between so-called Christian countries, and non-Christian; but
the term properly applies to all nations outside the Jews. " Christian countries " is an
expression unknown in Scripture; while a little thought will reveal the fallacy  of it. The
Father's decree concerning the Son, "Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the heathen for Thine
inheritance " (Psm. 2 :8), correctly means the nations, and is not limited to " heathen," as
we understand it.

AFTER THE FLOOD the descendants of Noah and his three sons took a definite form
as nations, on the Plain of Shinar (Genesis 11). There God confounded the language of the
people, that He might bring to naught their evil purposes to build a city, and a tower whose
top should reach unto heaven, and to make themselves a name lest they should be scattered
abroad upon the face of the whole earth. God's plan was the repopulation of the world, and
with this end in view to scatter the new race abroad everywhere.  Men in attempting to
frustrate the will of God, had their language confounded, and they ceased to build, for they
could longer understand one another, and so became scattered as intended.
It occurred about 100 years from the Deluge. From this point each group, speaking its own
new tongue, went forth to seek its territory. But time sped on, generation succeeding
generation, the nations got further and further from God, and wickedness increased in the
earth.

When Noah and his family emerged from the ark they were verily,

GIVEN A NEW START and had the awful remembrance of the Flood as a solemn
warning of the consequences of sinning. Surely such people, with such a warning, would
do better than the sinners who were overthrown and perished in waters of judgment. No,
they did not; and for this reason, "The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth."
(Gen 8:21) There is not, and never can be, a moral evolution  gradual evolving from a
present inferior state to a better state, and so onward.  Human history, all through the ages,
definitely proves  evolution to be impossible; the tendency is always from good to bad,
from better to worse. Therefore Saviour declares, " ye must be born again " (John 3:7)  A "
new creature " is what alone will suffice for one lost and ruined in the Fall (2 Cor. 5:17).

From the first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans we read how that the Gentiles did not
like to retain in their knowledge, and were given over to a mind void of judgment;
becoming filled with all unrighteousness and reaching a sevenfold apostasy, by the time of
advent of Christ (verses 21-23). Despite all subsequent efforts of so-called civilization,
with a christianizing  influence, the present position of the Gentile nation is that of being "
without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants
of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world (Eph. 2:12).  But during this
present period of time, from the cross to the second coming of our Lord, God is visiting the
Gentiles through the preaching of the gospel, "to take out of them a people for His name
sake." (Acts 15: 14). of this we shall speak further on.

          THE JEWS

This  ancient and unique people had theirs origin in the Divine call of Abram from the
land of the  Chaldeans, about B.C. 1921, as far as available chronology can guide us.
Their present number was said to be 16 millions, before the World-war.

We read in Genesis 12, " Now the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country,
and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee. And I
will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou
shalt be a blessing; and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee;
and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." AT THE TIME OF ABRAM'S
CALL idolatry had then established itself in the earth, with all that it involves. "

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the
uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and
four-footed beasts, and creeping things " (Rom. 1:22-23).

Four hundred years from the Deluge had witnessed a lamentable departure of men from
the only true God. They fast became as evil as the race which He destroyed in Noah's day.
But God who is " long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance " (2 Pet. 3:9) now purposed a new thing. He would set up in the
world a true testimony to.  Himself among the false gods, namely, a redeemed people who
should be an example of worshiping the Supreme Being " in the beauty of holiness," and
be teachers of the true knowledge of the Most High. Those people were the Hebrews,
commonly called the Jews.

WE PASS BY THE GOING DOWN INTO EGYPT of the then small company of
Abram's descendants, the 400 years' sojourn there; the people's increase and bondage
under Pharaoh; the mighty deliverance from Egypt and the 40 years' wandering in
the wilderness; the great conquest of Canaan and the establishment of God's people in the
promised land; their multiplication and enrichment with every earthly blessing; and in due
course the setting up of Solomon's temple, the most beautiful and costly building the world
has ever seen, with a priesthood and worship of Divine institution and order.

ALL THE WORLD HEARD of these new people whom God had chosen for.  Himself
and heard of.  His mighty acts in the plagues brought upon Egypt; the Exodus and the
dividing of the Sea and the complete overthrow of Pharaoh and his pursuing host in its
mighty waters, the daily manna from heaven for the chosen people; the water from the
smitten rock which followed them, the dwelt among them; the giving of the Law from
Sinai; the holding back of the River Jordan to let the people over; the extraordinary battles
in Canaan, with the standing still of sun at the command of Joshua.

                             THEIR EXCEPTIONAL ADVANTAGES.

Here let we note a very remarkable sevenfold privilege appertaining to the Jews, recorded
in Romans  9:4-5.   (1)  "To whom pertaineth the adoption": that is,   adopted by God as
His own nation, a particular  witness in the earth.
     (2)  "And the glory " the visible glory of God's  presence in the Tabernacle in
             wilderness, and later in the Temple in land; God actually dwelling with men.
     (3) "And the covenants " covenants made of God with this people concerning
     themselves and the promised land.
     (4) "And the giving of the law''-- a law written by the finger of God and given to Moses
     on the top of Sinai, whither he had gone up to meet with Him.  Subsequently, from
     time to time, the various  portions of the Old Testament were given to the
          custody of the Jews, who zealously preserved them.
     (5) "And the service of God"--- referring to the ordinances and ritual of a divinely-given
          religious service, in contrast to the false worship of the nations.
     (6) "And the promises " promises directs  given from God, marvelous in their nature
     and dependant upon obedience.
     (7 ) of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ  came  a wonderfully special distinction,
     at the Son of  God, the Redeemer, should be born a Jew, this foretold by the
     Prophets. See Isaiah 7:14 and  9:6-7

In this foregoing exceptional manner did God mark off  the Jews from all the rest of
mankind; established them  as His chosen witness in the earth; that through them  the
Gentiles  might learn the true knowledge of God;  might see what blessings accompany
obedience to His laws; and that in the light of heaven they might forsake every false way
and turn to Him.

THE JEWS FAILED BADLY in their testimony for God; reminding us that man in
responsibility, under the most favourable circumstances, is an unreliable creature.
Chastisements and deliverances; apostasies and captivities; and a final dispersion to every
quarter under heaven (as at the present time), marks the course of this people, once so
highly privileged and so greatly responsible.

Yet all was not failure. Out of Israel's ruin did God make His name to be feared among the
nations, and glorified Himself, notwithstanding all.

BUT GOD HAS NOT DONE FOR EVER with that people of His covenant. In His
unalterable purpose He will bring to pass their repentance and restoration to His favour,
with their re-establishment as His witness in all the world, and during the thousand years
of the coming Millennium. This time, through them, " the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of the Lord, as the waters shall cover the sea (Isa 11: 9). Never again shall
their name be tarnished with failure. The purposes of God, though, meanwhile frustrated,
must, ere long, be gloriously consummated. " Who hath resisted His will?" (Rom. 9:19).
Hebrew prophets and New Testament writers have spoken of  these things, which must
now shortly come to pass.

JEWS AND GENTILES, MEANTIME, "are all under sin"; all the world have become
guilty before God" (Rom. 3). The salvation of God, without distinction, is now offered to
Jews and Gentiles and all who believe are " justified freely by His grace, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus "; thus constituting  a new people for God's possession -"
the Church." Well may we add, " O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the
knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out " !
(Rom. 11.33).
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TEST 1                   THE CHURCH OF GOD                                 LESSON 1

   1. Into how many divisions did God divide the human race?

   2. Name the three divisions?

   3. What does the word "heathen" mean in the Bible?

   4. When did God give the human race a new start?

   5. What man did God call to be the head of the Jewish
      nation?

   6. How many years before God finally brought the Jews into
      the land?

   7.  Paul lists seven privileges of the Jews. Name three of
      them?

   8. Does God consider the "Jews" an well as the Gentiles "under sin?"

   9. Is God all through with Israel as a nation?

  10. What is God now doing with both Jews and Gentiles?
 

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