Ed and Patsy now live in Athens, Alabama and are members at the Pepper Road church. As administrator of this blog, he enjoys sharing thoughts about spiritual maters. Not only his thoughts but good articles from other authors. He is also thankful to have been able to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ for over sixty years.
For decades we have heard, “Any good work that an individual Christian may do, the church may do it.” Two of the most used passages offered to support this theory are James 1:26-27 and Galatians 6:10:
“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:26-27 KJV)
“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10 KJV)
The context of both these passages point to individual application:
James 1
Notice the action called for is individual: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: “For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:22-27 KJV)
Galatians 6
Now note the individual applications the admonitions leading up verse 10: “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (We will be judged as individuals nor congregations – eob) And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:6-10 KJV)
Some tell us that since Galatians was addressed to “the churches of Galatia” that 6:10 applies to church work. But, in fact, all the epistles addressed to churches contain much that is individual in application. 1 Corinthians was addressed to the “church of God”, yet chapter seven is filled with instructions that are clearly individual in application.
I know of no clearer passage showing the distinction between church and individual action than 1 Timothy 5:16: “If any man or woman (individuals-eob) that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed. (1 Timothy 5:16 KJV)
Granted, church and individual responsibility overlap at times, they are not identical. While individuals are to financially support needy saints and sinners, the church is only authorized to support needy saints. In every New Testament record of church benevolence, the relief went to needy saints.
The consequences of “what the individual may do the church may do” doctrine are staggering. By this standard, local churches could go into the health care business, private school business, or publishing business, etc., because individual Christians can operate such businesses, selling services and products to any who will buy them.
How can anyone believe that God’s reason for organizing Christians into local groups (churches, congregations, assemblies) was to consolidate all of a Christian’s duties under one umbrella – overseen by elders? Without the individual – church distinction such would be the case.