Biblical Metaphors and Corporate Identity

The Temple Metaphor

• The community of believers is the temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
• God dwells in them corporately among them
• Warning on corrupting the body of believers with false, divisive doctrine

Individual and Corporate Indwelling

• 1 Corinthians 6:19: stress on individual indwelling, with an underlying sense of community
• 2 Corinthians 6:16: collective statement pointing to corporateness
• Individual believers are seen as the building materials (Ephesians 2)
• They form one new body, one new man, God's household, the whole building, and the temple (Ephesians 2)
• The temple metaphor refers to the universal church (from Pentecost to the rapture)

The Three Concentric Circles

• The universal church (the body of believers from Pentecost to the rapture)
• The local church (the gathering of believers in a specific location)
• The individual believer (with the abiding presence of the Spirit within)

The Indwelling of the Spirit

• The Holy Spirit dwells in the universal church, the local church, and the individual believer
• The Spirit is the helper for life and service
• Yielding, confessing, depending, and absorbing are key aspects of the Spirit-filled life
• The Spirit occupies the body, and believers must attend to its condition, location, and occupation

Knowing You are Spirit-Filled

• Comparing oneself to scripture (Galatians 5; 2 Peter 1)
• Evidence of Spirit-filling: the presence of the fruit of the Spirit in the life of the believer
• Humility is a key aspect of Godliness

The Charismatic Movement

• A burgeoning movement, especially in the last ten years
• Breaks from evangelicalism in many respects
• Four key questions:
  • Are the works of Jesus to be reduplicated in the church today?
  • Are apostles and prophets being restored to the church today?
  • Is special revelation still taking place today?
  • Must we enjoy health and wealth today?
• Accusation against the church: weakness and failure due to disobedience and incrustation with relic and ritual
• Restorationism: the idea that the church is being restored to its original power and glory
• The gifts of the Spirit: either continued or restored, but not ceased
• Jesus' immutability: if he performed works yesterday, he will perform works today
• The working model: Elijah and Baal (1 Kings 18)

Critique of the Charismatic Movement

• Selection of the model of Elijah and Baal: ignoring the context of the story

• Hermeneutic: stringing verses together to make a point

• Deception: using verses out of context to deceive the flock

• Restorationism: apostles and prophets being restored to the church today

• The main element: restorationism

• The foundation: apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2 and 3)

• The current charismatic theology: cannot respond to the foundation of the church

• Anointed of God: the man with the apostolic ministry will unlock biblical truths that have been dormant for a long time### Understanding Scripture and Revelation

• The Old Testament is considered complete, while the New Testament is still open to ongoing revelation, which is a key concept in certain Christian circles.

• This ongoing revelation is seen as dynamic and not yet solely based on scripture (solo scriptura).

The Five-Fold Ministry

• Ephesians 4:11 is cited as a model for effective ministry, which requires the presence of five gifts: pastors, teachers, evangelists, prophets, and apostles.
• This concept is used to argue that a church needs all five gifts to be triumphant and impactful.

Restorationism and Triumphalism

• Acts 3:21 is referenced, which is interpreted to mean that Christ's return is dependent on the church's ability to win the world for Christ and establish a triumphant church.
• This perspective asserts that the lack of effective ministry is holding Christ back from returning and setting up his kingdom.

Special Revelation

• In this context, special revelation refers to God speaking directly to believers, bypassing scripture.
• This perspective asserts that God speaks to individuals, providing them with personal revelations and interpretations.
• This concept is seen as distinct from reading and applying scripture, where an individual may say "God spoke to me" when they mean that scripture dealt with their heart and life.

Revelatory Interpretation

• In this context, revelatory interpretation involves pastors, teachers, and preachers receiving direct revelation from God to strengthen their message.
• This approach can lead to novel and unconventional interpretations of scripture, which may not be supported by the original text.