Expressions of the body of Christ, “churches/church fellowships”, seem to tend to fall into two general types. And sometimes, I think, even individual believers tend to fall into the same general categories. 1) Those that emphasize the Word, or those that emphasize the Spirit. A secondary categorization that is almost as prolific is those that emphasize evangelism or those that emphasize building up the church/ekklesia or community of believers.
Obviously all categorizations have flaws and exceptions, that is why I say they fall into general types.
If So, this begs the questions? What is more important? Knowing the written Word of the Scripture or knowing and being able to discern and follow the Voice of the Spirit. And, what is more important? Reaching a lost and dying world or building up the body of believers.
I don’t know that I have the definitive answers to these questions. I do know that the one thing I love about gathering in an open and participatory fellowship (house church/simple church/organic church) is that I get the best of all worlds fellowshipping with both; what some would call “wild and crazy guy charismatics”, and with what some would call “straight laced fundamentalist.” We hear the heart and voice of believers! Those that are focused on loving and serving Jesus as Lord. And, His Spirit in them. And in that we find His direction from the Word and the Spirit. We also find encouragement in reaching out to the world around us and reaching inward to build the household of faith.
The “what’s more important” questions can lead us astray. I’ve known fellowships (and individual believers) that end up bound in, binding other in, legalism from emphasizing the Word to the point of pharisaical burden, and those that end up libertines from following the Spirit into a grace that requires no recognition of true Lordship in their lives. I have, again, known fellowships (and individual believers) that seem to remain shallow and stunted in spiritual growth because they stop at salvation, which is only the portal to His kingdom and purpose. And, because they are continually, and only, are fed and encouraged in the need to evangelize the lost. I have, again, known fellowships (and individual believers) that seem to forget the simplicity of the Gospel of Salvation and then focus on, and only, building up saints in community to the point of becoming insulated, ingrown, and often unloving and unconcerned about the world and others around them.
Debate over these questions is unfruitful. I don’t think Jesus fell into either of these camps. I’m not sure he would fall on the side of either being more important than the other. Perhaps, He would show us a collaboration between them, one He seemed to model.
There is a time and place for both the Word and the Spirit in His purpose. In fact the Holy Spirit uses the Word to move us forward in the process of sanctification in the soulish (mind/will/emotions) realm of our being.
[2Thessalonians 2:13 NASB95] 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
[John 17:17 NASB95] 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
[1Thessalonians 5:23 NASB95] 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is a conundrum for us in desiring the food that is the Word.
Peter tells us:
[1Peter 2:1-2 NASB95] 1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
But then Hebrews admonishes us:
[Hebrews 5:12-13 NASB95] 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes [only] of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
So while we must have the pure milk of the word, the obvious purpose in these scriptures is for the purpose of growth into Spiritual maturity and the meat of the word of righteousness.
The divide between the Word and Spirit is unfruitful. We need both. Grounding in the Scripture aids us in walking by the Spirit in Him.
We could go through much the same exercise with evangelism and building up the church. But suffice it to say, agai, the divide between them is unfruitful as His purpose in building us up is to give us, and through us, a testimony regarding Himself in us to the world . We must stay focussed on both. Building up one another in His body, as a community exhibiting Him and His love, results in impacting the world.
In John 17 right after discussing giving us the Word of the Father that we might be sanctified in truth, Jesus discusses a testimony to the world that the Father sent Him is to be delivered through us being one, a community, in Him and the Father.
[John 17:14-21 NASB95] 14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil [one.] 16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, [are] in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Community and Evangelism? Community as Evangelism? Imagine that.
As we focus on Jesus, He speaks, and the Spirit discloses to us and leads us into all truth and directs us into His purpose.
[John 16:13-15 NASB95] 13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose [it] to you. 15 “All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose [it] to you.
If that doesn’t give you Holy Ghost goosebumps, as He gives you understanding of the scriptures, or simply speaks by the Spirit, nothing will.