In Revelation chapters two and three, we find seven letters to the seven churches of Asia. These churches were literal local churches. Of these seven churches only two (Smyrna and Philadelphia) receive no rebuke. I believe that a careful and thorough study of these two churches will reveal to us the biblical characteristics of an ideal church. What might these marks be? One of the prominent marks, which seem to be clear in both the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia, was an uncompromising determination to hold fast the Word of Truth. An ideal church is a church that is marked first of all by biblical preaching. What is biblical preaching? Space will not permit that I should go into all the details, but let me give a few short scriptural ideas as to what it is. First, biblical preaching is a systematic preaching of the whole counsel of God. The Apostle Paul makes this statement in Acts 20:27, and taking this in the whole of the context it forms a solemn warning to the gospel preacher who withholds certain truths from his congregation. It was because Paul declared “All the counsel of God” that he was “Free from the blood of all men.” Second, biblical preaching is doctrinal preaching. The word doctrine simply means teaching. It is commonly used in the New Testament. That this was a mark of the New Testament Church is evident from such text as “They continued in the Apostles Doctrine” (Acts 2:42); They filled Jerusalem with their doctrine (Acts 5:28). Paul instructed Timothy in I Tim. 4:13, “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” John warns in II John 9, “Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God.” Third, biblical preaching is expository preaching. What is expository preaching? Neh.8:8 defines expository preaching “So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” Expository Preaching is staying in the context of the particular thought and working it out by comparing scripture with scripture. Fourth, the New Testament teaches us that another basic mark of an ideal church is the observation of biblical church ordinances which are baptism and the Lord’s Table. Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, ordained of Jesus Christ to be unto the party baptized. It is a confession of his fellowship with Christ in His (Christ) death and resurrection, and of his being engrafted into Christ, it also signifies remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Christ, to live and walk in newness of life (Rom.6:3-5). Those and those alone who do actually profess repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ are proper subjects of baptism. In the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper Christ is not offered up to His heavenly Father (as some teach), nor any real sacrifice made for remission of sin of the quick or dead; but only a memorial of that one offering up of Himself by Himself upon the cross, once for all (Heb.9:25-28; I Cor.11:24). The Lord’s Table was ordained by our blessed Lord Jesus Christ solely as an ordinance of worship for and only for His elect people. Fifth, an ideal local church is a church marked by biblical church government. This government stems from the throne of God, for Jesus Christ is the supreme governor and the only head of His Church. He did not ordain that His Church be governed by boards, synods, presbyters, pulpit dictators or any other bodies of men. Pastors and deacons are servants under Christ to His Church. The Holy Scripture is the rule by which they serve. Apart from what I have laid out I know of nothing else that evidences a New Testament Church.
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