An Epistle on Church Planting

Demetrius, a fellow worker for the truth, to Georgias, whom I love in truth.

Grace and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son.

It is my greatest desire that you walk in the truth that our brother John received from Jesus Christ, handed on to me, and which I am now handing on to you. My time of labor is almost over, but I commit this to you now so that you may be able to teach others also.

In order to abide in the tradition, you must understand that God is light; therefore, those who have fellowship with him must walk in the light. In order to live the tradition, you must understand that God is love; therefore, those who know him must walk in love. These underlying principles are true throughout all of creation, and they form a basic presupposition for everything I say to you: God’s nature must control how we live if we are to achieve the purpose for which we were created and redeemed. To say this in another way, everything God created has a nature and a purpose, and it must operate according to that God-given nature and purpose if it is to thrive. This is also true of the church you are seeking to plant. You must know what the church is, what the church is for, and what obligations that creates for you.

Nature and Purpose

Your opportunity is much like the olive grove which your father handed to you, and which you are now entrusting to your son as you go out for the sake of the Name. You know well that your success cannot be measured by how fast your trees grow or by the amount of any one-time harvest. Your success is measured by trees which will still be providing oil for your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A tree which produces a little each year for centuries yields far more than the gain of cutting down your trees for a quick cash crop. Because you are a wise farmer, you have endeavored to leave your little grove healthier than when you received it.

As you now leave planting trees to plant churches, the principle is the same. The church has a God-given nature and this nature is directly connected with the church’s God-given purpose. If you keep these firmly fixed in your mind, you will remain in the tradition of Christ.

Immediate Success

Now let me warn you of some evils which you must not imitate and which will take you far from the tradition we have received from the apostles. These are the characteristics of those who go too far and become innovators instead of faithful stewards.

There are those who judge what they see by what they see, and who think that what works must be good. These sorts of men will almost always appear more successful than you, simply because of what their work is based upon—immediate success.

You will recognize this sort of innovator by a lack of the sense of the sacred. He does not begin with the fear of the Lord, so he has no reticence to tread upon holy ground. The sense of honor does not pulse through the whole of his relationship with God and man.

You will recognize this sort of innovator by his constant obsession with “facts” instead of truth. Endless “studies” on how to plant churches, and what kind of churches to plant, manifest the restless mindset of scientific man severed from apprehension of God’s absolute truth. He will think that his success hinges upon his strategic skill, his financial backing, his technological capability, his cultural competence, or a thousand other things, rather than faithfulness to the revelation of God in Jesus Christ and love for his neighbor.

Absence of Restraint

You will recognize this kind of innovator by his overriding desire to be free—free in the sense of absence of restraint. He will be convinced that he is free from the restricting taboos of his predecessors. To him, the mere fact that he is different from others is a justifying mark of authenticity. He will see no need to maintain continuity and unity with those who have gone before.

Likewise, the innovator, like a man named Diotrephes I once knew, wishes to be free from the bonds of love with the elect sisters. But since every true church is implicated in every other true church, it is arrogant to disregard the orthodoxy and orthopraxy of the brothers.

In a similar vein, this kind of innovator has no respect for those who will come after. Covenantal bonds and distinctions extending over generations, like the family, play little role in his understanding of how to work with people. He will dream of large campaigns, great programs, and influential positions, thus reducing everyone to banal equality, a herd of individuals to be managed and manipulated for a supposedly good end. By this lack of brotherly love, he departs from the tradition given to us by Jesus.

You will also recognize this kind of innovator by his continual drift toward the popular. He believes that popularity qualifies him for leadership and influence and that his passion certifies his experience as authentic. In his pride he will want to franchise the church in order to cement his influence, rather than diffusing his influence by training other faithful men.

Permanent Things

Those who abide in the tradition, however, believe in permanent things, eternal verities, God-given essences which are always and everywhere the same, revealed in the word of Christ. The universe is structured, directed, and meaning-full. Human existence has purpose impressed upon it at every point. This is a crucial distinguishing mark between a traditional church and a progressive church. A traditionalist will never say that you can grip your teaching tightly and hold your methods loosely. A traditionalist will never say that as long as your doctrine is right, your methods are immaterial. The truth must be walked in.

The traditionalist believes that the standard of success is this—walk in the truth. Love one another and keep our Lord’s commandments. Remember what the church is, remember what the church is for, and remember the obligations this places upon you. In this way, the Day will disclose that you have built God’s church with gold, silver, and precious stones on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

I would wish to write to you more about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the way a man engages with God determines everything else in his life. I wish to write more about the wisdom given to Paul to urge you to preach Christ, and him crucified. But this will have to wait until I can talk to you face to face.

Give these instructions to the faithful Urbanus, knowing that he is engaged in the same work. Greet all the friends.