Tenets of the Doctrine of the Spirit-filled Church vol. 1

By Francis Vlok

I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure (Psalm 119:162 NKJV). How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33). These Scriptures declare the awesome greatness of God; and to some born-again believers, they issue a challenge to search the scriptures (Acts 17:11), to Study to show thyself approved unto God (2 Timothy 2:15), and to live and move and have our being in Him (Acts 17:28). It is a God-ordained desire and call for all people to find as much as they can about God and His perfect will for mankind.

With this divine emphasis on a born-again believer’s life, the Holy Spirit issued the call; and by His grace, the next few volumes titled Tenets of the Doctrine of the Spirit-filled Church are a continuation of the first book, Doctrine of the Spirit-filled Church.

Each tenet in these volumes is examined in greater detail and gives deeper insight into the spiritual meaning and its application. The examination also compares the original Apostolic Church of the first century to the current Spirit-filled church; and in so doing, references to the earliest writings from the ancient records help clarify the original church’s structure, as well as the doctrinal and theological understandings of that time, and how that structure has progressed until this day.

The one overriding constant in all these examinations and explanations is the fact that they are biblically based. If there is no Scripture to support the tenet’s explanation, then it is supposition, assumption, and speculation and thus unworthy of discussion.  The plumb line (Amos 7:7 NKJV) is always the Word. The basis of every tenet is always the Holy Writ. The implementation of every tenet is always according to the Bible.

The church is traveling at lightning speed towards the soon return of Jesus Christ. The onslaught and evil outpouring of the diabolical, immoral, and total blasphemy against the Holy God has never been more vicious than it is today. The blatant evil and acceptance of anti-God living which is thrown into everyone’s face today, coupled with many nations’ corrupt laws legalizing people’s actions that are contrary to God’s holy instructions, have brought and will continue to bring many to a disastrous end.

While believers do not get distraught by the world’s actions (God said in His word it would happen.), they must keep their eyes steadfastly fixed on Jesus the author and finisher of [their] faith (Hebrews 12:2). To do this, believers must be rooted and grounded (Ephesians 3:17) in the holy divine oracle of God, which is His divinely inspired/breathed Word (2 Timothy 3:16).

It is with this urgency in mind, namely, the decay and rottenness of society that have cast the Word aside, and the hunger and thirst of many believers to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18) that the author was led to expound further on the original book, Doctrine of the Spirit-filled Church.

The church is in need of the truth that will help believers stay the course and become entrenched in the solid foundation as purposed by God in His Word, enabling them to withstand the wiles of the devil.

More than ever, must believers now return to the stronghold of the Word to keep themselves rooted and grounded, steadfast and unmovable, and dwell in the secret place of the Most High so that they can remain faithful to the end and be overcomers (Revelation 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Sep 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781400331796

Francis Vlok

Francis Vlok is an ordained minister for more than forty years in The Christian Fellowship. He was led by the Lord to establish a church in South Africa and since immigrating to the United States, he was again led to establish a church in Pachuta, MS. He has lectured at the School of Ministry in South Africa and served as the Vice-president of the Fellowship. He has written the book The Perfect Will of God, and now, under the instruction of the Holy Spirit, completed this doctrinal volume.

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Preface

I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure (Psalm 119:162 NKJV). How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33). These Scriptures declare the awesome greatness of God; and to some born-again believers, they issue a challenge to search the scriptures (Acts 17:11), to Study to show thyself approved unto God (2 Timothy 2:15), and to live and move and have our being in Him (Acts 17:28). It is a God-ordained desire and call for all people to find as much as they can about God and His perfect will for mankind.

With this divine emphasis on a born-again believer’s life, the Holy Spirit issued the call; and by His grace, the next few volumes titled Tenets of the Doctrine of the Spirit-filled Church are a continuation of the first book, Doctrine of the Spirit-filled Church.

Each tenet in these volumes is examined in greater detail and gives deeper insight into the spiritual meaning and its application. The examination also compares the original Apostolic Church of the first century to the current Spirit-filled church; and in so doing, references to the earliest writings from the ancient records help clarify the original church’s structure, as well as the doctrinal and theological understandings of that time, and how that structure has progressed until this day.

The one overriding constant in all these examinations and explanations is the fact that they are biblically based. If there is no Scripture to support the tenet’s explanation, then it is supposition, assumption, and speculation and thus unworthy of discussion. The plumb line (Amos 7:7 NKJV) is always the Word. The basis of every tenet is always the Holy Writ. The implementation of every tenet is always according to the Bible.

The church is traveling at lightning speed towards the soon return of Jesus Christ. The onslaught and evil outpouring of the diabolical, immoral, and total blasphemy against the Holy God has never been more vicious than it is today. The blatant evil and acceptance of anti-God living which is thrown into everyone’s face today, coupled with many nations’ corrupt laws legalizing people’s actions that are contrary to God’s holy instructions, have brought and will continue to bring many to a disastrous end.

While believers do not get distraught by the world’s actions (God said in His word it would happen.), they must keep their eyes steadfastly fixed on Jesus the author and finisher of [their] faith (Hebrews 12:2). To do this, believers must be rooted and grounded (Ephesians 3:17) in the holy divine oracle of God, which is His divinely inspired/breathed Word (2 Timothy 3:16).

It is with this urgency in mind, namely, the decay and rottenness of society that have cast the Word aside, and the hunger and thirst of many believers to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18) that the author was led to expound further on the original book, Doctrine of the Spirit-filled Church.

The church is in need of the truth that will help believers stay the course and become entrenched in the solid foundation as purposed by God in His Word, enabling them to withstand the wiles of the devil.

More than ever, must believers now return to the stronghold of the Word to keep themselves rooted and grounded, steadfast and unmovable, and dwell in the secret place of the Most High so that they can remain faithful to the end and be overcomers (Revelation 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21).

Introduction

The History of the Church

1. Before the text delves into the depths of the tenets of the Spirit-filled church, it is expedient that the history of the church be studied to garner a more composite understanding of the need that exists today for the church to return to its original operation.

2. Every aspect of the tenets that was included in the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42) should be in the church today. There is no reason for any variance. If the Master Builder, Jesus Christ, is the same yesterday, and today, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8), then why should there be any variance or change in what He gave to the church as its structure?

3. The history of the church as outlined over the past two thousand years shows the growth, the adaptation of leaders to accommodate influences that ministers chose to accept instead of God’s word, the influence of pecuniary pressure, and the bold steps that reformers took to separate themselves from the worldwide Catholic church. This history can be divided into six categories:

a. The Apostolic Church AD 33 - AD 100

b. The Persecuted Church AD 101 - AD 315

c. The Imperial Church AD 316 - AD 476

d. The Medieval Church AD 477 - AD 1453

e. The Reformed Church AD 1454 - AD 1700

f. The Splintered Church AD 1701 - Today

4. With the birth of the church on the Day of Pentecost, believers rooted themselves in the basic foundational pillars that were left them by Jesus Christ. They continued steadfastly in His teachings, the apostles’ doctrine; fellowshipped together; remained in one accord; were of one mind, one faith; kept the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3); and stayed focused on Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). In so doing, upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread (Acts 20:7), they obediently did as Jesus instructed them, lest they forget His commandment and what He did for them in the new covenant.

The Apostolic Church

AD 35 - AD 100

5. After Jesus’ teachings and His instruction that they must tarry in the city of Jerusalem, until ye (they) be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49) the followers went willingly and obediently (Isaiah 1:19, Acts 1:12) into the city and tarried in the Upper Room.

6. Within their hearts they waited for the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4 NKJV), not knowing what or how it would be manifested. Here was the first real test of their faith; they had to believe and trust that what Jesus said would happen.

7. When the Holy Spirit fell on them, they all received the divine intervention in their spirits and were baptized with the Holy Spirit. This baptism with the Holy Spirit was not given to them to place as a trophy in a showcase; it empowered them to do the work of the ministry Jesus had instructed them to do. This was the launching pad from which they were to go forth into the world and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15) . They received the promise of the Father and then were ready for the task at hand.

8. What flowed from that day was the testimony of these men and the outpouring of God’s divine love onto all mankind, not just the Jews. The first gospel message to be preached procured three thousand souls who accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior; and as such, the church began its first few fledgling steps that catapulted it into history and throughout the entire world.

9. The ultimate question that must be asked is what did they preach? The Bible is quick to declare that these men, anointed by the Holy Spirit, spoke clearly and with boldness: they witnessed about Christ’s death and resurrection, and heralded the call for those who wanted to be saved to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38 NKJV) .

10. Repentance was a three-fold action: First, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10). Thus, in an audible voice one must testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

11. Second, one must believe in his or her heart that He was raised from the dead. Third, one must repent of the inherent sin within the soul and in so doing be washed in the precious blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). Philip Schaff in his exhaustive volumes on History of the Christian Church says in Volume 1, The Christian church rests on the resurrection of its Founder. Without this fact the church could never have been born, or if born [excluding the fact of the resurrection], it would soon have died a natural death.

12. Jesse L. Hurlbut says in his book, The Story of the Christian Church, An essential doctrine was the Resurrection of Jesus; that He had been crucified, had risen from the dead, and was now living, the head of His church, to die no more. Then the doctrine of the Return of Jesus; that He who had ascended to heaven was in due time to come back to earth to reign.

13. This call to which the men were drawn was anointed with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke as the Spirit gave them utterance. Every time they were given the opportunity to speak and preach, they testified to witnessing the resurrection of Jesus Christ; and they called the hearers to repent. That is the message the church should still be preaching today! Hurlbut continues, The weapon of the church through which the world was to be won, was the testimony of its members. The love of Christ glowing in the hearts of these people called forth also a love for their fellow-disciples, a unity of spirit, a joy in fellowship, and especially a self-denying interest in the needy members of the church. It was strong in faith and testimony, pure in character, and abundant in love.

14. Literally thousands accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and walked away from the old life of pagan worship and the Law of Moses. Daily the church grew (Acts 2:47) as people from all walks of life were born again and confessed Jesus Christ as Lord. Signs and wonders followed the preaching of the Cross; and lives were filled with love, joy, and the peace of God.

15. The growth from Jerusalem was exactly as Jesus had told them; you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8 NKJV). Thus, the church took the message to the known world. During the first sixty years, the Word was preached with fervor; and people from all walks of life, Jews, Greeks, free men, slaves, men and women, rich and poor, all listened and responded to the gospel call.

16. It has been said that during the first few years the church consisted exclusively of Jewish converts. However, as they began to settle in their newly found faith and purpose, the men moved into Judea and Samaria. Then, not even fifteen years later, the mighty hand of God moved again and called Apostle Paul into the ministry to take the gospel to the known world consisting of Gentiles, Romans, and slaves. This proved once again that the universal call of the gospel was to the whosoever and not only to the Jew. Apostle Paul spoke from revelation he had received from the Lord, and he spoke from a personal encounter with Jesus. He did not steep his doctrine in his higher education, his race (tribe), or position as an influential leader in the Jewish religion; but, as Philip Schaff says, He [Paul] spoke in a tone of personal and moral authority.

17. Hurlbut explains, In all the history of Christianity no single conversion to Christ carried with it such momentous results to the whole world as that of Saul the persecutor, afterward Paul the Apostle. After a meeting in Jerusalem, church leaders agreed that the gospel be taken to the world; and it was entrusted to those who already had ministered to the Gentile nations and who were saved (Acts 15:23-27). Hurlbut summarizes, A conclusion was reached that the law was binding upon Jews only and not upon Gentile believers in Christ. With this decision the period of transition from a Jewish Christian Church to a church for people of every race and land was completed, and the gospel could now go forward on its ever-widening way.

18. It must never be forgotten that during these first few years the world was ruled by a pagan-worshiping, ruthless people, the Romans, and the Greek influences prior to that. The imperial dictatorship from Rome was at times wielded by tyrants who had no tolerance for Christians. They banished Christians from the ruling class to live in caves and homes where they clung to the promises of God and each other for support. Adding to the constant threat of persecution, they were mocked and jeered by the world as fanatical and possessed with witchcraft. Even though they were in various places treated with disrespect, Christians gathered and worshipped the Lord in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24); and the church grew and became a force to be reckoned with. While these early Christians were being persecuted this way, men were called by God to lay the foundation of the church that would root and ground its functioning. They wrote to the various churches, giving them the blueprint of the church’s operation, sound advice on how to handle issues that caused divisions, and words of encouragement about the impending return of the Lord.

19. Thus, it can be said that the first sixty-five years of the church, even under severe persecution, was a period of rapid growth in its strong foundational base from which to function, in the teachings of personal and corporate conduct, in its strengthening of faith in Christ alone, and in its ever-present desire to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

20. Perhaps one of the main reasons why the church endured during those early years can be ascribed to the commitment and dedication of its leaders. They were determined to know Him, and they never moved off the foundation , clinging to the words of Jesus, I will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV) . They understood the gravity of their calling and accepted that they were fellow workers for God, stewards of the mysteries of God, and ambassadors for Christ entrusted with the responsibility of proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord. Within their office, they knew they were endowed with power from on high , were separated and sealed for the task, and carried this divine dignity that demanded accountability and responsibility never before given to mankind.

21. They set their faces like a flint (Isaiah 50:7)as they immersed themselves in the work of the ministry. Schaff says, The persons thus inwardly and outwardly designated by the voice of Christ, were solemnly set apart and inducted into their ministerial functions by the symbolical act of ordination; that is by prayer and laying on of the hands of apostles, conferring or authoritatively confirming and sealing the appropriate spiritual gifts. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed (Acts 13:3-4).

22. At the close of the first century, Apostle John wrote the beloved gospel record that reaches past the physical and material ministry of Jesus Christ and delves into the spiritual application of all that Jesus did and said while He was on the earth. In his letters and his gospel account, the underpinning message is agape-Love.

23. The apostle brings the believer into a spiritual love relationship with his Savior. He details the application of this spiritual love that blends into an everlasting covenant. This same love that meets out the divine promises of caring, protection, and forgiveness also embodies the antithesis, the consequences for those who refuse and shun the Savior’s agape-Love. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (John 3:36) . Schaff explains this dichotomy best: Love and hatred are one and the same passion, only revealed in opposite directions. The same sun gives light and heat to the living and hastens the decay of the dead.

24. With this growth in numbers, the leading apostles wrote letters of encouragement and instruction to the churches to help them stay within the apostles’ doctrine. Heretical opinions were arising, and sects were forming, the germs of which had been noted and warned against by the apostles’ not wanting the fledgling church to get lost in every wind of doctrine. These heretics and members of renegade sects were constantly questioning and condemning Christianity as an evil movement. Some lukewarm adherents were influenced by worldly tendencies and returned to their pagan way of life. At times, schisms and differences wrenched at the core of these early Christians’ doctrine; and from the east to the west, pagan practices crept into the divine organism. However, the strength of its divinity would prevail. Philip Schaff affirms, The Christian church may degenerate in the hands of sinful men, but the doctrine and life of her Founder are a never-failing fountain of purification.

The Persecuted Church

AD 101 - AD 315

25. In the apostolic age faith was of the heart, a personal surrender of the will to Christ as Lord and King, a life in accordance with His example, and as a result the indwelling of His Spirit. But in this period, faith had gradually come to be of the mind, an intellectual faith, believing in a hard and fast system of doctrine. Emphasis was laid on correct belief, rather than on the inner, spiritual life (Hurlbut).

26. With the enormous expansion of the church’s numbers and the undaunted faith and courage the Christians displayed, the world had no choice but to take notice of this Spirit-filled organism. It began to influence many rich and poor members of society, as well as nobles and influential leaders in the cities where they operated.

27. Whenever such an influence is evident and the rulers of the people are totally against it, persecution and ruthless treatment of the faithful are always eminent. This is what happened to the church members who experienced a time of diabolical hatred and suffering at the hands of such Satan-infested emperors as Nero, Domitian, Diocletian, and other rulers who had authority to spew their evil venom upon the faithful.

28. Many Christians were punished, put to death by the most terrible methods, and banished from everything civil, all with such disregard for human life as the world had never yet experienced and witnessed. Christians became the laughingstock of the chosen people who worshipped idols; and when the believers were paraded before wild animals in colosseums, the evil onlookers were entertained as Christians were killed by wild beasts. At other times, the people clapped and cheered as Christians were tied to tarred posts and burned to death.

29. While the physical punishment continued, within the church’s leadership there arose false apostles, false prophets, and false teachers who began to sow confusion and discord amongst some of the members. This infiltration has been regarded by some ancient writers as the devil’s orchestration because the devil saw that, even under gross persecution, the church still grew and became a holy influence on society. Satan saw the fledgling status of the church and tried to break down its doctrinal beliefs, hoping he could end its existence.

30. The amount of work the early leaders put into protecting the faith can never be overstated. Their constant vigil and actions to protect the precious souls from false teachings enabled the early church to survive. These gospel giants, instruments of the Holy Spirit in those days, were men such as Polycarp (69-155), Justin Martyr (100-165), Irenaeus of Lyons (140-202), Clement of Alexandria (150-215) Tertullian (155-222), and Cyprian of Carthage (200-258). They never tired of straightening the crooked paths laid by false teachings. Their writings that protected the church during this period still are referenced today by biblical students.

31. Hurlbut explains the survival and growth of the church at this point: Three great schools of theology arose, at Alexandria, in Asia Minor, and in North Africa. These schools were established for the instruction of those who, from heathen homes, had taken the vows of the Christian faith.

32. To further clarify the situation, one must understand the position of the church within the society of that time and its norms. The world was dominated by Roman dictatorship under the imperial reign of an emperor whose words were edicts that had to be followed with diligence and without question. The force within the mighty empire was predominantly evil in its intent and, thus, diabolical in its pagan beliefs. The worship of pagan gods and goddesses was sanctioned and commanded by the Emperor himself. Also influential in the known world at this time were the philosophy and arts of the Greeks.

33. Also part of this lifestyle, many rich and noble people had numerous slaves. In fact, history reports that seventy percent of the people living throughout the world during this period were slaves. Many of these influential and rich people also served in the Roman and Greek governments and, as such, were party to the persecution of Christian church members.

34. While it was a regulation of Roman governance to allow the people the freedom to worship whom they pleased, once the church grew and became an influence in society, the rulers reacted and began persecuting believers, accusing them of affronting the Roman rulers and condemning their pagan and unholy lifestyle. This response was adopted by the Greeks who followed the same approach while hiding under the toga of their Roman governor.

35. Thus, during this period, major guiding forces of the western world were Roman dictatorship,