Mission Venture Ministries

Remind them of these things, and solemnly exhort them in the presence of God not to dispute about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the listeners. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:14-15) 

The Bible is an amazing book because it is God’s words given to mankind in written form. Yet many people misinterpret it. Instead of diligently studying Scripture to discover what God means and how He wants us to live, some people search the Bible to find passages to support their preconceived ideas or preferred lifestyles. 

We aren’t free to interpret the Bible any way we want. The purpose is to discover what God meant rather than to find a meaning we like. Remember, its our Father’s approval we are seeking, not our own or that of others. Therefore, let’s devote time to studying Scripture, use our resources to learn about context, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us to the truth. 

Knowing how to properly interpret the Bible is a skill every believer should develop as did the Bereans, who were commended for examining Scripture regularly to test the truth of messages preached to them (Acts 17:10-11). 

A healthy church teaches sound doctrine based on the whole counsel of God’s Word “so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9; 2:1). When believers meet together, both for corporate worship and small group study, the Bible ought to be the center of the teaching. Faithful interpretation and everyday application of sound biblical doctrine will produce wholesome Christian living (1 Timothy 1:10; 4:6; 2 Timothy 3:15-17). 

The centrality of scriptural truth preserves the well-being of the local church as well as its leadership by protecting, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to us (2 Timothy 1:13-14). And when biblical truth and sound doctrine are prioritized, safeguarded, and taught without compromise, then all other traits of a healthy congregation will naturally follow. 

A healthy place of worship recognizes the biblical qualifications of spiritual leaders. For example, godly leaders are not to be arrogant, quick-tempered, violent, greedy, or dishonest, but rather must be hospitable, wise, just, upright, disciplined, and devout (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9). And therefore, a strong church should produce leaders after the example of Jesus Christ, who is the head of the church. And by “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16). They need to teach Scripture without wavering, or by adding or subtracting from the Word of God. God’s truth needs to be preached even when people might be offended by it. 

They need to emphasizes discipleship, which produces faithful followers who know and love God and seek to obey His Word, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Discipleship includes getting involved in the life of the church, building authentic relationships with other believers (Acts 2:42-47), exercising gifts of ministry and service (Romans 12:4–8), pursuing and growing in sanctification without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14), and bearing fruit (John 15:5-8). 

A healthy body does its part in obeying the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) of spreading the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was raised from death to life, and now reigns to offer forgiveness of sins, new life in the Spirit, and eternal life to all who repent and believe. 

Other marks of a healthy church can be observed in (Acts 2:42-47); where the early church was devoted to biblical doctrine, meeting together for prayer, worship, and communion. These initial Christians fervently dedicated themselves to one another, forming a loving, generous environment where members cared for one another. A healthy church today will exhibit similar enthusiasm for authentic Christian living and participate in the purposes and work of God’s kingdom on this earth. 

God established the church to be the primary agent for carrying out His purposes on earth. The church is the body of Christ; God’s heart, hands, feet, and voice reaching out to people in the world. Healthy churches come in every shape and size. While numerical growth may be an indicator of health (Acts 2:47; 5:14; 16:5); it does not guarantee the well-being of a church. The health of a church is measured in spiritual and biblical terms rather than in numbers. There are many large, so-called churches, led by proud, deceitful, false pastors who do not teach the truth or call people to repentance; Jesus exposed these evil leaders in Matthew 23. 

While no denomination or congregation is perfect, as we see, the Bible does present several characteristics to help us recognize a church that corresponds with God’s standard. 

Jesus led through the example of servant hood (Matthew 20:25-28; John 13:12-17). Our Lord spent most of His three years in ministry interacting closely with the twelve disciples, teaching and training them, and letting them observe His life. 

Therefore, as ambassadors for Christ on this earth, believers are called to be “the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life” (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). 

For that reason, be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:14-15) 

*******