Concern 1

Two readers had concern about the heading. They expressed the following: That as the only foundation for God's House is Christ, the title should read, The Foundation For God's House, and not A Foundation For God's House

In Reply

We believe Paul brings the balance in Ephesians 2:20 when he writes "Conseguentially, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ himself as the chief cornerstone." This statement fits in beautifully with the prophesy through Isaiah - 28:16 - "So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts in Him will never be dismayed." Because Christ is a tested stone, He is a precious - most valued - cornerstone and will therefore ensure a totally accurate and permanent foundation. No one who trusts this cornerstone will ever be let down.

We also draw attention to Paul's statement to the "Ekklesia" at Corinth - 1Cor. 3:10-11 - "By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."

On one hand Jesus Christ is the foundation, on the other He is the chief cornerstone, so perfect in shape and placement that everything jointed into Him and aligned with Him also becomes part of that reliable foundation. Hence God's household, we are told, is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. This means that their foundation-laying ministry of revelation - that unveiling of the present Living Word of God - placed those coming into God's household into accurate alignment with that one and only true and precious cornerstone, the person of Jesus Himself.

God gives two different aspects of the building of His Ekklesia. In one aspect we have Christ Jesus as the only foundation, everything must be built upon Him. The other aspect is that Christ is the only true and precious cornerstone and everything in the foundation must align with Him. As Don Meyer rightly wrote, "Foundation stones will be squared up so that they fit tightly together in their proper place in the foundation. And the whole foundation will take its line and form from the Chief Cornerstone. This speaks of purity, stability and unity." This is a fresh call of God to His people.

Like many matters that can be discovered in the scriptures, our human reasoneing tries to grapple with seemingly conflicting statements, attempting to view them as "one-dimensional truths". Men like to place their trust in the reasoning of their minds, rather than the glorious heaven-sent revelation by which Jesus Christ is building His glorious Body.

The revelation given through the early apostles and prophets, that Paul declared formed the foundation for the early Ekklesia, in our day has been replaced with all kinds of "paraphernalia" and "play-gear". Men move in knowledge and soulishness rather than the daily revelations of God's Spirit. Hence Don writes, that a bulldozer needs to be taken to these false foundations that God's Way may be restored. As living stones we are to be correctly positioned in relation to the Chief Cornerstone by the Living Words that come forth from the mouth of God; through knowing His voice, hearing His voice, and doing exactly as He says we then become the Ekklesia of God in its truest form.

Concern 2

One reader write: "We don't agree with the statement, 'Peter received direct revelation from God ... that is the Rock'. In the Bible the word 'rock' always speaks of Jesus. He's the only 'Rock'. And from another reader the concern was raised with the statement, "That Peter is not the Rock. Neither is the proclamation that Jesus is the Son of God".

In Reply

As an Editorial team we would like to state clearly that Jesus as revealed by the Holy Spirit is indeed the Rock of our salvation. However, a problem in understanding the fullness of this truth arises when believers try and limit Jesus to a physical body. Before Jesus had a physical body He existed. In the beginning was The Word and The Word was with God and The Word was God. In order to reveal to mankind The Word - that's Jesus - God had to clothe Him in flesh so we could see Him. Jesus then dwelt amongst man for a season before returning to His Father. Now, even though Jesus is no longer with us in the flesh He still is. Jesus still is The Word of God, Jesus still is The Rock , and now our Father has chosen to unveil The Word that was in the beginning to His people by revelation through the Holy Spirit.

The Father still wants to reveal The Rock to mankind, but though Jesus is real and has substance He is no longer revealed to us in the flesh; Jesus is now revealed to us by the Light of the Holy Spirit. We believe that revelation from the Holy Spirit is indeed God's way of revealing Jesus The Rock. And if the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus The Rock to us then we believe this revelation is The Rockon which we can build with confidence. If Jesus was present, clothed in flesh and He said go; Would you go? Yes, of course you would. Jesus is still present, but now you cannot see Him, and His Spirit says go. Would you go? We certainly hope so for we are to live our lives founded on every word that proceeds from the mouth of The Rock

Like we said at the start, the problem in understanding this truth arises when believers try and limit Jesus to a physical body. We have no problem with the truth expressed in the article that revelation (of The Rock), is The Rock on which the Body of Christ is founded. The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus The Rock to us and we can build our lives upon that revelation with confidence. Enough said, this explains as best we can our standing on The Rock and hopefully this will help readers understand where the author of the article was coming from.

The writer after saying, "Peter is not the Rock. Neither is the proclamation that Jesus is the Son of God." goes on to say, "All Christians proclaim this but time has revealed that many are unstable, their lives founded on sand". What he was trying to convey here was the fact that simply making a verbal declaration that "Christ is the Rock of my salvation", does not prove one is founded on the Rock. Rather it is the fruit of life lived in union with the revealed Word that proves we are founded on The Rock.

The author shares this thought, "I can see no contradiction in saying, 'Personal revelation from God is the Rock on which Jesus will build His Ekklesia'. You cannot separate the (rhema) word which God speaks from the God who spoke it. The personal revelatory, guiding word direct from God is sound. It is stable, solid and one can stand on it. Without that people are left to operate from the level of their own human wisdom, knowledge and experience, which is shaky ground indeed".

Concern 3

In the article it stated, "Jesus was the first to come into this perfect relationship with God. He was the first to be reveled (at His baptism) as God's Son. He was the first stone, the cornerstone laid in the foundation of God's house". The concern raised is this: "Did Jesus not have a perfect relationship with God before the foundation of the world? How can He come into something that He always had and was, before the beginning of time? Jesus may have been revealed publicly at the baptism, but (He) had also been revealed as the Son of the Most High to Mary in Luke 1:32.

In Reply

There are two aspects to consider here:

1. Jesus was God
2. While Jesus was on earth He took the form of man.

Firstly, we would look at Jesus as God. Jesus certainly did have a perfect relationship with God before the foundation of the world. Jesus not only had a perfect relationship with God, He was God. We're sure there is no argument about this, "In the beginning was Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God." - John1:1.

Secondly, we need to look at Jesus as man, for it is Jesus as man that the writer was making reference to when he wrote, "He was the first to be revealed (at His baptism) as God's Son. When the author wrote that Jesus was "the first to be revealed (at His baptism) as God's Son" , he was not speaking of the first time that Jesus was revealed as the Son of God, but was high-lighting the fact that Jesus as man was the first man to be declared God's Son.

Jesus, who being in the nature of God made Himself nothing, humbled Himself, became as man, subject to all the trials, temptations and sufferings, even unto death and the turning away by the Father, all of which mankind experienced through the fall of Adam. Then God resurrected Jesus, as the first resurrected Son, and placed Him as the precious living Cornerstone of a sure foundation for the others that would follow. And this is where the authors reference to the revealing of Jesus at His baptism fits in, for what is water baptism if it is not a picture of death, burial and resurrection. Jesus was the first Son to come into a new kind of perfect relationship, symbolised by water baptism - Others would follow. Praise God.

"In bringing many sons to Glory it was fitting that God... should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers - Hebrews 2:10-11. Hallelujah!

We hope this has been helpful, and even if we can't agree let us continue in love to live lives worthy of His Presence amongst us - let us all contunue to love God's sons and daughters just as He does.