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Jesus, the Chief Cornerstone of the Church, July 28
Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that
believeth on him shall not be confounded.
1 Peter 2:6
.
Upon the foundation that Christ Himself had laid, the apostles built the church
of God. In the Scriptures the figure of the erection of a temple is frequently used
to illustrate the building of the church. Zechariah refers to Christ as the Branch
that should build the temple of the Lord....
In the quarry of the Jewish and the Gentile world the apostles labored, bringing
out stones to lay upon the foundation. In his letter to the believers at Ephesus, Paul
said, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens
with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of
the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in
whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the
Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the
Spirit” (
Ephesians 2:19-22
)....
The apostles built upon a sure foundation, even the Rock of Ages. To this
foundation they brought the stones that they quarried from the world. Not without
hindrance did the builders labor. Their work was made exceedingly difficult by
the opposition of the enemies of Christ. They had to contend against the bigotry,
prejudice, and hatred of those who were building upon a false foundation. Many
who wrought as builders of the church could be likened to the builders of the wall
in Nehemiah’s day, of whom it is written: “They which builded on the wall, and
they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands
wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon” (
Nehemiah 4:17
).
Kings and governors, priests and rulers, sought to destroy the temple of God.
But in the face of imprisonment, torture, and death, faithful men carried the work
forward; and the structure grew, beautiful and symmetrical. At times the workmen
were almost blinded by the mists of superstition that settled around them. At
times they were almost overpowered by the violence of their opponents. But with
unfaltering faith and unfailing courage they pressed on with the work.
One after another the foremost of the builders fell by the hand of the enemy.
Stephen was stoned; James was slain by the sword; Paul was beheaded; Peter
was crucified; John was exiled. Yet the church grew. New workers took the place
of those who fell, and stone after stone was added to the building. Thus slowly
ascended the temple of the church of God.—
The Acts of the Apostles, 595-597
.
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