Samuel J. Stone, 1839–1900
… Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. Ephesians 5:23
During an especially heated period of theological controversy in England in 1866 when liberalism threatened to destroy the great cardinal doctrines of the Anglican church, this hymn was written by Pastor Samuel Stone. He was a strong supporter of the conservative faith and refused to compromise in any way the critical attacks on doctrinal orthodoxy.
It was Stone’s desire to write a hymn that would reaffirm the Lordship of Christ as the foundation of the church. To combat the skeptical liberal scholarship, Samuel Stone wrote twelve hymn texts based on the Apostles’ Creed. This particular text refers to the ninth article: “The Holy Catholic (Universal) Church, the communion of saints: He is the Head of this body.”
Described as the poor man’s pastor, Samuel Stone demonstrated his firm belief in the church as the instrument of Christ for meeting the needs of people. He spent much time ministering to the poor and underprivileged people in London’s East End. It was said that “he created a beautiful place of worship for the humble folk and made it a center of light in dark places.”
This is what the local church was meant to be—a spiritual hospital for hurting humanity, never an exclusive private club for self-righteous Christians. Called out from the world by God for Himself, the church consists of people who meet regularly for worship, inspiration, instruction, and fellowship. After that, Christ our Head sends His own back into the world to represent Him and to model His love for all mankind.
The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord; She is His new creation by water and the Word: from heav’n He came and sought her to be His holy bride; with His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died.
Elect from ev’ry nation, yet one o’er all the earth, her charter of salvation One Lord, one faith, one birth; one holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food, and to one hope she presses, with ev’ry grace endued.
Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One, and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won: O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we, like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with Thee.
For Today: Matthew 16:15-18; 1 Corinthians 3:11; Colossians 1:18
Give thanks to God for your local church as well as for fellow-believers of the church universal everywhere. Affirm your conviction in Christ as the head of the church as you carry this musical truth—
Osbeck, K. W.
Is not this the carpenters son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James and Joses, and Simon and Judas? And are not his sisters all with us? W
- He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:15-18
- For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11
- And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18
************************************
**I’d like to be very clear, I do NOT agree with the so-called universal “holy catholic” business dba “church nor their Viper Auditorium where that Dagon mitre wearing pope holds court. The Vatican has killed more saints than all despots combined, and literally wiping out the Anabaptists, Albigenses, and persecuted Bible adherent Puritans forcing them to flee to America or suffer martyrdom. An excellent book to read is Foxe’s Book of Martyrs a real eye opener to whom the papistry truly serves, hint: it is NOT the Lord Jesus Christ nor the Father. RCC worships demonic Mary as “coredemptrix” falsely claiming she was a perpetual virgin:
Is not this the carpenters son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James and Joses, and Simon and Judas? And are not his sisters all with us? Whence then hath he all these things? Matthew 13:55-56
At the Vatican’s behest people were burned at the stake, brick walls around built around people who were alive, used the Rack to stretch and dislocate limbs, cut off women’s breasts, smashed infant’s skulls on walls, drawn and quartered saints. And there are countless other methods of torturing and slaughtering the children of God redeemed in Yeshua for adhering to and reading a non-Latin bible.
warriorprincess4yeshua.blog 