Who is the New Testament Builder?

God’s Old Testament buildings were physical but His New Testament building work is spiritual. Who is/are building today? The Lord Jesus declared, “I will build My church” (Matt. 16:18). We fully accept His word and agree that He is the New Testament Builder.

However, in 1 Corinthians 3:10 Paul says that he is “a wise master builder.” And Ephesians 4:12 tells us that the gifted members of the Body (v. 11) are “for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ.”

This indicates that all the believers should be perfected to participate in building up the Body of Christ, the NT church. Similarly Romans 14:19 says, “So then let us pursue the things of peace and the things for building up one another.” Romans 15:2 speaks the same.

Yet how does this fit with Matthew 16? The answer is that the Lord Jesus is building His church by dwelling within and working through all His believers, the members of His Body.

We must pursue the things for building up but we cannot boast about our building work because it is Jesus Christ doing the work through us. We are His channels. All the credit goes to Him.

What the Lord is building today will reach its consummation at the end of the NT. His building of His church today will bring forth New Jerusalem as the ultimate realization of the Body of Christ.