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APPENDIX B

The Bible Basis for Corporate Repentance

VIII. JESUS CALLS LEADERSHIP OF LAODICEAN CHURCH
          TO REPENTANCE

  1. "Angel" of the church = leadership (Revelation 3:14; 1:20; AA 586; GW 13).

  2. Why? Failure to recognize sin of others as our sin, that but for the grace of Christ, our true guilt is that of the world itself. Therefore their sin is our sin corporately (Romans 3:19, 23, NEB; Revelation 3:16, 17).

    1. Parallel failure: to appreciate dimensions of "the righteousness of One" that reverses the corporate "condemnation" which came "upon all men" in Adam.

    2. The article ho in Greek = "you [of all the seven in history] are the one wretched ...

    3. Laodicean pride is failure to appreciate total need of Christ’s righteousness, the corporate nature of the justification effected by His sacrifice.

    4. Therefore, sincerely unable to feel hunger and thirst for clearer understanding of the gospel of righteousness by faith. Laodicean pride: "We ‘have need of nothing;’ we have received the message for a hundred years."

  3. Because Jesus knew corporate repentance personally, He had key to unlock hearts. John 4:5-42, as one example.

    1. Christ’s call to Laodicea is for His people to have same experience He had (7BC 960).

    2. The "Roundup" for legalism: it kills it at the root.

  4. Two outstanding examples of corporate guilt:

    1. Crucifixion of Christ (Acts 2:23, 36; 3:13-15; 4:10; Zechariah l2:lO; TM 38; DA 745).

    2. Realization of corporate guilt made outpouring of Spirit at Pentecost possible.

    3. When Gentiles saw their corporate involvement (although not personally present at Calvary), they likewise received same Holy Spirit (Acts 10:39-47; SR 289).

    4. "Our" rejection "in a great degree"of loud cry and initial "showers ... of latter rain," though we were not present personally (1SM 234, 235; 1893 GCB p. 184).

    5. Sins of "fathers" always repeated by each succeeding generation unless corporate, national repentance welcomed and experienced (Acts 7:51, 52; Leviticus 26:40; Daniel 9:8).

    6. Adequate understanding of and repentance for Calvary is an experience yet future (Zechariah 12:10-13:1; RH Feb. 4, 1902).

    7. Over 100 times Ellen White describes "our" 1888 rejection: "just like the Jews.

The Fruits of Corporate and Denominational Repentance

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