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"ClementofA, post: 72064078, member: 388980"
Question: "What is the church?"
Answer: Many people today understand the church as a building. This is not a biblical understanding of the church. The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia which is defined as “an assembly” or “called-out ones.” The root meaning of “church” is not that of a building, but of people. It is ironic that when you ask people what church they attend, they usually identify a building. Romans 16:5 says “… greet the church that is in their house.” Paul refers to the church in their house—not a church building, but a body of believers.
The church is the body of Christ, of which He is the head. Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” The body of Christ is made up of all believers in Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2) until Christ’s return. The body of Christ is comprised of two aspects:
1) The universal church consists of all those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13). This verse says that anyone who believes is part of the body of Christ and has received the Spirit of Christ as evidence. The universal church of God is all those who have received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
This is a typical Protestant apologia for their refusal to be joined to the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church which is hierarchical in nature. We don't see anything like this in Scripture - AT ALL! It is a fond Protestant fantasy which was cooked up by the Reformers.
The Church is a covenant body of believers. We see this first in the qa'hal, or congregation, of Israel. There was a distinct place to meet, a distinct form of worship, and distinct leadership. These same earmarks are present in the New Covenant Church - distinct place, distinct worship, distinct hierarchy.
2) The local church is described in Galatians 1:1-2: “Paul, an apostle … and all the brothers with me, to the churches in Galatia.” Here we see that in the province of Galatia there were many churches—what we call local churches. A Baptist church, Lutheran church, Catholic church, etc., is not the church, as in the universal church—but rather is a local church, a local body of believers. The universal church is comprised of those who belong to Christ and who have trusted Him for salvation. These members of the universal church should seek fellowship and edification in a local church.
Horsefeathers!!! This totally violates covenant principles found in the Bible. Every covenant group, whether family, church, or political, has a leadership head. In the apostolic faith, the head of the Church is Christ Jesus. Following the OT Suzerainty kingship patterns of covenant authority, the greater king (Christ) makes covenant with lesser kings and appoints them as vassal kings (archbishops and bishops) under his Covenant headship.
The idea of a "local church" as defined by Fundamentalists and Evangelicals goes against the covenant principle of hierarchical leadership. It is actually rebellion against the established leadership which began with the Apostles and was handed down from generation to generation. That is the principle of succession.
Within the idea of the "local church," you have rebellious, autonomous bodies and preachers who actually brag that they take orders from no one. I know. I was a Fundamentalist for 13 years and I heard this - a lot!! That is the sin of pride ("No one tells me what to do or how to run my congregation.")
Really?
So, of course, since they are not bound by Holy Tradition or the leadership of bishops over them, some of these men have come up with some pretty weird and sometimes dangerous ideas which they foist upon the people who trust in them.
The "universal church," as you define it, cannot be the Church because the Church is one in doctrine and teaching, yet if you apply your idea of everyone who has "believed in Jesus" as being in the universal church, you get thousands of independent bodies with hundreds of different doctrines - for instance, at least 25 different teachings on how to baptize and who may be baptized.
Is the Holy Spirit really that schizophrenic? I don't think so!!!!
In summary, the church is not a building or a denomination. According to the Bible, the church is the body of Christ—all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 12:13). Local churches are gatherings of members of the universal church. The local church is where the members of the universal church can fully apply the “body” principles of 1 Corinthians chapter 12: encouraging, teaching, and building one another up in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Local parishes may exist, but they are ALWAYS in union with their archbishop or metropolitan, unlike Protestantism where each little storefront X-Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Parlor now "Worldwide Church of the New Saints and Apostles, is its own authority. Are you getting what I am saying here? The idea of thousands of sui juris (independent, self-governing, answering to no higher authority)assemblies is not scriptural AT ALL!!! It violates covenant principles and is not how the Apostles understood the Church. Just read St. Paul. It was understood in his writings that he held authority over each of the little "house churches" in the area, whereas today, Fundamentalists would throw him out on his ear for daring to come in and claim authority from the Lord.
You
are
wrong.
And as an X-Fundamentalist who used to believe the same error, I make no apology for taking a strong stand on this. There is but one Kingdom - not thousands!!!!
Biblical definition of "the church"
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