Because we've forgotten what Paul said in 1 Timothy 3:15 that "God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth"
and
1 John 2:27 "As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him."
These are all plural "you's" and refers to the local church not just one person.
So believe it or not, it isn't scripture and the people that support that idea (just look at all the Sola Scriptura Protestant churches and the thousands of denominations ) but the foundation of the truth is actually the local church.
Hello-
Thanks for you comments. Although I don't necessarily disagree with your conclusions, I disagree with your characterization of the passages you used (kind of funny, given the topic at hand).
2 quick observations:
1
) Are you sure the "pillar" and "foundation" metaphors for the church are as you interpret them? The church is the total sum of all believers, those transformed by the good news, living new lives empowered by the Spirit and proclaiming the Truth of the Kingdom of God. Local churches are an expression of the universal "church". In this sense, the truth is held up by the people (individually AND corporately) which is what foundations and pillars do with roofs in ancient architecture. We see that explicitly in the very next verse (v.16) where Paul gives a quick outline of the "Truth" held up by the church. It is very concise and easily understood. To put it another way, the Bible contains the complete "Truth" about the reality of the Gospel-life, no additions necessary from the Church. The Church "upholds" that truth through our proclamation and active expression of the life of God in us.
We humans tend to swing to extremes and a disregard for the role and true nature of the universal and local church body is due for a shift, however, there need be no false dichotomy between a healthy view of the church and the recognition that no new "truth" needs to be generated or "discovered" elsewhere than in scripture and that the most important things of the Christian life are easily discerned:
- "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord"
- "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"
- "Love one another as I have love you"
- "He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life"
- Etc.
2)
The multiple uses of the plural "yous" in your second passage is does not support your point. This is exactly how John would have had to speak in a letter addressing multiple individuals simultaneously. Yes, they are the church, but that's like calling a collection of grapes a "bunch": the church is the collection of
individuals.
If I told a gathering of people at a conference "
You received a book when you came in", it doesn't mean that only one book was received by the entire gathering, just because I use the plural "you". John's use of "anointing" (v.27) is an
individual anointing shared by
all members of the group. This is consistent, for example, with the individual/corporate theme Titus 3:3-7 and in Ephesians 1:1-14. Additionally, other passages (notably Hebrews 8:10-11) explicitly reveal that God
does teach individuals apart from other group members.
I agree with you that the local church body, the "household of God", is the prime arena for growing in the Christian life. We don't live in a vacuum as "Lone Ranger Christians". The great and beautiful thing about the New Life is that it is both an interpersonal connection with the Father (one on one) as well as a new "family", one "body", a "kingdom"– arrangements of individuals in delighted relationship, just as the Trinity has always experienced.
