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To: Dutchboy88
The word "church" was made up by the RCC and does not exist in Scripture. Ask yourself, what group did Paul belong to?

What? Really?

First off, yes: the church of Jesus Christ is the universal body of all redeemed believers saved by the substitutionary atonement of Christ thanks to the Holy Spirit's call. But the scriptures not only use the word 'church' in that universal context (Matt. 16:18), but also in the individual/local context (Rom. 16:27 and literally dozens of other places). Generally speaking, it's used to describe a local body of believers, though there was a main organization (which I'm about to mention).

Next: what group did Paul belong to? Clearly, he was trained, sent out by, and answered to the Church at Jerusalem. He then, of course, planted numerous new individual churches between there and Rome.

I believe you would subscribe to this next thought based on your writing, but scripture actually encourages groups of 'offical organizations' as both a means of helping organize and do all the necessary work and also preserving a protecting adherence to the scriptures. This practice goes back to Moses (see Exodus 18). This is why both deacons and elders are established within the New Testament. Clearly, the apostles filled that role as elders from Jerusalem. That would seem to be the purpose of your post: to protect the scriptures.

Now that being said, the extent that such leadership correctly performs such duties may be up for serious debate. Obviously the PC-USA has failed in that mission, and I would encourage all members of such congregations to leave that denomination in search of another that at least does a better job.

Look, no religious organization is perfect. It is the responsibility of those leaders to listen to criticism and make changes whenever the find themselves out of scriptural harmony (e.g., Paul correcting Peter - Gal. 2:14). It is also the responsibility of individuals to know the scriptures so they can know a heresy when it appears. I would argue that it is harder to see groups exercise self-correction in both tiny (congregational churches) and enormous (RCC) organizations for reasons that should be evident: power, special interest biases, and poor accountability. But no group is immune: they will all have their own 'style' or 'emphasis' biases. The best we can do is to do our servant work as best we can and humbly point out issues as they come up. The scriptures remain our guide for all of this, up to and including "remov[ing] those who do [not] comport with Scripture."

Sorry so long... wasn't exactly a soundbite-length set of ideas.

14 posted on 10/26/2011 10:56:23 AM PDT by alancarp (Liberals are all for shared pain... until they're included in the pain group.)
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To: alancarp

Ping to #17.

You did not read my original post, either. The answer is, “None.” No denominations left which are biblical. Further, there are no “denominations” described or prescribed in the Scriptures. As noted, the word “church” is simply a made-up term to brand organizations which claim to be representations of the Body of Christ. I find no support for this in the Scriptures (NT), and thus find no reason to manufacture a group out of whole cloth.

And, no, Paul was often sent out from believers in Antioch. Check the text. And, nothing resembles physical Israel in the New Covenant, my FRiend. That is, unless you wish to add sacraficial animals, the priesthood (the RCC morphing), Holy Days, certain cloth, food restrictions (7th Day), and other Mosaic Law matters. Jer. 31. A new day has dawned and Organizations are not part of the story.


23 posted on 10/26/2011 11:25:43 AM PDT by Dutchboy88
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