BB. You should that doesn't wash. Even sola scriptura churches differ on important matters, Calvinists vs. Arminians, etc.
There are clear cut rules spelled out in Scripture for how a church is to deal with members who are involved in public sin.
We don't even agree on what the Church is in Scripture.
It doesn't work, BB. Look around, it flat does not work. You just start another church if you disagree.
Jesus said where two or more of us are gathered together in his name, he is right there with us.
Look around on here. It's reduced to one. "Just me and the Bible, that's all I need."
That's not the Church established by Christ, not the Church of the Apostles. They did not become martyrs for the church of each individual's interpretation, nor for two people and Jesus. But for One Church, Holy and Apostolic, universal in its faith.
thanks for your post.
Thank for your post, too. I don't know if it is worthwhile to keep on discussing this point, but I will try once more. The Apostles and the early Christian martyrs died for what exactly? I believe they died for their faith. The faith in Jesus Christ as Messiah/Savior/Incarnate God with us. They did NOT die for the "church". They were all members of the body of Christ which is the universal church. The word church is from ekklesia which means, among other things, a called-out assembly. The word was actually used in the Old Testament when God called out an assembly of his people.
I hope you can understand that what we choose to call ourselves or what box we check on a form asking for religion or what local church we attend does not amount to anything in God's economy unless there is a heart felt faith in him and in what he reveals to us within the pages of his Bible. Sure there are different beliefs on many minor issues such as leadership hierarchy or order of worship or how certain sacramental rites are performed and on whom they are performed. There are even differences on some semi-major points, I get that, but what I am sincerely trying to get across is there is only one, holy church that is made up of ALL believers in Jesus Christ as savior. They may be from different cultures, parts of the world, the past, even within various denominations, but they all have that one thing in common and that is their faith in Christ. They believed the Gospel as preached by Jesus as taught to the disciples as passed on to the local people as passed on to the entire world as we STILL know it today.
Please don't try to convince me that the Roman Catholic Church is that true church because I know it is not. The reason why I know is because when I was personally in it I did NOT know the gospel. I was NOT saved because I did not even understand my own need to come to faith in Jesus Christ. I was never taught that it was a decision that I personally had to make to trust in him to save me. I have no doubt that there are many others in every other church out there who are just as ignorant as I was. Being a member of the church, participating in all the rituals, attending all the services, etc. was NOT what saved me. I had to come to Jesus Christ and trust in him to be my savior. I read for myself in the Bible what God said I needed to do to be saved and it was BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. God took it from there and I have grown in my faith and learned his word from personal study, from reading the works of theologians, from pastors, from Sunday School teachers, from Bible studies and Bible College. I did not stop at simple faith (easybelieverism I think you called it). God moved me along and the Holy Spirit illuminated the truth in my heart.
Enough of my preaching, sorry. I hope you can see that a church is not an organization or denomination but THE church is that spiritual body of Christ that he binds together in that one faith, one hope, one baptism (the baptism of the Holy Spirit when we come to Christ). Jesus IS God and his prayer has been answered because we are one in him. Don't major on the minor stuff. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. And that main thing is the Gospel.
If you're still awake, I hope you have a peaceful night.