Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: sinkspur
I don't spend any time fretting over a Pauline restriction meant for the early Church.

I'm guessing then that you don't believe a lot of things that Paul said to the early church...

Things like the church is the bride of Christ, or that Christians will be raised from the dead, etc...

308 posted on 08/21/2006 8:41:58 PM PDT by Iscool
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 260 | View Replies ]


To: Iscool; sinkspur
The so-called "Early Church" took place within a Jewish framework ~ institutionally and theologically speaking.

At some point, maybe about the time of the Destruction of the Temple by the Romans, it became a "missionary church", and, as missionaries know, that sort of work requires a certain order and structure to the "mission".

Once the "mission" has become successful, the "missionaries" can move on to other fields, and the folks brought into the fold can conduct the business of an an organized, established congregation.

It's pretty obvious that large parts of Christianity are stuck in "missionary mode" ~ Much of what Paul has to say about "church" structure is applicable primarily to the work of a "mission" and not to an "established congregation".

There's disagreement on this question ~ with the Catholics on one side and the Protestants and Pentecostals on the other.

I doubt we can resolve it in this thread.

310 posted on 08/21/2006 8:48:21 PM PDT by muawiyah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 308 | View Replies ]

To: Iscool

Timothy was likely written between 95-105 AD. Hence, Paul could not have written the Timothy... being that he was martyred in 64 AD.


311 posted on 08/21/2006 8:49:49 PM PDT by Accygirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 308 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson