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

To: taxcontrol

But what does he mean by saying that it doesn't include "cells within a church," when he also states that the overwhelming majority of house-church members ARE, in fact, active churchgoers within a non-house-church church? Is he excluding only those organized by the church leadership within a given parish? Are Cursillo/Emmaus/Chrysalis groups counted? How about charismatic prayer meetings? Ecumenical praise meetings? Non-parish-based Young Adult prayer meetings?

Does a house church, by definition, include a pastor, minister, or anyone with some formal training? Do they have any rites which set them apart from mere prayer groups? Or have we simply dumbed down the notion of church so far that people are thinking of mere prayer groups as churches?

The very fact that the author claims that only house churches are biblical shows that the author has a fantastic ability to warp facts to his liking; the early Christians convened in houses because they were forbidden by Roman law to purchase church buildings; that is, until "power-mad" Constantine legalized Christianity.

If he's claiming house churches are more biblically authentic, do house-churches have annointed leaders? Presbyters? Episcopi? Do they partake in the Lord's Supper together?


29 posted on 06/27/2006 10:40:24 AM PDT by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies ]


To: dangus
All interesting questions and likely not answerable in this form. An interesting discussion would start with 1) is a "Church" required by scripture and 2) what does a "church" look like? Does it require a central leader figure or can it be an association of equals, etc.

This is a topic area that I have not yet researched for my own personal apologetics and will need to include.

This is EXACTLY why I like FreeRepublic, the introduction of new topics for research and self education.
47 posted on 06/27/2006 11:01:47 AM PDT by taxcontrol
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | 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