Posted on 06/20/2017 4:12:13 PM PDT by ealgeone
Question: "What is the church?"
Answer: Many people today understand the church as a building. This is not a biblical understanding of the church. The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia which is defined as “an assembly” or “called-out ones.” The root meaning of “church” is not that of a building, but of people. It is ironic that when you ask people what church they attend, they usually identify a building. Romans 16:5 says “… greet the church that is in their house.” Paul refers to the church in their house—not a church building, but a body of believers.
The church is the body of Christ, of which He is the head. Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” The body of Christ is made up of all believers in Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2) until Christ’s return. The body of Christ is comprised of two aspects:
1) The universal church consists of all those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13). This verse says that anyone who believes is part of the body of Christ and has received the Spirit of Christ as evidence. The universal church of God is all those who have received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
2) The local church is described in Galatians 1:1-2: “Paul, an apostle … and all the brothers with me, to the churches in Galatia.” Here we see that in the province of Galatia there were many churches—what we call local churches. A Baptist church, Lutheran church, Catholic church, etc., is not the church, as in the universal church—but rather is a local church, a local body of believers. The universal church is comprised of those who belong to Christ and who have trusted Him for salvation. These members of the universal church should seek fellowship and edification in a local church.
In summary, the church is not a building or a denomination. According to the Bible, the church is the body of Christ—all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 12:13). Local churches are gatherings of members of the universal church. The local church is where the members of the universal church can fully apply the “body” principles of 1 Corinthians chapter 12: encouraging, teaching, and building one another up in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You were not there and you do not know what I was told and CANNOT tell me I don’t know what I was told.
Heck, I can’t even tell you what I was told back then. I don’t remember. I do remember reading the entire New Testament through twice when I was a freshman in high school. Being the good little Catholic boy that I was, I doubt if I would have read it if I was told not to.
Your posts are constantly going to the personal level and exhibit signs of mindreading.
Mindreading is personal and is not allowed in the Religion Forum.
Either stick to the issues or take a break from posting on the RF.
Click on my name at the bottom of this post and study the Religion Forum guidelines.
You are stuck on ‘institutional church’. The One True Church is the body of ALL believers who have been born from above by God’s Holy Spirit, through all of time. Your Org is an institution and your blind spots are exhibiting the strong signs of institutionalization.
I was long gone from Catholicism by 1970. Praise God for that. I am glad I never paid any attention in catechism class. It was a blessing in disguise. 🇵🇭🤣
I'm not so sure about that, Ed.
Eph 2:19-22 AV: "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints,
and of the household of God;
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner stone;
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."
1 Corinthians 3:11
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
As I see it, Jesus Christ is the foundation of the apostles and prophets...
Isa 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
1Co 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Paul was a masterbuilder who built upon the foundation but Jesus was the foundation...
Act 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
As I see it...
I'm not mindreading and I know the guide lines....I have been communicating with these same people for a very long time and they know me and I know them. We don't insult each other and no one seems to mind a little sarcasm....it is pretty much interesting give and take.
Thank you.
That was (pretty much) exactly my point.
I do not argue or debate with posters.
Do not post on the Religion Forum for one week.
So when someone asks if another person had/has "good works", the correct answer is exactly "so what?". There are plenty of lost souls who do good works and we know that at the final judgment these works will NOT save them. Without faith, without the new birth, all our righteousnesses are filthy rags in God's sight. Good works are more than things we "do", they are also things we DON'T do. Living God-pleasing holy lives comes from our being yielded to the Holy Spirit and having God work through us and with us to bring glory to Him and draw the lost to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Anyone who insists that "good works" are necessary for salvation really shortchange faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. He desires that we live in holiness but it sure isn't what saves us - even if we also have faith. God through Paul made it pretty clear:
I was thinking about this recently. Of the Ten Commandments, eight (8) are negative (Thou shalt not...). Only two (2) are positive (remember the Sabbath day and honor your mother and father). So really "good works" as far as the commandments are concerned are mostly NOT doing bad things rather than doing good things.
I got gloriously saved out of Catholicism in 1968.
I thought all 7 churches in Revelation, were Roman Catholic Churches. 😁
We each have our own unique testimony, about how we left the Catholic Church. It's a beautiful thing. 😊🇵🇭 Everyone should try it.
I guess the OTC has long tentacles 🐙 It tentacles reach all the way over here. 🇵🇭😩 That's why we preach to them. 🙏
Paul also wrote Ephesians. What do you suppose he/the Holy Spirit meant there?
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