Misunderstandings on the church

[360watt]

Speaking of the local New Testament church, I often come across this statement:

The church is not a building. And then the responder will usually go to try and describe the entity of all redeemed.

So the first thing is... a local NT church is not a building.. it's a local community of saved, baptised believers called out from their homes to gather together physically to worship God, carrying out the great command and commission.

They could have no building, but it's better for comfort, security and privacy.

The second thing is.. calling the entity of all redeemed 'the church' is popular but problematic.

For example 1 co 12 description of the body of Christ, is by context, the local assembly of baptised believers at Corinth.

They get called 'the body of Christ' ... that's not saying they are 'part' of the body..but they are the body.

There are many other scriptures that describe the body of Christ as an entity within all redeemed..but not actually all redeemed.

More to come on this

 

[360watt]

from Arthur Pink.... Churches of God:

"A New Testament church is a local body of believers. Much confusion has been caused by the employment of adjectives which are not to be met with in the N.T. Were you to ask some Christians, To what church do you belong? they would answer, The great invisible church of Christ-a church which is as intangible as it is invisible. How many recite the so-called Apostles’ Creed, “I believe in the holy catholic Church,” which most certainly was not an article in the Apostles’ “creed.” Others speak of “the Church militant” and “the Church triumphant,” but neither are these terms found in Scripture, and to employ them is only to create difficulty and confusion."

 

[101G]

but these terms are found in scripture,
1 Corinthians 12:7 "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." 1 Corinthians 12:8 "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;" 1 Corinthians 12:9 "To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;" 1 Corinthians 12:10 "To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:" 1 Corinthians 12:11 "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." 1 Corinthians 12:12 "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ." 1 Corinthians 12:13 "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." 1 Corinthians 12:14 "For the body is not one member, but many." 1 Corinthians 12:15 "If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?" 1 Corinthians 12:16 "And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?" 1 Corinthians 12:17 "If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?" 1 Corinthians 12:18 "But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him." 1 Corinthians 12:19 "And if they were all one member, where were the body?" 1 Corinthians 12:20 "But now are they many members, yet but one body." 1 Corinthians 12:21 "And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you." 1 Corinthians 12:22 "Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:" 1 Corinthians 12:23 "And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness." 1 Corinthians 12:24 "For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:" 1 Corinthians 12:25 "That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another." 1 Corinthians 12:26 "And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it." 1 Corinthians 12:27 "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." 1 Corinthians 12:28 "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." 1 Corinthians 12:29 "Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?" 1 Corinthians 12:30 "Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?" 1 Corinthians 12:31 "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."

101G.

from Arthur Pink.... Churches of God:

"A New Testament church is a local body of believers. Much confusion has been caused by the employment of adjectives which are not to be met with in the N.T. Were you to ask some Christians, To what church do you belong? they would answer, The great invisible church of Christ-a church which is as intangible as it is invisible.

see above.

101G.

 

[360watt]

but these terms are found in scripture,
1 Corinthians 12:7 "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." 1 Corinthians 12:8 "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;" 1 Corinthians 12:9 "To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;" 1 Corinthians 12:10 "To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:" 1 Corinthians 12:11 "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." 1 Corinthians 12:12 "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ." 1 Corinthians 12:13 "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." 1 Corinthians 12:14 "For the body is not one member, but many." 1 Corinthians 12:15 "If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?" 1 Corinthians 12:16 "And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?" 1 Corinthians 12:17 "If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?" 1 Corinthians 12:18 "But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him." 1 Corinthians 12:19 "And if they were all one member, where were the body?" 1 Corinthians 12:20 "But now are they many members, yet but one body." 1 Corinthians 12:21 "And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you." 1 Corinthians 12:22 "Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:" 1 Corinthians 12:23 "And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness." 1 Corinthians 12:24 "For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:" 1 Corinthians 12:25 "That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another." 1 Corinthians 12:26 "And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it." 1 Corinthians 12:27 "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." 1 Corinthians 12:28 "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." 1 Corinthians 12:29 "Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?" 1 Corinthians 12:30 "Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?" 1 Corinthians 12:31 "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."

101G.

see above.

101G.

The point being with this scripture is that the Corinthians are being called the body of Christ.

That is a local and visible body of believers.

The body here is described in terms of unity, togetherness, where one member suffers, all suffer with them..

That's not describing all redeemed, but the small c ..church.

Not a building...but a group of saved, baptized believers, covenented together to carry out the great commission and commandment.

The entity of all redeemed isn't described in 1 co 12.

 

[101G]

The point being with this scripture is that the Corinthians are being called the body of Christ.

That is a local and visible body of believers.

The body here is described in terms of unity, togetherness, where one member suffers, all suffer with them..

That's not describing all redeemed, but the small c ..church.

Not a building...but a group of saved, baptized believers, covenented together to carry out the great commission and commandment.

The entity of all redeemed isn't described in 1 co 12.

a local congregation is a body of believers ... there, but is not "THE BODY", but members of the BODY. ". did you not understand 1 Corinthians 12?

101G.

 

[360watt]

a local congregation is a body of believers ... there, but is not "THE BODY", but members of the BODY. ". did you not understand 1 Corinthians 12?

101G.

The body..in 1 co 12 is local. That is what is being described.

 

[101G]

The body..in 1 co 12 is local. That is what is being described.

agreed,

101G.