Local Church Discussions - Reply to Topic

Additional Options
Miscellaneous Options Automatically parse links in text

09-18-2018 01:10 PM

Ohio

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trapped

Yes, I've definitely seen and heard that!

What I really was after is the use of "oracle" = "a person" or "spokeperson", when it seems to me that Biblically, "oracle" = "the words" or "the speaking". This allows for the cessation of the following of a man if what he is speaking is not of, or is no longer of, God. A person is not the oracle, what he is speaking is. This also removes the infallibility aspect......if someone is an oracle, then how can anything they speak be wrong? But if a man is speaking the oracles of God (i.e. the words of God), then when he is wrong he is simply not speaking the oracles of God.

If we understand a word properly then we can use it correctly. It also removes the grandiose air of oracular mystique around W. Lee.

Does that make sense? Just thinking out loud. I'm just throwing it out there to see how others understand it.

Yes, makes sense. Good catch.

Vine's Expository Dictionary says this:

Oracle, Greek logion, diminutive of logos, "a word, narrative, statement," denotes "a divine response or utterance, an oracle;" it is used of
(a) the contents of Mosaic Law (Acts 7.38)
(b) all the written utterances of God thru OT writers (Rom 3.2)
(c) the substance of Christian doctrine (Heb 5.12)
(d) the utterances of God thru Christian teachers (I Pet 4.11)

In Kittle's Theological Dictionary neither the Pre-Christian use, nor the NT use, nor the usage of the early church allows "logion" to refer to the messenger, the speaker, the minister, etc. This word corruption is never supported by the Bible nor etymology.

Personally, I believe W. Lee stole this adulteration of the Greek work logion from the Exclusive Plymouth Brethren. They were often caught in such anomalies. They regularly excoriated the Roman Pope, yet ignorantly developed their own papal system.

Today the Exclusives are now on their 7th or 8th "Oracle" or "MOTA" going back to J.N. Darby, whom they collectively refer to as "Our Brother." Regardless of the benign-sounding official Titles, the actual position of any single church leader replacing the Head -- Christ -- by leading all the churches, is what we categorically reject.

09-18-2018 12:23 PM

Trapped

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ohio

Here LSMers equivocate. Officially and doctrinally they will assert that Lee was an oracle of God, a spokesperson for God, one who speaks for God to His People. Privately, internally, they believe Lee alone and Lee uniquely spoke for God, THE Minister of the Age etc., and any other minister, not teaching Lee's own words, is illegitimate.

09-18-2018 02:01 AM

Ohio

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trapped

Can I jump in here and ask about the word "oracle"? It seems we are using the term here to refer to a person, whereas in the Bible I believe it does not use it that way.

09-17-2018 09:34 PM

Trapped

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Can I jump in here and ask about the word "oracle"? It seems we are using the term here to refer to a person, whereas in the Bible I believe it does not use it that way.

Gotquestions.org explains: https://www.gotquestions.org/oracles-of-God.html For example, in Romans 3:2, the oracles of God are not people, in the same way we are using "oracle" in this thread in reference to WLee or to another person.

Is there somewhere in the Bible where the thought of a person being an oracle is presented? I was reading a few passages of "the ministry" about the oracle, and I honestly think the way it is spoken about lends itself to a misleading interpretation of the word (shocker!). For example, one phrase is, "When we meet together to enjoy the speaking of God in His oracle..." and another is "There is such a heavenly traffic when God speaks in His oracle in the meeting." (from Further Light Concerning the Building Up of the Body of Christ) (I do note that elsewhere in the ministry Lee makes it clear we are not in the meetings "listening to a man" but as so often happens, his blurring the proper usage of some words lends itself incredibly easily to misinterpretation and insinuation that, in this case for example, Lee is an/the oracle.)

This wording Lee uses seems to indicate that the speaking and the oracle are something separate, i.e. his phraseology, "speaking in an oracle", when really I think the oracle is the speaking itself, or is the very words.

(I know this isn't at the very heart of UntoHim's questioning, but it would help me at least).

Thoughts?

09-17-2018 08:26 PM

UntoHim

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Thanks, Mr E. You win. I give up.

09-17-2018 07:10 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by UntoHim

Well, now that wasn't so hard was it, Mr. E.? Of course you're still avoiding and evading. That may work with "new ones" who don't know what is really taught and really practiced in the Local Church of Witness Lee. Not going to work here.

I'm trying (without much success it seems) to get you to be straightforward. I know that's hard for Local Churchers...but I know you can do it bro! I know you read English. I know you understand the questions. I just can't quite figure out if you are trying to be cute or what.

So I have the choice to choose my own oracle? Are they an oracle like Witness Lee or are they an illegitimate oracle? Are they actually speaking for God, or was Witness Lee the only person speaking as God's oracle? So I can choose to go to a non Local Church of Witness Lee in a particular city, but it's not a legitimate church? The speaking I hear at this church is not legitimate speaking? WHY IS THE CHURCH I GO TO NOT LEGITIMATE? WHY IS THE SPEAKING NOT LEGITIMATE. Please be straightforward and answer these questions.

I don't care if your answer is short, medium or long. What I do care is that you actually answer the question. My questions are not rhetorical or theoretical. They are very genuine and very straightforward. Please respect them as such.
-

Firstly, the legitimacy of a church and legitimacy of the speaking are two separate matters so I will address them one by one.

We can choose who we believe is God's oracle. Whether they are or not in reality is a different matter - God's oracle is anyone who speaks for God. If someone prophesies then they are God's oracle in essence.

The legitimacy of a church would depend on whether it is a genuine local church in the city or a sect in reality. So if your church is a sect then it is not really legitimate. But if you believe that your church is not a sect and a genuine church that is your free will to believe that.

Legitimacy of the speaking depends on whether it is speaking for and forth God, or not. If they are not speaking for and forth God they aren't legitimate. Now I could give many examples here from word/faith prosperity teaching that speak forth riches and fortune than God.

There could be someone who is God's oracle speaking in a sect. Maybe you believe that person is God's oracle, maybe they are speaking for and forth God. On the other hand someone may be speaking in the local church who is not God's oracle because they are not speaking for and forth God.

As an example, Madam Guyon comes to mind. Maybe she was God's oracle but she was in the Catholic church. A legitimate speaker in an illegitimate church. Maybe a person would reject Catholicism but attend a Catholic gathering just to hear her speak.

As another example, sometimes in the recovery people do not speak for the Lord. They speak other things - this would be an example of illegitimate speaking.

I hope that answers your questions.

09-17-2018 06:52 PM

UntoHim

09-17-2018 06:29 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by UntoHim

Totally non responsive to my question. Please stop wasting everyone's time. Are you trying to be cute? How is it that you think it is appropriate to answer the way you do? This forum is about back and forth dialogue. Please don't start a thread and then be totally unresponsive to other posters. Answer the questions in a responsive way or I'm going to close the thread.
-

You have the choice to choose who you think is God's oracle or not, and which church you want to go to.

I thought you wanted simple answers, before you just wanted a yes or no answer, and I provided that. Now it seems you have done a 180 degree turn and want more. Perhaps if you can specify the exact number of words that you want me to use, and I will comply.

I posted numerous responses to other posts, more than 10.

09-17-2018 06:21 PM

UntoHim

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

09-17-2018 02:42 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by UntoHim

Ok, I'll take that as a "no".

So, as a genuine believer, do I have the choice to choose who I believe is speaking as God's oracle? Can I exercise my free will to take me and my family to a church where we can hear God's speaking?
-

I can't type "no" that's why.

Yes, there's no doubt about the ability to exercise free will. People come and go and come again.

09-17-2018 07:28 AM

UntoHim

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

09-16-2018 08:45 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by UntoHim

Mr. E. Do you believe that Witness Lee was the only person on earth speaking as God's oracle since 1945? Simple question. Yes or No? Please do not shuck and jive, dodge and weave. Just answer the question.
-

I don't think so.

09-16-2018 08:23 PM

UntoHim

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

09-16-2018 07:09 PM

Ohio

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin

Do you believe that absurd allegory interpretation? That bizarre moment LCers use hyper figurative approach and claiming themselves Philadelphia. How sick is that!

And here comes Mr. Evan is going to mention the Reformation.

Objection!

The Plymouth Exclusive Brethren already claimed all rights to Philadelphia!

09-16-2018 05:48 PM

Kevin

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Ad Fontes!

09-16-2018 05:32 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

If the Reformation is still going, what is it reforming today?

09-16-2018 05:04 PM

Kevin

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Are you referring all as in all Evangelical, Protestant, etc. are little daughters of the Roman Church, but yours is exempted because both Lee and Nee did not come the Roman Catholic Church?

Not so fast! The Reformation is still going on from the inside and the outside. It's either two things, either reformed or deformed (liberal churches).

09-16-2018 05:01 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

The Reformation is over. The degradation has begun.

Most churches that were born out of the Reformation are now ordaining gay priests and blessing gay unions. Even the "Mother" Catholic church is not doing that.

Look up the "Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD)".

09-16-2018 04:46 PM

Kevin

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Do you believe that absurd allegory interpretation? That bizarre moment LCers use hyper figurative approach and claiming themselves Philadelphia. How sick is that!

And here comes Mr. Evan is going to mention the Reformation.

09-16-2018 03:59 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Who is the Mother of the Protestant churches? From where did they come?

09-16-2018 03:38 PM

Kevin

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Are Protestant churches daughters of the Great Whore?

09-16-2018 03:31 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Having the freedom to attend any assembly and the legitimacy of an assembly - that's a different matter entirely. People have the freedom to meet in illegitimate churches if they choose to.

09-16-2018 06:46 AM

UntoHim

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evangelical

Yes of course.

Cool! Excellent! So when are you going start leading the way for the Local Church to stop calling all Protestant churches "little daughters of the Great Whore"? So when are you going to get a hold of the Blended Brothers and tell them to make it official - The Local Church of Witness Lee is NOT THE ONLY LEGITIMATE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN THE CITIES THEY ARE LOCATED?

Get going Mr. E! You've got some work to do!
-

09-16-2018 05:51 AM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by UntoHim

Do they have the right and ability to exercise their free will and meet with a fellowship/congregation that does not necessarily subscribe to the doctrine of locality as taught by Nee/Lee?

Quote:

Originally Posted by UntoHim

Well, Mr E. Do they?
-

Yes of course.

09-16-2018 05:35 AM

countmeworthy

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evangelical

I had basis - it was said that the believers travelled city to city. That is not hopping that is relocation and migration and visitation.

Catholics, Baptists, Presbyterians, etc who go on vacation, relocate for whatever reasons including 'planting' new churches for their denomination do the same thing as the LSMrs do. If they go on vacation, they will go to church in that city or town they are visiting.

Just saying...
but in defense of the 'good ole days' of the 70s, in my locality at best, the fellowship, camaradership, love SEEMED to be there.. Was it a facade? Maybe but the heart of the saints was in the right place. That I truly believe.

09-15-2018 05:34 AM

OBW

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

I guess you either live in Hole-in-the-Wall, Wyoming, or you ignore that you pass by numerous assemblies on the way to the one that you choose to join with. And for most of your tribe, they abandoned at least one other on the way to the one that has the right name on the sign. Might not just be hopping around, but they clearly decided to move elsewhere rather than following the call to "overcome" where they were.

09-13-2018 01:57 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by OBW

Took only 3 minutes on a rare revisit to find Evangelical declaring definitions without basis.

I had basis - it was said that the believers travelled city to city. That is not hopping that is relocation and migration and visitation.

09-13-2018 09:16 AM

OBW

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evangelical

I am not talking about that - church-hopping means attending a different church within one's locality.

Took only 3 minutes on a rare revisit to find Evangelical declaring definitions without basis.

09-13-2018 08:09 AM

UntoHim

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by UntoHim

Do they have the right and ability to exercise their free will and meet with a fellowship/congregation that does not necessarily subscribe to the doctrine of locality as taught by Nee/Lee?
-

Well, Mr E. Do they?
-

09-12-2018 07:35 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Absolutely everyone has that free will and right.

09-12-2018 09:30 AM

UntoHim

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evangelical

Yes I chose to stop meeting with the denomination I was in and meet with the local churches.

Great. So you were able to exercise your free will and make a conscious choice. So the Local Church became your personal preference - your meeting place of choice as it were.

Now that we have established the fact that you were willing and able to make a choice, let's move on to the free will and ability to make a choice for other believers. Do other believers have the same ability to make a conscious choice on where they want to worship and serve? Do they have the right and ability to exercise their free will and meet with a fellowship/congregation that does not necessarily subscribe to the doctrine of locality as taught by Nee/Lee?
-

09-12-2018 09:20 AM

awareness

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ohio

Nee and Lee just came along and started another denomination.

A denomination based upon dirt.

09-12-2018 06:25 AM

Ohio

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evangelical

The divisions were existing well before Nee/Lee came along. Any division can claim to be one in spirit with all believers. If it is true that all denominations are not divisions, because they are one in the spirit, then no one can say the local churches are a division or divisive.

Nee and Lee just came along and started another denomination.

09-11-2018 10:04 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by awareness

Nee and Lee turned dirt into division.

09-11-2018 09:51 PM

awareness

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evangelical

I'm talking about practical division and unity, yes, what you describe is the spiritual reality, but not the practical reality. Watchman Nee/Lee both addressed the practical aspect, which is important.

Nee and Lee turned dirt into division.

09-11-2018 07:54 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by awareness

I think perchance you're thinking to much about the geography, brick and mortar, dirt, and distance, dividing believers, rather than seeing that there's no division in the Spirit.

Like I told the brother sent to me by the elders, to give me the lowdown about oneness by following Lee. I said :

We're to follow the Spirit, not a man. If Lee is in his spirit, and I'm in mine, then we're one. But if I'm in my spirit and Lee not in his, we're not one, and vice versa. If we were both in our spirit we were one (even thousands of miles apart from each other)

.
In other words, you could be in your spirit in a local church meeting, I could be in mine while at home, and we could be one with the little old lady sitting in the back of a Baptist church if she's in her spirit.

BTW, the brother's answer to me was, "Lee is always in his spirit." Haha. As if he could know such a thing. That only revealed his Lee worship.

09-11-2018 07:23 PM

awareness

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evangelical

So you believe that the advice given by the GotQuestions article is divisive or would lead to division. I believe it is a divisive advice because it encourages people to remain in their sects - this is what most pastors/priests want anyway.

We're to follow the Spirit, not a man. If Lee is in his spirit, and I'm in mine, then we're one. But if I'm in my spirit and Lee not in his, we're not one, and vice versa. If we were both in our spirit we were one (even thousands of miles apart from each other)

09-11-2018 06:10 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by UntoHim

Great. No forcing. Were you making a conscious choice to start meeting with the Local Church?
-

Yes I chose to stop meeting with the denomination I was in and meet with the local churches.

09-11-2018 10:46 AM

UntoHim

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by UntoHim

Were you making a conscious choice to join, or were you some kind of automaton with no mind, emotion or will?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evangelical

There was no forcing.

Great. No forcing. Were you making a conscious choice to start meeting with the Local Church?
-

09-10-2018 04:39 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by awareness

People should meet wherever or with whoever they please. I've know Christians that were meeting in 3 different type churches each week. No big deal. And I have family that have met in only one church all their life.

And just like Lee's local church, none of them are perfect.

09-10-2018 04:00 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by UntoHim

So Mr. E,
What happened when you started meeting with the Local Church of Witness Lee? Did you have a choice, or were you forced at gunpoint? Where you comatose by chance, or did you have all your facilities about you? Were you making a conscious choice to join, or were you some kind of automaton with no mind, emotion or will?
-

There was no forcing.

09-10-2018 06:44 AM

UntoHim

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

09-10-2018 06:34 AM

awareness

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evangelical

So you agree that the GotQuestions article is spreading a divisive attitude by saying people should only meet with one church and not hop around?

09-09-2018 07:17 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by awareness

I find your OP to be poppycock. And all believers in a city are 'in the church', regardless if they meet in homes, denominations, or in Lee's local churches (that's just another denomination among the others).

So you agree that the GotQuestions article is spreading a divisive attitude by saying people should only meet with one church and not hop around?

09-09-2018 06:55 PM

awareness

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evangelical

09-09-2018 05:42 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ohio

Your comment here is ludicrous.

Apostle Paul was a pattern to the believers. He went town to town visiting the believers. Aquila and Priscilla moved from city to city. There are examples of brothers traveling all around the known world. Jesus Himself went "hopping" from town to town for His entire ministry.

Show me one verse that says to stay in one church.

There's far more "church-hopping" in the SoCal LC's than anywhere else in the world.

I am not talking about that - church-hopping means attending a different church within one's locality. Normally, a different denomination.

The GotQuestions.org article shows a common view in Christianity - that church hopping is frowned upon. This seems like a divisive attitude to me. But this view comes from the fact that Christianity is divided into many different denominations.

I experienced this myself when I was attending two denominational churches. One Sunday someone asked me which other church I was going to and why. I experienced firsthand the expectation that a person would devote themselves to one church. Imagine if a pastor chose to "church hop" every Sunday, or a worship leader - how could they function? Denominations are not designed for "church hopping" - pastors in general don't like it. They would like people to come regularly to their church so they can invest in them and the people can give something back over time. And people will not give you any responsibilities if they know you are not a regular.

If denominations did not exist, then people could freely move between different assemblies within their neighborhood without being accused of "church hopping". It is my view that if a person goes from Catholic to Lutheran to Baptist and back to Catholic again every Sunday they are in fact "sect hopping" not church hopping. From a denominational point of view, they are hopping between churches .But from a Watchman Nee point of view, if they remain within their city they have not hopped between churches at all.

09-09-2018 05:33 PM

Ohio

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evangelical

There was no such thing as church-hopping in the Bible. This is because wherever one went within a city they still remained in the one local church.

09-09-2018 02:27 PM

Evangelical

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

I see this GotQuestions attitude as a result of seeing the church as a collection of individual gatherings that one can choose from within a city, rather than the biblical definition as all believers in the city.

There was no such thing as church-hopping in the Bible. This is because wherever one went within a city they still remained in the one local church.

If what GotQuestions wrote was applied in biblical times, it would mean that a person devoted themselves to only one household assembly and did not mix with other household assemblies in the city which I consider unlikely.

09-09-2018 01:57 PM

ZNPaaneah

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evangelical

Sometimes people church-hop to avoid getting too deeply involved with any one congregation, but that defeats the purpose of the body of Christ which is, as Hebrews notes, to “encourage one another.” We can’t encourage those we don’t spend time getting to know, nor can we be encouraged by other Christians if they are essentially strangers to us.

Idiotic.

The church is the household of God, if you have a large family, which all Christians do, then you have family members you will see rarely, perhaps once a year. Maybe only at weddings and funerals.

The church is the kingdom, in a kingdom you cannot possibly get to know everyone nor spend time with everyone, yet you can still benefit from meeting with them, hearing from them, and being encouraged that they also are one with the King.

Sounds like the writer of this article needs to read WL's discourse on the frog in the well.

09-09-2018 01:34 PM

byHismercy

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Evangelical,

The Lord has used many christians I do not know personally to encourage me and build me up post LC. I simply disagree with the thought that we cannot encourage nor be encouraged by saints we're not aquainted with. I just know that not to be true from personal experience.

Even here, I've been encouraged by Harold, Ohio, Jo S, Unto Him, sonstoglory.....even Drake. As for any doctrine that seems hinky (read that as unfamiliar from scripture)....my response is, and I hope forever will be, please show me the scripture. Please show me via scripture where Gods' word convicts you for or on your 'proper local ground' stance. Thank you...

Psalm 118 v5 I will walk about in freedom for I have sought out Your precepts

09-09-2018 10:03 AM

leastofthese

Re: Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evangelical

Having been in both denominations and in the local churches, I believe that individuals in local churches do indeed mingle more with different believers in other parts of the city or across different cities (both nationally and internationally) than a typical person would in a denomination who devote themselves exclusively to one sect (because of articles like this GotQuestions one). This is because a sect is smaller than a city-local church, and so the opportunities for fellowship are more limited.

I couldn't disagree with this statement more and have experienced the exact opposite. I have no dog in this fight - I hold no ill will towards the LC's. They treated me extremely well and I still try to keep in touch with a few that are trapped inside.

Again, this statement holds no truth in light of my personal experience. I have been all over the world (visited churches in 10+ countries), interacting with different "denominations" (I'll use Evangelical's definition of a denomination - any church that doesn't follow the ministry of Witness Lee). I have been to dozens of churches in the north, south, east, and west of the U.S in my 20+ years as a Christian. I have spent 13 months of my life with those within the "Local Churches" (Evangelical's definition of LC). Visited with LC brothers from different states and localities. I have visited the mecca of the "Local Church" (Anaheim). In all my time, I have never seen been with a more decisive and inward focused sect than the "Local Churches" - nothing even close.

It is also interesting that you post this today. In my local church (we do not follow Witness Lee), just this morning, a group of us were talking about this very topic. A devotion to Christ and Word rather than a devotion to a sect or denomination when sharing the gospel. We don't share with our neighbors to bring them to our church, we share with our neighbors to help bring them to Christ. This isn't true within the "Local Churches" even the Christian Students on Campus, CSOC, Campus Ministries are devoted to bringing those to know and love Witness Lee. This is done in a very intentional, methodical, and prescribed way.

09-09-2018 08:05 AM

Evangelical

Attending Different Churches: Divisive attitudes

There is an interesting gotquestions article about attending different churches:

https://www.gotquestions.org/two-churches.html

Is it wrong to attend two (or more) different churches?

And this article concludes with:

While there may be legitimate reasons for someone to attend two or more churches, and nothing in the Bible forbids it, it is hard to see how such a practice could fully benefit either the believer or the local churches he or she attends.

There is also another article which is against church hopping

https://www.gotquestions.org/church-hopping.html

It says:

There is no indication in Scripture that towns or cities had more than one group of believers meeting there.

Sometimes people church-hop to avoid getting too deeply involved with any one congregation, but that defeats the purpose of the body of Christ which is, as Hebrews notes, to “encourage one another.” We can’t encourage those we don’t spend time getting to know, nor can we be encouraged by other Christians if they are essentially strangers to us.

I could take this advice as an endorsement of local church practice of devotion to the one group of believers in the locality. The practice of "church -hopping" between different denominations means we cannot encourage or be encouraged by others.

Actually, this advice somewhat surprised me given that the local churches are supposedly the divisive ones and the denominations are not so divided - should not "local churches" be encouraging people to attend different "local churches"?

What is interesting about this article is that it discourages a believer from attending different "local churches" as it says it will not benefit the believer or the "local church".

The hypocrisy of thinking is shown by the following contradiction:

a) wondering why local church members do not fellowship with other churches, and we are called divisive if we don't; meanwhile
b) expecting that people in the denominations will attend and devote themselves to one "local church", and discouraging "church hopping" which is effectively the same as a).

Despite the claims of some that denominations are not divided, this attitude of attending one local church out of a plurality of "local churches" within a city will certainly maintain the divisions between multiple local churches in a city.

I agree with the article regarding devotion to one local church. Unfortunately the article sees multiple local churches within the one city, which are not really churches, but sects, and so it actually saying that a believer should devote themselves to one particular sect and not "sect-hop".

However if we see that all believers in the city are the local church, then meeting on the proper ground , the true "one local church" will result in unity. We are not "sect-hopping" because we see all believers as part of the same local church.

Having been in both denominations and in the local churches, I believe that individuals in local churches do indeed mingle more with different believers in other parts of the city or across different cities (both nationally and internationally) than a typical person would in a denomination who devote themselves exclusively to one sect (because of articles like this GotQuestions one). This is because a sect is smaller than a city-local church, and so the opportunities for fellowship are more limited.