Quote:
Originally Posted by Igzy
We were trained to think "that's not a church, but rather a sect." But does the NT teach this idea? Not that I can tell.
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In the NT, the risen and glorified Christ says that in the midst of the congregation (ekklesia) He will sing hymns of praise to the Father (Heb 2:12).
In the midst of which congregation is He singing? Only in a congregation sanctioned by a publishing house? Only in one "affiliated with the ministry of the age"? Or only in one "on the proper ground"? Or only in one with elders directed by "the apostle of the age"?
I don't see any of that in the NT. I do see the ekklesia in Ephesus threatened to have its lampstand removed (Rev 2:5), but the cause (loss of the first love) doesn't seem associated with any of the above. No, I think the Lord is bigger than our theology can realize.