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Originally Posted by aron
So I was proposing that whomever doesn't "work within the Church" that they find themselves, a la 1 Corinthians 7:17, and starts something "new and better" is arguably creating a division.
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I know this is secondary to your point, but I don't think I have heard this verse related to assembling. The verse primarily addresses being either single or married, and I guess Paul's instruction has a wider application, but I have usually limited that to jobs or schooling.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
When Jesus said to go forth into all the world and preach the Good News He wasn't sanctioning divisions. When He sent out seventy before Himself, they weren't creating seventy divisions. They were simultaneously going forth, or as you put it "stepping out", and they were also abiding in Him, in His word, and in His commands. So the increase in assemblies, even within one geographic area (city or whatever) can be arguably "multiplication" rather than "division".
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The recovery became so narrow over time, not caring at all whether Jesus was sending some out or whether He was moving in other gatherings of believers.
LC membership eventually narrowed down to official approval by LSM, and only their official sanctions for outreach were recognized.
This was the only way they could continually sell their program to members. If only they are the "true" testimony of the church, and all other congregations are hopelessly degraded divisions, then we dare not let the average brother possess the yardstick of "true church" legitimacy. That would be far too dangerous! We must keep the yardstick locked in the secret vaults at LSM. Then if we need to "recalibrate" the official yardstick, as they did during every quarantine, then the yardstick can be safely guarded until the next "storm" occurs.