Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
Look at Paul's admonition carefully ...
The one body, "with all lowliness and meekness, bearing one another in love, is diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit." (Eph 4.3)
It may seem like a technical point, but the one body does not equal the oneness of the body, and that's why the Bible never uses this expression. The source of our oneness is not in the body, it is only in the Lord Spirit. That's why we must keep the oneness of the Spirit. God alone defines the rules for this oneness, and administrates its reality.
If this oneness were "of the body," then the leaders of the body could define the parameters of this oneness, and this, unfortunately, has been done many times in church history. That is why I have repeatedly said that distorted oneness is perhaps the most destructive heresy of all. Rome today still administrates her version of the "oneness of the body." LSM has their version of the "oneness of the body," and they make up all the rules governing this "oneness."
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You cannot use "oneness of the Body" in the same way you say "houses of brick". Our oneness is not constructed with the Body. Hence the NT says "Keeping the oneness of the Spirit". The oneness is constructed with the Spirit.
However, the expression "One Body" does allow the expression "oneness of the Body" in the sense of "the plays of Shakespeare". The Body, composed of many members, has an expression that is "one". So then the Body may act in a way that demonstrates miraculous coordination pointing to Jesus as head of the Body. For example Ananias goes in to lay hands on Saul so he can receive his sight, even though Saul has come to the town to find Christians to haul off to prison.
So then WL and the Blendeds use a phrase that is fair and reasonable and create a meaning that is rejected and false. It is as though they have disguised a false teaching in robes of light. Quite artful.