Quote:
Originally Posted by Nigel Tomes
1. The ground of locality—one city, one church, one eldership
LSM distinguishes the church’s foundation from its ground. They say,15 “the word ground…does not carry the denotation of a foundation; rather, it bears the denotation of a site, like the site on which the foundation of a building is laid.” LSM agrees that the church’s foundation is Christ (1 Cor. 3:10-11). Its “ground” is something else. Let’s note here that the New Testament never mentions the church’s “ground;” undeterred by that fact, LSM has developed their distinctive “local ground” doctrine; in LSM’s publications phrases like “local ground” or “ground of locality” occur over 1,000 times. According to them the church’s “ground” has several elements.
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It is undeniable that the term “local ground” or “ground of locality” are not found in the NT. On the other hand the principal is clearly spoken and established in the OT. Therefore I think there has to be a more thorough handling of this topic.
1. In the OT God clearly says that there is a distinction between the ground and the foundation.
2. The idea that you must own the land that you build on is a valid principle.
3. God also makes it clear in the OT that the “place where He puts his name” was critical to keeping the unity of Israel.
4. Historically, anyone who divided Israel established another temple on another site.
5. The temple is a type of the church, this is established by the Apostle’s teaching.
These five key points to the teaching of WN and WL are valid. They need to be acknowledged.
Based on the importance of the ground of the temple in the OT and the fact that the temple is a type of the church WN and WL both suggest that there should be an equally important principle in the NT. This is a reasonable basis on which to look for a “ground of the church”. To dismiss this concept based solely on the fact that the term “local ground” or “ground of the church” is not used is not a convincing argument.
The argument that the NT never teaches “one church one city” is a very compelling argument to dismiss the boundary of the city as the “ground of the church”. Something as important as this concept was in the OT should not be left to inferences in the NT. Since the boundary of the city is completely tied up with the worldly system which was condemned on the cross of Christ it is even less likely that this could be the “ground of the church”. Matt 4:8-9 makes this interpretation extremely implausible.
The ground of the temple was purchased by king David as a sin offering for his pride. Since Jesus is the greater David and since Jesus also purchased “land” with His sin offering it seems that there is a very good agreement with the “land” redeemed by the Lord’s sin offering and that purchased by King David.
Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
The church is not built with bricks, it is people who are “built together and fitly framed”. Therefore it is foolish to think that the “ground” of the church refers to actual dirt. Jesus purchased a people, that is the ground that He is building His church on.
ICor 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1. The NT is very clear that Jesus redemption of us justifies God in saving us and using us to build the church.
2. The need to redeem us from sin is a very clear principle in the NT and is a matter of fulfilling all righteousness.
3. The NT makes it clear that the Lord’s redemption becomes a basis for keeping the unity. We are required to apply this principle every time we keep the Lord’s table.
4. Historically anyone creating a denomination added requirements to taking the Lord’s table that were not taught by the apostles.
5. This understanding is completely in line with the idea that the temple is a type of the church.
Therefore the Lord's redemption is the "ground of the church". That is the solid rock that we stand on. This idiotic teaching that the boundaries of cities, part of Satan's worldly system, is the ground that we stand on is nothing but sinking sand.