[OBW]

I want someone to establish the whole idea of "ground" by reference only to things actually found in the Bible.

I find it quite interesting that the word "church" (well, actually the Greek or another local term) that meant "meeting." And we almost all agree that there is an alternate use of the term that means something besides just the meeting or assembly, but also the universal collection of all those who would constitute the members of the separate assemblies.

So we have a word that we claim for purposes of the Bible to have somewhat ambiguous meaning. It could refer only to an assembly. Or it could refer to everyone that is qualified to be in any of the assemblies. And maybe, depending on use, to also refer to all who qualify within less than all assemblies but more than a single assembly. (I do note that Paul referred to the recipients of another letter to be the "assemblies" in Galatia. No cities mentioned. Not sure there is ever a clear delineation of cities in that region.)

The point is that we have overlapping use of singular and plural to refer to the Christians in various places (as well as all Christians). I believe there is a general reference to the fact that the church grew. Not referring to any city or region (and I could be wrong and it was strictly in Jerusalem prior to the spread). There is ambiguity as to the coverage of the word when viewed from the standpoint of a defined boundary. The only truly meaningful thing about the word is that it is with reference to the gathering of the believers in Christ. Or alternately to the general condition of being among those who are believers in Christ. In effect, the NT refers to many believers either as believers, or as the church. And it also refers to distinct assemblies as the church.

It refers to some groups meeting in a house in or around a major city as the church in that house (Rome? maybe Laodicea?) and not by reference to any city. So finding some references to churches by reference to the city does not carry the weight of a clear prescription. Even the ambiguous one in Revelation.

And this whole thing of ground. Define it. Not by examples. Not by metaphors. No "it's like . . . ." Let the scripture define it without presumptive overlay. Without declaring that something with multiple meanings can only be understood with the one that gets to your position.

By the way. If I make reference to the church in Dallas, I would be referring to all those who claim to believe in Christ within the city. And within the county, and probably within the general area. At least the metropolitan area (the entire DFW area). I am not living in Dallas. But a letter by someone like Paul to the church Dallas would be understood to be to the called-out ones in the vicinity.

If we would not place such a harsh restriction on the nature of the church, why do we think that such an indirect thing as the introduction to a few letters is meant to do exactly that despite not even abiding by it in all cases?