Quote:
Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah
My point is that the Old Testament verses teach that you must build the temple on a specific ground and that you must go up to that temple every year to worship God. There is no such New Testament teaching. The woman at the well in the gospel of John referred to this OT teaching and Jesus told her that the New Testament was different...
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So far I don't think anyone else here has provided that woman at the well scripture. I have to agree it indicates we don't have to meet at a certain place. And I think the objective of the ground of locality doctrine, is not so much to insist on meeting at a particular place (in a park, or in a house, or in a cathedral), but so that we don't meet because of anything except the fact we believe in the Lord and live in the same area.
We usually don't use the expression "of the church". We say "in the church". We are in the church because we are always part of it. Simply put, those in the church are those in Christ (by faith).
There is only one church, the universal church. Every believer in space and time is part of that, no matter where or when they are.
In practical expression there are many local churches. Everyone is in the church locality of the place they reside, by virtue of the fact they are all believers.
Yet not everyone is in the local church practically. We need the practical expression and coming together practically otherwise we cannot be a visible entity on the Earth. Christ said we must shine our light, he said this to the disciples collectively. In this sense, each church has only one lamp stand to shine, which is the presence of Christ, collectively. If there are 10 house churches in one area and each does its own thing, the world will see 10 churches, not one. It will see 10 lampstands and not one.
Scripture seems to speak of the church of God as an entity that can be despised and can be left:
1 Cor 11:22 "What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not."
Paul seems to speak of the church as an entity that he does not belong to:
Philippians 4:15 "You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;"
So I think we all belong to the one universal church. But if we think that is enough we are not being practical. There is also the local church, which is something we can join or leave.