Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
It makes sense that there might be many meetings with different names. But a denomination is more than that. It is often an organization that spans the globe. Why would Jesus establish a church of Rome in London, for example, only to create another church of England in London, and then the Baptists and Presbyterians.
|
Denominations are not "more than that" except for the purpose of declaring it to be more so that it can be excised by some made-up formula.
Jesus established the church in the broad sense. People meet and are therefore responsible for the existence of any particular assembly. That there are assemblies that choose to follow certain doctrinal beliefs and others that follow slightly modified versions of those doctrines does not preclude them from status as "church" in both the sense of an assembly and of the broader church to which we all belong.
The idea that overlaying a political boundary requirement on the establishment of separate assemblies is nothing short of arbitrary. What if there is such a group and for some reason they no longer decide that purchasing materials from the LSM will be high on their list of imperatives? And they order only what individuals ask for, no longer permitting the forced consumption of a volume of material based on the number of persons. And what if they stop having "ministry station meetings" or whatever they are called, and simply meet as the "church in [city]." What would happen then?
I can tell you what will happen. The denomination that lays claim to the doctrine of the ground will find a way to invalidate the standing or "lampstand" in that city, and they will eventually send a few to start a different meeting. The first meeting will be a table meeting in which it will be declared that "the Lord once again has a lampstand in [city]."
If it was truly about the ground, they could never do this. But it is not. That is a ruse to lay claim to some special unity that they are not truly willing to abide by.
Did I just say that the Local Churches are a denomination? Want to prove me wrong? See if your local elders are able to cease having virtually every meeting (maybe excluding the Lord's table) according to the dictates of Anaheim, all the way down to the number of songs that will be sung and which ones they will be. And what will be covered at that meeting.
They may say that they like doing what the others are doing. But can they admit that they have no say in the matter? That they would be called to Anaheim, or summarily dismissed if they did not?
And you say anything about denominations! The Baptists are less of a denomination than the Local Churches. If one decides to leave the group, they can leave. And they take their building with them. Can't do that in the Local Churches without the expectation of a lawsuit.