Drake

Igzy,

Your argument is one of nuance when you claim "as a whole". Also, in your quest to dismiss the local churches you have embraced unsound and shaky teaching and rejected the straightforward revelation of the Bible.

For example. many of the cities addressed with letters in the New Testament were large and spacious and logistically not possible to meet as a whole. Rome, Smyrna, Laodicea come to mind. This is still true today with localities such as Taipei and London that have several districts but meet separately in oneness. However, you are taking a logistical situation of time and space applying it to the divisions of today to justify the existence of denominations. This violates the clear prohibition in the Bible against divisions and the explicit teaching and spirit concerning the oneness of the believers by the Lord Jesus.

Now setting the "as a whole" argument aside and allowing that you did not mean it that way then here is the crux. There is no biblical justification for the existence of denominations. On the contrary it is forbidden and is sinful.

Both the Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul addressed the church in the singular as in Ephesus, Smyrna, Laodicea, etc. If you wish to ignore those obvious references in favor of some biblically unsubstantiated doctrine that teaches divisions are valid and a good and perhaps even wonderful arrangement then that is your prerogative. That doctrine should roll off folks in this forum like water off a duck's back. Sadly, it does not. Therefore, if anyone holds those beliefs I encourage you to follow Watchman Nee's advice and create even more denominations and build those denominational walls even higher! Be faithful to your beliefs before the Lord. If a divisions are good then more are even better.

In both these arguments you obfuscate the clear teaching of the Bible to justify denominations and division.

Good luck with that.