[UntoHim]

Originally Posted by Igzy

This was fairly typical of the LC approach: Redefine the meaning of words and then use them to make the case, or take a word with two meanings and then use the word as if it always means the same thing while taking advantage of the two meanings to make the case.

I had to re-read, then pray-read this a few times

Although we could never admit it to ourselves (for obvious reasons), all we Local Churchers had to do was look around us, and we could see the many other church movements and ministries that were blessed and "approved" by God far more then the Local Church.

Of course Witness Lee tried to turn the tables by calling his little sect "the remnant who have returned" in a lame attempt to justify the small numbers and lack of significant growth, all the while claiming that God was disapproving of every other Christian group.

While we can't be totally sure of what the apostle Paul meant by "divisions" or "approved" here in 1 Corinthians, if we take his ministry in it's totality, the most likely meaning concerns purity in teaching and practice. By this time the "teachings of the apostles" had apparently been spread far and wide, along with the practices which were based on these teachings. It seems likely that all Christians (newly saved all the way to apostles) were to be held to the standards contained within these teachings.

Whenever a number of Christians get together it is inevitable that some will "fall away" from the established healthy teachings and sound practices. I think what Paul was telling the Corinthians is that the ones that are "approved" are the ones who stick with the healthy teachings and practices. This goes double for the leaders/teachers.

Oh, and by the way, I highly doubt that the "One Church - One city - Oneness-at-any-cost" teaching could be included in "the apostles teachings" category.