Quote:
Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah
Not at all. "A genuine church in each locality" indicates more than one church. The New Testament is very clear, not with inference but black and white words that there is only one church.
Jesus also is very clear in the Gospels that there is only one church that He is building.
Since all believers worldwide are members of this one church it is more reasonable and logical to conclude that any gathering of these believers has the potential to represent this one church.
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Post #74 is the first post in this thread that mentions denominations. Ohio responded to this in post #75 and I responded in post #76.
My point is very simple, if you say "true church in the city" you are implying false churches. As a result you are implying multiple churches. Yet the NT is very clear that there is one church in one city.
There is no limit to how many gatherings of Christians you can have, nor is there a limit as to how big or small they can be, as long as you have 2 or 3 or more you have a gathering. However, multiple meetings doesn't equate with multiple churches. They are all "one church".
If a group of Christians has "denominated" themselves either by name or by ministry or some other way to separate themselves from the "one church" then Jesus can deal with that. But either they are or are not members of the Body, the sign is the cross of Christ.
So then, when Witness Lee is teaching there is a "true" church or a "genuine" church he is teaching that there is more than one church in a city, one is genuine, the rest are false, not true, or not genuine. But that is contrary to the NT which teaches there is one church in one city.
Why? One God and Father -- if all of these non genuine churches do not worship the one God and Father then they are not churches at all, if they do, then they can be part of the one church.
One Baptism -- if they all entered into the kingdom by being immersed into the triune God then they are the one church, if not they aren't.
One Spirit, One Lord -- etc., etc.