Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
Many here are confusing how we worship with where we congregate. They think it is okay to worship God wherever they are, which is not the point of Jesus's words to the Samaritan woman. His point was about how we worship, not where we congregate. The Samaritan woman thought a person worshiped by going to a certain place. Jesus said no, we worship in Spirit and truth, not by going to a certain place. This does not mean however, that we can congregate wherever we like, that where we congregate is not important. Jesus was not saying we can hold church a church service in a Hindu temple, for example. If we worshiped there, we may be in Spirit and truth, but our location would be wrong.
Jesus and the disciples also cared about the location of where they were. Just as it is not appropriate to behave in certain ways in certain places, it is not appropriate to worship God in certain locations. A person may worship in Spirit and truth in a Catholic church. Their worship is right but their location is wrong. Similarly, a person may worship in Spirit and truth in a brothel, casino, etc - their worship is right but their location is wrong. Some places are just not good for worship - such as a construction site. Jesus is an example of one who worshiped in Spirit and truth. However this does not mean he worshiped wherever he liked. Some may say "did no tJesus hang out with sinners?". Yes he did, for the purpose of fulfilling his ministry, but when it concerned his worship to the Father, He liked to frequent certain places over others:
Luke 5:16 "But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.".
Jesus did not go into the house of the prostitute and choose to have his worship time there. Jesus as one who kicked the money changers out of the temple, would not have worshiped in a place filled with idols (a Catholic church, for example).
Jesus and his disciples went to the synagogue to worship as they were Jews. In the New Testament period Christians worshiped "in the temple and from house to house". (Acts 5:42).
Suppose a group of Christians decided to "meet in the name of Jesus" at a brothel. It would not be appropriate and not pleasing to God.
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Wow, so when Jesus said neither in this place or that place but in Spirit and Truth that was not about where you worship but how?
Jn 4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Likewise when Jesus said that "
wherever two or three gather together into my name
there am I in their midst" that also was not about where but how?
Matt 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Is there any NT verse to support your assertion or is this just your last desperate attempt to rescue Witness Lee's damnable heresy?