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Old 06-16-2017, 02:51 PM   #109
Evangelical
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Join Date: Aug 2016
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Default Re: A Plague Upon Denominationalism!

Quote:
Originally Posted by aron View Post
For the sake of continuing the discussion, suppose I'm a believer in Millville who wants to gather with others of the same faith. "Do not forsake the assembling together", right? Now, where do I go?

Not to the Millville Baptist Church, as they've taken a name other than Jesus Christ. Same with the Millville Lutheran Church and Millville Presbyterian Church. Notice that I don't care for their condition or situation, whether they have faith or love one another or care for the Bible. No, they have denominated themselves.

Okay, what about the Millville Christian Assembly? They seem like nice folks. Earnest, sincere. No, that's a name, too. ( I guess). How about the Millville Bible Chapel? Or the Pratts Corner Christian Fellowship down on Jerry Road? No, those are all names. They're all denominated & thus divided.

Turns out the only way to serve God in this age, and enter into His will, is to be non-named lovers of Jesus, affiliated with the ministries of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. Because if you're non-named and still unaffiliated, you're a 'free group', useless to the Body at best. No, the only way to go on positively is to not take a name, but also to affiliate with the ministry of the age.
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The above is my take on the LSM position. I guess folks like testallthings agree the first part, except maybe not the affiliating with a named (!!!) ministry.

What I sense emanating from LSM is a desire to dominate the assembly, the 'loves to be first' noted 3 John 1:9, causing the LSM to start with the presumption that all others are in darkness, and need to be brought in line. The Bible becomes a bit player, to be waved in support and otherwise ignored (see, e.g., footnotes on 'fallen' and 'natural' and 'mixed' scriptures). Thus the tortuous gospel of localism and centralised control of Nee and Lee emerges, self-constructed delusion and bound for yet more disarray.
Aron,

You've basically paraphrased Watchman Nee in his book the Normal Christian Church Life. The situation was that newly converted believers who did not want to join a denomination had no where else to go.

Suppose they want to find the genuine local church in the city. Because they have read the bible and found that in the bible times there was only "the church". But instead they find they have 20 different denominations (or 20 "churches") to choose from. Which one is the genuine local church they should join? They might decide to visit each different ones on alternating weeks. Or they might resign themselves to the fact there is no genuine local church, and settle for one of the 20.
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