[Evangelical]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

If I didn't know you, I would think that you're being obtuse and obnoxious.

I clearly said "the only legitimate representative of the Body of Christ". Some years back Andrew Yu somehow convinced Hank Hanegrraff that a common motto of the Local Church was "We don't say that we are the only church, we say that we are only the church". The fact that the Hankster swallowed this garbage from Yu was proof positive that his "research" of the teachings, practices and history of the Local Church of Witness Lee was a joke.

This is to say nothing of the fact that when Andrew said "we are only the church" he really means, "we are only the church, and it just so happens that we are THE ONLY CHURCH that is only the church!"
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I am wondering how the early church would have referred to themselves. The only church or only the church, or both? If we asked Peter or Paul would they have said "we are not the only church"? It is only Protestants who take issue with any group calling themselves "the only church". Roman Catholic and Orthodox have operated with that belief for centuries. And it comes from the early church period where there indeed was a thing called "the only church" which was "only the church".

I will just quote Wallace again

7The early church had but one church in each city or town. Hence, Paul's instruction to Titus is to appoint multiple elders in every church.

https://bible.org/article/who-should...urality-elders

So I think they would have referred to themselves as the only church.