Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
My analysis was very simple, even logical.
The earthly Jerusalem persecuted the true church.
Catholic and Protestant denominations persecuted the true church.
Therefore they are the earthly Jerusalem. Those who stand against denominationalism are the heavenly Jerusalem.
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So you would make the church in Jerusalem into a metaphor for denominations. But the scripture makes no such metaphorical rendition related to Jerusalem.
If that is the case, then why did Paul come to them to ask for a decision about the issue? Why did he accept their conclusion as reasonable and to be followed?
If is more reasonable to understand Jerusalem relative to the Gentile churches much as Revelation describes the differing churches in Asia. Jerusalem was a church that was not perfect. In fact, whether at the behest of James or just using his name in vain, some went out to the Gentile churches to upset the spiritual apple-carts there. But what is not seen in the seven letters is what those churches do about their conditions. Jerusalem, a church that is just as genuine and true a church as any of the Gentile churches, took the complaint put to them to heart and made a change. But there is nothing to make them less than genuine or true as a church if they had not. Just as Thyatira was not an "untrue" church. Otherwise there would be no letter to them.
The rhetoric of exclusivity within the body of Christ that comes from the camp of those who follow the teachings of Nee and Lee is quite amazing.