[ZNPaaneah]

I find it very interesting this desperate attempt to require elders to legitimize a christian gathering as a church.

I went from Matt 18 (the Lord's word on the church) to Ephesians (Paul's word). In Matt 18 a crucial promise is that a gathering of 2 or 3 meeting in the name of Jesus can bind or loose on Earth and what they bind or loose on Earth will be what has been bound in heaven.

This thought is continued in Ephesians. Jesus is made Lord over all to the church. The church is the embassy of the kingdom of the heavens, the church represents the heavenly throne.

Hence I said that the 2 or 3 who are "telling it to the church" in Matt 18 results in the Church "binding or loosing in heaven".

But what is even more important is that this is what the church is. They are the living testimony and proclamation that Jesus is Lord.

This is what Paul says in Ephesians when he says that the church is "His Body which fills all and in all".

Which leads to the question, how can we proclaim Jesus is Lord? That brought us back to Matt 18 and the conclusion about mercy. Unlike righteousness, truth and justice, no one can require you to give mercy. To give mercy is completely up to you, it is your decision and cannot be required of you. Hence, when you give mercy you are acting as "lord" over whatever it is you have the authority over.

Mercy is not natural. If you give mercy because the Lord showed you mercy you are proclaiming that He is Lord of all, that He is in you and fills you.

So I do recognize that a gathering of Christians is not a "church" without this expression of the Lord of all. But somehow this spiritual reality has been distorted so that Evangelical and others have been taught you have to have elders appointed by Witness Lee or some other wannabe apostle before you can be a church.

So then you will have to decide for yourself who knows what they are talking about. If you do not trust your own judgement to read the word but require Witness Lee or some other person to tell you what it says then that is sad.