Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry
Theoretically there can be the practical expression of the church, but in order for it to happen there cannot be on emphasis on the ground of locality teaching. As church history has shown, with each doctrinal teaching, division is a symptom that follows.
|
What is "a practical expression of the church"?
I ask the question because it seems that there is very little in scripture that is concretely about "church" per se, but a whole lot about how the believers that constitute the church should live, act, behave, etc. Further, is there anything in scripture that defines what is required for there to be "a church"?
Part of the reason that I ask is that if there is an assembly of believers, what is it that makes one assembly "not church" and another assembly "church"? Does being like the LC make them church and others not church? Or is it the RCC way? Or the way that you suggest? What makes one church and the other not church?
If they
are church, then they
are a practical expression of the church. To say that they are church (or "a church") but are not a practical expression of the church means what? That they are church but are impractical? This is contrary to the laws of non-contradiction. If they are a church, then they are a practical expression of the church. You may try to define them as not an ideal expression. But if they are not a practical expression of the church, then they are not a church.
The very question "who is a practical expression of the church," besides being a contradiction, is itself sectarian because is presumes to dismiss those who do not meet your definition of "practical expression." But they are all a practical expression. Just as were the various churches mentioned in the New Testament. They were not alike in many ways. Of the 7 written to in Revelation, they had extreme differences. But they were all churches, therefore all practical expressions.
So it is absolutely irrelevant that some church has an emphasis on baptism by immersion, another on miraculous gifts, and yet another on the presbytery. If they are church, then they are practical expressions of the church.