Quote:
Originally Posted by Raptor
I have always understood this teaching of "natural affection" without causing me much trouble at all. There are plenty of negative examples in the Bible (and even in society). Maybe the issue with some is the words "n...a" themselves? Regardless, this thing is real and can cause lots of problems in Godīs house.
|
Perhaps things were different in your neck of the woods, but this is how this was interpreted where I was.
Natural affection meant we should not have friends or relationships in which we do natural things.
Basically saints in the church had no friends after decades in the church. "Natural things" were "common" things, and "common" things were things that were not holy. So every time brothers and sisters were together they had to do "spiritual" things. Shopping together was OK as long as you were shopping for the love feast, or helping a sister in need. Of course, many of the bros/sis broke these rules, but they were not the "healthy" ones.
TC always pooh-poohed friendships in the church, and preferred to emphasize spiritual "companionships."