[ZNPaaneah]

15 For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which ye show toward all the saints, 16 cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; 18 having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might 20 which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

We have come to an impasse in this thread, "what is the church".

I have leaned on Paul and the book of Ephesians for this definition.

I begin with these verses in chapter one which I will sum up in a word -- the church is the proclamation that Jesus is Lord.

Ex 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name of Jehovah before thee; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

When you show mercy you proclaim that Jesus is Lord. For example, what is it that you hear from all those who do not show mercy -- "I would, but you know, I don't have the authority". Only the Lord has the authority to show mercy.

The way to testify that the Lord has shown you mercy is to show others mercy. That is the strongest testimony that Jesus is Lord, that His mercy created in you a new heart. That is a testimony that "all things" have been put under His feet, and it is a testimony that the church is the "fullness" of "Him that filleth all in all".

I see no reason why 2 or 3 cannot proclaim that Jesus is Lord by showing mercy.

For example, there was a man named David, he was arrested in New Jersey on a drug bust. He had to plead for mercy from his boss Tom to keep his job. His boss felt he was contrite and he showed him mercy. A few months later David was given a prophetic word that the Lord would give him "Hind's feet" and put "spiritual glue" on his hands.

The next day David Tyree made the helmet catch, leading to his coach Tom Coughlin and the Giants winning the Superbowl.