Merged Thread: Various Themes by Evangelical

[Evangelical]

Originally Posted by Igzy

(Moved from other thread).I have no problem with a group not caring to take a name, or meeting as the church in a city. What I have a problem with is when they say other groups are not the church because they don't meet that way. The Bible doesn't give us enough information or ground to do this. This is why the LCM is in error...

I'd like to see you try those 99.9% odds in Jesus's time. You might have said "99% of Judaism believe this so Jesus must be a heretic!"

The bible does not authorize us to call us by whatever name we like. I've given biblical evidence in this or another thread that this is so. The many references to having the name of Christ only, and not saying "I am of Paul" etc.

The church is the bride of Christ. It is as if you would say to your wife "honey, you have married me, but you can change your surname to anything you like that fits your personality or beliefs". Of course, the wife will take the name of her husband and none other.

Numerous autonomous house churches within a city cannot obey Paul's command in 1 Corinthians 1:10:
1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Is Paul writing this appeal to numerous independent house churches within the one city? No because we can see that 1 Corinthians 1:2 says "To the church of God in Corinth", not churches. Proving that Paul writes to one church in the city, not numerous house churches.

It follows that verse 10 is speaking against the very church model of "many believers divided into many different groups with names of their choosing", that you propose.

A set of local churches which are "united in mind and thought" is practicing 1 Corinthians 1:10.

There is nothing wrong with trying to accomplish that through the same bible version and books. In the New Testament period, the local churches were united by the ministry of Paul their founder, until they turned from him. But it is incorrect to say that Paul ruled over the churches.

A group of churches under an apostles ministry and teaching, united by the same mind and thought, is more biblical than a group of independent churches doing whatever pleases them and calling themselves however they like. And this achieved without the heirarchial papal structure of the institutional denominations.