What is the boundary of the Local Church?

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

Yes. To give an analogy, we cannot say our body parts are absolutely autonomous because each part is joined to each other part, but each body part can sometimes take a mind of its own and do its own thing.

In I Corinthians 12:12-27, Paul likened the church to a human body, that is correct. But he also concluded by saying, "Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular."

Paul spoke to the saints in Corinth that they were the body of Christ, and individually members, and Christ is the Head.

If we listen to LSMers carefully, reading between the lines, they really believe that the leaders at LSM are the Head, and all their adherents are members. They have little thought that each and every congregation is the body of Christ with Christ as her Head. Otherwise why should each congregation of believers have one loaf and break it at the Lord's Table? There is not one loaf and one cup for the whole earth, but one cup and one loaf for every congregation.

In Lee's scheme of things, it is really "many churches but one body" with Lee as the Head, or acting Head, if you prefer.