What is the boundary of the Local Church?

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Drake

Ohio,

You are allowing your experience to shape biblical truth. You reject the work because you had a bad experience then you rejected what the Bible teaches about it too. It starts with “He gave....”.

Drake

Rather my experiences and the scriptures together proved that the Recovery deviated from the truth.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Rather my experiences and the scriptures together proved that the Recovery deviated from the truth.

Yet, in so doing you reject the clear revelation in Ephesians of the the gifts, the work, and the building of the Body of Christ.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Drake

Yet, in so doing you reject the clear revelation in Ephesians of the the gifts, the work, and the building of the Body of Christ.

Absolutely not!

The gifts are given by the Head to build up the body.

Did Lee's Quarantines build up or tear down?

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Absolutely not!
The gifts are given by the Head to build up the body.
Did Lee's Quarantines build up or tear down?

Okay. Then please explain why you reject the work according to Ephesians.

Drake

[Koinonia]

Originally Posted by Drake

Okay. Then please explain why you reject the work according to Ephesians.

Drake

What is described in Ephesians and Witness Lee's "the work" are not the same thing.

[UntoHim]

Originally Posted by Koinonia

What is described in Ephesians and Witness Lee's "the work" are not the same thing.

Tada! Mr. K strikes again! About as succinct as it gets. Even to the most casual of observers, the real boundary for everything related to the church, the ministry and the work is the person and work of Witness Lee - His personal ministry (actually synonymous with "the work") and the supposed God-given authority invested in his person.

So anytime Witness Lee or his followers use the term "the work", they always mean the dissemination, propagation and "defense and confirmation" of Lee's ministry. Everything in the Local Church of Witness Lee is for this. The Living Steam publisher is for this. The conferences are for this. The trainings are for this. All the Full-Time Trainings are for this. The "seven feasts" are for this. DCP is for this. Bibles for America is for this. Amana Trust is for this. Finally and foremost - the local churches are for this.

So how could Koinonia be so bold as to say that Witness Lee's "the work" is the not the same as "the work" in Ephesians? Simple. He has eyes. He has ears. And I suspect that he has had a taste of the real thing. And the real thing ain't headquartered over their on La Palm Ave in Anaheim California.
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[Drake]

ZNP#210>”In the NT “local” churches are frequently addressed as “the church in ________”, the church in Ephesus, the church in Colossae, the church in Rome. So then these city boundaries are used to designate different assemblies of Christians.

Watchman Nee and Witness Lee inferred that these designations were “boundaries” to jurisdiction. They taught that each locality was autonomous.”

ZNP,

Please provide your reference where Brother Nee and Brother taught each church was autonomous.

Thanks
Drake

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Drake

Okay. Then please explain why you reject the work according to Ephesians.

Drake

I only reject the work of LSM when it tears down the body, when it damages the church, when it stumbles the children of God.

Sorry you can't understand that.

[ZNPaaneah]

4I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called, 2with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all. 7But unto each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

1. This letter is written to all the saints in Ephesus and each believer "has been called with a calling".
2. We are charged to walk worthily of this heavenly calling "with all lowliness and meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another in love". I think it is safe to say we have all at some point fallen short of this. However, in the most egregious cases this lack of "lowliness" becomes codified. For example I was kicked out of the meeting hall in NYC because I had the audacity to talk to Ed Marks privately at dinner. I know that the blendeds claimed they had been "long-suffering" with Titus Chu, but I don't see it that way.
3. We are also charged to give diligence to keep the oneness in the uniting bond of peace. Paul then gives us 7 things that make us all one and not one of them is "the ministry".
4. We are then told that to "each one of us" was "this grace given".

These four points were given as an introduction to the Lord giving gifts to the Body for the building up of the Body through their ministry.

I think Ohio's point is well taken that those that he observed coming from LSM did not show any respect for these four points. Ohio: "Yet, for all the chaos, confusion, suffering, frustration, causes of stumbling by many, and divisions in my local churches caused by "the work," never did they ever take ownership or repent for their damages." They did not respect that each member had a calling. They were not diligent to keep the oneness in the uniting bond of peace. There was no lowliness, meekness, or forbearance in love. Nor did they respect that "to each one this grace was given".

I also think that if Drake is going to reference Ephesians 4 saying that Ohio "rejects the work" as it is presented in this chapter that he should read the chapter and not just assume that those of us on this forum are too blind and stupid to read it.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Ohio

I only reject the work of LSM when it tears down the body, when it damages the church, when it stumbles the children of God.
Sorry you can't understand that.

I understand that just fine. I also understand it when you called the work initiated by the Holy Spirit at Jerusalem as the work of Judaizers.

Feel free to set the record straight.

Thanks
Drake

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Drake

I understand that just fine. I also understand it when you called the work initiated by the Holy Spirit at Jerusalem as the work of Judaizers.

Feel free to set the record straight.

Thanks
Drake

Drake, now you are simply playing the troll.