The local church, the Work and the New Testament Ministry

[HERn]

Originally Posted by Igzy

That's one definition. But not necessarily THE definition. "Christianity" also means the collective of all Christians, their beliefs, and even, sometimes, their history. It's just a term. It can mean several things. What's important is how the person who uses it means it. It seems unreasonable and naive to say "Christianity" can only mean one thing and you get to define for everyone what that is.

In all communication it's best to try to truly understand what the other person means by his words rather than putting meaning in his mouth by interpreting his words in ways he did not intend.

Certainly there is God's work and there is man's labor apart from God. But calling some work "Christianity" does not make it fleshly, any more than calling it "God's Recovery" makes it spiritual. What matters is not what we call it, but what it is.

It seems the starting point for those in the LCM is to discount that God is doing anything worthwhile outside their walls. It's hard to take seriously people who cannot recognize that he is indeed doing many great things outside the LCM. The idea that what's going on with one's particular group is God's bestest is a deception that is not unique to the LCM. And, as has been pointed out many times, history has not been kind to those groups who assumed such an attitude.

They do this by using word definitions in certain strategic ways, not by observing spiritual realities. Example: "Christianity" is man's endeavor without God. Therefore, anything in "Christianity" is vain. But we are not vain because we are not "Christianity." Ultimately, "Christianity" to them means "everyone and everything but us."

All that is not about spiritual realities. It's simply about using convenient word definitions to aggrandize oneself and discredit others. It's a neat, but ultimately deceiving, trick.

Maybe it's Christendom rather than Christianity that is the problem. Here is a quote from the publisher. I have enjoyed the book.


"Christendom, according to Malcolm Muggeridge in this fiery book, is something quite different from Christianity. Christ said his kingdom was not of this world; Christendom, on the other hand, is of this world and, like every other human creation, is subject to decay and eventual desolation. In this book Muggeridge perceptively explores the downfall of Christendom, indicating some of the contributing factors to its collapse."

About the Author
Malcolm Muggeridge (1903–1990) was a British journalist and prolific author. The End of Christendom.