Bible Answer Man Converts to Eastern Orthodox!

[Evangelical]

Originally Posted by leastofthese

So the Catholics point to Peter as the ground for the true church, right? And the Orthodox because they have held true to the practices, traditions, and teachings of the apostles? And the LSM because Witness Lee recovered a divine revelation from God on the importance of the ground of oneness manifested through a ministry in Anaheim?

More or less. Locality as the ground is another way to say "not history, Peter, doctrines, practices etc". It means we should meet together on a regular basis because we live near each other in the same locality.

[leastofthese]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

More or less. Locality as the ground is another way to say "not history, Peter, doctrines, practices etc". It means we should meet together on a regular basis because we live near each other in the same locality.

And if a LSM church doesn't exist in an area, how does one know where to meet? If it does exist but people don't know about the "Church in XYZ" how does one know where to meet? The churches in cities I've visited don't make their presence known outside of the college campus - I assume this is similar worldwide?

[Evangelical]

Originally Posted by leastofthese

And if a LSM church doesn't exist in an area, how does one know where to meet? If it does exist but people don't know about the "Church in XYZ" how does one know where to meet? The churches in cities I've visited don't make their presence known outside of the college campus - I assume this is similar worldwide?

How did they decide where to meet in the bible?

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

How did they decide where to meet in the bible?

Probably they met with the one who preached the gospel to them.

Or perhaps they lost their faith and met with the Judaizers who came to town causing trouble, kind of like how LSM/DCP does it.

[leastofthese]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

How did they decide where to meet in the bible?

I was asking from LSM perspective, I'm sure you have the answer.

The LSM perspective and the Biblical perspective are two very different concepts.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by leastofthese

I was asking from LSM perspective, I'm sure you have the answer.

The LSM perspective and the Biblical perspective are two very different concepts.

Evangelical is willfully blind to many discussions we have already had.

1. Apostle Paul wrote to "all who are in Rome" (Rom. 1.7), but later in the book he greets Prisca and Aquila and THE CHURCH in their house. (16.3,5) These verses show that there is no ONE TRUE CHURCH meeting as he supposes in every city. According to him then, Prisca and Aquila's house must be THE ONE TRUE CHURCH, but the rest of the believers in Rome, many of whom were mentioned by name in ch. 16, are not THE CHURCH.

2. Apostle Paul wrote to "the saints in Colosse" (Col. 1.2) yet also sends his greetings to "THE CHURCH in the home of Nymphas." (4.15) If Nymphas house church is the ONE TRUE CHURCH in Colosse, then Paul does not consider all "the saints in Colosse" to be a part of THE CHURCH. One can see the Pandora's box of biblical difficulties he opens up with his insistence on THE ONE TRUE CHURCH having one and only one address in every city in which to meet.

[UntoHim]

Could someone please point me to the starting point where this thread could be split off? I do under stand that some of the matters being discussed are loosely related to the "the Bible Answer Man" converting to the Eastern Orthodox Church, but for the sake of our readers let's try to tighten this thread up.

Thanks.
-

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

Could someone please point me to the starting point where this thread could be split off? I do under stand that some of the matters being discussed are loosely related to the "the Bible Answer Man" converting to the Eastern Orthodox Church, but for the sake of our readers let's try to tighten this thread up.

Thanks.
-

Sorry bro.

Posts #167-#170, and #175 onward should be "The One True Church" thread

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by leastofthese

I was asking from LSM perspective, I'm sure you have the answer.

The LSM perspective and the Biblical perspective are two very different concepts.

From the LSM perspective, you drive to the nearest locality. Suppose you live in Yakima, WA you'll have to drive nearly 45 minutes to Prosser or Tri-Cities for LSM affiliated fellowship unless you decide to stay home for fellowship instead of meeting with a local assembly.
Certainly there are other parts of the United States with similar circumstances. In the past it was even more extreme due to fewer localities.
In the mid-80's when I was a teen, there was only one locality in Southern California counties of Riverside and San Bernardino. It was common for ones to leave their local communities to drive 30 minutes or more for a LDM.

[OBW]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

How did they decide where to meet in the bible?

They didn't. They just met. But that does not define a rule of meeting. When the city was large, they appear to have met in different places at the same time. You don't know anything else about how they met because it does not tell you. The words that Nee and Lee turned into doctrinal hay do not answer the questions. The errant boys claim they do. But their claim is one of many ways the passages could be understood. Without something to make it simply one way or the other, there is no doctrine to be found in it.

[Evangelical]

Originally Posted by OBW

They didn't. They just met. But that does not define a rule of meeting. When the city was large, they appear to have met in different places at the same time. You don't know anything else about how they met because it does not tell you. The words that Nee and Lee turned into doctrinal hay do not answer the questions. The errant boys claim they do. But their claim is one of many ways the passages could be understood. Without something to make it simply one way or the other, there is no doctrine to be found in it.

Are you saying that Hank should have just met with his closest group of Christians rather than join the Orthodox?

Another view says Hank should have prayed and asked the Spirit about where he should meet.

Is it possible that after praying , God would say "just meet with the group of Christians closest to you".

[OBW]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

Are you saying that Hank should have just met with his closest group of Christians rather than join the Orthodox?

Another view says Hank should have prayed and asked the Spirit about where he should meet.

Is it possible that after praying , God would say "just meet with the group of Christians closest to you".

Only someone with a penchant for defining a "must" would answer in this way.

Should Hank have prayed? Are you sure that he did not? Are you sure that his sense of the leading of the Holy Spirit was not to do exactly what he did?

And what if the closest assembly is (fill in the blank with the group you most do not want to meet with)?

You only have these problems when you think there is only one way to do it but the Bible makes no such statement and provides no way for it to happen. So you see problems where there are none. At least not in terms of anything the Bible says.

There just isn't much real division among the various Christian groups. Unlike the division that the LRC insists is between themselves and everyone else. The problem is that the division that you see is what you want to see. It is hard to discuss something that you say exists when most involved in all those groups that you claim are so divided don't see it. And what they do see they do not see as division. They gladly accept that they are one with all of the Christians. Even you. You just dismiss them (and me with them).

You still have not made the case that there is some kind of division other than claiming that they don't meet as the "church in [city]" which would mean under your leadership in every city where such a formula-driven church exists.

[Evangelical]

Originally Posted by OBW

Only someone with a penchant for defining a "must" would answer in this way.

Should Hank have prayed? Are you sure that he did not? Are you sure that his sense of the leading of the Holy Spirit was not to do exactly what he did?

And what if the closest assembly is (fill in the blank with the group you most do not want to meet with)?

You only have these problems when you think there is only one way to do it but the Bible makes no such statement and provides no way for it to happen. So you see problems where there are none. At least not in terms of anything the Bible says.

That's because denominations didn't exist then. The bible did not have to address the situation of two different denominations in the one street. But based upon what Paul wrote against divisions and factions, he would never have approved of today's situation. The likelihood of there being some constraints on the meeting is much higher than being no constraints at all. Your version of unconstrained meeting is a kind of lawlessness - meeting however we wish to. Bible says that God is not a God of chaos or confusion.

Originally Posted by OBW

There just isn't much real division among the various Christian groups. Unlike the division that the LRC insists is between themselves and everyone else. The problem is that the division that you see is what you want to see. It is hard to discuss something that you say exists when most involved in all those groups that you claim are so divided don't see it. And what they do see they do not see as division. They gladly accept that they are one with all of the Christians. Even you. You just dismiss them (and me with them).

You still have not made the case that there is some kind of division other than claiming that they don't meet as the "church in [city]" which would mean under your leadership in every city where such a formula-driven church exists.

We all believe we are one with all of the believers. That is very easy to say. Even Catholics can say that. The difference is we see that we are not practically one with all of the believers. Denominations do not see they are not practically one. Is a solution for us to disperse and join our closest denomination, or Catholic church? Of course not. And on any given Sunday, is an Anglican priest going to decide to bring all of his church to join the Lutherans or the baptists? I have never heard of that happening.