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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Define "local church." | Phil 1:1 | kalos | 7475 | ||
Define "local church". Scripture references preferred. | ||||||
2 | Define "local church." | Phil 1:1 | charis | 7512 | ||
Dear JVH0212, Very appropriate 1,000th posting! Congratulations, my good friend. A local church is a 'mutually committed expression of the body of Christ in a specific locality.' A family of believers that have bound themselves together before God, dedicated to showing forth Jesus to their neighborhood. In the early church, these were usually gathering in a saint's house. "how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house," Acts 20:20 NASB "also greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia." Romans 16:5 NASB "The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house." 1 Corinthians 16:19 NASB "and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:" Philemon 1:2 NASB Another aspect is that there should be fellowship, as in the sharing of lives, with our homes open to eachother. This implies a commitment to one another beyond *membership.* "And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Acts 2:42 NASB Finally, I can find no reference in the Bible to connecting one local church to another in any form of organization. The thought of 'strength in numbers' is never spoken, nor is the binding of any local body to another for denominational (divisional) identity ever portrayed. The absence of any encouragement to 'make a name for yourselves,' and the many warnings not to become like the Pharisees, Saducees, scribes, or any other 'named' grouping, leads me to believe that God never intended for their to be anything more than the local church. I would welcome anyone that can Biblically defend 'denominationalism' without claiming superior doctrine or 'strength in numbers.' (both points are moot in Jesus) Blessings to all, and blessings to the local church. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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3 | Define "local church." | Phil 1:1 | jim | 7547 | ||
I see at that time all christians had all things common. They beleived the same and there was no denominations Jim | ||||||