Bible Question:
Just a thought… What is the church? Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. It is; People in a community environment. It is; People worshiping. It is; People loving one another, sharing Christ. It is; People evangelizing. From his book “Spiritual Gifts,” I quote B. E. Underwood. The tendency to drift and to loose certain vital emphases makes it absolutely necessary that there be prophets to speak the Word of God to His church in every age. Who recognizes the prophets when they stare them in the face? I contend that, though perhaps not legally, yet biblically, The Bible Study forum can be classified as a church. Every church needs a Pastor Teacher, a Shepherd. I would like to think that herein we could consider our Lord and Savior as just that; our Shepherd, pastor and teacher of The Bible Study Forum Church over the Internet. Scripturally denominated, believers of the Word. One should pray that our Lord will give us patience to accept the diversity of people in our church, that together we would make up a group strong enough to serve God in any way… Just a thought. What's yours? George |
Bible Answer: What a Church is : A body: Paul says the church is a body under the control of its Head. What a tragedy it would be if that body refused to respond to the direction of its Head! In realm of medicine, there are diseases which ravage the nerve pathways which enable the human brain to control the human body. It is tragic and heartbreaking to see a person bound to a wheelchair or hospital bed, unable to control his movements and body functions. A church which is unresponsive to its Head is every bit as tragic and heartbreaking to watch. A temple: The church is also a temple for the exclusive habitation and use of a Person who dwells within, and who has the right to do with that temple whatever He wills. An army: The church is an army under the command of a king. An army that will not obey its leader is useless as a fighting force. Therefore, says Paul to the church, obey your orders, follow your Head. Church Purpose Purpose No. 1: The church is to reflect God's holiness Purpose No. 2: The church is to reveal God's glory. Purpose No. 3: The church is to be a witness to Christ. Church Mission Christ’s universal church and every local assembly have a threefold mission: (a) evangelism, i. e., going into all the world to make disciples through proclamation of the gospel in word and deed; (b) edification(discipleship), i. e., bringing every believer into personal and corporate maturity; (c) worship, i. e., giving heartfelt praise to the God revealed in the Word. None of the three may be subordinated. Rather, each aspect of this mission enhances the other two. For example, churches should not subtly discourage evangelism by stressing Bible study, but rather recognize that equipping members for evangelism is an integral part of their edification. |
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Questions and/or Subjects for NT general Archive 1 | Author | ||
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chasing god | ||
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GeorJoy | ||
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shalor | ||
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justme | ||
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GeorJoy | ||
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grantathome21 | ||
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carnold1 | ||
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applejuice | ||
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drich | ||
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dat | ||
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GJH | ||
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sedec | ||
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Meadow |