Bible Question: justme: I guess I went in this direction in response to someone making comments about "the chruch." I was just wondering what was their definition of "the church." |
Bible Answer: The church is quite simply the Bride of Christ, Kingdom of Heaven, Matt 25 or His Body, Rom 12, consisting of those who believe and obey Him as Lord and Saviour of their lives, Matt 28. The Bible, Matt 25 also descibes such a group of people as sheep as opposed to goats who are the unbelievers. Then we're also described as "living stones and a spiritual house" in 1 Pet 2:5. In verse 9, Peter refers to us as a "chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people." All these names for the church merely describes the many different features or characteristics of this group. We're a kingdom because Christ is our King whereas we're His sheep because He's our Shepard. Similar images can be drawn from all the names cited above and I've probably left out a few more from His Word. The most important feature to the world is our only difference from them. ALL human beings are sinners; the big difference is as obedient believers, we're saved from our sins whereas the disobedient believers like the demons are already sentenced forever to eternal damnation, James 2:19. Now some object to becoming part of the church, saying "There may be hypocrites in our midst." But notice one doesn't get out of the life-saving boat in the ocean because of the chance of two-faced people in that same boat. We're just grateful for the salvation from drowning. We should think similarly and re-read Jesus' story of the wheat and the tares. Matt 13:24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” Go with God in all things, Bill |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Bible general Archive 4 | Author | ||
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Sylvia C. Bessinger | ||
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kingdomproclaimer | ||
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kingdomproclaimer | ||
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kingdomproclaimer | ||
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ardmore | ||
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Gup20 | ||
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jadams | ||
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BUZZARD | ||
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BUZZARD | ||
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justme | ||
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Bill Richardson | ||
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BUZZARD |