so where is His Church now?
toldailytopic: What do you suppose God thinks of the Catholic Church?
- Thread starter Nathon Detroit
- Start date
so where is His Church now?
HisServant
New member
Those that he continues to call and indwell with his Holy Spirit... just look around you for people that exhibit Christ.
I know its hard for you because you have been conditioned to look to other humans and institutions for guidance.
HisServant
New member
The scriptures never say anything about church... it only says something about christians gathering together in groups periodically.
As a matter of fact the current accepted definition of the word church would be alien to the 1st century christians.
So why are you stuck on terms that have nothing to do with being a christian?
let's see
keep the sabath
gather in His name
do this in remembrance of Me
feed His sheep
one flock, one shepherd
built His Church on a rock
did you always have trouble connecting the dots?
HisServant
New member
Jesus never asked us to connect the dots. He taught very plainly to the intended audience to get his points across.
I never remember Jesus teaching a single sermon that pulled all those topic of yours together like that.
I guess in your mind, he wasn't that good of a teacher... ?
Krsto
Well-known member
Why would you think they needed help if you weren't making a judgement?
Krsto
Well-known member
Actually, the bible says nothing about "going to church." It says to not forsake the gathering together of the brethren, but in your church (and 99% of churches), there is no real "together" because you all sit and stare at the backs of people's heads. There is no "together" in terms of ministry to each other, being a part of each other's lives, praying for one another, edifying one another, teaching one another, admonishing one another, rebuking one another, iron sharpening iron, each one excercising the gift of the Spirit God has given for each to edify the rest (most have no idea what their spiritual gift is). No, quite to the contrary, you hire professionaly trained people to do those things for you so you all face forward and listen to him or you get an appointment to see him privately. You are not "gathering together," just occupying the same room. Anything that could be considered "gathering together" happens AFTER church, like at the mid-week bible studies or after church potlucks or the social hour in the fellowship hall. I don't know how many times I'm having good fellowship with someone before church and we keep talking while church starts and someone says "Hey, church has started," and I say, "I'm having church right here but if I go in there (the sanctuary) I won't be having church. I'll just be singing songs and listening to one dude teach."
Chrys, you keep asking "where is the church" and think you have found it but you really should be asking, "Does this even qualify as "a church."
It doesn't.
Krsto
Well-known member
Originally Posted by chrysostom
Well, to be fair, if we believe the bible to be inspired then we are going to pull together all that is taught on a particular subject in order to teach the "whole counsel of God," but having done so chrys's compilation does not lead us to conclude anything about "going to church," as has been practised for hundreds of years. "Connecting the dots" would lead to what you and I believe about house churches which actually gather together rather than just occupy the same space while listening to a preacher.
Well, to be fair, if we believe the bible to be inspired then we are going to pull together all that is taught on a particular subject in order to teach the "whole counsel of God," but having done so chrys's compilation does not lead us to conclude anything about "going to church," as has been practised for hundreds of years. "Connecting the dots" would lead to what you and I believe about house churches which actually gather together rather than just occupy the same space while listening to a preacher.
can you just picture this guy in his home where they meet every sunday with more converts each week saying
'can we meet in your home next week?'
you can imagine the silence
then someone suggests
'why don't we build a church big enough for us all?'
'can we meet in your home next week?'
you can imagine the silence
then someone suggests
'why don't we build a church big enough for us all?'
HisServant
New member
A godly man would say that they should split up into smaller groups and continue networking out.
If God wanted us to build churches, he would have left detailed plans.. quite like the exacting plans he dictated to Israel for their temple.
Wrong. "A rebuilt temple will exist during the time of the Tribulation (Dan. 9:27; 12:11; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4)." MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Re 11:1
do you know anyone here that allows their home to be used every sunday?
HisServant
New member
My home is always open to family and friends. Quite like things were back in the new testament times.
I thank my parents and my in-laws for teaching my wife and I hospitality.
It also doesn't have to be every Sunday... the house church I am in rotates and sometimes we meet in public places like the spare room in the town library. We have also rented out the YMCA a few times for a whole group of home churches to get together a couple times a year.
It's really not a problem.
And now with cell phones and the web.. coordination couldn't be any simpler.
do you consider yourself qualified to lead a religious service?
"Ouch." ~ E.T. 2 Tim. 3:8
and you are going to tell the Church what the truth is?
Cruciform
New member
Likewise with the leaders of Christ's historic Church today---they are bishops, ordained successors to the apostles.
You reveal your ignorance of medieval history by parroting a piece of information that you haven't even begun to properly understand. Let's try this: Please list your documentary source (author, title, publisher, date) for the "facts" that you are proposing.
Again, this is an opinion delivered to you by your preferred Protestant sectarian anti-Catholic tradition, and you've chosen to believe it. Unfortunately for your position, it commits the ad hominem fallacy, and so is as irrelevant as it is entirely ineffectual. I can simply turn the "argument" back on you: "You are anti-Catholic, and feel you must defend your sectarian anti-Catholic tradition, even if it means bending the truth." (See how that works?)
Gaudium de veritate,
Cruciform
+T+
HisServant
New member
I find that question irrevalent.. my feelings on the issue don't matter.
Religious services are an anathma in scripture.
I would also like to add that anyone that would say yes to your question is most definately not a christian and an outright liar because we serve at the behest of our Lord.
Krsto
Well-known member
So what do you think they did up until it was legal to be a Christian and build buildings after the Edict of Toleration in 312 AD? What HisServant describes is how it was done. If they got too big they split up and created two churches out of one. If they needed to all meet together they would kind of "borrow" a bigger building, like hang out in Solomon's Porch even while the non-Christian Jews were there. Today, if you want to meet on Sunday, there are plenty of Adventist churches who would love a litte rental income on their building which is not used on Sunday morning since they meet on the Sabbath Day.