What is a church?

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GaryA

Truth, Honesty, Love, Courage
#101
Aug 10, 2019
9,168
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mywebsite.us
#101
ResidentAlien said:
While it's true Catholicism isn't the true universal church, you can't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
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You can if the 'baby' was invented by Catholicism for all of the wrong reasons.

ResidentAlien said:
The Bible does teach one, universal church and body.
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The only thing the Bible teaches that may even remotely resemble something that can be called "universal" is a 'spiritual' realm assembly in heaven - the entire complete whole body of Christ - there is no such 'church' on earth. On earth, there are only local churches - which are-or-may-be a 'subset' of the afore-mentioned 'spiritual' chuch.
 
ResidentAlien

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
#102
Apr 21, 2021
7,651
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#102
GaryA said:
You can if the 'baby' was invented by Catholicism for all of the wrong reasons.


The only thing the Bible teaches that may even remotely resemble something that can be called "universal" is a 'spiritual' realm assembly in heaven - the entire complete whole body of Christ - there is no such 'church' on earth. On earth, there are only local churches - which are-or-may-be a 'subset' of the afore-mentioned 'spiritual' chuch.
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I've already poste five scriptures that make my point very clearly. I'm not going to keep repeating myself; you're welcome to go back and read them if you're interested. I know what the Bible says; I don't recognize what you're saying.
 
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GaryA

Truth, Honesty, Love, Courage
#103
Aug 10, 2019
9,168
4,002
113
mywebsite.us
#103
ResidentAlien said:
I've already poste five scriptures that make my point very clearly. I'm not going to keep repeating myself; you're welcome to go back and read them if you're interested. I know what the Bible says; I don't recognize what you're saying.
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Fair enough - and, I have written an explanation on that web page I posted a link to that you are more than welcome to read if you wish. (Which exists partially so that I do not have to repeat myself. And, if I do, I can just post the URL again.)

:coffee:
 
wattie

wattie

Senior Member
#104
Feb 24, 2009
3,096
1,044
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New Zealand
#104
GaryA said:
o_O I find it difficult to believe you even said this...

No they do not - when have you ever even heard of all Catholics being assembled together in the same place?

Don't change your definition(s) based on group or creed - wharever applies to Baptists also applies to Catholics - or any other group.

Do you not define 'visible' in terms of it being a 'physical' assembly of people together in one location?
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I do define an assembly that way. But for Catholics they have each visible individual person in one huge mass of all Catholics. So it's universal, visible that way.

You can see that way being described in the likes of Real Churches or a Fog by S E Anderson or My Church..by J Moody
 
Nehemiah6

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
#105
Jul 18, 2017
24,641
13,044
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#105
GaryA said:
The only thing the Bible teaches that may even remotely resemble something that can be called "universal" is a 'spiritual' realm assembly in heaven - the entire complete whole body of Christ - there is no such 'church' on earth.
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Who said it was on earth? On earth you have churches as seen in Revelation 2 & 3.
 
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GaryA

Truth, Honesty, Love, Courage
#106
Aug 10, 2019
9,168
4,002
113
mywebsite.us
#106
Nehemiah6 said:
Who said it was on earth?
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1) Catholicism
2) Protestantism

Both consider the 'Universal Church' to be a world-wide all-members-included physical realm church on the earth.

Nehemiah6 said:
On earth you have churches as seen in Revelation 2 & 3.
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Yes - and, we call them 'local New Testament churches'.
 
wattie

wattie

Senior Member
#113
Feb 24, 2009
3,096
1,044
113
New Zealand
#113
ResidentAlien said:
Maybe, if the only scriptures you ever read are in 1 Corinthians 12.
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Right, so that isnt the only scripture showing this.

Matthew 16:18 Jesus will build His church.

Mathew 18:17... this is a church that can be spoken to and has a process for discipline of wayward believers (18:18-20)

It is the same kind of church.

Jesus wouldn't introduce the church one way and then contradict Himself.

So that is another part.

There is alot more
 
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