What is a church?

[wattie]

Again, you’ve made some points that we already know, but why did you make the thread? There must’ve been some situation to spark this.

Mainly the situation of someone saying for example .. this site is their 'church ' ..or two or three Christians gathered randomly..for any purpose..is 'the church' ..or putting the radio on to hear a sermon on a Sunday morning.. is 'church'.

These may be nice things to imagine..but not how the bible defines 'the church'.

But anyways..like you say..this thread is old... no need to further elaborate.

 

[Nehemiah6]

These may be nice things to imagine..but not how the bible defines 'the church'.

"The Church" (with a capital "c" ) is not identical to any local church. It cannot be. It is the Body of Christ, consisting of children of God by faith.

But a local church may have people believing they are genuine Christians, but they have not been regenerated (born again). Only God knows their hearts. There are false brethren, false apostles, false prophets, and false teachers in many local churches, but the gullible accept them as genuine Christians. And today the apostate churches continue to believe they are OK.

Wattie, you have been ensnared in a false doctrine, so study the Scriptures and discover the truth. I agree that a Christian forum or a radio ministry cannot be called a local church. But you are mistaken in claiming that two or three Christians cannot constitute a genuine local church. Of course they are no supposed to remain just two or three, if they are actively sharing and spreading the Gospel.

 

[wattie]

"The Church" (with a capital "c" ) is not identical to any local church. It cannot be. It is the Body of Christ, consisting of children of God by faith.

But a local church may have people believing they are genuine Christians, but they have not been regenerated (born again). Only God knows their hearts. There are false brethren, false apostles, false prophets, and false teachers in many local churches, but the gullible accept them as genuine Christians. And today the apostate churches continue to believe they are OK.

Wattie, you have been ensnared in a false doctrine, so study the Scriptures and discover the truth. I agree that a Christian forum or a radio ministry cannot be called a local church. But you are mistaken in claiming that two or three Christians cannot constitute a genuine local church. Of course they are no supposed to remain just two or three, if they are actively sharing and spreading the Gospel.

Oh two or three gathered for church purposes..with the Holy Spirit 'in the midst' .. that is a local church.. I agree. I am saying if they are gathered for ANY purpose..randomly..that's not church

 

[Bob-Carabbio]

As to......... "Baptized" has nothing to do with it. "Born Again" by FAITH, and indwelled by the Holy Spirit, is what makes a person a Christian

I am not talking about the entity of all born again believers.. but the local body of believers. So baptism isn't part of salvation.. but it is a pre-requisite to join a New Testament church. All through Acts you find groups becoming churches who are already saved and get baptised before the Holy Spirit comes 'in their midst'. This is AFTER indwelling and after immersion baptism.

Chuckle!! I was baptised by Southern Baptists, so in general I'm good to go. My Wife, however was baptised in a lake in October up in MAssachusetts by an Assembly of God pastor, and so her baptism isn't "Valid" since it wasn't done by a Baptist pastor. So I can join a Baptist church, but she can't without getting re-dunked.

 

[wattie]

Chuckle!! I was baptised by Southern Baptists, so in general I'm good to go. My Wife, however was baptised in a lake in October up in MAssachusetts by an Assembly of God pastor, and so her baptism isn't "Valid" since it wasn't done by a Baptist pastor. So I can join a Baptist church, but she can't without getting re-dunked.

I was raised Methodist and baptised in that as charismatic Methodist. I was re-baptised from a pastor in an independent Baptist church. The baptism in the Methodist church I had very little idea what I was doing and their teaching was wonky.

 

[Beckworth]

By definition it’s “the called out”. Meaning called out of the world to be a special people to God. Titus 2:14 and 1 Peter 2:9.
In the New Testament there was ONLY ONE. There were no denominations ( meaning divisions) for almost 600 years. The Catholic Church has the distinction (?) of being the first denomination to disregard Jesus’s prayer for unity in John 17. I believe it was about 590 when Gregory was declared the first Pope. There was no way Peter could have been a pope when the Catholic Church was not even in existence for 500 years.
Jesus calls his “body” the church Colossians 2:24 and Colossians 1:18. Then in Ephesians 4:4 Paul says there is ONE BODY….therefore, there is one church. It’s the only one that Jesus promised to build in Matthew 16:18.
What is the church? Well, there are over 400 different sects of Christianity; all teaching different things, practicing different things and often contradicting each other. Kinda makes it hard to define the word “church” by man’s standards. However, a very clear picture of the church emerges when you take every passage about the church in the New Testament and put them all together.
Although there was just “one body”, there were many congregations of that “one body” in the first century.
Paul wrote letters to the churches of Galatia, the church at Corinth, and Thessalonica. Many letters were just addressed to Christian’s at various cities, but I’m sure there would have been churches there if there were Christian’s there. So, many, many churches in tge New Testament but all

 

[Beckworth]

By definition it’s “the called out”. Meaning called out of the world to be a special people to God. Titus 2:14 and 1 Peter 2:9.
In the New Testament there was ONLY ONE. There were no denominations ( meaning divisions) for almost 600 years. The Catholic Church has the distinction (?) of being the first denomination to disregard Jesus’s prayer for unity in John 17. I believe it was about 590 when Gregory was declared the first Pope. There was no way Peter could have been a pope when the Catholic Church was not even in existence for 500 years.
Jesus calls his “body” the church Colossians 2:24 and Colossians 1:18. Then in Ephesians 4:4 Paul says there is ONE BODY….therefore, there is one church. It’s the only one that Jesus promised to build in Matthew 16:18.
What is the church? Well, there are over 400 different sects of Christianity; all teaching different things, practicing different things and often contradicting each other. Kinda makes it hard to define the word “church” by man’s standards. However, a very clear picture of the church emerges when you take every passage about the church in the New Testament and put them all together.
Although there was just “one body”, there were many congregations of that “one body” in the first century.
Paul wrote letters to the churches of Galatia, the church at Corinth, and Thessalonica. Many letters were just addressed to Christian’s at various cities, but I’m sure there would have been churches there if there were Christian’s there. So, many, many congregations in the New Testament but just one “body” or church..

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

I was raised Methodist and baptised in that as charismatic Methodist. I was re-baptised from a pastor in an independent Baptist church. The baptism in the Methodist church I had very little idea what I was doing and their teaching was wonky.

When in doubt, it doesn't hurt.
The Lord is looking for that following salvation.

Last weekend was a blessing. A friend was baptized in the states largest baptistery, Summerville Lake.
Unfortunately, my phone was inadvertently baptized too.
The screen went black. Even a Campbellite pastor would say the phone wasn't saved.
💦📱😅 Too long under water.
That's the first convert that I lost that way.

 

[wattie]

When in doubt, it doesn't hurt.
The Lord is looking for that following salvation.

Last weekend was a blessing. A friend was baptized in the states largest baptistery, Summerville Lake.
Unfortunately, my phone was inadvertently baptized too.
The screen went black. Even a Campbellite pastor would say the phone wasn't saved.
💦📱😅 Too long under water.
That's the first convert that I lost that way.

Yeah.. I've put a cell phone thru the wash accidentally. Baptised it goooood.

Came out clean as whistle. Working though? Not a chance!

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

Yeah.. I've put a cell phone thru the wash accidentally. Baptised it goooood.

Came out clean as whistle. Working though? Not a chance!

Sorry to hear that.
Like me, you might have had a lot of important information that can't be replaced.
I was just thinking recently that I really need to transfer all those files, pictures and video recordings to a reliable place.

 

[wattie]

Sorry to hear that.
Like me, you might have had a lot of important information that can't be replaced.
I was just thinking recently that I really need to transfer all those files, pictures and video recordings to a reliable place.

At the time it wasn't a smart phone..the old motorola and i had written my phone contacts down on a sheet of paper, so it wasn't so bad. But still gotta pay for another phone

 

[wattie]

Early christians practiced re-baptism. Especially people who were Roman Catholics, wanting to get back to sola fide and rejecting their rituals. They would find a christian community of ana-baptists and join them.. getting re-baptised.

Ana-baptists is a broad term.. and covers a wide range of mostly christians. Not all were biblically sound, but among them were christians preserving the truth of God's Word from very early on.