Featured The Myth Of The Universal Invisible Church EXPLODED

The Myth Of The Universal Invisible Church EXPLODED


The Myth Of The Universal Invisible Church EXPLODED (Section1) by Roy Mason - Sovereign Grace Landmark Baptist Pastor

by Elder Roy Mason
(Now In GLory)

1 - A THEORY WITHOUT A LEG TO STAND ON
2 - WHY AND WHEN THE THEORY STARTED
3 - WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE THEORY
4 - SOME CONTROVERTED PASSAGES
5 - FALSIFIES THE DATE OF THE CHURCH'S BEGINNING
6 - WRONG ON HOW THE CHURCH IS CONSTITUTED
7 - SOME ADDITIONAL INDICTMENTS
8 - USURPS THE FAMILY AND KINGDOM OF GOD
9 - WHICH LOCAL CHURCH IS THE TRUE CHURCH?
10 - THE TRUE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH IDENTIFIED
11 - THE LINKED CHAIN BUGABOO
12 - WHO WILL THE BRIDE BE?

 

I also have a distaste for 'evolution' and the same remedy for them can be applied to both and that is to not 'assume' them.

Upon, the prospect of their existence not being assumed, now go...

They are both non-existent nothing's.

In the case of evolution, there can't be 'proofs' of two different methods of Creation, because, "God Created the heaven and the earth". And, there is no, none, nada.

Same with the Lord's Founding and identification of His Kind of Church.

No second kind of thing called a 'church' can be said to be Biblical and they are not.

Much less some invention of an 'Invisible' thing? that men came up with to 'authenticate' their existence as religious groups apart from the 'universal visible' myth of their mother (false/ counterfeit) so-called 'church'.

There is "one body", as in "one kind of body", a local assembly that Jesus Originated, made up of baptized believers carrying out The Great Commission.

11. The problem of I Corinthians 12:27.
"Ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."

This would be the institutional abstract meaning of the word "church", just as it is used in the Bible, in some instances.

IV
Some Controverted Passages

"There is not the slightest difficulty in understanding the meaning of the words church and churches as they occur in most of the New Testament. Assembly, local and visible is unmistakably meant.

"There would likewise be no difficulty in understanding the meaning of church in the remaining instances were it not that men have a theory to seek to substantiate.

"Such persons usually use a few verses in the writings of Paul to the Ephesians and Colossians.

"Has Paul labored to establish churches - assemblies - and has he often felt "the care of all the churches," as he expresses it, and has he involved his very life with the welfare of the churches, and then has he all at once originated an entirely new church conception?

"Has he decided that there are really two churches, one kind local and visible, and the other Universal and Invisible?

"How utterly foolish to assume this! It is wholly unnecessary to assume an entirely new kind of church.

"The only thing necessary is to construe words according to the established law of language.

"The institutional abstract meaning of church in some instances, the generic meaning of the word in other instances, and the concept of the church win prospect, will take care of the problem without the need of a new church entirely different from the kind of church signified by the word ecclesia, and taught most plainly in nearly all of the instances where the term is used".


As you may have seen;
1. The problem of etymology and usage of "ecclesia."
The terms "universal" and "invisible" are opposed to the original meanings of "ecclesia." There is the problem of the attempt to unfold a supposed greater truth by the usage of a word in a limited and unprecedented sense.

2. The problem of history.

"...H. Boyce Taylor points out in his book, Why be A Baptist?, [pages 51-52] "...Hort in his book, The Christian Ekklesia confesses the necessity of finding some other than etymological, grammatical or historical grounds by which to prove the idea of a universal church. He admitted that the use of the word ekklesia was 'always limited by Paul himself to a local organization, which has a corresponding unity of its own: each is a body of Christ and a sanctuary of God.' Look at this statement. That, 'The Christian Ekklesia' ever refers to anything but a local church cannot be proved by history: it cannot be proved from the etymology of the word: and it cannot be proved by the grammatical construction of the Scriptures where used. The only ground, Mr. Hort says, on which the use of the word as referring to anything but a local church can be defended at all, is on theological grounds. That means you cannot prove it from the Greek New Testament at all: but you perhaps might read it into the New Testament from some book of theology."

See also: Baptists in History
1892
By W. P. Harvey

Let's call that, "back in the day, in England", etc., following the context of the adjoining paragraphs, etc.

There was a lot more the Baptist-like believers had to endure besides prohibiting their name, as you know.

From: History of the Baptist Churches in the North of England, From 1648 to 1845
By David Douglas, 1846
SECOND PERIOD - FROM 1656 TO 1717,
CHAPTER IIa.

"It was worldly views of the spiritual religion of the Son of God, that, in the days of Constantino, led to its
incorporation with the Roman State, and which has retained to the present time, that connexion, in the different kingdoms of Europe, into which the empire of Rome finally split.

"Out of this connexion have proceeded two circumstances which, in their operation, have proved the bane of religion and the great source of calamity to the different nations in Christendom, namely, persecution by the established, and resistance by the nonconformist party.

"The Jewish and Roman persecutions of the first Christians; the Romish Inquisition; the Star Chamber, and the High Court of Commission in England, evince the tendencies of establishments to persecution in its more horrid forms."

And, it was not the Lutherans, the Presbyterians, the Episcopalians, the Congregationalists or the Methodists, who endured the Romish persecutions; because none of these denominations existed earlier than A.D. 1560. From this unassailable fact you will perceive how vain it is for either of the above denominations to plead that they are the first true church.

PRINCIPLES.

"I cannot help requesting attention to an important fact in this inquiry; - that liberal and independent principles, with a devoted opposition to every species of usurpation over the conscience and religion of man, whether arising from Pope or King, generally characterised the Baptists, and for this they suffered."

As it says, "Religious freedom in the true sense vanishes when religion is identified with the state government, and often dissenting groups are persecuted when such is the case. The evils of a state church hookup are without number."

Our church was founded as the result of Baptist's fleeing persecution of the state 'church', in Virginia.

They were called, "The Traveling Church".

As you know Baptists are the foremost proponents of religious liberty and they are interwoven with names like Washington, Jefferson, Patrick Henry, etc., etc.

From: The Travelling Church
By George W. Ranck
1891

The Travelling Church, by George W. Ranck, 1891

20 "The Baptists were the earliest friends of freedom in Virginia, and their brave struggle for liberty of conscience had much to do with the birth and growth of revolutionary sentiment.

"Washington spoke of them as "Firm friends of civil liberty and the persevering promoters of our glorious revolution." (Sparks' Washington, p.155 vol. xii).

18 "Before the Revolution only ministers of the State Church (Episcopal) were free to preach in Virginia. Dissenters who did so without first securing license were liable to fine and imprisonment. Craig and his followers were "Separate Baptists," who, according to Foote (Sketches of Virginia, p. 318, of 1st Series), "did not for various reasons obtain license for their houses of worship as the Regular Baptists generally did."

"In 1776 Virginia legislature, during it's first session under the new Constitution, passed Mr. Jefferson's bill repealing all penal laws against Dissenters and exempted them from contributions for the support of the Established Church.

"In 1779-80 the State Church was shorn of most of her remaining means of support and virtually disestablished.

"On the 17th of December, 1784, Jefferson's immortal bill "For Establishing Religious Freedom..." was adopted, and in 1801 the glebe, or church lands, which had been declared public property, were ordered to be sold."

 

The Bible calls us the Kingdom of God.

The Bible calls us, the Family of God.

The Distinction Between the Lord's New Testament Church and the Kingdom of GOD. Part 1.

The Distinction Between the Lord's New Testament Church and the Kingdom of GOD. Part 2.

 

Are you talking about the difference between the family, the Kingdom, and the kind of churches Jesus built?

God COMMANDS His children to be baptized. In the New Testament, and so it should be the same, now, baptism is by the Authority of a New Testament church body that is organized to do business for God, in the New Testament pattern, and who are carrying out the Great Commission. Those individual children of His, who are serving Him through one of His churches are actually serving the God of the Bible.

His saved children who are not baptized into membership of a church like Jesus built are in The Kingdom of God. They are His children doing Spiritual things under His Kingdom rule, but are not associated with, or ACCEPTED as the worship and serving of Him He Divinely Originated and promised to sustain and maintain, Supernaturally, in and through His kind of churches He Designed to be "a Habitation of God, through the Spirit."

Those who 'serve God', with great zeal, may for one, kill children of God thinking they are 'serving' Him, or try to think they have "done many mighty works", and have very convincing "assurance", in themselves, that they are just sure they are 'serving' God, but Jesus tells them to depart from Him, at the Judgment, that He never knew them, in an intimate Spiritual relationship of having solely trusted Him as their Savior.

So, does anyone really care whether they really are saved, much less 'serving' the Only True God the way He Commanded to do so that He Accepts, as worship?

It's always been right there in the Book. Many say they are really into the Bible, but are ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth.

All those lost sinners who are saved are saved the same way.

And then you have those lost souls who have never been lost, but make some superficial claim to the word, "God", or "Jesus Christ", etc., and who have never seen themselves as hopeless and guilty of offending their Creator, as the Holy Judge of the Universe who hates sin that deserves endless punishment in the torments of Hell fire.

Lost souls who have "believed", or had "faith", mentally and historically, only, have not experienced Salvation of their soul through Regeneration of their soul, by the Holy Spirit, in the New Birth. They have not been brought to the end of themselves and Convicted of their sin, to even have a need to Repent, or a genuine need of a Savior.

Some think that by sitting idly by, what will be will be, while thinking "the future's not ours to see", at the same time just darn sure knowing everything about what God Planned in Eternity Past, because He said He Elects some, and they are 'Infinintly' wise experts, about Who He is, and What He did, and Why and How He goes about His business with His Elect.

They may have, also, 'signed the decision card of their mind', and don't WANT to go to Hell, maybe, but without Regeneration and without God.

How many people in the religious world are going to Hell?

How many in the religious world of 'Christianity', with false professions of faith in a 'Jesus', are going to Hell?

God's children saved from their personal sins by the blood Sacrifice of Jesus, His burial, and Resurrection have a Home in Heaven.

"Many", who say unto Him, Lord, Lord, also sing, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine", "it is well with my soul", and "when the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there". You tell me.

Yes. There is One Way of Salvation.
Old Testament saints were Born Again, through trusting in the Blood Sacrifice of their promised Redeemer.

All saved people are. All those "working", or thinking they did a "work", for their 'salvation', are still lost in their sins.

They talk the Unitarian talk of, "after all, we're all working to go to the same place".

Wrong place to go, though.

Old Testament and New Testament children of God are children of God and all one in Christ.

If you are trying to make me say those baptized members of the Lord's New Testament churches are saved and others are not, forget it. All the saved are in The Kingdom of God, whether worshipping and serving God as He Commands, or not.

Old Testaments saints had very stringent guidelines from God as to how He was to be worshipped Acceptably.

In this New Testament era, there are stringent guidelines, too.

'Men', generally prefer to draw near to Him with their lips, only, instead of bowing before His Sovereignly, as much as they may think and brag that they do.

Difference in what?

The difference between those who are genuinely saved and have followed Jesus in scriptural baptism, are members of one of His churches, who assemble to worship Him and those saved children of His who don't?

He instructs and Commands what is Acceptable worship to Him and what is not.

What is not? Lost people thinking they are worshipping God, or saved people committing Spiritual Adultery.

On what?

 

I was with you, until you said;

and I thought, that's it!

Something someone has just tried to make up.

Under some influence, no less.

Very good, 37818.

 

Why in the Name of God is he 'baptizing' someone in a combat zone?

To save a soul?

As their entrance as a saved soul into membership of one of the Lord's New Testament churches, to serve and worship Him, by assembling with them, to be taught all things whatsoever He has Commanded?,

or, if so, for them to start a new mission work?

If so, was this Chaplin a saved member sent out with authority from a New Testament church, to baptize?

And, what version of 'baptise' is this taking place in a combat zone? Immersion?

The MOST IMPORTANT thing for anyone's soul is, first, whether they have been truly saved;

From: WHAT IS A CHURCH?
By Benjamin F. Fuller, 1900

"...who can properly be a member of a church, as above defined.

"Who can form an integral part of a gospel church?

"Who are fit material for the frame-work of this habitation of God?

"The spiritual prerequisites of church membership, according to New Testament teaching, as understood by Baptists, are, first of all:

"1. Repentance. - In the very "beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ," at the very dawn of the light of Christianity, the very first note that was heard was the voice of John the Baptist heralding the everlasting kingdom with the proclamation, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

"Soon the voice of the Christ was heard in Galilee saying, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the Gospel.'' Later, when the apostles were commissioned, they preached "that men should repent."

"Jesus said after His resurrection, "Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name."

"On the day of Pentecost Peter said, "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ."

"And Paul said at Athens, "God commands all men everywhere to repent."

"Repentance is interwoven in the very texture of the Gospel.

"2. Faith. - Following repentance there must be faith in Christ.

"In the economy of grace faith is exalted to the highest importance.

"The Scriptures are full of it, as is shown by such passages as;

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life;"

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;"

"Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;"

"Being justified by faith, we have peace with God;"

"By grace are ye saved through faith;"

and "Without faith it is impossible to please God."

"From these and many other passages of the same import it very clearly appears that saving faith gives the believer his power with God, and is "the mightiest instrument ever used by mortals."

"Saving faith unites the soul to God and bestows upon it His mighty strength ; infuses into it Almighty impulses; extends to it His all-prevailing intercession and mediation, and imputes to it His spotless righteousness. Faith is the gift of God.

"3. Regeneration. - It would scarcely seem necessary to refer to regeneration as a distinctive prerequisite to church membership, after what has been written of repentance and faith; they necessarily include regeneration, and they are co-existent.

"Every person who has repented and believed is a regenerate person;

"has become a new creature in Christ;"

"is born again;"

"born of the Spirit,"

and "quickened together with Christ."

"If faith, then, is required, regeneration must also be as a prerequisite to baptism and church membership.

"Having seen what are the moral prerequisites to church membership, it remains for us to inquire what ceremony is required to bring a believer, a regenerated person, into church relations in a visible church."

 

For what I understand about New Testament baptism, a 'like faith and order' Baptist-like-New Testament church assembly that has been carrying out the Great Commission, including teaching all things He has Commanded, would, A). need to have voted the Chaplin to have authority, like all those in the Book of Acts, ooooor,....B). that individual would be needing to seek the same type of Jesus' Organization/ Organism- church body, to baptism them, in what you are calling, a 'valid' way.

Welcome to the misnomer, "Ana- Baptist".

And, 'valid', according to who?, or Who? God, per the New Testament pattern.

The person doing the baptizing, for it to be valid, would themselves have been saved, discipled, baptized by scriptural authority, and regularly assembled, why?, to be taught all things that God COMMANDS.

That person would then be sent out by a vote of a church like that, with authority to baptism.

They are going to know to get the person saved, by God, first, etc.

From where? God, in the New Testament. Jesus said, "all power is given unto Me". He has the power to get His Commission given to His kind of churches carried out.

 

A Southern Baptist in 1959 would probably be a good bet for knowing the ways of God more perfectly.

Baptist work in Vietnam hits close to home for Oklahoma pastor - IMB

This other article says, "Grace Baptist Church. Founded in 1962 while IMB worker Sam James served in Saigon, the church has prevailed against the test of time, war and countless trials."

"During the Communist reign, all of the Baptist churches in Vietnam were shut down or disbanded.

"All but one.

"By God’s grace, Grace Baptist Church of Saigon remained open throughout what James calls the “dark times” and celebrated its 60-year anniversary in 2019. Before the fall of Saigon in 1975, Grace Baptist shared a space with a church of a different denomination. Thanks to a Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® grant of $50,000, the church members were able to secure property and a building for the church and establish their independence, financially and congregationally.

"James explained in a podcast interview, “Back In 1970 when people gave to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® they had no idea that some of that offering would be used to buy the land and the building for Grace Baptist Church and then what would happen as a result of that church being in that place that has impacted the whole country for the Lord. They had no way of knowing that and yet they gave. I just praise the Lord for that.”

While, that article says, "Grace Baptist Church. Founded in 1962 while IMB worker Sam James served in Saigon,"

It doesn't say it was 'founded' by the IMB.

The IMB would have no church authority, while Southern Baptist missionaries, in 1959, may very well have.

Also, with their new 'Confederation' organization setting out to 'organize' other churches, would question it having authority, of course, but would the individual churches be able to obtain full independence and authority in baptism? That would be a case-by-case.

From: VIRGIL GHEORGHIU: bài liên quan,"THE GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH / Hội Thánh Báp- Tít Ân Điển tại Việt- nam -- source: Nước Trời

"The Vietnamese government made this possible by granting a certificate of religious practice to the church.

"The 400-member group met to create Grace Baptist Southern General Confederation. It adopted a constitution and elected officers for the new organization, which will organize and represent new churches across Vietnam."

That Confederation has it's own officers and is a separate organization from a New Testament church.


Let's say we assume that Grace Baptist started out with what would Biblically be called a 'Candlestick', as a New Testament church, like the kind Jesus built, to which that represents His Presence and Authority; if so, have they hung onto it through the years?

When you are talking about The Foreign Missions Board, The IMB, a Confederation, the SBC, or 'Evangelicals', as Grace Baptist is sometimes called, you have separate organizations from a local church's authority doing things.

As a church, they don't display their beliefs much.

Typical 'evangelicals', or SB will go with the invisible nothingness dream that sometime exists apart from Jesus' church, of which He is the Head (of each). They'll say, "We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members."

As a theory to use as a model, let's choose to select Jesus as the Head of each of His individual bodies.

How does Jesus deal with this invisible nothing thing usurping His Authority as the Head of His REAL church bodies?

So, provided they had a Candlestick, from their inception in 1959 or so, how far do His bodies have to depart from the New Testament for Him to not be on the outside knocking, with the Glory of the Lord departed?

This is a nice looking project. We would like to think the Lord was in it and still is.

What about Spiritual Adultery, though?

Do they Baptism only regenerate people?

Do they except Alien Immersion?

Have Closed Communion?

Practice church Discipline?

These Ordinances and practices PROTECT the Sanctity and attempt to ensure a Regenerated membership, etc.

Those are some of the "all things I have Commanded you" and for that reason.

Is Jesus Present? Receiving Glory?

Or, has Ichabod been written over the door?

"Baptist work in Vietnam began in 1959 when Herman and Dottie Hayes, the first Southern Baptist workers to the country, arrived in Saigon. Over the next few years, missionary families continued to respond to the call to work in Vietnam, and by 1975 the mission force had grown to nearly 40 families scattered throughout the south and central areas."

From: Refworld | Vietnam: The Baptist community in Vietnam, including the number of Baptists, treatment by police, other authorities and other religious groups, and the protection available (1997-2002)

"According to the Baptist World Alliance Heritage and Identity Commission, Vietnam has been a "difficult field" for Baptists (27 Feb. 2001).

"The Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention initiated work in South Vietnam in 1959 ... . With the subjugation of South Vietnam to communist forces, only one church, Grace Baptist Church in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) survived; today it has around 500 members.

"This church and three underground Baptist churches each individually relate to a network of house churches, totalling ninety-four, with all but three in the south (ibid.)."

"Religious organizations must obtain government permission to hold training seminars, conventions, and celebrations outside the regular religious calendar; to build or remodel places of worship; to engage in charitable activities or operate religious schools; and to train, obtain promote, or transfer clergy. They also must obtain government permission for large mass gatherings, as do nonreligious groups."

 

Such as, as in, anything in particular you're talking about? To who?, etc.