Featured Corporate Faith?

Interesting question

I am looking forward for other responses

Maybe in something like starting a new church?

 

Faith in Jesus Christ that results in salvation, is a very personal thing

 

I have read the OP, you are quoting from the OT, where things were much different, and the Nation Israel was a Chosen people by God. However, we do know that all of this Nation were never "saved". God treated them different to the other nations, as they were His people. As a nation they "believe" at times in the Lord, but as history tells us in the OT, the majority of the time they actually lacked "faith" in the Lord. Your question is quite pointless, as the "Church" is of those who "repent and believe" in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord. They must be born-again. In any congregation, there will always be believers and non believers and seekers, all together. What are you trying to show?

 

Christ came preaching the gospel of the KINGDOM. (Mt 4:23). The new covenant is the constitution of the kingdom. You cannot have one without the other.

As Moses led Israel out of Egypt as a nation/kingdom, so Christ leads his covenant church people as a nation/kingdom. I Peter 2:9 says, Ye are a holy NATION..." In Christ leading his church kingdom out of the midst of bondage, he accomplishes one of the acts whereby he showed Israel that he was THAT prophet prophesied by Moses (Deu 18:18).

The Lord never saves someone then leaves them to themselves to wander around but covenantly/corporately places them in the body of Christ. Paul, addressing THE CHURCH at Corinth, says in I Corinthians 12:18, "But now hath God set the members EVERY ONE OF THEM in the body, as it has pleased him." This covenant/corporate positioning is accomplished by the ordinance of baptism, which only a scriptural literal local church corporately/coventantly has authority to administer.

Christ said in John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments". His commandments/words are his covenant. The ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper are given to the church and only a church people/nation has the authority/ability to execute them, therefore they are kept through the corporate faith of the body.

I Corinthians 12:18 says, "But now are ye a body of Christ and members in particular." This chapter make it clear each member has a particular roll as a member but not apart from the body. I Cor 18:21 says, "And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee..." We do not lose our individual identity as a member but each of us is to strive to be conformed to the image of Christ through the covenant/corporate understanding given to the body of Christ. We therefore have covenant faith or a common shared corporate faith or doctrine/teaching of the kingdom.

Paul, in writing to the CHURCH at Ephesus, says in Ephesians "Til WE (the church at Ephesus) come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." This shows both corporate faith and knowledge. Paul addressing the CHURCH at Phillipi says in Phil 1:27, "...that ye stand fast in ONE (corporate) spirit, with ONE (corporate) mind striving TOGETHER for the faith of the gospel (of the kingdom). This cannot be done in individuality without the body of Christ corporately.

The doctrine of individual salvation apart from the body of Christ does great damage to the gospel of the kingdom.

 

His question is not pointless. He asks a valid question that deserves an answer.

In response to the OP, I would not use the phrase "Corporate Faith" because the phrase can be easily confused with Corporate Election, which I believe is an unbiblical view of Election.

However, are there times when the church accomplished a certain thing or were blessed by God because they believed (had faith)? I think so. I take you to Revelation 3:

Revelation 3:7-13 7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: 8 ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie--I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

God put before the Philadelphians and open door. He will cause their enemies to bow down at their feet. He kept them from an hour of testing. This can be attributed to the fact that the majority of the Philadelphian church walked faithfully. Most of the other churches listed in Revelation received a mixture of praise and criticism.

This is just one example I can find in the N.T.

 

To me the caveat is saving faith is individual

Christian ministry seems to be corporate.

at least that is my opinion now, but it could change

 

I meant that you are quoting a passage that refersto the OT. Your reasoning does not hold in the NT, which is about personal salvation

 

well, your "answer" is not a vaild one!

 

some cannot see this!

 

When we sing and worship the Lord on Sunday, is that showing "corprate faith?"

 

Dude, firstly I am not American, but from England. Secondly, the title of your OP is Corporate Faith, which is not anywhere taught in the OT. Neither could this be possible in the OT, as salvation is always a personal thing

 

Corporate worship and hearing of the scriptures

 

Think he could be referring to Corporate worship and hearing the scriptures!

 

read the OP title