Alan Gross
Well-Known Member
This is the next little section from Milburn Cokrel from In Search Of The Universal, Invisible Church (Chapter 1) by Elder Milburn Cockrell - Sovereign Grace Landmark Baptist Pastor
"Strict covenant theologians have a much larger church than dispensationalists.
"They say: "The catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all" (Confession of Faith of the United Presbyterian Church, Chap. 25, Article 1, p. 36, of the 1961-62 annual).
"For 117 years of its existence the Southern Baptist Convention had no article of faith about the universal, invisible church. In the 1950s and 1960s, the liberals ceased power, and in 1962 a revised confession was adopted which said: "The New Testament speaks also of the church as the body of Christ which includes all the redeemed of all ages" (Article VI).
"This is essentially the strict covenant view of the church.
"The dispensationalists make the church to be the whole number of regenerate persons from Pentecost to the first resurrection.
"They would exclude the Old Testament saints from being in the church and all New Testament saints before the day of Pentecost.
"The covenant theologian has a much larger church consisting of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one.
"Nevertheless, both schools have a universal, invisible church.
"This view is so generally believed that any person who dares to reject it is branded as a "misguided fanatic."
...
So, apparently someone thinks there is something called a 'Convention' that has any relevance to the things of God
... And... 'it' allows itself to make changes.
Reminds of the 'Westminster" things. You have one, then you have a' 2nd'. And they are different....???).
If it is O. K. with God, and I believe His Word would indicate He Approves, I would like to dismiss all of these man-made perspectives on what a 'church', in which God's children are to bring God Glory is.
Why? For that very reason.
"Strict covenant theologians have a much larger church than dispensationalists.
"They say: "The catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all" (Confession of Faith of the United Presbyterian Church, Chap. 25, Article 1, p. 36, of the 1961-62 annual).
"For 117 years of its existence the Southern Baptist Convention had no article of faith about the universal, invisible church. In the 1950s and 1960s, the liberals ceased power, and in 1962 a revised confession was adopted which said: "The New Testament speaks also of the church as the body of Christ which includes all the redeemed of all ages" (Article VI).
"This is essentially the strict covenant view of the church.
"The dispensationalists make the church to be the whole number of regenerate persons from Pentecost to the first resurrection.
"They would exclude the Old Testament saints from being in the church and all New Testament saints before the day of Pentecost.
"The covenant theologian has a much larger church consisting of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one.
"Nevertheless, both schools have a universal, invisible church.
"This view is so generally believed that any person who dares to reject it is branded as a "misguided fanatic."
...
So, apparently someone thinks there is something called a 'Convention' that has any relevance to the things of God
... And... 'it' allows itself to make changes.
Reminds of the 'Westminster" things. You have one, then you have a' 2nd'. And they are different....???).
If it is O. K. with God, and I believe His Word would indicate He Approves, I would like to dismiss all of these man-made perspectives on what a 'church', in which God's children are to bring God Glory is.
Why? For that very reason.
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