Ecumenical leanings

Please show me from His Word where it says we should not fellowship with brothers and sisters even if they don't see eye to eye on interpretating the Bible..... since it is so plain.

 

As I said, I consider myself ecumenical to the extent that I want to join with any other Christians who preach and teach the gospel.

 

Even if they are saved, I do not care to attend church with charismatics, infant baptizers, SDA's, or papists.

 

Now that you have written what you have let me ask a question.

How do you know that the God you think you know is the God who is? I firmly believe that a lot of Baptists think they know God when they do not.

The Bible clearly mentions those who do not know God but claim they do.

Mt. 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'

 

I could not even fellowship with myself if I had to agree with myself. I do not always agree with what I believed even ten years ago.

 

I started to reply to your statement, but myself told me not to. I will reply once I convince myself that I am right... which may take awhile! :tongue3:

Then I have to enter my wife and herself into the equation.... come to think about it, ...

What....

Just a second.... myself is saying something to me...

OK, I'll be back later....

 

Ecumenicalism isnt about hanging out with others personally. But when a Baptist Pastor stands with a Muslim in the pulpit and says we worship the same God then there is a problem. Whe that same Pastor stands in the pulpit and lifts up another "Pastor" who denies the Trinity then there is a problem. Ignoring essentials to come together is Ecumenicalism.

Scripture says if one comes to us "preaching another gospel" do not let them in your house or bid them God speed. In other words dont give them legitmacy but we are to shun them. For their purposes are evil.

 

Make it easy like me, I don't agree with anyone including myself. Never!

 

pinoybaptist:

Of course not. They are not coming to me with a different gospel. However, according to scripture, if they were bringing a different gospel, or if they came in the name of 'fellowship' there could be none as they are not of like mind. It never said we were not to treat them with neighborliness and/or christian charity, sharing the love of Christ.
That 1 Cor verse doesnt apply as it is speaking of not continuing fellowship with 'brothers' if they persist in living in sin. We then disfellowship with them to call them to repentance and to return to living for Christ.

 

As somebody I consider a brother in Christ, I will respect your view of these Scriptures.

JW's and others I do not consider to be brothers in Christ in this plane, however, in the next I expect some to be there with me, since Christ alone knows those that are his. And yet, if I understand Scripture correctly, even our affiliations in this plane will not be remembered by us.

I understand John and Paul to be speaking of those who belong to the same order we do who bring in another gospel which they (the apostles) did not deliver to them.

Years ago, we had a deacon in church who tried to insert his no-hellism in, we disciplined him, he did not repent, and it led to his exclusion from the church. He continues to send me cards and pictures of him and his family in the state he moved to. I never responded.

God bless, and take care.

 

The Catholic Charismatic movement was a subset of the Charismatic movement as a whole. Yes, certain Catholic Churches were "behind" the Catholic Charismatic movement. And it took a while for the Vatican to ackowledge and accept this Catholic Charismatic movement. But they were not responsible for the non-Catholic parts of the Charismatic movement of which there are many.

It is good to see reconciliation in the name of Christ.

Most definitely the Catholic Church also has a lot to apologize for as well as protestants who have also killed, tortured and jailed Catholics and other protestants in the name of Jesus. The reconciliation and forgiveness of Christ is what should set us as Christians apart.

I think our ancestors are praising God for the reconciliation that is happening in the body of Christ that could not happen in the past because of man's sinful nature on both sides of this rift.

 

Isn't it amazing how we have all the answers when we are young but when a few years have elapsed we get a better handle on things and then realize that we did not know so much as we thought.

 

Could you give me a verse to support your thought?

Jer. 29:13, You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."

How can a finite being know all about an infinite being? I do not know all there is to know about myself and I am finite. In accordance with 1 Cor. 13 I only know in part.

 

I think most of us agree that to unite with another body, there should be unity among the essentials.

The fight is, "What are the essentials?"

For some, essentials would be defined as, "Every single possible facet of my theology, eschatology, soteriology, and every other ology."

There are lots of essentials I hold to. But everything ain't essential.

 

Are we to "interpret" or "rightly divide the word of truth"? We can fellowship, but not join them in their faith in their Church. Is the Pentecostal gospel our gospel?