Is there a "universal" church?

[DHK]

We agree. The Church is One Church & One Body with many members (preaching stations) around the world & throughout the ages. The Church at Jerusalem was a massive organism that did not meet together as one local body. It was divided into many smaller groups that met when & where they could for teaching & mutual edification. The Church at Jerusalem was a spiritual body comprised of thousands of believing souls that was spread over an entire city. Thanks for that great description of the universal Church.

If three thousand got saved in one day, under the preaching of one man, preaching but one sermon (and that with no media props), how many do you think were present in total, and where were they all.
I will answer that for you. It was the Day of Pentecost. There were people that had come from approximately 13 different nations. There may have been in excess of 100,000 people gathered or assembled in one place together that day. The meeting place was the Temple. It was large enough to accommodate such a crowd. There the first local church at Jerusalem started, and there it continued until the Jews would no longer tolerate them.

 

[Tom Butler]

We agree. The Church is One Church & One Body with many members (preaching stations) around the world & throughout the ages. The Church at Jerusalem was a massive organism that did not meet together as one local body. It was divided into many smaller groups that met when & where they could for teaching & mutual edification. The Church at Jerusalem was a spiritual body comprised of thousands of believing souls that was spread over an entire city. Thanks for that great description of the universal Church.

Hey Michael, nice try, but no cigar. You didn't really think you could fool the old geezer here, did you?

I can't let you get by with re-defining preaching stations. I didn't define them as members. A modern analogy would be a church which has several campuses. I think annsi and her husband serve in a church like that.

This would have happened after the Jerusalem church added the 3,000. I suspect such a number would have made it difficult, if not impossible, to crowd everybody into one place.

I think we have to be careful not to consider this a normal situation. Some of the things that were done in Acts were discontinued. For instance, early on, the members lived sort of a communal-style existence--sharing everything. But apparently it didn't work, because we never hear of it again, and obviously we don't see it endorsed as a style of church life.

So, the preaching stations may have been a practical means of dealing with a sudden influx of members. But we don't hear of this practice in any church outside Jerusalem. It very well may have been abandoned as impractical.

 

[OldRegular]

If three thousand got saved in one day, under the preaching of one man, preaching but one sermon (and that with no media props), how many do you think were present in total, and where were they all.
I will answer that for you. It was the Day of Pentecost. There were people that had come from approximately 13 different nations. There may have been in excess of 100,000 people gathered or assembled in one place together that day. The meeting place was the Temple. It was large enough to accommodate such a crowd. There the first local church at Jerusalem started, and there it continued until the Jews would no longer tolerate them.

You really believe all 3000 were from Jerusalem? I don't! No reason to believe they were but they were all added to the Church {Universal}.

 

[saturneptune]

This is for those who would answer NO:

1. What, in your mind is the danger of speaking about a universal church?

2. What is your interpretation of Eph. 5 where christ "died for the church"?

3. Is this debate really just semantics? Are both sides saying the same things but using different words...Does it even matter?

4. If church refers to only local bodies, and we all know those are made of both true and false believers, then how does that fit?

I believe the universal church does exist, composed of all true believers in Jesus Christ. There is no danger in speaking about it. The point is that it has no function here on earth, as the universal church does not function in any organized manner. That is a function of eternity. The UC never took up an offering, sent out a missionary, observed the Lords Supper or Baptized anyone. It never preached a sermon, worshiped the Lord, helped the poor or the sick. This is all done by the local church.

One thing though, the UCs rolls are 100% clean. The local church, not so much. Lots of names on local rolls are not going to be in heaven.

 

[percho]

You really believe all 3000 were from Jerusalem? I don't! No reason to believe they were but they were all added to the Church {Universal}.

Do you think Paul/Saul was there?
Do you think Paul/Saul saw Jesus on the cross?

He was devout you know.

I do not know but would vote yes.

 

[OldRegular]

Do you think Paul/Saul was there?
Do you think Paul/Saul saw Jesus on the cross?

He was devout you know.

I do not know but would vote yes.

If Paul, at that time Saul were there he was not a happy camper since he still walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.[Ephesians 2:2]