Originally posted by Ray Berrian:
[qb]
I notice also that you said those who do this are selfish. We all know you don't have the 'gift of disernment' so there is no way you can read the hearts of these people, especially since you seldom attend their services.
A "selfish" gift is one that is used only for "self" such as a "private" prayer language, quite foreign to Bible teaching. No other gift of the spirit is used only for "self." If there is, I invite you to come forward and demonstrate it.
Secondly, God speaking through the Apostle Paul tells the church at Corinth that the person who speaks ' . . . in an unknown tongue . . . . is really speaking to God.'(I Cor. 14:2) Are you now telling us that we are selfish to pray to God the Father in Heaven? Probably not. You just don't like the Lord giving the 'gift of tongues' so they can pray to Him.
Here you demonstrate your lack of understanding of these verses as I have explained countless of times. Yet you continue to quote only a portion of the verse, thus taking them out of their context. Paul said if one speaks in an unknown tongue he speaks in mysteries. It is not edifying to the entire church. It is a useless gift. It was not meant for private prayer. Don't pray to God with tongues. It was a sarcastic rebuke. I am sorry that you don't understand the English language very well, and cannot discenrn a rebuke from a comforting exhortation. Let me assure you that the statement was not the latter. It was a sharp rebuke not to pray or speak in tongues because no one could understand them. In that manner they were a useless gift. In that day and age tongues ALWAYS had to meet two basic criteria:
1. They had to edify the entire church--they were public, not private.
2. They always had to have an interpreter.
Those two conditions alone rule out a private prayer language. Please refer to your Bible. It is a much better source than the experiences of others.
Secondly, they did not have churches in the sense that many Christians think about buildings. Many believers worshipped in large homes of the wealthy so there would be more room. In some cases a small home.
I fully realize that. That is how our church started as well--in a home. Nothing strange about that. What has that got to do with the price of tea in China?
The Roman Catholic Church says that the church is where the bishop is located. You and I know that 'wherever two or three people are gathered together in Jesus Name' is where the church is at any given time. Two or three Christians are not required to have a pastor in order to be the living church of God.
No, Mat.18:20 is not a definition of a church. Where two or three are gathered together is not a church. What nonsense is this. Just becasue Christ is amnog two or three people it doesn't automatically make it a church. Christ is among my family also. But my family is not a church. Granted, a church is not the building. But there is definite structure in a church. Study the pastoral epiestles. Paul gives definite instruction to the pastor and deacons of the church, not to two or three gathered together. There was structure and organization in the church. There are two ordinances in the church. There was the carrying out of the Great Commission in the church. The church is more than just two or three gathered together. Mat.18:20 is at the end of a passage which speaks of "church discipline." It is not the definition of a church.
DHK