The Local Church - Baptist theology's weakest link?

[Matt Black]

The NT is unclear, Rufus, on a number of things; that's why we have these differences of opinion. I cannot find a Scripture that explicitly says that only the 'saved' parts of the local assembly are part of the Body, but I think one would be hard pressed to argue that non-believers who attend church are somehow part of Christ's Body. Neither can I find a Scripture that uses anything other than the singular 'Soma Christou' to describe the Church as the Body of Christ. Both parts of my statement can therefore be fairly inferred from Scripture.

Yours in Christ

Matt

 

[HankD]

The churches of Jesus will exist until He returns, if I understand what Jesus said

Jesus used the singular number when He refered to the specific Church (after all, He did say "My church" not the "my churches" or "the churches") which He is currently building.

This language is used of the local churches of the Revelation which had been infiltrated by "Jezebel", the "Nicolaitans", etc.

My view is that the Church of Matthew 16 which Jesus is currently building of which the gates of hell shall not prevail consists of all the saints collectively out of all the local churches (saved only) from then until now.

...the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.

I lived in Maine for 15 years in a town of 500 people.

At one time this town's population was over 20,000 people with local churches that now no longer exist and have been plowed into the ground.

Did the gates of hell prevail against these "churches"?

Not that I diminish the doctrine of the local church and the provision of the gifts of the Spirit to the saved within each, however they are each potentially a mixture of saved and lost and therefore I personally make a distinction between the Church consisting of only the saved over the ages and the local churches of mixed multitude.

I believe this distinction is scriptural (Matthew 16:18, Hebrews 12:23,).

But also, personally, I don't draw out the debate concerning this distinction too far, so for now I am done (unless provoked).


HankD

 

[rufus]

Originally posted by Matt Black:
The NT is unclear, Rufus, on a number of things; that's why we have these differences of opinion. I cannot find a Scripture that explicitly says that only the 'saved' parts of the local assembly are part of the Body, but I think one would be hard pressed to argue that non-believers who attend church are somehow part of Christ's Body. Neither can I find a Scripture that uses anything other than the singular 'Soma Christou' to describe the Church as the Body of Christ. Both parts of my statement can therefore be fairly inferred from Scripture.

Yours in Christ

Matt

When I was much younger, I was convinced of the "universal, invisible" church concept, not because I had exegeted the Scriptures, but because I had read after many popular authors and scholars.

Then I began doing my own exegesis, after learning a little about the original languages and the historical/cultural backgrounds, and soon I found myself, as C.S.Lewis would say, "kicking and screaming" against my former belief.

What at first seems "unclear," as you put it, might just CLEAR up with more time and more detailed study.

I believe a true inductive study, along with proper hermeneutical procedures, will supply ample evidence to support "local church" only as the body of Christ. IMHO.

Striving to Keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bonds of Peace.

Rufus