What is the Church?

There seems to be alot of people who believe that the church is man made and that it is a new modern invention that man has made up for himself!

IN CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANITY there is a heightened awareness of a need for a personal knowledge of Christ.
This has been evidenced by such phenomena as the Jesus Movement and charismatic renewal.
Most thinking Christians have come to realize something else is needed, the rediscovery of the historic Church.

Often, in heated reaction to dated and dead Protestant liberalism, we have heard evangelical preachers say, "All you need is Jesus!"
Such statements often get rave reviews, but just a little thoughtful reflection quickly shows such a simplistic religion to be shallow and unfulfilling.
More and more, that kind of reasoning is being tempered with a renewed emphasis on the whole impact of the Incarnation, the coming in the flesh of the Son of God.
If all we needed was Jesus, why would Jesus have promised, "I will build My Church..." (Matthew 16:18) ?



The birthday of the Church was Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit descended on the twelve Apostles in the Upper Room.
That day some 3,000 souls believed in Christ and were baptized. When the first Christian community began, "they continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread (Communion), and in prayers" (Act 2:42).

From Jerusalem, the faith in Christ spread throughout Judea, to Samaria (Acts 8), to Antioch and the Gentiles (Acts 13), where we find new converts and new churches throughout Asia Minor and other countries of the Roman Empire.

From the pages of the Epistles and the book of Acts, we learn that the Church was not simply another organization in Roman society.
The Lord Jesus Christ had given the promise of the Holy Spirit "will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13).
That promise was fulfilled at Pentecost, when the Church was given birth as an divine institution far above all earthly organizations.
In Ephesians (Eph. 2:21) St. Paul called it "a holy temple of the Lord." The Church was a dynamic organism, the living Body of Jesus Christ. She made an indelible impact in the world, and those who became part of her were inwardly renewed.

read more....

www.fatheralexander.org...

The Church is the people as a whole, hence the term, body of the church. So the building, the location doesn't represent anything beyond a gathering point. As the true church is the people.

[Edited on 7-8-2003 by ADVISOR]

Jesus was simple Helen. He did not say" Build for me a megalithic body, full of bureacracy, doctrine I do not speak of"

To say it is simplistic to call those who follow Jesus' message in the New Testament are simple really goes against what He said.

The body of Christ is the Church. Not a denomination. Not a organization. No one construct can say "We are the only way to salvation- trust us!" Jesus said to follow Him. Not doctrine laid down by men over the centuries and changed and altered and Paganized throughout.

If you believe and put your faith in Jesus, you will be saved. If you leave the construct....nothing will happen to you as long as you call Jesus your saivoir.

Originally posted by ADVISOR
The Church is the people as a whole, hence the term, body of the church. So the building, the location doesn't represent anything beyond a gathering point. As the true church is the people.

[Edited on 7-8-2003 by ADVISOR]

That is Right!
ADVISOR!

I just thought i'd put this right for the few that do not know ........
Church is a gathering of people!
And the people are all of the one body.......which represents we live in Christ......The new Testament!

ADVISOR, YOUR NOT MAKING 'FUN' of this are you???


helen.

Originally posted by Tyriffic
Jesus was simple Helen. He did not say" Build for me a megalithic body, full of bureacracy, doctrine I do not speak of"

To say it is simplistic to call those who follow Jesus' message in the New Testament are simple really goes against what He said.

The body of Christ is the Church. Not a denomination. Not a organization. No one construct can say "We are the only way to salvation- trust us!" Jesus said to follow Him. Not doctrine laid down by men over the centuries and changed and altered and Paganized throughout.

If you believe and put your faith in Jesus, you will be saved. If you leave the construct....nothing will happen to you as long as you call Jesus your saivoir.

Well said Tyriffic.

regards
seekerof

If this is the "church", I am glad to be out of it.

213.92.16.47...

If one lives out side the church....having their own set of rules and doctrines and what have you, does that mean that they are 'saved' just because they believe in Jesus Christ?

Jesus Christ was babtized and received the Holy spirit to show us that we have to be 'born again'(not born again the church)to be born again is to be babtized into the faith....That is why the babtism involves immersed in water 3 times.......
To follow Christ and His teachings that were handed down from the Apostles is a good thing!
One cannot simply make up ''new rules'' to follow ........new rules come out everyday,new belief systems come out all the time.......do we accept them as being right for us?
If we follow what Jesus Christ taught then I guess we cannot go wrong in Him helping us .........
We need certain laws,rules to follow otherwise they become obsolete ......and the words of Jesus Christ remain hidden .......
why would Jesus have promised, "I will build My Church..." (Matthew 16:18)

Originally posted by Tyriffic
If this is the "church", I am glad to be out of it.

213.92.16.47...

Tyriffic ,do you agree that the Pope has involved himself within the ''World Council Of Churches'' the ecumenical movement as part of a bad thing???
helen....

Originally posted by helen670

Originally posted by Tyriffic
If this is the "church", I am glad to be out of it.

213.92.16.47...

Tyriffic ,do you agree that the Pope has involved himself within the ''World Council Of Churches'' the ecumenical movement as part of a bad thing???
helen....

The article says that: "Most people, from all over the world, praised this ecumenical gesture. But there are those who, though being faithful Catholics, contest it at its roots."

I would think it would be safe to say that obviously there are quite a few who do Helen.

regards
seekerof

This World Council Of Churches ecumenical movement toward a peace for all mankind is what will bring the destruction to all of mankind!

The W.C.C. ecumenical movement is pretending to be one body of Christ and they sit and make 'new rules' for todays people........It is not Christianity!
All it will bring is 'new ideas' that will please the people on earth and not what was originally passed down to the Apostles .......Christ and His teachings are for the benefit of our souls......the after life which is Not Of This World!
The ecumenical W.C.C is primarily based on man's law and not God's Law!

Originally posted by helen670

Originally posted by Tyriffic
If this is the "church", I am glad to be out of it.

213.92.16.47...

Tyriffic ,do you agree that the Pope has involved himself within the ''World Council Of Churches'' the ecumenical movement as part of a bad thing???
helen....

Helen. I like you ok. But you have to wake up. Ecumenicism is the road to total apostasy.

One world religion under one Man's banner-anti-Christ.

If you can not see the trend........the Pope taking blessing from pagans??? Good? How is this of Jesus?? Taking blessing from idolaters??

Quote by Helen670

If one lives out side the church....having their own set of rules and doctrines and what have you, does that mean that they are 'saved' just because they believe in Jesus Christ?


One word- Yes. If you define the church as Catholic.
The body of Christ is made up of those who confess His name as saivour and Lord. I don't need a priest to tell me how to decide that!??
I don't need to walk the 12 stations of the cross at mass to know this.
I don't need symblism to be saved from the Pit.
I don't need Holy water.
I don't need to confess my sins to anyone but Jesus.
I don't need ablsolution from any one but Jesus.
Celibacy is plain wrong- you figure out the consequences of this practice...
I do not need purgatory- Heaven is enough.
Sin is sin. Not venial or mortal. Sin

I can go on and on...I was a catholic.

Originally posted by Tyriffic

Originally posted by helen670

Originally posted by Tyriffic
If this is the "church", I am glad to be out of it.

213.92.16.47...

Tyriffic ,do you agree that the Pope has involved himself within the ''World Council Of Churches'' the ecumenical movement as part of a bad thing???
helen....

Helen. I like you ok. But you have to wake up. Ecumenicism is the road to total apostasy.

One world religion under one Man's banner-anti-Christ.

If you can not see the trend........the Pope taking blessing from pagans??? Good? How is this of Jesus?? Taking blessing from idolaters??

Hey I like you too Tyriffic!
I totally agree with Ecuminism being the road to apostasy.....it will bring the Antichrist to his fullest!
The Antichrist will tell all the religions that it is good what they have, and will form his own one world government.....where he will ask to be worshipped as God on earth!
Hmmmmmm........Did I write otherwise???
Sorry if I did.......I totally am against the World Council of Churches!!!
helen..

Im not Roman Catholic!

Catholic means UNIVERSAL........to define the Catholic church as being the Roman Catholic church is wrong!

There is only one head of the Church.....It is Jesus Christ!
No one is 'infallible' all men have sinned......including the Pope and priest's and monks.......that is why Jesus Christ was crucified.......for the sins of the world and all of mankind!
Celibacy is not within the Orthodox Church....it never has been since the time of the early Christian Church!
There is no mention of Purgatory in the Bible!
helen...

Helen, if you see ecumenicism as a tool leading to apostasy, how can you stay faithful to such apostasy?

Originally posted by Tyriffic
Helen, if you see ecumenicism as a tool leading to apostasy, how can you stay faithful to such apostasy?

Im not Roman Catholic......
I do not agree with the ecumenism of the world's council of Churches!
The Ecumenical movement is all part of the plan of a One World Government toward a ''fake'' peace.......

Now i'm all confused
What do you mean by 'staying faithful to such apostasy''?
helen

H

We are just posting over each other. that is all.

I agree with your last two posts.!!!

Originally posted by Tyriffic
H

We are just posting over each other. that is all.

I agree with your last two posts.!!!

GOOD!
I was beginning to think that somehow My posts were invisible and that I was not reading right!
Phewww.......So it's settled!
The Antichrist is very bad and W.C.C.is very, very bad for being in the ecumenical movement!

helen....