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To: 1010RD; SZonian
Glad to see you finally learning to use something like strongs 10. Too bad you still haven't learned to read in context. Tell us 10, at the time of Acts 14 - was there a temple or physical structure dedicated to the use by Christians of the period?

The addition of "HELPS Word-studies" by Helps Ministries, Inc. works to obfuscate the word further by its attempt to universalize the definition.

LOL, can't refute a source - attempt to poison the well. Epic fail 10. From your own found definition - ". . . the whole body of Christian believers". That is a universal statement, not (snicker) 'eisegesis'. It isn't simply any professed believer in Jesus Christ, there's order in God's true Church.

See, had you HONESTLY posted the strongs definition, under definitions 1d 4) and 5) is what I included in my citation. So since you presented a cherry-picked definition extract you failed. Even with your extract, it still supports my statement.

Regarding order - are you telling me that Paul appointed 12 year old boys to supervise your definition of a 'church'?

533 posted on 01/18/2011 9:02:11 AM PST by Godzilla (3-7-77)
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To: Godzilla; SZonian
at the time of Acts 14 - was there a temple or physical structure dedicated to the use by Christians of the period?

I don't understand your point, but I can only think of Acts 5:19-20, actually the whole chapter is temple focused.

I did honestly post the entire Strong's definition of Here's the word "church" in Greek: ekklésia previously as well as the reference as a link. Definition: an assembly, congregation, church; the Church, the whole body of Christian believers.

The trouble with the view you're espousing that of the final definition and the first is that the "whole body of Christian believers" and "an assembly" are too open ended. Church is found in the New Testament as a specific, authorized, ordered entity, geographically limited and only under those circumstances does the "whole body of Christian believers" constitute the Church and "an assembly" the grouping of those Christians in their geographic place. We cannot impose the 20th century on the 1st.

Let's look at some examples:

In Matthew 18 Jesus covers several topics, but one that is overlooked is the "church" as described by Christ himself. Matthew 18:17 Jesus: "If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won't accept the church's decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector."

Now that's Jesus talking and the Church he is describing is one of order. Can you imagine just going to any church to resolve this problem? Even if the church agreed with your beliefs would you argue that any randomly chosen church would settle this issue?

The Church of Jesus Christ is a church of order, it is an assembly of order and only in order can it ever be called the "the whole body of Christian believers."

Regarding order - are you telling me that Paul appointed 12 year old boys to supervise your definition of a 'church'?

Now this is not my definition of church, but God's. I don't know if Paul appointed 12 year old boys to administer in the church and neither do you as the Bible is silent on that matter. But the Christian expectation is a church with Christ ordained offices. See: Ephesians 4:11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

536 posted on 01/18/2011 4:56:48 PM PST by 1010RD (First, Do No Harm)
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