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| Unattached Nomadic Churchless Christians |
sing
What
is meant by "unattached"?
What
does it mean to be attached?
Dansa
sing - I can see that there might be some uncertainty about what is intended
by "unattached." At a minimum, I would say that NT Christians were
"attached" to a church through baptism. I believe this makes them a
member of that church, though I recognize that this statement breeds some
measure of controversy. Simply put, I believe that those who received the NT
ordinance of baptism, received it from those who were members of the original
church at Jerusalem and as such became members of that assembly. So I would say
they were attached by both baptism and membership to the church.
I'll don my flame retardant suit in anticipation of those who support the doctrine of Nomadic Christianity (i.e., that baptism is one thing and church membership is another and the former does not of necessity imply the latter).
sing
Thanks.
Would
it be right to say the following:
"The
idea of a Christian who is not baptized is non-existent in the New
Testament."
"The
idea of a Christian who is baptized but is not a member of a church is
non-existent in the New Testament."
Thanks.
Dansa
sing:
Would it be right to say the following: "The idea of a Christian who is
not baptized is non-existent in the New Testament."
Dansa:
Yes. I believe that is correct.
sing: "The idea of a Christian who is baptized but is not a member of a church is non-existent in the New Testament."
Dansa: I recognize that this is not explicitly stated in scripture. It is an inference. It is what I currently believe on the matter.
Joeho
Acts
8:4, “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the
word.”
This
verse documents the dispersion of much of Jerusalem Church because of
persecution. The apostles who ministered in the church remained. These people
were members of the Jerusalem Church, not necessarily preachers.
Oh, so true, primary preaching of the gospel occurs with the “Feet.” Only speak it as necessary.
sing
Joeho:
Did the scattering cause them to become "unattached" with their
church?
Joeho
Brother
Sing, from what you’ve recently posted, you and I are on the “Same page” on
this question. I firmly believe that baptism in the New Testament joins a
person to a local church. I fully reject the contemporary notion that baptism
has no relationship to church membership. The people who believed and were
baptized in Acts 2, were “Added” to the 120, the beginning of Jerusalem Church.
In the case of the people in Acts 8:4, their being scattered away from
Jerusalem Church didn’t sever their relationship or membership with that
church. We read nothing more about them. However, if I allowed my thoughts to
follow this, I believe, Biblical principle, it would be my view that, had they
eventually influenced the formation of a new church where they were scattered,
they would have been charter members of that church.
Dansa
Joeho
- I agree. I have encountered the suggestion that "they that gladly
received his word were baptized" and "there were added unto them
about three thousand souls" are NOT, of necessity, numerically the same.
In other words, since the text does not EXPLICITLY state that 3000 were
baptized, there might have been 4000 baptized and only 3000 joined the church.
I must admit that I had never given that idea any consideration, since it seems
implicit that there is no disjunction between the two. How would you respond to
the assertion that more were baptized than joined the church in Acts 2:41?
Joeho
Dansa,
I’ve never heard that explanation. It strikes me as a classic example of
eisegesis, taking your personal opinion to Scripture and trying to force (The
Bible word is “Wrest”) Scripture to agree.
Joeho
In
my “Journey,” I’ve encountered a number of quite sincere people who thought
they could submit to baptism but then refused to submit to and serve their
church. Every single person who chose the “I can do it alone” path ended up in
one of two train wrecks. 1) They became prey to a smooth-talking false teacher.
2) They became prey to their own imaginations. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 addresses
this problem. It is the gospel warfare to confront and cast down imaginations,
not idolize them. Warfare is never about one isolated soldier fighting a whole
war by himself. It is about a well-trained army following the directions of its
commander against the adversary. Only one war was ever fought by one lone
“Soldier.” That war was fought by Jesus and won. The lone soldier who chooses
his own strategy and tries to fight alone always becomes a quick and easy
casualty to the adversary. Always.
Shaneh
Joeho:
Samson fought alone.
Dansa
Shaneh
- Did Samson end up "prey to [his] own imaginations"?
Sunnybon
Acts
11:26 “And
when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a
whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.
And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” by this we know a
Christian is a disciple of Christ the head of His Church. There are those who
claim to be Christians but are not willing to be disciples ie follow Christ
commandments.
