tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720667399850486453.post7192173227460802305..comments2023-09-01T02:14:00.642-07:00Comments on This Is My Body: THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHKeith Gileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00328300571647154699noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720667399850486453.post-50876272565914822222012-08-08T18:45:21.033-07:002012-08-08T18:45:21.033-07:00PART 2 of 2
I use these examples as they wouldn’t...PART 2 of 2<br /><br />I use these examples as they wouldn’t then fit in your description of what a true New Testament church is, yet God is using them to be making new disciples, helping the poor and needy in massive ways. <br /><br />So my heart was melted seeing these things in churches who have paid staffs and buildings and all and I made a shift in my thinking to where God can use all kinds of churches. House churches, organic churches, medium sixed ones, mega-churches, paid staff or non-paid staff. If people are coming to a saving faith in Jesus and we see growth as disciples, and people understanding they are the church, they don’t go to the church and the poor are being helped and justice matters to the Christians of the church – then what a great thing! <br /><br />The bigger questions are whether a church is seeing new disciples made, people who weren’t Christians putting faith in Jesus, are their regular baptisms of new believers happening (as you surely see this in the book of Acts). I know there are churches with paid staffs who you don’t see these things happening but there are also house churches where you don’t see new life, multiplication, new believers putting faith in Jesus etc. either. If we take a literalist approach to "The New Testament church didn't..." then we can be like certain Church of Christ churches who refuse to use musical instruments because there was none mentioned in the New Testament that church used. or we should all be greeting each other with holy kisses (literal kisses not just handshakes or hugs) when we meet as churches as that was prescribed by Paul as a practice the church should do when they meet. <br /><br />Anyway, would love to hear your thoughts on this – but then, maybe we shouldn’t be using a blog to discuss and share ideas, as the New Testament church did not use it but instead met in person and the Holy Spirit didn’t use computers and technology in the church then so we perhaps shouldn’t today (ha ha…… ☺ ) <br /><br />Thanks Keith!! Again, I respect your thoughts and heart or I wouldn’t be asking here!Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13374668750597943537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720667399850486453.post-91556749205841612452012-08-08T18:41:27.774-07:002012-08-08T18:41:27.774-07:00Hi Keith!
PART 1 of 2
I always love reaching you...Hi Keith!<br /><br />PART 1 of 2<br /><br />I always love reaching your thoughts and I am someone who couldn’t resonate with you more with the urgent need for Christians to understand they can’t “go to church” but they are the church. <br /><br />If it is OK, I would respectfully like to raise up some questions to you, regarding this post here. What am I wondering about, is if in the passion to see people experience “church” biblically we can become literalists in how we then express the church in local contexts. <br /><br />What I mean by that, is when you make statements about “the New Testament church did not… “ and then list things, could you then make statements like:<br /><br />The New Testament church did not use running water piped in for their kitchens and rest rooms to make disciples. We should then not use running water or pipes in our homes. <br /><br />The New Testament church did not spend money on cell phones, computers or internet. So we should then avoid using these mediums of communication to make disciples, and instead give that money we spend on technology all to the poor also. <br /><br />The New Testament greeted each other with a holy kiss when they met. If we aren’t literally doing that in our gatherings, then we are not making disciples the way the New Testament church did. <br /><br />Now, I am overly exaggerating and joking here – but I wonder if the approach you are taking moves into ecclesiastical literalism? And then we restrict forms and ways of making disciples that may shift through cultures and times and dismiss anything that isn’t “New Testament”. <br /><br />I think some of this I understand, as I went through a deconstruction time period of church and felt much like you are writing about here. But then I began wondering if it was really accurate what I was thinking. I was at a church’s Sunday gathering in Sacramento who have thousands as part of the church and paid staff and all the rest – but the Sunday I was there I watched them announce how they raised over $100,000 to help fund a hospital for those in need in a war-torn part of Africa. I think of how many house church offerings would it take to build a hospital and time needed where one single church can then help build almost an entire hospital from one offering on a Sunday. Not that the offering a house church is any less valid, but when masses are rallied towards something like this then the impact is large tangibly in a fast way. Or another church with paid staff who raised money to buy an apartment complex which was then used to house homeless mom’s and their children and they were staffing it with people to help educate and train the mom’s to be able to get jobs and back on their feet. <br /><br />Also know a who baptized 200 people on a Sunday and these were mainly younger people who were not Christian and now following Jesus as disciples not just “converts” as they teach and train them in Scripture and that they are the church, not just go to church etc.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13374668750597943537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5720667399850486453.post-54274590255824606562011-04-27T08:40:23.212-07:002011-04-27T08:40:23.212-07:00Keith, thank you for presenting how the how the Ne...Keith, thank you for presenting how the how the New Testament church is supposed to "function" in a way that the Lord originally ordained. Using the Old Testament references and tying them into the New Testament in showing how God always intended to build His church was great. <br />I have a great appreciation for what the Lord is doing in His church and your book is a great tool for those who want know more about the Body of Christ.<br />There is definately a voice on the hill declaring the truth and you are one of them.<br /><br />Thank you,<br /><br />StevenSteven O.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03792425900488235836noreply@blogger.com