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I agree Cyber that we find Christ's church within other denominations, and in places outside of Sunday morning worship service.
For myself, it doesn't matter anymore where or who anyone spends their Sunday mornings worshipping with. What matters is that they project the love of Christ in their words, deeds and actions to all every day of the week.
Not so Miss Blue,
Paul wrote that we must separate ourselves from unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:17).
I don't believe the Scriptures teach that it is okay to worship with those who teach another gospel, or those who teach false doctrine. Paul says to let those who teach another gospel be anathema (Galatians 1:8).
We need to learn how to identify false teachers (through studying God's word), and we must separate from them. This does not mean that we should stop loving them or that we should stop trying to teach them. We never judge them, but we are to judge their doctrine and act accordingly.
As a baptist who used to attend a Church of Christ and who still sympathizes with their theology, I'd like to comment, based on my experience.
In my experience this his true, although I was never taught that salvation was achieved by baptism but rather salvation was given by God at baptism.
In my experience this is not true of the Church of Christ. The Church of Christ allowed me to join with their local congregation based upon my baptism from another church. However, as an aside, when I first joined the Baptist church I was required to be rebaptized because my baptism by immersion in a non-denominational church was not accepted by that local Baptist congregation (it was a Southern Baptist Church).
Again, I did not find this true in the Church of Christ but did find it true in a Southern Baptist congregation.
You must have found an odd SBC church. They don't believe Baptism saves you. You must be baptized to join their church but of the 100 + I have been in over my life I have never seen on that believed you were not saved unless you were baptized. Nor baptized by them. Every CoC I have encountered does believe just that. Unless of course that other church you mention was itself a CoC or at least one that taught you were saved at/during/through/in/by baptism.
Paul wrote that we must separate ourselves from unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:17).
I don't believe the Scriptures teach that it is okay to worship with those who teach another gospel, or those who teach false doctrine. Paul says to let those who teach another gospel be anathema (Galatians 1:8).
We need to learn how to identify false teachers (through studying God's word), and we must separate from them. This does not mean that we should stop loving them or that we should stop trying to teach them. We never judge them, but we are to judge their doctrine and act accordingly.
Blessings,
Katie
Katie, If I lived close to you and you invited me to church and I accepted your kind invitation because we are friends. I would feel and see Christ in some gathered there.
.
To return your nice invitation. Would you be my guest to a church I was attending some Sunday such as the Presbyterian, Methodist or one of the many different Baptist churches, Lutheran, Episcopalian?
Would you go?
Could you go with an open heart that there are members of His church within the walls of that building? You did agree somewhere the members of the cofc can be anywhere.
Would you be comfortable only hearing about what Jesus said, not "Paul said"? Would you join the communion if the "Lord's Supper" was offered?
I would not ask, beg, plead or bargain with you to join that particular denomination or non denominational church, just inviting you to one Sunday morning worship service as my friend and to return your kind invitation.
Maybe there are 2 or 3 or more gathered there in His name. Where does this put Him?
Katie, I have met and know women who see Christ within the people enclosed beyond the outside walls of other congregations,than their own cofc , but very few men, if any over the years.
I agree Cyber that we find Christ's church within other denominations, and in places outside of Sunday morning worship service.
For myself, it doesn't matter anymore where or who anyone spends their Sunday mornings worshipping with. What matters is that they project the love of Christ in their words, deeds and actions to all every day of the week.
Quote:
Originally Posted by katiemygirl
Not so Miss Blue,
Paul wrote that we must separate ourselves from unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:17).
I don't believe the Scriptures teach that it is okay to worship with those who teach another gospel, or those who teach false doctrine. Paul says to let those who teach another gospel be anathema (Galatians 1:8).
This is an unnecessary concern. We should be fellowshiping, witnessing and communing with the Lord . . . NOT presuming to teach anybody anything. We are under the New Covenant and need no one to teach us anything about God.
Hebrews 8:10-11 King James Version (KJV)
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
1 John 2:27 (King James Version)
27But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miss Blue
Katie, If I lived close to you and you invited me to church and I accepted your kind invitation because we are friends. I would feel and see Christ in some gathered there.
.
To return your nice invitation. Would you be my guest to a church I was attending some Sunday such as the Presbyterian, Methodist or one of the many different Baptist churches, Lutheran, Episcopalian?
Would you go?
Could you go with an open heart that there are members of His church within the walls of that building? You did agree somewhere the members of the cofc can be anywhere.
Would you be comfortable only hearing about what Jesus said, not "Paul said"? Would you join the communion if the "Lord's Supper" was offered?
I would not ask, beg, plead or bargain with you to join that particular denomination or non denominational church, just inviting you to one Sunday morning worship service as my friend and to return your kind invitation.
Maybe there are 2 or 3 or more gathered there in His name. Where does this put Him?
Katie, I have met and know women who see Christ within the people enclosed beyond the outside walls of other congregations,than their own cofc , but very few men, if any over the years.
This is testimony to the strength and power of the Holy Spirit within you, Miss Blue. You do not presume to teach . . . you witness to your understanding and wish only fellowship with others who gather together in Christ's name (wherever 3 or more) to commune with the Lord. That is the church of Christ. God Bless in Christ's love.
You must have found an odd SBC church. They don't believe Baptism saves you. You must be baptized to join their church but of the 100 + I have been in over my life I have never seen on that believed you were not saved unless you were baptized. Nor baptized by them. Every CoC I have encountered does believe just that. Unless of course that other church you mention was itself a CoC or at least one that taught you were saved at/during/through/in/by baptism.
It may very well have been a odd SBC church, because other SBC churches I've joined didn't require me to be rebaptized. Of course, I've been baptized in a baptist church now, because the first SBC church I joined wouldn't accept my immersion done in a non-denominational church. But whether it was an odd SBC church or not they did have over 800 in attendance every Sunday and over 1,200 on Easter Sunday.
It may very well have been a odd SBC church, because other SBC churches I've joined didn't require me to be rebaptized. Of course, I've been baptized in a baptist church now, because the first SBC church I joined wouldn't accept my immersion done in a non-denominational church. But whether it was an odd SBC church or not they did have over 800 in attendance every Sunday and over 1,200 on Easter Sunday.
But the Baptist church did not claim that Baptism was required for salvation was my point. While they may not recognize the baptism of a church they have major doctrinal differences with, I have never seen a Baptist church claim it was a requirement of salvation.
Perhaps if I knew more about this "non-denominational" church you say had baptized you I could explain why the Baptist church wanted you to be baptized for membership in their local assembly.
But the Baptist church did not claim that Baptism was required for salvation was my point. While they may not recognize the baptism of a church they have major doctrinal differences with, I have never seen a Baptist church claim it was a requirement of salvation.
You're right. The baptist church that wouldn't accept my immersion by a non-denominational church did assume that I was already saved. They didn't re-baptize me for salvation. They re-baptized me because I had never been baptized in a baptist church. It didn't have anything to do with the church I was baptized in. They didn't even ask me about that.
Quote:
Perhaps if I knew more about this "non-denominational" church you say had baptized you I could explain why the Baptist church wanted you to be baptized for membership in their local assembly.
It was very similar to a baptist church but didn't bear the name "baptist."
I just know what they teach and do. That's all I can go on.
So does the CoC have an open communion?
Yes the church of Christ groups I have worshiped with have open communion.
You said in your post to Great divide that a person must JOIN the SBC. How does one JOIN the Lord's chuch. The Lord adds to His church.
If you came to my congregation and said you were baptized in a SBC we would not tell you that you had to be baptized to join the church of Christ. If you chose to be rebaptized because you didn't believe you were baptized for the remission of your sins, we would accommodate you. But we would not treat you any differently than we would anyone else. If you told us that you were baptized for the purpose of a public testimony and not to have your sins washed away, we would show you what the Scriptures say. We would correct you, then it would be up to you to be rebaptized or not. But no one ever joins a church of Christ that I know of.
Katie, I will say one thing about your congregation and the one before it that you attended..They certainly seem to be huge exceptions to the many many many different groups under the name of cofc that I was either a "member" of or a visitor while away from my "home" church
.
There are 'Lists" of members and if they tithe they get a notice at the end of the year with the amount of money donated if they choose, for tax purposes.
There are lists of "members" that the preacher and elders and deacons refer to when preparing to visit the hospital on Sunday so that their "members" may take the "Lords Supper".
There are names added to another "list" when visitors sign the little visitor cards the back of the pews so the preacher, Elders or Deacons can make a call or visit to encourage them to " join" that particular cofc.
AFIK the only ones they do not encourage to be rebaptized for the remission of their sins are the cofc members who, for whatever reason came from another "real and only origional New testament Church based on what " Paul said"
Every cofc church I was in definitely "encouraged" people "joining" from any Baptist church whether Southern Baptist, Freewill, Primitive, Independant, etc. to consider rebaptism "the bible way for the remission of sins in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. And sadly, most members didn't consider the person saved because of his dragging his feet about being baptized. Other denominations especially the sprinklers definitely were told their baptism may not have "worked" People who were never baptized were coerced, shamed, preached to, all in friendly manner, of course that they "had " to be baptized if they desired to take part in "Lord's Supper"
Again, Katie, your congregation seems to be the exception to my nearly 50 years of being a "member". There may be other congregations like yours Katie, but I think they are few and far between.
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This is testimony to the strength and power of the Holy Spirit within you, Miss Blue. You do not presume to teach . . . you witness to your understanding and wish only fellowship with others who gather together in Christ's name (wherever 3 or more) to commune with the Lord. That is the church of Christ. God Bless in Christ's love.