Houses Churches ? Safer ?

[Woody]

The latest Ministry Magazine ... April 2008 has a great article on NT House Churches ... A model for todays complex world.

It brings me to ask ... Are our churches still safe? OR Do we need to start House Churches?

Ellen White said this about the churches ...

Quote:

"Satan has taken full possession of the churches as a body." EW 273

[Gail]

What is the context of this quote? Which churches is she referring to?

[fccool]

Part of the misconception is where the origin of the word "church" comes. Some people confuse churches with buildings... synagogues and etc. Synagogues were not churches (literaly means "of the lord)), neither a building can be called a church. In fact, the word church is found only twice in the original Greek and it is in relation to the Last Supper. The word that is translated as "church" in KJV is "ekklesia". The proper translation is the assembly, and is is translated as such in Acts 19 (verses 32, 39, 41), as translators did not use the word "church" in these verses. In two instances it has reference to an unlawful mob and in the other to a legal assembly. The word "assembly" is used as the translation of the word "ekklesia" in these three cases. In each case it is referred to a different entity that has nothing to do with the "the church" that we think of today. In fact, any gathering of any kind, and by anyone, was called ekklesia.

Today we refer to the church as an organization or a building. But it was not the meaning of the "ekklesia". The only translation that dares to make that obvious is Young's literal translation.

So what are implications of this? First of all it really clears up that the "assembly" that all of the NT writers speak of is not a physical building or even organization that has an earthly president. The first time we see the word church ever in NT is in Matthew 16:18, where Jesus is speaking to Peter and he says these famous words that Catholics like to apply to themselves:

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And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church (ekklesia); and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

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Now substitute "church" with it's proper meaning of "gathering" or "congregation", and things will begin to make sense. Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them". That's a church right there in that verse. It's pretty simple... a gathering, a congregation, or an assembly of believers. It's not a brick building or organization with offices. The word "pastor" is used only once in the NT and not in regards to any office (Ephesians 4:11). It is used in conjunction with "teacher". You can't find ordination anywhere in the Bible. Bible does not teach that the church is divided into "ordained men" ("clergy") and "lay (low) members". So with the above stated in mind finally the following verses begin to make sense:

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

It is one of the best and most beautiful verses that make it crystal clear. The "church" or the "gathering" that is talked about here is not the local gathering or assembly. It is not a denomination. It is the collective body of the believers in Christ. It was a Satan's deception to build up a hierarchy and the "laymen" ( love that word ), because it is much easier way to deceive people who never question hierarchy. So we have thousands of hierarchies today of people who follow their human leaders to hell. So we play our little organizational game, and the message gets lost in the middle somewhere as we have creeds and faith statements that are enforced on the congregation for them to be considered the members of the church. We have an "elite" group of "clerics" and the lay (comes from word "low") people.

So, we tend to think in in terms of Groups think. We attach ourselves to a group and we adhere to all of their believes. It's all or nothing in many churches. BUT, you have to ask yourself... WHAT DO I BELIEVE? and you have to ask it frequently. Because, if you don't know what you believe and you have to run to a creed, or statement of faith, or 28 belief statements to find out what YOU believe... you need to re-examine your life . Salvation is not a group think thing, it's an individual decision. We may encourage each other, and motivate each other, and strengthen each other through fellowship, BUT in the end I can do nothing to decide anything for you. And this decision has nothing to do with being Baptized into a "church". We are never Baptized into a denominational "church". You can't find that concept anywhere in the Bible. You are baptized into a body. You become one of the bricks in the church.

So, to make things straight... Ephesians 1:21-22 we find out what this one body is, "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church (the gathering), which is His body."

There are no multiple "body-churches"... Ephesians 4:4-6 "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

Ephesians 5:23, "Christ is the head of the church, and he is the savior of the body."... not the pastor or a president.

Psalms 127:1 "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it."... if humans are trying to build up a "church-denomination" here on Earth, they labor in vain.

How many "churches" are there Biblically? One! . Other think that they are, but are not... and I'm not talking about congregations here.

When we hear... come out of her my people... it's not talking about "the church"... it is talking about organizational structure that goes against principles of God. Now, I'm not saying that God is against organization, but it does not mean that he sets it up that way in the Bible and commands us to follow organizational principles to be saved. There are no such commands in Bible. You can have Bible study in your living room on Sabbath and break bread and still be a saved Christian. That's the original assemblies that KJV translates as "churches". There are simply no commands to join an organizational church which dictates membership rules. NONE . Only God can make you a member or to revoke your membership from His Body. That's why many preachers choose to call SDA organization as a movement and not a "church". And I certainly see it as such. It is not "the true" church . It is a church consist of people who want to know the truth no matter how hard and unbelievable it is. And at times it is unbelievable. Just because one keeps the Sabbath... does not make one a part of the remnant. There are 10 commandments, and all are equally important, and there are things that go beyond these as Paul describes them:

2But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness ,gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

So, it's more than merely keeping the 10 commandments. We make Sabbath the huge deal, but if we lie, talk behind people's backs, spread false rumors... and etc... Sabbath is of no purpose other than a ceremony to try to earn something. Pharasies kept the law flawlessly, and yet Christ called them vipers and accused them of leading people to hell.

So why all of the above? Because I think that "us" and "them" talk does not help us at all. It makes one believe that you have to do #1 #2 #3 to be saved and avoid the Babylon. It is quite obvious that it's much more than that. You can be a member of the SDA church and be a part of the Babylon. In that regards all of the "churches" have a fallen element, because people seek salvation through a church and religious observances instead of looking to the true source. I hope that answers your question.