The One Body of Christ

[whirlwind]

This thread is about the One Body of Christ.  It isn't to tear down denominations but some may understand it that way and if so...perhaps it better belongs in Controversial Topics. 

• 1 Corinthians 1:9-10 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
  
  Exodus 33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
  
  Psalm 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

His church is "a group of called out ones," called out of the world to be by Him and those called stand upon a Rock. They are not under any banner or denomination but His! We stand not upon any rock but upon The Rock. He feeds His church through His Word and His Spirit and we drink the same spiritual drink.....

• 1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Where Jesus said....

• Matthew 16:17-18 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Some see that as saying the church was built upon Peter but....there were two rocks standing there. One was Peter - thou art Peter/Petra - rock. It is shown in the masculine. The other Rock, the one the church is built upon is The Rock, shown in the feminine.  Christ said, "upon THIS Rock I will build My church." He is the "chief cornerstone" the church is built upon.

• Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

That sure foundation wasn't Peter. When Christ said, "this rock" the "this" was very emphatic and points to Himself as does....

• John 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, "Destroy THIS Temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
  
  6:57-58 As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever."

Christ didn't found His church, His called out ones, to walk away and let us flounder. He leads, guides and directs through His Spirit and through His written Word. He foretold us all things....have we read, do we read the Scriptures? For there we find Him and He isn't divided into a Catholic or Protestant. The body is One.

[Adullam]

This thread is about the One Body of Christ.  It isn't to tear down denominations but some may understand it that way and if so...perhaps it better belongs in Controversial Topics. 

• 1 Corinthians 1:9-10 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
  
  Exodus 33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
  
  Psalm 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

His church is "a group of called out ones," called out of the world to be by Him and those called stand upon a Rock. They are not under any banner or denomination but His! We stand not upon any rock but upon The Rock. He feeds His church through His Word and His Spirit and we drink the same spiritual drink.....

• 1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Where Jesus said....

• Matthew 16:17-18 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Some see that as saying the church was built upon Peter but....there were two rocks standing there. One was Peter - thou art Peter/Petra - rock. It is shown in the masculine. The other Rock, the one the church is built upon is The Rock, shown in the feminine.  Christ said, "upon THIS Rock I will build My church." He is the "chief cornerstone" the church is built upon.

• Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

That sure foundation wasn't Peter. When Christ said, "this rock" the "this" was very emphatic and points to Himself as does....

• John 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, "Destroy THIS Temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
  
  6:57-58 As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever."

Christ didn't found His church, His called out ones, to walk away and let us flounder. He leads, guides and directs through His Spirit and through His written Word. He foretold us all things....have we read, do we read the Scriptures? For there we find Him and He isn't divided into a Catholic or Protestant. The body is One.

Amen. Our allegiance to Christ makes no provision to be divided over anything concerning the kingdom. We are to be only divided from this world and the ways of the world.

[me2lord]

  

Thank you whirlwind that was very  nicely laid out and brought out the truth of they body of Christ.  We are many members in many different places in many different denom's and non-denom's and of all kinds of physical churches there are God's children, those who love one another, John 13:35 as Jesus says: unless we have loved one another we can not be his disciples...that has always been the qualifying element once we received the knowledge.

Thanks you again  I enjoyed this very much..hope you'll post more for others to read and be enlightened.

In Christ's love
Vickie

[Adullam]

Denominations are divisions in the church. These divide over doctrine, leadership etc...

Discipleship is not the conforming to patterns we see on the earth. Disciples need to obey Christ and not follow the norms that men uphold. Come out of her and be separate!  Seems simple enough!

[Adullam]

It is rather disconcerting that the outcasts of Israel (the church) come from a broken relationship with God. There is no corporate identity. Christians who are Gentiles seem to understand salvation as a personal thing. Every man for himself. This of course is the opposite of the reality of the kingdom.

The Jewish understanding of redemption and salvation is from a national viewpoint. This is closer to the truth. It is not a "me," but a "we"!

Consider this, What army will conquer through self-preservation?

One needs a corporate viewpoint in order to lay down one's life for another. Paul said he would be willing to be damned if his brethren could be swayed over to the truth.

So the greatest challenge for we Gentiles in the church is to abandon the personal salvation stance and look to being members of One Body. Together. Salvation is corporate. We are not saved to have personal freedom of choice and the pursuit of our own happiness. The kingdom of God is NOT a democracy. We have been in a democracy for too long methinjs. It colours our perspective of God.

Anyone who seeks to save his life will lose it regardless. Gentiles do not understand this. Gentiles believe that Jesus died personally for individuals..."for ME" ...not for "all who would believe and obey."

We are far too precious in our own eyes!

[me2lord]

Denominations are divisions in the church. These divide over doctrine, leadership etc...

Discipleship is not the conforming to patterns we see on the earth. Disciples need to obey Christ and not follow the norms that men uphold. Come out of her and be separate!  Seems simple enough!

Amen Amen Amen!  it is true, the churches doctrines divide the body of Christ and this is just wrong wrong wrong wrong...

We  have to find a way to find love with those who believe different doctrines in Christ like me and most of you here...our understanding in the love of Christ we are all the same knowledge of, but the churches who have taught for the most part some keeping the Sabbath, some Sunday and such things like these that have made the brotherhood of believer fight and that just is right...loving the family and not contingencies of who is right in the Sabbath or Sunday and such things like this...we have to over come this wrong teaching in both Sunday and Sabbath keeping churches...because even Paul said in  Colossians


Col 2:16  Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink,  (some pork, other no pork, some veggies only etc) or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.   These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality however is in CHRIST.

So those who still keep the Sabbath in Christ are not any  less the Lord's people than those who keep Sunday or Monday or everyday to the Lord.. They are all honoring the Lord in worship as they are taught in these doctrines...but they are also walking in the Love of Christ and we who are Sunday keepers must walk with them too  in the Love of Christ.   That is what we are all called to do..love the many parts of the body..

yes, it is a challenge but it is possible and with the holy  spirit we can do it..

Thank you for this topic as it has been very uplifting..

In Christ's love
Vickie