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Terms |
Local Church Ecclesiology |
Universal Church Ecclesiology |
One Body/Many Assemblies Ecclesiology |
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The Church |
Every local covenanted assembly with its saved, baptized membership is “The Church” in a particular location. |
The whole family of God from Pentecost which may be organized into local branches and/or denominations. |
Is the one body of Christ when specified as such in the Bible. Usually, in the Bible the term is applied to a local assembly. |
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The One Body |
Each local scriptural assembly is one body whether made up of Jews, Gentiles or both. (1 Corinthians 12:13) Or followers of Calvin or Wesley or Scofield or Darby. (1 Corinthians 1:12-13) |
The spiritual unity of all believers in Christ. |
The spiritual unity of all believers in Christ. |
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One Baptism (Ephesians 4:5) |
The one common baptism by which saved persons are baptized into the local body of Christ, the local Church, which is performed by the Holy Spirit at the same time as the church-appointed administrator baptizes the person in water. (Not baptism IN the Holy Spirit.) |
All believers are baptized by the Holy Spirit into one spiritual universal church when one accepts Christ as their savior through faith. At the same time, they are baptized by Christ in the Holy Spirit, and they are indwelt with the Holy Spirit, sealed, and regenerated. The one baptism spoken of is not in water. |
All believers in Christ were baptized in the Holy Spirit into the unique body of Christ when Jesus baptized the church in Jerusalem in the Holy Spirit, not when they accept Christ as their savior through faith. (1 Corinthians 12:13) To fulfill the goal that things done in the heavenly are similarly done on earth, every believer should become joined to a visible local assembly by baptism in water. (Matthew 6:10; It has been given to the church to bind things on earth that shall have been bound in heaven. (Matthew 16:19) We as the local assembly are given the task of aligning things on earth with things that happen in heaven. Baptism in water on earth is a confession of the spiritual baptism that has already been accomplished in Heaven. (1 Corinthians 10:1-2) |
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Baptism in/with the Holy Spirit |
This is the act which empowered the local church at Jerusalem in Acts 1, which was never repeated individually or corporately. It enabled the church at Jerusalem to multiply churches, and fulfill the great commission in all the world. |
A special anointing of the Holy Spirit given for power in service either at the point of salvation. (Or as some charismatics say, as a subsequent experience.) |
The spiritual, heavenly baptism that happened on Pentecost that we join into at salvation, by which we are joined to the one body of Christ. (Acts 1:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:13) |
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Water Baptism |
The God-ordained method of adding regenerated individuals into the body of Christ and joining them into His death and into His covenant blessings. It is the New Covenant sign of membership in the Lord’s church. (Rom 6:3) |
An optional, irrelevant performance showing the gospel (death, burial, and resurrection of Christ), which could be taken as a desire for the individual to become a disciple. |
The earthly fulfillment of the heavenly baptism that joins an individual to a local assembly, fulfilling all righteousness. (Matthew 3:15) |
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The Local Church |
The God-ordained mission organization to take the gospel to the world. It holds the keys to the Kingdom, or covenant promises. It is the New Covenant nation. |
Any gathering of two or more believers meeting in Christ’s name. You could do church in your car on a trip if you have two believers. |
The God-ordained mission organization to take the gospel to the world. It holds the keys to the Kingdom, or covenant promises. It is the New Covenant nation. |
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The Lord’s Supper |
The God-ordained New Covenant meal celebrated by a Local Church membership entered by the New Covenant sign of baptism. |
Celebrates the New Covenant, restricted to believers in Christ who are not under discipline. |
The God-ordained New Covenant meal celebrated by a Local Church membership entered by the New Covenant sign of baptism. |
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How saved |
By grace through faith in Christ alone |
By grace through faith in Christ alone |
By grace through faith in Christ alone |
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How presented blameless |
Kept in His body by continuing in the faith received. If we forsake the faith, we are removed from the Local Assembly and are not presented in His body. (Col 1:23) |
We cannot be removed from the universal church because that would be like losing our salvation. |
We cannot be removed from the one body of Christ because that would be like losing our salvation. But we can be excluded from the bride and the Kingdom. We are kept in His future bride by continuing in the faith received. If we forsake the faith, we are removed from the Local Assembly and are not presented in His body. (Col 1:23) (Maybe there will be the bride body and the Christ’s body in the Kingdom.) |
January 24, 2009