Is church attendance required or even essential?

[Guest]

Free men join together in common agreement, not a contract and not a submission to authority for therein is the root of slavery and mindless deception.

This last statement goes strongly against scripture. There are two sides of authority in scripture, one side of authority is over us and the other side is our authority over others. Is it both sides you balk against or just one, the authority over you?

 

Your argument went well until you got to this point and then you went off the rails.  Either we are under the authority of the church or we are not.  Your summary begins by saying we ARE under authority and then says we are NOT to blindly follow what anyone tells us?   Which is it? 

 

 

One

 

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 1 Corinthians 6:19 (ESV)

 

Church

 

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV)

 

One Authority

 

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

 

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

 

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

 

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;

 

one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

 

one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-6 (NIV)

 

No Protestant Papas, Nor Orthodox Papas, Nor Islamic Papas, Nor Buddha Papas, Nor....

 

But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

 

And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

 

Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

 

But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Matthew 23:8-11 (KJV)

 

Just Humble Servants Pointing To Jesus, The Hebrew Messiah

 

Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18 (NLT)

 

And To The Faith Building Truth Of God's Priceless Word

 

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 (NASB)

 

And To His Blood

 

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

 

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1 Peter 1:18-19

 

So, What's The Beef?

 

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

 

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

 

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

 

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

 

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 2 Timothy 4:1-5 (KJV)

 

~

 

Be Blessed Beloved Of The KING

 

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

 

And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. Numbers 6:24-27

 

Love, Your Brother Joe

 

~

 

Book

 

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. Psalms 119:160

 

Check

 

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalms 119:11

 

The Bible  contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers.

 

Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions immutable.

 

Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy.

 

It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.

 

It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter.

 

Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed.

 

Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end.

 

It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet.

 

Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully.

 

It is a mine of wealth, a Paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure.

 

It is given to you in life, will be open in the judgment, and be remembered forever.

 

It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and condemns all who trifle with its holy precepts.

 

From The Front Of My Gideon New Testament

[rjp34652]

Where, in Onelight's comments, do you read anything about blindly following others??? 

 

It is obvious in the attitude of the text, in the body of the argument, and despite the inconsistency of its summation in its spirit as a whole.  

 

No quarter is given and no admission is allowed to the possibility that leadership and association with some church groups may in fact be spiritually treasonous to Christ as well as morally objectionable to its adherents.   In religious terms the attitude written here is "my church, right or wrong".  

 

Politically the attitude has led our country into war after unproductive war and spiritually it has led first to dilution of the gospel and in the present day immorality and social irresponsibility, not to mention disloyalty to the members of the communion of the saints.

 

It is my point of view that the time has long since arrived when those loyal to Christ must take a long hard look at their loyalty to the church and not confuse the two.  They are not the same thing.

 

and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...

[Fez]

This is a Ministry site and church bashing will not be tolerated. Choir lofts or not.