tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080491.post6451065015397103003..comments2024-01-12T09:37:16.515-06:00Comments on paleoevangelical: Is Church Membership Biblical?Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07113808932788409800noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080491.post-6145614403348380582009-01-30T21:06:00.000-06:002009-01-30T21:06:00.000-06:00It's pretty obvious that 1 Corinthians 12 is speak...It's pretty obvious that 1 Corinthians 12 is speaking of strictly of a local church. The only way to find a "universal" church in this passage is to read it into the text...Jack Lambhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07327209995254633495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080491.post-73842007307000664432009-01-28T21:53:00.000-06:002009-01-28T21:53:00.000-06:00Coach C,That is just the point. You can't take onl...Coach C,<BR/><BR/>That is just the point. You can't take only part of what Paul said about being a member of Christ's body and throw out the rest. And, this is exactly what the church today does with the ideas of "local church membership" and "universal church membership".<BR/><BR/>-AlanAlan Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07452247058550736803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080491.post-33356393748937606412009-01-28T17:34:00.000-06:002009-01-28T17:34:00.000-06:00I could be wrong, but is Alan focusing on "univers...I could be wrong, but is Alan focusing on "universal church membership" and Ben is talking about "local church membership"?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080491.post-88197896932352632932009-01-28T16:47:00.000-06:002009-01-28T16:47:00.000-06:00Ben,I thought that I did explain. The church often...Ben,<BR/><BR/>I thought that I did explain. The church often accepts Paul's use of the term "member", but rejects how Paul says we become "members". (1 Cor 12:13) I think, if we were to study all of the passages where Paul talks about us as "members" of Christ's "body", we'll find very little in common with the modern concept of "church membership".<BR/><BR/>-AlanAlan Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07452247058550736803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080491.post-61802966846024188532009-01-28T08:52:00.000-06:002009-01-28T08:52:00.000-06:00Don,Greg thinks you are a very wise man. He told m...Don,<BR/><BR/>Greg thinks you are a very wise man. He told me so himself.<BR/><BR/>Alan,<BR/><BR/>It might be helpful if you explained the difference between your understanding of the term and how the Church hijacks it.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03665765739805841971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080491.post-55283546386897424382009-01-27T15:14:00.000-06:002009-01-27T15:14:00.000-06:00Hi BenI tried to make a comment on this just as so...Hi Ben<BR/><BR/>I tried to make a comment on this just as soon as you put it out but blogger ate it somehow and I couldn't get back to it till now. Too bad, because it was a Joel-like "round-the-campfire-marshmallow-roasting" type post. Don't know if I can manage two of those in one day...<BR/><BR/>Anyway, just wanted to comment that I have appreciated a good deal of Greg's thinking on this over at 9marks. I follow the RSS feed and read pretty much everything that goes on there. While we have differences in other areas, I think these fellows are right on here, and especially Greg seems to consistently post good material.<BR/><BR/>So there you have it - just wanted to give you a 'non-adversarial' type of post. There are plenty more of the other kind lurking in the wings!<BR/><BR/>Maranatha!<BR/>Don Johnson<BR/>Jer 33.3Don Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03332212749734904541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080491.post-92088327374114441672009-01-27T14:57:00.000-06:002009-01-27T14:57:00.000-06:00Perhaps the problem, as you've stated, is our mode...Perhaps the problem, as you've stated, is our modern (mis)appropriation of the word. In today's context, a member is someone who has certain 'rights' within an organization, all of which are given because he/she pays dues to the organization. However, in the Bible's understanding of membership, it is given by God and generates results in the member (i.e. spiritual gifts and good works). <BR/><BR/>Basically, we look at the church as a country club, and so the idea of a church member is one that is associated with the latter and not with Paul's admonition to the Corinthians.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7080491.post-20893587674118906802009-01-27T14:47:00.000-06:002009-01-27T14:47:00.000-06:00I like your reasoning, as long as you continue to ...I like your reasoning, as long as you continue to use Paul's statement about "members" to determine who is a "member" of the church:<BR/><BR/>For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks, slaves or free - and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV)<BR/><BR/>The problem is not with the use of the word "member" in the New Testament. The problem is that the church hijacks this term and uses it in a different way when talking about "church membership".<BR/><BR/>-AlanAlan Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07452247058550736803noreply@blogger.com