Do you belong to "the [true] Church" (1 Tim 3:15)?, if so, how do you prove it?

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Ernest T. Bass

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Do you belong to "the [true] Church" (1 Tim 3:15)?, if so, how do you prove it?

This is the theme for this Thread.

For instance, I personally, would begin with the scriptures (KJB) and attempt to identify the true church from clear descriptions given about it, and see whether that which I belonged to was a match for what was written in biblical description.


What are the clear identifying marks of the true church as they are found in scripture?

In Ephesians 4:4-6 Paul gives 7 "ones" that make up the very foundation of Christianity and two of those 'ones' are "one faith" and "one body". Therefore the idea of denominationalism comes from man, not God. This 'one faith" is truth (John 17:17) so it never contradicts itself.

Luke 8:11 the word of God is called a seed. Therefore wherever, whenever this seed is planted the one church (that began in Acts 2) will spring up from that seed and nothing but that one church will spring up from that seed.

From the word of God, identifying marks of that one, true church:
--it is brought together on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2) to takes the Lord's Supper and give of their means to the Lord.
--has congregational singing and sang acapella, no choirs (Ephesians 5:18-19)
--teaches one has to believe (John 3:16) repent (Luke 13:3) confess (Matthew 10:32-33) be baptized (Mark 16:16) in order to be saved.
--teaches marriage was between one man and one woman (1 Corinthians 7:2), fornication only reason for divorce (Matthew 19:9)
--gives men authority within the church (1 Timothy 2:9-15)
--a plurality of men who are married as elders/bishops (1 Timothy 3:2-5)
--does not baptize infants, does not teach original sin, does not give title to ministers as "reverend", does not possess miraculous signs which ceased back at the end of the first century...no tongue speaking, no prophets.
--condemns social drinking and drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18; 1 Peter 4:3)
--does not observe pagan holidays (Christmas, Easter) as "Christian" holidays.
--does not have a earthly headquarters but has Christ as its only Head who rules over this kingdom/church from heaven. Has no clergy and laity (all are one in Christ, Galatians 3:28). The structure of this one church does not have a pyramid type structure with all the power at the top but has individual autonomous congregations, each with its own eldership where no sister congregation has no say so in the affairs of other sisters congregations.
--the Bible is its sole, final authority on matters of doctrines, worship, practices. (2 Timothy 3:16)
 
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justbyfaith

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--does not baptize infants, does not teach original sin, does not give title to ministers as "reverend", does not possess miraculous signs which ceased back at the end of the first century...no tongue speaking, no prophets.

Heb 13:8, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

1Co 14:27, If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
1Co 14:28, But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
1Co 14:29, Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
1Co 14:30, If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
1Co 14:31, For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
1Co 14:32, And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

Surely, this word is not for us today.

1Co 14:39, Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.

1Th 5:19, Quench not the Spirit.
1Th 5:20, Despise not prophesyings.
1Th 5:21, Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
 

ReChoired

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Heb 13:8, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. ...
Yes indeed:

Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Luk 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
Luk 4:15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
Luk 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
Luk 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Luk 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Luk 4:21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Isa 66:23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
 

justbyfaith

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Col 2:13, And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Col 2:14, Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Col 2:15, And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Col 2:16, Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17, Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.


Hebrews 4 shows us clearly that Jesus is our new sabbath rest. As it is written:

Mat 11:28, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30, For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The handwriting of ordinances that was against us (the law) has been nailed to the Cross; even blotted out and taken out of the way.

It no longer condemns us from the outside, as written on tablets of stone, (Romans 6:14, Romans 7:4, Galatians 2:19, Romans 7:6).

However, it does govern us from the inside (Hebrews 8:8-10, Hebrews 10:16), as written on fleshy tables of human hearts.

This is accomplished through what the scriptures reveal in Romans 8:14, Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 3:21, Romans 8:4.
 
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mjrhealth

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@justbyfaith

2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Rom_8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

and there those in Christ will remain
 

Marymog

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Perhaps the CHRISTIAN church should focus only on the teaching of Jesus Christ?

Hopefully that would rule out the cults.
Ummmm....I don't see an answer to my question and your response leads me to further questions but I think to ask them would be a waste of our time.

Thank you...Mary
 

Marymog

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Would ask, is little ol' Mary a man?
Sooo you have taken the word "men" in my sentence to equate that to me being a man?

Here is a lesson for you from the dictionary: a member of the species Homo sapiens or all the members of this species collectively, without regard to sex; the human individual as representing the species, without reference to sex; the human race; humankind.

Mary
 

Marymog

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Hi provocative Mary

I know you are provocative. You ignore all that I said in a post and center on something you can stir the pot with. If you want to instruct all in what you believe apostasy is and who determines, by all means do so.

To define apostasy you must know the Truth. Hence you may struggle here. That Truth is found in the Bible. Those who have made claim to believe that Truth, and then turn away from that Truth, are apostate.

Stranger
Who decides who has turned away from that Truth and is an apostate?

Curious Mary
 

Ernest T. Bass

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Heb 13:8, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

1Co 14:27, If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
1Co 14:28, But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
1Co 14:29, Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
1Co 14:30, If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
1Co 14:31, For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
1Co 14:32, And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

Surely, this word is not for us today.

1Co 14:39, Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.

1Th 5:19, Quench not the Spirit.
1Th 5:20, Despise not prophesyings.
1Th 5:21, Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
The fact Christ is the same yesterday, ,today and forever does not in anyway mean miracles were to last yesterday and today. The OT law did not last till today, it was taken out of the way and replaced with the NT gospel. Miracles were for a specific purpose and time, that being to bring about the inspired, complete, perfect NT canon of scripture and for confirmation of that NT which all took place by the end of the first century. Hence miracles served their purpose and ceased, vanished away as Paul said they would, 1 Cor 13, Eph 4.

People today can read about the miracles that occurred in the Bible and believe them....."And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." John wrote down some of the miracles Christ performed some 2000 years ago. The verb "are written" is perfect tense which denotes an action in the past that has an continuing effect. Therefore John wrote those miracles down that were performed in the past whereby those miracles still have a continuing effect to induce a belief in people who read about them today. The idea miracles are needed today undermines the reason John wrote them down.

"Ecstatic utterances" was not among the first century miracles, they spoke in known earthly languages.
 

justbyfaith

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@Ernest T. Bass,

I have seen legitimate miracles of healing that have been legitimate and of the Lord; so no, they did not cease at the closing of the canon of scripture.

As for ecstatic utterances, if you know your Bible you will be able to point out the places where it speaks of people speaking in the tongues of angels. Such tongues are not earthly languages known to men.
 

mjrhealth

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Who does Jesus tell who the apostates are?

Curious Mary

Mat 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Mat 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world

and than it will be too late.
 
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Marymog

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see @mjrhealth's answer in post #237.
Ok....that was when He was alive. Who does Jesus tell now, 2,000 years later?

According to your Protestant beliefs He told the reformers that the men of the Catholic Church were apostates. Reformers of the Reformation believed that the Reformers were apostate.

Can you see how your and @mjrhealth statements make ZERO sense.
 

justbyfaith

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Here is a lesson for you from the dictionary:
Seems like Catholics are always trying to teach you a lesson.

Rom 2:21, Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?