Did Jesus say that we are supposed to attend church?

[An Apologetic Sheepdog]

YOU have decided that I am in a mire. There are 1.2 billion Catholics in the world and millions of Protestants that agree with some Catholic teachings. You are in the minority with your teachings. Does that concern you?

Not in the slightest. Jesus and the Apostles were in the minority both with the masses and the "church" in their day. The saved are in the minority in the end age against the same.

Maybe that should concern you?

Just a friendly thought ( seriously, one I ask you to consider)

 

[farouk]

Jesus is a quoted using the word "ekklesia" three times in Matthew: "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." Matthew 16:18; "If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector." Matthew 18:17.

Ekklesia literally means one's called out. If Jesus spoke Greek (which is likely), then Jesus would have known that He was literally speaking of those that are the called out born again believers.

We see from further scripture in Paul's letters that the ekklesia do indeed meet, and the ekklesia are formed in various places. Paul also calls for management and oversight of the ekklesia, in an attempt that all learn together from elders and preachers.

Whereas Paul was taught and instructed by Jesus and was guided by the Lord in all that he did, Paul's exhortation to not firesake assembling together must be viewed as instruction received by Jesus.

@LTJMP14 Acts 2.42 is a great verse reminding us of the need for ongoing activities with other Christians...

 

[Marymog]

Not in the slightest. Jesus and the Apostles were in the minority both with the masses and the "church" in their day. The saved are in the minority in the end age against the same.

Maybe that should concern you?

Just a friendly thought ( seriously, one I ask you to consider)

I have seriously considered it AND I appreciate your kinder tone

Of course Jesus and the Apostles were in the minority of the general population. It was a new teaching that no one had ever heard so they were starting with 12 and increasing the numbers of converts. In time people started believing what was being taught and The Church grew. Your "Jesus and the Apostles were in the minority" statement is factual but not logical.

Jesus and the Apostles were the authority of The Church and they taught what all Christians were to believe. When Christians (whether it was the minority or majority we don't know) started disagreeing with them they made a decision that was binding upon ALL Christians IN THE WORLD (Acts 15). It didn't matter if the Apostles were in the minority on that subject. An Apostle (Peter in Acts 5) caught Ananias and Sapphria lying to the Holy Spirit and when he spoke with authority they fell dead. The Apostles were given the power to bind/loose on earth what is bound and loosened in heaven. They had authority over the minority that disagreed with them. Anyone that disagreed with them (taught different doctrines) was a false teacher. You reject the authority of the Church leaders who are worthy of double honor and are in charge of your soul (that's in scripture btw). Sooooo I am not concerned one little bit about being in the majority. However, you should be concerned since you reject the teachings of Scripture and The Church that speaks with authority. YOU don't speak with authority. You recognize yourself as the pillar and foundation of truth. I follow Scripture and recognize The Church as the pillar and foundation of truth who has the authority to decide who is to be treated as a pagan or tax collector(that also is in Scripture btw).

Mary

 

[An Apologetic Sheepdog]

YOU don't speak with authority

With all due respect, you have not seen me in the real world situations I have been assigned. I assure you I speak with the full authority when I am commissioned to deal with it.

And I know the difference and on the Authority I speak but given the nature of that testimony, I'll have to keep it sealed because it would cause more problems than it would solve.

You reject the authority of the Church leaders who are worthy of double honor and are in charge of your soul (that's in scripture btw).

That's one of the reasons I "know better" because I have had t deal with too many of them but I will defer that point to you because of what it would take to prove it otherwise so I acquiesce

 

[amadeus]

Hey taken,

That is true. Criticism of The Church can go deeper than the reason that the Catholic Church, and Protestant Churches, chained bibles to the pulpit. But the same criticism you have of The Catholic Church can also be made of ALL denominations. But I get it, I get it. You have a hatred of the Catholic Church even though all Churches do the same thing so spare me your criticisms and lets stick to the subject at hand: Churches (Protestant and Catholic) chained the Bible to the pulpit because they were so expensive and desired. Weird thing is.....The Catholic Church gets chastised for chaining the Bible but the Protestant churches get a pass by you Protestants. How sad...

Just to keep us honest, I know of one non-Catholic Christian church in the 1950's where the pastor waited until all of the regular members were seated inside and then he had the ushers padlock the doors to stop people from leaving before he dismissed them. People do wander don't they...? Let us protect the Bibles... and the people!

 

[Taken]

Oh goodness.....you have lost track of the conversation.

Your theory is that each individual person can read Scripture and decide for themselves how it applies to them because they know themselves better than anyone else knows them.

This is painful....

Pick any scirpture for example, that you do not know IF it applies to you.

And who do you Ask IF it applies to you?

 

[amigo de christo]

The opposite of hate is love. Since you don't love what The Church teaches then that means you hate it.

Perhaps chastise isn't the right word for your pointing out that The Church was chaining bibles. When you said that criticism of The Church goes deeper than the "...Catholic churches simply chaining Bibles." you didn't say the same about the Protestant churches that chained the bible. You like to point out what YOU believe The Church did wrong but you didn't point out that Protestant churches did the same. That is being dishonest...so I would like to change my accusation of you from chastising to being dishonest.

I do hate what the popes and this pope francis teach . hate every evil way .
While i do not desire their death , I WONT BE SITTING UNDER THAT . I will , HOWEVER by GRACE , be warning against that place
just as i have warned against the false in every denomination .
Who will protect the lambs , BY grace i will and so will others . Let none enter into convenant with the RCC
or any other church that teaches false hoods

 

[Marymog]

I do hate what the popes and this pope francis teach . hate every evil way .
While i do not desire their death , I WONT BE SITTING UNDER THAT . I will , HOWEVER by GRACE , be warning against that place
just as i have warned against the false in every denomination .
Who will protect the lambs , BY grace i will and so will others . Let none enter into convenant with the RCC
or any other church that teaches false hoods

Hi,

Do you hate what others teach...or just what the pope (The Church) teaches?

Curious Mary

 

[Marymog]

Pick any scirpture for example, that you do not know IF it applies to you.

And who do you Ask IF it applies to you?

This is VERY painful...Have I not made that clear enough?

 

[Marymog]

With all due respect, you have not seen me in the real world situations I have been assigned. I assure you I speak with the full authority when I am commissioned to deal with it.

Really? At what church?

 

[Grailhunter]

This is VERY painful...Have I not made that clear enough?

Christians hating Christians. Turn the brain on please! Right?!
We have churches out there that are tolerant to drugs, abortion, homosexuals, homosexual marriages, and transvestites. There are a lot of targets out there for hate...when hate is the laughter of the devil...people need to be careful who you are feeding.

Christians have enemies in this world....it is not the Catholics or the Protestants! Christians unite! Is a better battle cry!

 

[An Apologetic Sheepdog]

Really? At what church?

I do not acknowledge the validity or authority of or work for any of man's denominations in terms of a given name. (In my experience, individual assemblies often to not hold true to the full spectrum of the parent organization's articles and sometimes thats a good thing, others not so much but no organization of man holds any special relevance or status to or for me)

I am for the sheep, not an institution.

 

[Taken]

This is VERY painful...Have I not made that clear enough?

So you do not know and must ask someone else, (but you can't say who) what in Scripture applies to you....

LOL

 

[amigo de christo]

Hi,

Do you hate what others teach...or just what the pope (The Church) teaches?

Curious Mary

This is a wonderful question . It aint just what the pope teaches , the protestant realm is full of false ones too .
How on earth can you all or even our protestant leaders follow THIS POPE .
That man is leading the whole world to total darkness . Telling muslims and others they worship the same GOD we do .
Either we BELEIVE JESUS or we can sit and believe these men who Obviously DONT FOLLOW the one true JESUS .
As for me , I CHOOSE JESUS . I pray others will too .

 

[amigo de christo]

Sounds like someone tried to play the victim card . Its a well learned liberal tactic . GOOD TO SEE IT DIDNT WORK on some folks .
THEY AINT GONNA SILENCE THE VOICES OF LAMBS .

 

[Marymog]

This is a wonderful question . It aint just what the pope teaches , the protestant realm is full of false ones too .
How on earth can you all or even our protestant leaders follow THIS POPE .
That man is leading the whole world to total darkness . Telling muslims and others they worship the same GOD we do .
Either we BELEIVE JESUS or we can sit and believe these men who Obviously DONT FOLLOW the one true JESUS .
As for me , I CHOOSE JESUS . I pray others will too .

got it...so YOU decide who has false teachings or what a false teaching! Fascinating.

 

[Marymog]

I do not acknowledge the validity or authority of or work for any of man's denominations in terms of a given name. (In my experience, individual assemblies often to not hold true to the full spectrum of the parent organization's articles and sometimes thats a good thing, others not so much but no organization of man holds any special relevance or status to or for me)

I am for the sheep, not an institution.

Oh, but YOU hold true to the full spectrum. Fascinating.....

 

[Marymog]

Church as prescribed by the Bible has rules. There is leadership and actually a form of government. There are certain things that happen and certain things that are not supposed to happen. Two or three gathering together and discussing Jesus is a blessing, but it isn't Church according to the Bible.

The qualifications for a Church govt do not require a PhD, but they don't exclude them either. Luke was a doctor and a man of God and part of the ministry, but nit an Apostle. Paul was highly educated in the hebrew law and spoke 3 languages. Peter was a fisherman with no known formal education before his attendance in the finest seminary for 3 years that ever existed.


1. Just because you talk to someone about Jesus doesn't mean you had Church, according to the Bible.
2. Church can happen anywhere but it happens at an appointed time, with an intended purpose and under the authority of a chosen man of God.
3. Going to and fro in the earth to talk about Jesus is a blessing, and if sanctioned by a man of God may be considered an evangelical mission. It is meant yo set up a Church, and whether or not it is Church is subject to debate.
4. A true Church has structure and even a government. Even Jesus's ministry had one.
5. If you ignore these facts, or at least don't even inquire about them to test their validity, you are ignoring scripture. If you do so, you are testifying that they don't really matter.

Well said...Hopefully @Taken will listen and learn!!!

 

[amigo de christo]

got it...so YOU decide who has false teachings or what a false teaching! Fascinating.

Its beautiful . Truly it is . My sheep hear my voice and the voice of strangers THEY WONT BE HEEDING .
Praise GOD , i have Christ to thank for this . The SPIRIT is real . And it has kept this lamb very safe and far from dangerous doctrines
of men gone wild and wrong .

 

[An Apologetic Sheepdog]

Oh, but YOU hold true to the full spectrum. Fascinating.....

not sure how you mean this so please define before I comment.