More specifically, the Body of Christ is a spiritual reality. See The Body of Christ is the true church
The kingdom of God is in the MIDST of you
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quietthinker
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Aunty Jane
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What is this “spiritual body” that Paul speaks about? The “future world to come”, if it is on earth, was not designed to accommodate immortals because flesh and blood was created to live in a world that fully supported their mortality....i.e. the things that would cause a mortal to die if they were deprived of it....like oxygen, food and water.....all supplied in abundance...and then some.
God never designed humans to live in heaven because everlasting life (not immortality) for them, was meant to be lived here on earth. The “tree of life” was there in the garden to guarantee it. But once God’s command had been broken, access to that source of living forever, was denied. (Gen 3:22-24) Humans would die in their sinful state....Adam was never told about heaven or hell...just death. (Gen 3:19)
But a rescue mission was planned and the Bible tells about God’s intentions to get us back what Adam lost for us......Sinless life forever in paradise on earth. (Isaiah 55:11)
The only reason why God chose some to go to heaven was to rule with Christ in his kingdom.....this was as a result of man’s fall into sin and God’s solution to bring us back to him by means of this ‘governmental’ arrangement. Those of the elect have a specific role to play...that of “kings and priests” (Rev 20:6) who will assist their leader Christ Jesus in bringing us back into reconciliation with our Creator during their 1000 year reign.
Though this kingdom will rule earthly subjects, it is situated in heaven...the place where Jesus went to “prepare a place” for his elect. “The heavenly calling” (Heb 3:1) was to give certain ones among Christ’s disciples a role in bringing us back to God’s original purpose for mankind....one that did not involve going to heaven.
The “spiritual body” is designed for the spiritual realm, and so the elect must be “born again” as spirit beings in order to dwell in the spirit realm. This occurs at their resurrection.
Aunty Jane
Well-Known Member
We
“The invisible Body of Christ is expressed visibly as the church. Every believer who has the Paraclete dwelling in him is a member of this spiritual church.”
Where will I find this ‘church’ today TonyChan? Are they scattered among the disunited churches of Christendom? If so how can Christians direct those to whom we are to preach “the good news of the Kingdom” to the source of spiritual truth about it? (Matt 24:14)
All these denominations teach different things as “spiritual truth”.....so, is there more than one “spiritual truth”?
To quote you....
“The invisible Body of Christ is expressed visibly as the church. Every believer who has the Paraclete dwelling in him is a member of this spiritual church.”
Where will I find this ‘church’ today TonyChan? Are they scattered among the disunited churches of Christendom? If so how can Christians direct those to whom we are to preach “the good news of the Kingdom” to the source of spiritual truth about it? (Matt 24:14)
All these denominations teach different things as “spiritual truth”.....so, is there more than one “spiritual truth”?
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Davy
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Yes, but for this present world time, we have a job to do for our Lord Jesus Christ and that is to reveal The Gospel to those who have not yet heard. And once the new babe comes to Christ's Church, they are to be 'fed' The Word of God and grow in understanding. That is how a soldier in Jesus Christ comes to understand the deeper spiritual matters involving The Eternal Godhead, past, present, and future.
They are everywhere.
Yes, and some might not even be in a visible church organization.
That's done by people. Some of them have the Paraclete. Some of them don't.
Be specific. Give an example.
Aunty Jane
Well-Known Member
Were they 'everywhere' in the first century? Or was there only one visible body of worshippers who all adhered to one truth and where becoming one of them required certain criteria? That meant accepting Christ's teachings and becoming a follower and disciple of Jesus through water baptism Thereafter it means living a life in imitation of his example in all things.
The “spiritual nation” that was Israel was at first meant to be just one group, with many members but all aligned with God’s truth. These alone had God’s laws and principles to guide them. When Jesus walked the earth the Jewish faith had become sectarian but that was not how it started.
Christendom today went much further than Judaism, with literally thousands of "churches" teaching all manner of 'truths' that are not truth to anyone else or they would not be divided. To claim to be of "the body of Christ" and yet disagree with others who purportedly have the same "calling" is not possible because God's spirit unites his worshippers, it does not divide them because the same spirit would not teach different things to different groups as if there are many versions of this one truth.
In the Bible we see something that Judaism and Christianity had in common.....one had to follow a certain criteria in order to "become" a Jewish Proselyte and one had to become "Jewish" in their beliefs and in their conduct, following closely what the scriptures said was God's way to worship. They were not free to practice their former worship. You cannot fuse true worship with false worship...and yet that is what Christendom has done.....adopting false religious beliefs as if they were lost puppies. (Acts 20:29-30; 2 Peter 2:1)
Christianity too was called "The Way" because it was the only way to salvation.....If our salvation depends on us worshipping the true God acceptably, then one body would be teaching all adherents that one truth....(1 Cor 1:10) and keeping out any who wanted to argue for a different truth. (2 John 8-10)
This is the first century model.....but like Judaism, men thought they knew better and took disciples after themselves with a different "truth".
Now its a bit of a lucky dip....
What is the point of some having the Paraclete and others not? What is the Paraclete's role? What is the criteria for their choosing?
A few examples....."universal salvation"....NOT taught in scripture. The judgment of "the sheep and the goats" has the goats thrown into the lake of fire, where the devil and his cronies will end up. (Matt 25:31, 41, 46)
So there is no Universal salvation although I know people find it appeling.
"Once saved always saved"...again not a Bible teaching. By our conduct we can lose our salvation. (2 Pet 2:20-22)
Tithing was Jewish requirement but no mention is made of tiithing in the christian congregation. Contributions are necessary in any congregation but only what one's circumstances allow. ((2 Cor 9:7)
Some have a belief in the planet itself being destroyed by God to make way for a "new earth" but the Bible says the earth is here forever. (Eccl 1:4)
We know that the use of images in worship was forbidden to God's people and yet there are those to whom these images are part of their worship. The cross itself is an image. (Ex 20:4-5)
Some believe in full immersion baptism, whereas some think that water sprinkled on the head will suffice...some believe that infants should be baptized but Jesus was fully immersed as an adult. (Matt 3:16) It is not the act of baptism that is important but what it symbolizes for the one submitting themselves to it of their own free will.
Jesus sent his disciples out to preach the "good news". (Matt 10:11-14; Matt 24:14) His final instructions to his disciples before he left the earth was to "GO! ....and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.” (Matt 28:19-20)
So preaching, teaching and baptizing were what Christians are commanded to do.....right up until the day of judgment....so, what were they to preach? What were they to teach.....and how were they to baptize?
Just a few points of disagreement......
No, not back then. That's why Jesus commanded the disciples to spread the gospel.
Even back then, not everyone who had joined the visible church was part of the spiritual Body of Christ.
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