"If there are thousands of bodies of Christ and each one body of Christ is just a local church that you must get water baptized into and be voted into.......why oh why.....
Ephesians 2:
[11] Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
[12] That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
[13] But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
[14] For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
[15] Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
[16] And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
[12] That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
[13] But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
[14] For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
[15] Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
[16] And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Ok people, there are ordinances/commandments for the body of Christ. (Lord's Supper, water baptism, etc.) but those are not to get into the body of Christ. The body of Christ is a universal church of all believers that are a called out assembly (church).
Eph. 2:[4] But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
[5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) [6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
[5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) [6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
You can take that "made us sit together in heavenly places" however you want, but it is a called out assembly.
Now some gentlemen have made the claim that we must join a church, get baptized, get voted in, etc. before they are in there particular body of Christ. That means that Christ did not "abolish in his flesh the enmity" and that He really didn't "reconcile both unto God in one body".
Did Christ "abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances" only to create new ordinances?
Verse 16 is saying that Christ "reconciled both (Jew and Gentiles) unto God in one body, having slain the enmity thereby", does that sound like "local bodies of Christ" to yall? There were Jews and Gentiles (proselytes) going to the same assemblies/churches/synogueges before the cross! Christ did not half to reconcile the two together in a local church.....it was already happening.
How anyone could read Ephesians 2 and think it is talking about a local church I don't know.
GASP! I am suggesting a universal church cult!
-Brother Hoss"
"What part of you is seated in heaven?Your soul? Your spirit? Your body? All three? Are you omnipresent?" --local church only proponent
"I knew you were going to ask that......I think you have pulled this one before......my answer is....who cares? I did not come up with this, it is what the passage says. Read it and figure it out on your own. Hmmmm.....do you have any other wonderful answers to the questions raised?" -Brother Hoss
"We were "baptized by the spirit" into the body of Christ. We were baptized into His death (you believe we are dead right?), but we were also baptized into His resurrection and are raised up with him! But don't take my word for it........
Gal. 2:20
[19] For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
[20] I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
[20] I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
(we are dead and crucified)
Rom. 6:
[1] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
[2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
[3] Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
[4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
[5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
[6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
[7] For he that is dead is freed from sin.
[8] Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
[9] Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
[10] For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
[11] Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof
[2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
[3] Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
[4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
[5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
[6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
[7] For he that is dead is freed from sin.
[8] Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
[9] Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
[10] For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
[11] Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof
Guess what? That ain't water.....water does not baptize me into the death of Christ. This is a spiritual baptism through the faith of the operation of God into the spiritual body of Christ circumcised, crucified, buried, and raised. Did water do that?
1 Corinthians 12:
[12] For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
[13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
[13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Notice that we are said to already be raised up by this spiritual baptism as well.
Colossians 2:
[11] In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
[12] Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
[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;
[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;
[12] Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
[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;
[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;
See, we are quickened together by God and spiritually baptized into His resurrection. (compare Col. 2 with Eph. 2 if you wish)
A difference between "local church only" brothers and myself is this: I believe that Christ "blotted out" ordinances, slew commandments, and abolished and broken down all those things when He reconciled Jews and Gentiles to God "in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby". Did Christ break down ordinances/commandments just to create new ones?
You still think that there are thousands of one bodies of Christ that we must get water baptized to become accepted and become a member of Christ? Hmmmmm....." -Brother Hoss
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