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A Third Thought: Now should I be
intimidated by those who fear searching the Scriptures concerning the New Testament Baptist Church? It is my
personal opinion that there is no other way to honestly deal with the Scriptures concerning the church of the New
Testament without admitting that it is in the Gospels.
It is impossible for me to see the church beginning at Pentecost. And there is no way to deal with the truth
without concluding that Jesus Christ began the first church Himself. It was NOT a “plan B” after the Jews
supposedly rejected Christ as king, but it was eternally in God’s design that way.
Luke 6:13-16 shows the first church organized and gives us the first church roll; and I Cor. 12:28 shows as that
the Apostles were that first church prior to any others being added. In Acts 1:15 others were already members prior
to Pentecost.
A Fourth Thought: On this subject of
Christ’s bride, it’s strange that the New-Evangelical protestants and Fundamentalists can so soundly argue for the
Church being the bride.
They can so easily find all the appropriate Scriptures to PROVE that The Church is Christ’s bride. And as long as
all are forced (intimidated sometimes) to interpret them in the “mystical” universal church sense; as long as THEIR
interpretation is used, everyone is happy.
But woe be he who holds to local church theology and uses the same verses of Scripture to show the same deduction
concerning that church. Which the Scriptures do so clearly show. Is the Bible true to teach the church as Christ’s
bride?
Even New-Evangelicals and Fundamentalists seem to see it clearly. So does the New Testament teach the doctrine of
the local congregations as THE church, rather than the mystical/universal? The Scriptures seem to, rather clearly,
actually. (“The church at Corinth”... “The churches of Galatia”... “The seven churches of Asia,” etc.)
So who is the heretic?? Is it the one who believes that Christ’s bride will be made up of those who hold faithfully
to the old-fashioned Baptist faith and practices, while all other saved people will be eternally saved and in
heaven, but not the bride?
Or those who believe that the bride is inclusive of all the doctrinally mixed multitude of believers? Which
position has the support of God’s Holy Word?
Protestants who hold no loyalty to the purity of HIS doctrines, easily wish the bride to be the whole family and
the only requirement to be the Blood, but this Preacher is afraid that is not upheld in the Bible.
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