How many churches are necessary?

You took note of the number of edifices that you saw. And according to the modern mistaken notion you assumed each religious edifice was a church.But in the New Testament a church refers to people and not a building. There should be one church matched with the one city. This would be the model closest to what we read in the New Testament.Mind you that does not necessarily mean that there was only one meeting place. There could be meetings of the one city wide church in several different halls or in many homes.But the city needs only one city wide church. This is what we read in the New Testament. And it is the practice that is being recovered which has been lost.One city - one church. It is not necessary and it is not helpful. But it is not unremediable. And some Christians are taking a better way of meeting as the one city wide church.This is occuring on all five continents. To have one church matched with one city is the biblical standard and norm. Do not think it does not require consecration on the part of Christians. And do not think it is easy to do in the natural man.It is nearly impossible to keep this kind of unity without the Spirit of Christ terminating your natural preferences because we humans easily divide from one another.But it is possible to practice one city - one church. And it does not mean that all Christians in the city recognize the one city wide church. But those who do can stand upon that ground and have an inclusive attitude towards all their Christian brothers and sisters in the same locality.Sucuri WebSite Firewall - Access Denied Edited by AdminPD, : Fixed quote box

Apparently this is so. But actually there is a deeper reason.Jesus is a living Person. And division occur because Christians do not remain in the realm and sphere of that living Person. They do not hold fast the living Head, Christ.The enjoyment of the living Person of Christ is the most important factor of the unity of Christians.Teachings, doctrines, dogmas, may be right or wrong. They may be good or not too good. But they are not living.Christ the Lord is a living Presence and holding fast and firmly to the living Person of Jesus is more important to the unity of the church than everyone having exactly the same teachings.Having said that, it needs some balance. Many many things Christians can be general about and accomodating with fellow believers.A few things we should be willing to die for. If you believe we should baptize frontwards and I believe we should baptize backwards, whoever has the most enjoyment of the living Person of Jesus should be able to be accomodating to the other. It is not crucial.But if you want to be called "brother" and you deny that Jesus is Divinity or that the Bible is the word of God, then we will have a problem. The divinity of Christ is not something I will be accomodating with.There are only about four or five matters in the New Testament that cased someone to be put OUT of the local church. Only a few things that are so crucial that Christians should not be general about. For instance, that Christ is God incarnate or that Christ died a redemptive death and rose from the dead or that the Bible is the word of God.But there are a great many other things that we can be accomodating and tolerating of in ONE city wide church. They are not sufficient reasons to leave one church and establish another. Edited by jaywill, : No reason given.

Interesting that you should read my comment that way. I suppose it is understandable.No, I do not mean we should be willing to kill for. I meant we should be willing to stand firmly for even if it mean we be killed.Now, I have not had such an experience so I am not suggesting I have confidence in myself for such a steadfastness. I believe that the grace of God would uphold me.No advocating of violence was intended.