If a person does not have a church home should he/she be teaching a small Bible study that meets in a home without the blessing of the local church?
When was the origin of Wednesday night church service and who started it?
Why do Baptists say their first distinctive is "We accept only New Testament as our authority for our faith and practice? What about the Old Testament?
Should alcoholic wine be used in the Lord's Supper.
Should open communion for all believers or just the members of that specific independent fundamental church.
When did the church begin? I read that it was not started on the Day of Pentecost.
Our church has canceled our Sunday night worship service and changed all the traditional services.
Should there be instrumental music used in worship? If so, please tell me where this can be found.
Why do Baptist churches put crosses on their churches?
Why do Baptists make so much of the blood of Christ?
What do Baptists means when they talk of being "saved?"
How can a person be saved and become a child of God?
What do Baptists believe about baptism and the Lord's Supper?
Answer:
What you are experiencing is the modern trend toward pragmatism. The basic flaw in it is that it is getting away from biblical preaching, which is becoming less and less popular. The trend is designed to replace biblical preaching with other more entertaining services. I do not know what the practice will be at your church, but a part of the trend is to move toward programs that take a "Christian" psychological approach meeting the needs of people. It de-emphasizes fighting sin and disobedience in one's life, which is the source of our problems, to one of promoting self-esteem, and group support (like Promise Keepers)and music programs, plays, etc.
This modern approach seems to most people to be a good thing. I do not question the motives of those who institute such policies, but of their wisdom and spiritual discernment. They have a misunderstanding of God's way of winning the lost and edifying the believer. In truth this trend belittles and weakens God's Word. People are moved away from studying the Bible, to studying books and programs of various "authorities" dealing with human emotion and problems. The appeal is to having emotional experiences, rather than obedience to God's Word. They do "use" the Bible, but only selected portions that seem to support what they are doing.
What you are seeing is the result of something that has been in the making for some time. Fundamentalism is being watered down and is coming in some churches under the influence of the false practices of the Charismatic movement. It is not popular today to just "preach the word." Paul warned of such in 2 Tim. 3:1-4:5. I think it is note worthy that verses 3:-17 and 4:2 are a part of this instruction from God.
The problem with people in our churches today is not psychological, but spiritual. True spirituality comes from living pure lives apart from sin and from studying and obeying God's word. Paul says the people are "Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth " (verse 7). Only biblical preaching which teaches God's truth and condemns sin matures people and makes them spiritual.
Church members today as 2 Tim. 4:3, says ". . .not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (2 Tim. 4:3-4).
In 2 Tim. 3:5, Paul says they "have a from of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
I think that a preacher or a church that has gone so far as yours seems to have gone in their voting to change their services....has gone too far astray to repent and return to sound doctrine and practice. I think that is why Paul says from such "turn away."
The Baptist church I was raised was a strong Bible believing church when I was a boy. My elderly parents still attend there, but the church is now merely a shell. Instead of sound biblical preaching, they hear moral platitudes. They have "praise" services, which is mostly a modern Christian music presentation, which has its roots in the false doctrines of the Charismatic movement. The ignore clear biblical teachings such as women leading the church as deacons and teaching men. There pastor is "not sure" of many doctrines in the Bible. They services are dominated by music.
How can they not understand that God is praised when His children live godly, holy lives in love and obedience to Him. God is not impressed with songs sung be people who substitute godly living for a entertaining "praise" services and who are "turned off" by strong doctrinal preaching.
Brother, my heart goes out to you and for your misguided preacher and those that are following him. I know that this is strong language, but I know where all this will eventually lead. I am seeing it happening all over the country and seeing it kill the work of God. God works only through His word. Truly were are in the Laodicean age and the steps your church has taken, will in time, turn it into a Laodicean church.
May I also say that part of the problem is with the people. Pastors today are faced with a lack of spirituality or commitment to truth in their membership. So, when the Word of God is not received by people, and it drives people away, some misguided preachers abandon the "old paths" and turn to programs to try and hold the church together. The appeal of modern programs, music, and "outreaches" is to the flesh and if done in an entertaining way appeals to people and the church begins to grow or holds together. Thus, because this new approach works....it continues. However, in time, it will fail. The church now is on a course of basing its existence on it ability to appeal to people. Programs soon grow old and new methods and programs must be invented to replace the old ones the people grow tired of. It becomes a road away from God and His word and will in time destroy the church. It will absolutely assures that God's presence and blessing will not be on the church....because God blesses His word and obedience to it...and nothing else. That's how once sound church become Laodicean churches.
Sadly, your probably well meaning preacher, doesn't even know where he is leading you. There is a great lack of discernment today in many preachers.
The answer is to return to sound preaching of the Word of God...but that is not the answer people want. I have prayed for you, your family and this sadly mislead church.
I wish I could be more positive about the situation in your church.
Answer: The cross is a precious symbol for the true born again Christian, because it was on the cross where the Lord Jesus Christ paid the sin debt for his sins and the sins of the world.
Their love of the cross comes from the teachings of the New Testament. They see it as the Bible teaches as the place where Jesus Christ suffered and died, and then on the third day arose from the grave victorious over sin and death. In fact, the teaching of the Gospel, as given to us by God' Word, the Bible, is the teaching of the cross. In I Cor. 15:1-4, Paul stated clearly what the Gospel he preached was:
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (I Cor. 15:1-4)
This was the Gospel of the early church. This was that which saved the early Christians, the preaching of the cross of Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:18 says "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved is the power of God."
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1 Peter 2:24 says, "Who (Christ) his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes we are healed."
Colossians 2:14 says, "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".
It should also be noted that the cross we display is empty! We worship a risen Savior, who is alive and in heaven seated at the right hand of God. We worship and living God, who indwells us in the person of the Holy Spirit, and intercedes for us to our Father. (Hebrews 1:3, 10:19-22, 1 Cor. 6:19)
Answer: > A true Baptist church will also preach and teach what the New Testament says about the blood of Christ which was shed on the cross and hold to it as precious.
1 Peter 1:18-19, states that those who are saved were redeemed by the precious blood of the lamb, which was Christ.
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (foolish way of life) received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Reference books used in this study:
Hebrews 9:14 says this, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God". Verse 22, states emphatically "....without the shedding of is no remission."
Answer: Luke said that Jesus came to "...seek and to save that which was lost." Matthew 1:21, states that Jesus came into the world to, "...save his people from their sins". These and many other verses in the Bible refer to people who are redeemed by Christ are "saved". It means one who is "saved is saved from their sins and hell, and given eternal life. (John 3:16-17) Thus, a child of God is truly "saved". Being saved means one has eternal life and is a child of God.
Answer: The New Testament teaches that a person is saved by the Grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
"For by Grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works lest any man should boast".
When a person believes the Gospel he is saved. That means the "good news" or the Gospel is that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and that he came into the world, being God, became incarnate in Man, and died on the cross, shedding His blood, and suffering, paying the sin debt of the world, and then on the third day arising from the grave, conquering sin and death. (I Corinthians 15:1-4)
Romans 10:9-10, says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
A person who believes on Jesus Christ by simple faith is saved. Baptist absolutely reject as heresy the idea that a man can be saved by his works or good deeds. No act or ritual a man does can in any way saved him. They reject a "works" salvation based on what God has reveal in the New Testament. Being a Baptist does not save anyone, in fact by the life styles of many professing Baptists, it is questionable whether they are saved and know Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Nowhere does the Bible say that a person is saved by being a member of a church, or by baptism, taking the Lord's Supper, or doing any good work. Jesus states the reality of this in Matthew 7:13-24. He stated that at the final judgment there would be many who had believed the doctrines of false prophets, who had claimed to be speaking for God. These people had accepted a "works" salvation, and had in fact done many "wonderful works." However, in verse 23, Jesus says to them, "....I never knew you: depart from me, ye workers of iniquity." These people who are condemned by Christ even used his name and called Him, Lord, yet Jesus says their "works", were works of iniquity. In John 6:28-29, Jesus makes it clear when responding to the Jews who ask, "....what shall we do, that we might work the works of God, Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God they ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
We believe that works are an important part of the life of the Christian. In fact James stated that the true Christian would "work". He says that faith without works was dead. (James 2:17) He is not saying a person is saved by works, but is saying that a person who has truly exercised saving faith will work. In fact, the evidence of his inward faith in Christ is his outward works in doing the will of the God that saved him. He says that a faith that does not produce works, is not saving faith it is dead. (James 2:20)
A true Christian will work because to be saved means that Jesus Christ is the Lord of his life. God directs them in all they do. They strive to do the will of God, the same as Christ did. (Hebrew 10:7) However, it should be clearly understood, no true child of God, believes he can by his good works and life, merit a place in heaven. Isaiah 64:6, states that our righteousness is but filthy rags in the sight of God. He understands that when he stands before God, his only grounds for entrance into heaven is to simply plea, "I trusted in Jesus Christ as my Savior, He paid my sin debt and there by saved me and gave me eternal life. Christ, gave me the free gift of salvation, and I accepted it by faith. Therefore, I have a place in heaven because Christ, the Son of God, gave it to me."
It has always been the trick of Satan, to deceive men, by appealing to their pride, and leading them through false teachers and prophets to believe that they can by church membership, baptism, receiving the Lord's Supper, and by living a good life of good works obtain entrance into heaven. Many falsely hope that when they die and stand before God that they will have done enough good works to off set the bad things and thus be let in heaven. However, God has already made his judgment! A man who stands before the throne of God, without being washed in the blood of the Lamb (Revelations 1:5), not having accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, will without any recourse be cast into the eternal lake of fire. (Revelations 20:11-15)
Answer: Baptists believe that Baptism and the Lord's Supper are two ordinances given to the local church. Baptism is practiced as a sign of identification of the new believer in Christ with salvation and the local church. A believer who makes a public profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ submits to baptism by immersion and becomes a part of the visible local church. When a person is saved by trusting in Christ by faith, he immediately is baptized inwardly by the Holy Spirit and becomes a member of the body of Christ. (Acts 1:5, 1 Cor. 12:13) Water baptism comes next as a public testimony of a believer's submission to Christ and he becomes a member of the local visible New Testament church.
The Lord's Supper is the second ordnance the Lord gave to the local church. Its observance is a symbolic public memorial remembering Christ's body that was broken for man and His blood that was shed for man's redemption. (1 Corinthian 11:26) It was practiced in the early church when they assembled together.
Because these two ordinances were given to the church as symbolic memorials as exampled by the New Testament they should be administered by the local church when it comes together and never privately. (I Cor. 11:23-34)
There is no set time interval to administering the Lord's Supper. 1 Cor. 11:26, only says, "as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." There is no teaching here as to how often the ordinance is practiced and each local church decides the matter for themselves.
Click here to read articles on the Subject:
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A Biblical Look at Baptism
"Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?"
- Answer: A passage of Scripture can only have one interpretation. It can have a number of applications or principles but it has only one meaning. That meaning or interpretation is what the speaker actually meant his hearers to understand when he said it. In this case it was Jesus speaking to Peter directly with other disciples listening. A problem for us is we are reading an English translation of what was said in Koine Greek. Linguistically the languages are vastly different, so the skill of the translator is paramount. However, that is not a problem because we know and understand both languages.
To understand verse 18, first then back to verse 17. Jesus said to Peter literally in English, "I say also to you, that you are ROCK (petros)[this is a masculine noun, and means a large fragment of a larger rock] and upon this rock (petra) [this is a feminine demonstrative pronoun], I will build my assembly (ekklesia or ecclesia) [means an assembly called out for some special purpose, in counter distinction of a randomly called assembly without a purpose for meeting].
It is grammatical incorrect to say that upon Peter Jesus was going to build his church (assembly). That is not what Jesus said. In normal English it "could" mean this, but not in Greek. Petros is a masculine noun and Petra is a feminine pronoun. A feminine pronoun does not modify or refer back to a masculine noun because their gender is different. That is a grammatical law of Greek. So grammatically the words used by Christ in Greek, did not mean He was going to build His church on Peter. To His hearers that was not what he was saying.
What he was saying and his Greek speaking hearers understood was the Petra (feminine pronoun) referred to something said earlier. Jesus clearly was referring back to what Peter has said his confession in verse 16, that Jesus "was the Christ, the son of the living God." The Jesus made two statements in reference to what Peter said.
First, verse 17, (literal translation) "You are spiritually blessed Simon Barjonia, because flesh and blood [No man] did not reveal this too you, but my Father in Heaven." So the "petra" that the Christ's church (assembly) will be built upon is what God revealed to Peter "or" was it the process of imparting this truth?
What did Peter say under the inspiration of God? He said that "Jesus is the Christ the Son of God." It was an emphatic statement of Christ's deity. He was the Son of God, and only He could be the foundation of the church. It is simply untrue and foolish to say that Jesus would build something as important as His church is on a fallible man! From that time on did Jesus only speak through Peter? In truth if you want to seek a man to build the church on why not Paul? He wrote most of the New Testament and established churches instructing the churches not Peter. The is no record Peter ever establish any church. Let me say it again....Jesus Christ did not build His church on any man, but upon Himself as the Head and Founder of the Church. Further we do not need some man to instruct us of God because God instructs us through His Word the Bible.
The problem is that many people do not have a view or understanding of how God has communicated His truth to man throughout history. Without going into a detailed explanation of the subject let me direct our thoughts to the New Testament period after Christ returned to Heaven, when the church was established and much of the New Testament was written. Hebrews 1:1-2 says, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. . ." Do you see in that passage any mention of a pope or prophet? The answer is no, God is speaking through Jesus Christ alone.
John 1:1 says, "" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:14, identifies clearly that the Word is Jesus Christ. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." Also Rev. 19:13, says, "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." The Word or "logos" [masculine noun] clearly is the Lord Jesus and the Lord Jesus is God.
Thus Peter's confession that Jesus was that Christ, the Son of God was the truth Jesus would build his church upon, thus building it upon Himself. The whole foundation of God's plan of redemption is Christ Jesus and His redemptive work on the Cross. From Gen. 3:15, the first prophecy of the coming Messiah, to Rev. 22:21..the message is Christ. That is the central point of all God has said to man.
Today, God is not giving new revelation, because He has said all to man in the Bible man needs to know. God today however, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit is "illuminating" the existing Word in the hearts of men. Peter had learned from Jesus who Christ was. He has seen the miracle and heard the message of Jesus. God thus enabled Peter to understand this truth. But the accepting of that truth was the work of God the Father in allowing Peter to understand and accept this truth. Peter did not receive a new revelation, but the truth Jesus had revealed to him. I Corinthians 2:6-16, explains the work of the Holy Spirit in illuminating the Word of God so that a man can understand it. Verse 14, says the "natural man" or the man who has not been indwelled by Spirit of God because He has never accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, cannot understand spiritual things (the Word of God), and cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned. This not revealing new truth, but illuminating the truth God has written and preserved in the Bible. No matter what situation that a child of God may find himself in he has the principles and instruction in the written word of God to guide him. Yes, God did give revelation to the writers of the Old and New Testaments. In New Testament times that process was still going on, but it stopped when the Book of Revelation was finished. Since that time God have not given us any new truth. The canon of God's truth is complete and needs no new truth. Every "Christian" religion since the middle ages is based on some supposed new revelation from God. That claim alone invalidates them as real.
The Roman Catholics's pope, the cult leaders of today, the Mormon prophet and many others all claim to speak for God to the people. They say they get revelation the ordinary man in the pew does not get. They say listen and follow me. They are liars and the servants of Satan. The Bible says, listen, test everything by and follow God's word. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Answer: Ephesians 4:11 is the last list in the New Testament of God's ministers written about 61 AD and says, "And he (God) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers, For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
If the person who asked you the question is trying to say the title pastor is not biblical....clearly they are in error as this passage plainly says that God gave (meaning He provided). . . pastors. The word is poimen poimen and means "shepherd." Christ is the Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20) and the Good Shepherd ( John 10:11) and this implies the overseer of the Lord's congregation is His "under shepherd."
1 Peter 5:2 says "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind." The words "feed the flock" is the Greek word poimainw poimaino which means "to shepherd" and in the verse says the one who is shepherding the flock of God is to take the oversight. The verse can be literally translated "Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock."
Further support for this is found in 1 Peter 2:25, said, "For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." Here Jesus is referred to as the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. Christ is the Pastor....the overseer of the local church is God's pastor... Use of the terms Bishop and Elder denote the position or duties of the pastor.
Nowhere in the New Testament is anyone called by the title "bishop" or "elder" either..... so who ever challenged you is asking you a mute question. In fact....no one in the New Testament called by a title. Paul was called "an" or "a" apostle" but not...the "Apostle Paul."
By the way...if the person who asked you the question is a preacher...then ask him if he uses the title "reverend?" That is not a biblical title for a pastor, and only applied to God who is to be revered.
I use the title "pastor" only to refer to myself....siting Eph. 4:11.
Answer: The Bible is very clear that the Lord began the institution of the local church as Acts 2 records on the day of Pentecost. Â Â Â Â Prior to that he had called the Apostles and there were 120 believers who had remained faithful to Him. Â Â In Acts 1:4-8 Jesus just before He returned to heaven He gathered them together and told them to wait for the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" (v5) which He said would empower them to spread the gospel from Jerusalem unto the world (Acts 1:8). Â Â This group were believers, but they were not organized, nor had the power and direction of God. Â Â Â Jesus told them that this would come....and they were not to go, but to wait until the had received the power. (Acts 1:4-8)Â Â Â So until the day of Pentecost God had not commissioned them, but to the contrary told them to wait until He did. Â Â Â Simply that means....God say He started the institution of the local church on the day of Pentecost when He empowered it and added members to it. Â Before it was empowered they did not have the Lord's approval to function as a local church. Â Â Acts 2:41 says "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." Â Â Â Â In other words God saved and additional 3000 and added them to the original 120 who received the permanent indwelling or baptism of the Holy Spirit. Therefore that day in Jerusalem, they became the charter members of the first "ekklesia" or church in the world. Â Acts 2:43-47 explains for the first time on that day they began to operate in an organized manner, which is what an "ekklesia" (church) is....a group of baptized believers, working collectively to spread the Gospel and serve the Lord.
 Some say the church began before Pentecost, but that is erroneous.    Jesus promised He would build His church in Matthew 16:18, and throughout His ministry trained the disciples for the day when He would eventually begin the local church.   At the end of His ministry He had 120 saved and faithful disciples.  (Acts 1:15)   But they were not organized nor empowered by God.   In John 14 and 16 Jesus told of the coming of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (see John 14:20, 23)..  Jesus  spoke of this as coming in the future.   In John 20:22, Jesus breathed on them and gave the disciples the Holy Spirit.   Yet, this was not the baptism of the Holy Spirit because He promised that at Jerusalem they would receive this.  So receiving the Holy Spirit in John 20:22 was only temporary, and was Jesus empowered them personally, each of them, to be faithful till the full and permanent indwelling would come as happened in Acts 2.
 So...the institution of the local church which Jesus promised would come was born on the day of Pentecost, ten days after He told them to wait for the Holy Spirit's empowerment.    Before that day....there was no organized institution only its future members, nor had God empowered them until that day.     From that day forward the institution of the local church has been functioning and doing God's purpose for bringing it into existence.
For more on the institution of the local church go to https://bible-truth.org/church.htm "THE BIBLICAL BASIS OF A NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH."
Answer: I can find nothing in the New Testament that would limit taking the Lord's Supper just to members of that local church. Of course it was taken by the local church and is a ordinance of a local church, but I do not see any biblical reason to exclude believers who are of "like faith" who are members in good standing of another NT church. I find no instructions as to how to "police" the Lord's Supper which I believe the Lord would have given if He wanted us to.
A church should of course not offer the Lord's Supper to the unsaved, give it to infants, or to those who are in doctrinal error and not of "like faith."
Closed communion is mostly practiced by "Landmark" Baptists or "Baptist Briders" who believe the only truth church is one that came from John the Baptist...and the Apostles These Baptist churches call themselves the true Bribe of Christ and exclude everyone else, even other doctrinally sound Baptist churches who are not part of their historic line of churches.
These churches believe in what is called "Secessionism.." which means that they can trace their history back to John the Baptist and the Apostles in a direct line of "Baptist" churches. As a student of church history I can assure you that they cannot trace a direct line of Baptist churches back to the early church. I did some extensive investigation into the matter some years ago and could find no verifiable reference for their claims. I also wrote a number of Landmark Baptists asking for the sources for their claims and documentation. Not one of them replied. They have a list of churches which they offer, but after many attempts at verifying the list I found no one could document it. By the way, the authenticity of a New Testament church rests on it belief and practice of the New Testament...not on whether it can trace it history back to the first century.
Closed communion originally mean that those in doctrinal error, the unsaved, unruly, and infant and those who could not examine themselves were to be excluded. It began because of the different denominations who believed and practiced different practices and teaching after the Reformation. It was not used to limit participation among those of a particular church or of like faith, but to separate different churches such as the Protestants from the Catholics. It is a practiced by all Catholic and Protestants. Closed communion was a Catholic notion because they taught that the bread and wine were the actual blood and body of Jesus and thus should not be given to non-Catholics who were outside of the Roman church who they teach is the only valid church on earth. The Lord Supper is a sacrament to them having "saving" properties so those outside their groups were to be excluded.
There is no biblical basis for the practice or for the teaching of sucessionism by the Landmark and Baptist Bride people.
Answer: Wine is made from by a process which uses leaven....that should immediately raise a red flag as there was to be no leaven in the Lord's Supper. Further the Bible repeatedly condemns any use of alcoholic wine as a beverage. Some claim that Jesus drank wine. That is not true and let me explain: What Jesus made in Cana was grape juice which was made normally from concentrate. Grape juice would be boiled which removed the bacteria and concentrated it for storage. When they needed grape juice to drink they took the concentrate added water and drank it. Of course there were different quality of grape juice depending on how carefully it was prepared and the quality of the grapes used. The governor of the feast in Cana, noted that this was a better grape juice than what had been first served. None served was not alcohol. Habakkuk 2:15, says, "Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!" Further God says to "abstain from all appearance of evil" (1 Thess. 5:22). Jesus could not sin nor violate His own word and that is what He would have had to do to made alcoholic wine and gave it to others to drink. The word for wine most used in the Old and New Testament by itself does not tell you if it was alcoholic or not and was used for both wine and grape juice. The word used must be modified by the context or some word to let you know which was being used. The word for translated "wine" was a generic term; sometimes it means grape juice; sometimes it means alcoholic beverages. The following verses prove that the word "wine" can mean fresh grape juice, the fruit of the vine: Deut. 11:14; 2 Chron. 31:5; Neh. 13:15; Prov. 3:10; Isa. 16:10; 65:8; 1 Tim. 5:23.
Answer:
Thus only the New Testament tells us by instruction, principle and example what the Lord established and called the "ekklesia" or congregation or assembly. Therefore we pattern our faith and practice as the New Testament instructions us. A New Testament church is one that follows what the NT teaches.
The New Testament churches and believers are not under the Law which was given to Israel as their spiritual and civic constitution. The problem many churches have had is they mixed the Law with the NT church not recognizing the distinction that God has made between us and Israel. Paul clearly taught that believers in this the Church Age are not under the Law.
The statement therefore recognizes that the institution of the local church is not in the OT but was instituted by the Lord in Acts 2f and following in the New Testament epistles.
We wholly believe the OT and NT, but patter the polity of a NT church after what the NT teaches.
Answer:
In the New Testament all the churches mentioned are identified by their locality. Example: The Jerusalem church, the church at Antioch, the church which is at Cenchrea.
However, in our day many apostate and unbelieving false churches have arisen and we must then identify ourselves with a name that tells what we believe or the group we associate with. I have an article at https://bible-truth.org/Fundbapt.htm#000 which explains why many Bible believing churches call themselves by the name Independent Fundamental Baptists.
However, the name of the church is not so important as to what it believes and practices. Many churches call themselves by names such as Grace, Hope, Faith, New Testament, etc. The name of the church should not send a false message as to the beliefs of the church.
Using the name fellowship is accepted by many groups who wish to stress they are a church which love the Lord and each other and use the name to stress fellowship as important in a local congregation. There is nothing biblical wrong with using the name "fellowship" in the name of a church.
One thing that is common in the New Testament is that all the churches...(ekklesia) were called "churches." Many today are using names such as ". . .Christian center, "worship center, etc." Most who use such names are unsound in doctrine and practice. A "center" is not the same thing as a "church." A church denotes an assembly of believers who follow God's word and are bound together in a common goal to serve the Lord. Using such words as "center" lessens the emphasis God puts on a church being a dedicated group of believers serving the Lord in truth together.