The Argument From Silence is Invalid

It's a simple answer. The NT neither requires nor forbids the use of instruments. Therefore, it's a matter of liberty, and each body of believers can decide for themselves if they wish to use instruments or not.

 

That is quite true; it is a matter of liberty. But to dictate it as a matter of law in a denomination as the OP would have us to believe, the argument is drawn from an argument of silence, which is no argument at all.

 

Agreed. Very well put!

 

In the NT, Israel is called the Church in the wilderness, and Jesus told the pharisees that if they believed Moses then they would believe him because Moses wrote of him (Jesus). Therefore, I believe we can look at how worship was conducted in the OT as a pattern for us. Nevertheless, it is up to each Church to decide for themselves.

 

But Israel is not a church and never was. The Greek word is ekklesia, simply translated "assembly", which if the KJV translators were honest, would have translated "assembly" all throughout. But because of political expediency they were forced to give the rendering of "church" as not to offend the political sensibilities of the Anglican Church.

 

There is no description of a church worship service for the same reason there is no description of a baptismal service - everyone knew what worship was. Worship was what happened in a temple.

 

Ekklesia is from two words ek and kalew. Which means called from. The word we translate as synagogue is the same word that can also be translated assembly.

 

>Ekklesia is from two words ek and kalew. Which means called from.

Read someplace it applied to any public meeting.

 

Yes senators meeting together in the Senate could be considered Ekklsia.

 

Acts 19:41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
Correct. The word for assembly here is ekklesia. It simply means assembly. Beleivers assembled together for a purpose. Church buildings were unknown in the early centuries.

 

Worship

"Selfless acts done toward others for the purpose of glorifying God."

Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and godly fear:

Here we see that worship must be :

1. Acceptable to God
2. Done with reverence and godly fear (which is redundant)
3. Done by the grace of God.

The word serve in this verse is the Greek word "Latreuo" which is a form of the word worship. In the NT this word is used as "serve"16 times, "worship" 3, " do the worship " 1, and "worshiper" 1.

Another form of the word "worship is the Greek word "Therapeuo". This is most often seen as the word "heal" and is used in reference to the healing of others. In the NT it is seen in every case of Jesus' healings. Interestingly enough it is the where we get our word therapy from.

"Proskeneuo" is another Greek form of the word worship. It is always used in the context of simply paying homage. This is seen clearly in 1 Cor 14:25.

"Sebazomai" is used only once in Romans 1;25 and is used int he sense of honoring religiously.

"Sebomai" is used in the sense of reverence and can be seen in Acts 16:14. We see this same word used in the sense of vain worship of God (Matt 15:9) Not all worship even directed at God is acceptable worship or correct.

Any act done in correct doctrine, (spirit and truth John 4:24) and for the Glory of God (reverence 12:28)

The teaching of the word of God was included in the worship of those in Acts 2:42-47. There can be found no where in scripture a division between the preaching of the word and "worship".

 

That too. It is amazing what one can read into words outside of its context. Too often Christians out of their ignorance read ideas into words used in the Bible that they would never think of doing with English. It is like using a first grade dictionary to define words used in the English language and determine that as applying to every situation.

 

The early churches were referred to as synagogues such as in James 2:2, "For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,"

 

..and yet another argument from silence You do realize this was a Passover meal and there were other things consumed besides these two things?

Since this "law of exclusion" is a law, it has been proven. Can you supply that proof for us BB readers?

Also, if you are not JustAChristian from the theologyonline forum, you have plagiarized his entire post http://www.theologyonline.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-12654.html

 

And JSM is still standing on his "Law of Exclusion", even though, if you read the entire thread he lifted it from, it's proven to be silliness. There's really no need to talk about the Law of Exclusion. The "JustaChristian" person on theologyonline was already taken to the cleaners about the "Law of Exclusion" 5 years ago.

 

I love what someone on that forum said

:laugh:

 

Don't use a church building. Don't use chairs or pews. Don't use a pulpit. Don't use hymnbooks. Don't use individual "cups." They all drank out of one large cup. All these things are not mentioned. Therefore exclude them in your worship. Oh, and that includes both air conditioning, furnaces, and electricity.

 

...and like I posted above, clothes :thumbs:

 

The lows in Elgin, IL., are hovering around 32 and 33 F. What about those clothes and the heating? And what about the electricity?

According to his profile that is where JSM17 lives.