Featured 1 Cor. 12:13 and water baptism and local church body

It was translated by the KJV as "the body of Christ," which they must have had a good reason to do so. Having said that, the definite article is not there and can be translated "a body of Christ."
The comparison can be made that as Christ dwells in you, and Christ dwells in me, Christ still is one. There is only one Christ. We still say the Christ, the Son of God. We do not say "a Christ." The local church in that sense is the body of Christ, as described in 1Cor.12, as is every Bible-believing church which has Christ as its foundation and is built upon the apostles and prophets, Christ being the chief cornerstone. It is that church which is the pillar and ground of the truth (the Word of God). There is no nebulous universal church. The phrase "the body of Christ" here is used in a generic sense to represent all Biblical local churches.
We all suffer (in our own local churches) with our own members in our own bodies, but not necessarily with those of other bodies that we no nothing about.

 

Isn't jesus Lord over JSUT one Body, his bride though? That if there was NO local churches assembling, he would still be in and with the Body, being in and with each local Christian?

 

You're confusing terminology. His bride isn't the local church which is his body. Study 1Cor.12. The chapter describes a body, the body which exists, and can only exist at Corinth.
The bride consists of all believers, and is not the local church.
There is no universal body. There is no universal church. The word means ekklesia. It can only be translated "assembly." How can one have an "unassembled assembly." It is an impossibility, a contradiction of terms.

 

So you are saying that the local churches are his 'body" into their communities, while all the Chritians in all those churches together constitute His bride?

What about churches that are not baptist/"NT" churches then?

 

Man is a sinner.
Which man? Joe, Mary, John, or Fred?
All mankind are sinners. Man is a generic word; a singular word used to represent all of mankind, not just one person.

Ekklesia means church, a local church; specifically it means assembly.
In 1Cor.12 it is referred to as the body of Christ, or in the very least "a body of Christ." It is used generically. As it is one body of Christ, so are all local churches a body of Christ as their foundation is the apostles and prophets with Christ being the chief cornerstone, and the same local church being the pillar and ground of the truth. That is what we are called to do. Our ground (foundation) is the Word of God. As pillars we hold up the Word so that all can see it.

All of this has nothing to do with his bride. Some day Christ will return and the rapture will take place. At that time he will gather his bride (all believers), whether or not they have obeyed the Lord in baptism, whether or not they have obeyed the Lord in church membership, to be with him. All who have trusted the Lord as Savior are part of that bride. It is essential to have our terminology correct here. All who have been born again are born into the family God. Every believer is part of God's family.

It is not necessary, therefore, to restrict the use of the "body of Christ" to the non-existent, so-called, "universal church" which has no function or place in the NT. It just doesn't exist. All believers do exist together as a family, as a bride, but not as the body of Christ. That term is reserved for local churches. Every local church is a body of Christ. Study 1Cor.12 and tell me how you can read it and not come to the conclusion that Paul is not describing a body?

 

Revelation 21:2

A couple of observations: Here, the bride is described as the holy city, the New Jerusalem. What exactly is that? A real city?

And then we have the Marriage Supper of the Lamb described in Revelation 19.

I note that these are both passages about future events. I also note that there is an general assembly involved in heaven. The bride assembles. This is a prospective view, not a present reality.

 

So how do you view body Bride Kingdom

 

DHK can answer for himiself, but here's my take:

No, to question one. All believers constitute the kingdom. When we gather at the Marriage Supper, then we will be the bride. Not until then.

Qiestion two. There are many faith groups which call themelves churches, but are not. They teach and practice error. There may be saved individuals in those groups, but they are so despite the teachings of their faith group. Those individuals are members of the kingdom, and will eventually be part of the bride, but they are not part of a NT church.

A group which teaches salvation by works is not a true NT church. A group which denies the resurrection of Jesus is not a true NT church. If there are saved individuals in those gorups, it is by the grace of God.

 

So you would say that christians can and are part of say Anglican church, or the Lutheryn church, or even catholic church, but their churches are not NT churches, correct?

 

And, sometimes the truth is preached in those faith groups. That doesn't make them NT churches.

 

So you would see others not in NT churches as being part of the Bride of Christ, but not in one of His churches?

 

That is the way I would see it. All believers make up the Bride of Christ.
Church membership is a matter of obedience, as is baptism. Many Christians are disobedient on both counts.

 

Can you post a scripture reference where the Bible specifically says that there are essentials that are required to recognize a group of people as a "church" and where there are essentials that are required to call a person a "Christian"?

The only comprehensive list I can find is in I John:

1:7, Walk in the light, as He is in the light
1:9, Confess our sin, which leads to forgiveness and purification or sanctification
2:6, Obedience to Jesus, by walking as Jesus did
2:10, Love your brother
2:15, Do not love the world, but do the will of God
2:23, Acknowledge the Son
3:6, Do not continue in sin
3:10, Do what is right, love your brother
3:11, Love one another
3:16, Lay down our life for our brothers
3:17-18, Love with actions and in truth, with material possessions for those in need
3:23, Believe in the name of his son, Jesus Christ and to love one another
3:24, Obey his commands
4:2, Acknowledge that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
4:7, Love one another
4:15, acknowledge through the Spirit that Jesus is the Son of God
4:16-19, demonstrate God in us by loving our brother
4:21, Love your brother
5:2, Love God and carry out his commands
5:12, He who has the Son has life
5:18, Do not continue in sin

So, here's what I get from that. The essentials for a Christian are, 1) the acknowledgement of Jesus as the Son of God and savior, 2) Repentance and confession of sin unto forgiveness, 3) Obedience to the command of God, which is primarily to love your brother, and 4) Don't continue in sin after you've confessed and been sanctified.

 

What you gave were first: how to be saved, and then some of the things that God requires for Christian obedience, that is our growth in Christ.

No man is an island. We don't live unto ourselves.
As a missionary Paul went on three missionary journeys and established over one hundred churches.
Every one of his epistles were written either to local churches (which were organized) or to pastors of local churches (like Timothy at Ephesus).
Jesus wrote to seven pastors of seven actual churches mentioned in Revelation chapters 2 and 3.

A church is an assembly of baptized (immersed) believers who have voluntarily come together for the purpose of obeying the Great Commission and carrying out the two ordinances (The Lord's Supper and Baptism), as the Lord has commanded us.

It requires organization, leadership, direction, etc. It is not just "where two or three are gathered together."

 

Would you carry this into the area of seperation, as you would NOT have say meetings, works with what you consider non NT churches, but would have fellowship and even work with individuals members of those churches?

 

Yes. Our church has fellowship only with churches of like faith and order. To do otherwise would be cooperating with ecumenism which I believe is wrong.
However, on a personal basis I have no trouble fellowshipping with other believers no matter what church background that they come from.