In case anyone wasn't sure, the Pope isn't on Team Jesus
(twitter.com)
You're viewing a single comment thread. View all comments, or full comment thread.
Comments (82)
sorted by:
I believe the church is really all of us believers and not some institutions that make up rules as they go. Most all churches behave as government's do, they do their own thing regardless if that is in agreement with the word of God.
There is indeed a universal church, which is the collection of all believers alive on earth at any given time.
However, local churches are equally (if not more) important. In the NT you see local churches popping up almost instantly, with the apostles going to great lengths to support them, correct them, and help them grow. Hebrews 10:25 exhorts Christian’s to not forsake these local assemblies.
You are right that many denominations invent their own rules, abandon God’s rules, or just in general slide into corruption and decay. My advice would be to check out as many local churches in your area as you can, and compare their doctrine and practices to the Bible. Find one that boldly preaches the Word on every issue, especially when it takes a stand against evolution, LGBT, and other controversial issues. There aren’t many left, but there are still some.
You seem knowledgable.
I've heard Calvary is solid as they actually teach the scripture. Not sure if you have any opinions on a Church, but I've been looking for a solid church for a while.
Lol, I had a nickel for every church called Calvary, I'd be a billionaire. There's dozens of them just in my area.
At the end of the day, you have to do the legwork both to search the Scriptures and check any prospective church against that standard. That's what the Bereans did before they accepted Paul in Acts 17. Churches often have statements of faith or other summaries of their teachings on their websites. That's a good place to start. These days a lot of them have sermon recordings thanks to the lockdowns, so that's another way you can separate the good from the bad before you ever go visit.
If the church you have in mind preaches the Word unapologetically, and doesn't try twisting it to fit their own doctrine, then you probably have a good church. It may take some trial and error, but God will eventually direct you to a local church that's right for you.