Christian: The Body of Christ

[dawny0826]

I have several questions for Christians of all denominations/faiths...

1. What is your definition of "Body of Christ"?

2. What is your definition of "The Church"?

3. Do you believe that all Christians are part of the Body of Christ? Why or why not?

4 Do you believe that the "Body of Christ" is singular...as in ALL Christians are part of ONE singular Body, regardless of religious denomination or do you believe otherwise?

5. If you view the "Body" and the "Church" as two SEPARATE "concepts" (for lack of a better word) do you place equal emphasis on the two or do you feel ONE deserves more emphasis than the other?

 

[James the Persian]

I have several questions for Christians of all denominations/faiths...

1. What is your definition of "Body of Christ"?

2. What is your definition of "The Church"?

3. Do you believe that all Christians are part of the Body of Christ? Why or why not?

4 Do you believe that the "Body of Christ" is singular...as in ALL Christians are part of ONE singular Body, regardless of religious denomination or do you believe otherwise?

5. If you view the "Body" and the "Church" as two SEPARATE "concepts" (for lack of a better word) do you place equal emphasis on the two or do you feel ONE deserves more emphasis than the other?

Answering this honestly is going to annoy some here, but never mind.

1. The Church

2. The Body of Christ (these two are synonymous)

3. No, I don't. Christ created a single, visible Church which exists to this day. Schisms and heresies can not divide the Body of Christ and so the different 'denominations' are not other parts of that Body, but rather groups of Christians who have fallen away from it. (That doesn't mean they aren't Christians, though, just that their churches are not part of the Church.

4. Yes, I believe that the Body of Christ is singular. I don't believe that all who call themselves Christian are part of that Body, though. Though you appear to think otherwise, I have no problem accepting that there is one singular Body of Christ that all Christians should be, but are not, part of.

5. Not applicable.

James

 

[Adstar]

1. What is your definition of "Body of Christ"?

All true Christians down thoughout the ages including those that are still here today.

2. What is your definition of "The Church"?

hummm. A myriad of differing doctrines and mixings of man made thought with Gods thoughts. A Dangerous and unstable mix.

3. Do you believe that all Christians are part of the Body of Christ? Why or why not?

All True Christians are part of the Body of Christ, But not all people who call themselves Christian are christian.

4 Do you believe that the "Body of Christ" is singular...as in ALL Christians are part of ONE singular Body, regardless of religious denomination or do you believe otherwise?

It is singular.

5. If you view the "Body" and the "Church" as two SEPARATE "concepts" (for lack of a better word) do you place equal emphasis on the two or do you feel ONE deserves more emphasis than the other?

The Body is everything the church means nothing.


All Praise The Ancient of Days

 

[michel]

I have several questions for Christians of all denominations/faiths...

Argh...I hate these 'quizzes' because I know so little.

1. What is your definition of "Body of Christ"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_of_Christ
The Body of Christ is a term used by Christians to describe believers in Christ. Christ is seen as the head of the body, which is seen as the church. The "members" of the body are seen as members of the Church.

2. What is your definition of "The Church"?

As above.

3. Do you believe that all Christians are part of the Body of Christ? Why or why not?

I am going to cheat and resort to using adstar's " All True Christians are part of the Body of Christ, But not all people who call themselves Christian are christian. " (which seem to fit with what I have seen on line)

4 Do you believe that the "Body of Christ" is singular...as in ALL Christians are part of ONE singular Body, regardless of religious denomination or do you believe otherwise?

Now my instincts tell me to adopt James's "Yes, I believe that the Body of Christ is singular. I don't believe that all who call themselves Christian are part of that Body, though. Though you appear to think otherwise, I have no problem accepting that there is one singular Body of Christ that all Christians should be, but are not, part of. ".it feels right.

5. If you view the "Body" and the "Church" as two SEPARATE "concepts" (for lack of a better word) do you place equal emphasis on the two or do you feel ONE deserves more emphasis than the other?

[/QUOTE]

Not applicable.

 

[EnhancedSpirit]

OK, I have written this before, but I will do it again. The Body of Christ and the Church are examples man has used in an attempt to explain things of spiritual nature. They are the same, as they are both explainations of unity. We are all one. The example I use is the human body. Every cell in the body has a common thread, the DNA. But cells also have individual properties that make them unique among one another. When a body begins it is a single cell that contains all the information that body needs for life. And it starts to multiply, God told Adam and Noah, to go forth and multiply. Well, for a while all the cells are exactly the same. We now call them stem cells. Eventually the cells take on their unique properties, some become skin cells, some brain cells, blood cells, nerve cells. Groups of similar cells join to form the organs, heart, liver, bladder, some cells become 'messengers', while some have authority over the body, like the glands. the organs, or groups of cells reflect Religion. Each one different, but each one just as important as the next. All of us together, makes the body of Christ.

 

[Adstar]

I am going to cheat and resort to using adstar's " All True Christians are part of the Body of Christ, But not all people who call themselves Christian are christian. " (which seem to fit with what I have seen on line)

How was that cheating?


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[Adstar]

How was that cheating?


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

Sorry i misread your point :bonk:


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[dawny0826]

Answering this honestly is going to annoy some here, but never mind.

I view the "Body" and "Church" as being ONE. My answers to these questions are quite similar to your own.

If one finds these questions "annoying" to answer honestly...one certainly isn't obliged to answer.

 

[Scuba Pete]

1. What is your definition of "Body of Christ"?

There are two:

1) His life:

I Corinthians 10:16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. NIV

Luke 22:17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. NIV

2) His church: the ecclesia

Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. NIV

2. What is your definition of "The Church"?

The called out, the ecclesia.

Ephesians 5:21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. NIV

3. Do you believe that all Christians are part of the Body of Christ? Why or why not?

Of course!

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. NIV

4 Do you believe that the "Body of Christ" is singular...as in ALL Christians are part of ONE singular Body, regardless of religious denomination or do you believe otherwise?

No where in the scriptures does it indicate that Jesus handed out franchises.

Galations 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. NIV

5. If you view the "Body" and the "Church" as two SEPARATE "concepts" (for lack of a better word) do you place equal emphasis on the two or do you feel ONE deserves more emphasis than the other?

I try to put the same emphasis on them that the scriptures do.

 

[James the Persian]

I view the "Body" and "Church" as being ONE. My answers to these questions are quite similar to your own.

If one finds these questions "annoying" to answer honestly...one certainly isn't obliged to answer.

I didn't say I found the questions annoying to answer, not at all. I said that answering them honestly was going to annoy some other posters. In other words, my answers (by implying that all those outside the Orthodox Church are not part of the Body of Christ) were going to upset some people. That is, however, what I believe otherwise I would never have converted. The Protestant idea of an invisible Church has always been distinctly dodgy in my eyes, even when I was a Protestant.

James

 

[Adstar]

I didn't say I found the questions annoying to answer, not at all. I said that answering them honestly was going to annoy some other posters. In other words, my answers (by implying that all those outside the Orthodox Church are not part of the Body of Christ) were going to upset some people. That is, however, what I believe otherwise I would never have converted. The Protestant idea of an invisible Church has always been distinctly dodgy in my eyes, even when I was a Protestant.

James

Well i have a similar history. Not exactly in the opposite direction though. I was raised a catholic But once i read the Bible i left that religion because i believed it was false. I do not believe catholic or orthodox adherents are part of the Body of Christ. You may find that upsetting also. But it is what i truly believe.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[James the Persian]

Well i have a similar history. Not exactly in the opposite direction though. I was raised a catholic But once i read the Bible i left that religion because i believed it was false. I do not believe catholic or orthodox adherents are part of the Body of Christ. You may find that upsetting also. But it is what i truly believe.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

I don't find it upsetting at all. I'd rather people were consistent than otherwise. You are entitled to your opinions, I just think that you're wrong. I must ask where you think the Body of Christ is to be found, though, if not in the Orthodox or Roman Catholic churches? You can't rely on the usual Protestant Invisible Church idea because by that theory we are all part of the Body of Christ. I'd also like to know on what basis you reject Orthodoxy given that you have displayed no particular understanding of our faith up to now on this forum and just how you can reject both of us as being part of the Body of Christ by, supposedly, following only the Bible that we gave to you (before we were divided by the Great Schism)?

James

 

[Maxist]

Ypur incite is enlightening NetDoc.

 

[Adstar]

I don't find it upsetting at all. I'd rather people were consistent than otherwise. You are entitled to your opinions, I just think that you're wrong. I must ask where you think the Body of Christ is to be found, though, if not in the Orthodox or Roman Catholic churches? You can't rely on the usual Protestant Invisible Church idea because by that theory we are all part of the Body of Christ. I'd also like to know on what basis you reject Orthodoxy given that you have displayed no particular understanding of our faith up to now on this forum and just how you can reject both of us as being part of the Body of Christ by, supposedly, following only the Bible that we gave to you (before we were divided by the Great Schism)?

James

Thanks for you lack of offence. having thick skin is a great help when engaging in open and frank exchanges in faith.

Before you put me in a "protestant" Box let me tell you that i am not a protestant. The differences in doctrines of churches under the "protestant" heading are far more varied then the differences between catholicism and eastern orthodoxy.

I am not a follower of luther. I have read his calls to persecute Jews and just that call bars me from ever calling Him my Brother in Jesus. But there was one positive thing that came out of the protestant rebellion against the catholic church and that was the liberation of the Word of God from the catholic church. Another positive aspect of Protestantism was their need to justify their break from the catholic church. The only way they could do this was to use the Bible. It is no coincidence that the first mass produced bible came from the new printing press. This was done to shore up and justify their rebellion. The more bibles in the hands of common people the more sustainable would be the rebellion.

The liberation of the scriptures gave the common man the opportunity to become a follower of the Messiah Jesus directly through His Word. Not through the false interpretations of churches who had more loyalty the masters of this world then the King of Kings.

Both catholicism and orthodoxy have the same origin. That being they are creations of former Christians who could no longer stand persecution but threw their loyalty to a man who was also desperate to become emperor of the roman empire. They sold their soul's to Constantine and made their pact with the devil. They got into bed with Him and joined him in seeking worldly power and security; It was the ultimate act of treason against Jesus. So instead of being killed in the coliseums following Jesus call to love their enemies and not to resist, they turned and allied themselves with evil and because persecutors of true Christians themselves.

The Message of Jesus is very clear to His followers, Not to engage in carnal combat, warfare. Once they crossed that line and supported constantine’s fight to obtain the seat of emperor, they left their true faith behind, little by little bit by bit they twisted the Word of God to serve their new master (The empire of Rome.) Both these two religions did this and where perverted from the truth. (just like many protestant churches had got into bed with the political powers of today) That’s why they both have similar views on Mary. Turning the trinity into a quinella.

So something very central happened to change the situation from roman pagans killing Christians for sport and entertainment in the coliseums to supposed "christians" executing heretics and burning people at the stake. The very simple fact that they both ( as well as most protestant denominations) support the doctrine of justified war shows them as not being followers of the Messiah Jesus. But they are followers of another jesus. A cut down version of Jesus with vain thoughts of men added, made to sound good by calling them traditions.

The Body of Christ is not made up of different denominations it is made up of individuals who truly accept the Messiah's Words over that of mans words over that of mans logic.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[Abram]

Answering this honestly is going to annoy some here, but never mind.

1. The Church

2. The Body of Christ (these two are synonymous)

3. No, I don't. Christ created a single, visible Church which exists to this day. Schisms and heresies can not divide the Body of Christ and so the different 'denominations' are not other parts of that Body, but rather groups of Christians who have fallen away from it. (That doesn't mean they aren't Christians, though, just that their churches are not part of the Church.

4. Yes, I believe that the Body of Christ is singular. I don't believe that all who call themselves Christian are part of that Body, though. Though you appear to think otherwise, I have no problem accepting that there is one singular Body of Christ that all Christians should be, but are not, part of.

5. Not applicable.

James

Why would I just repeat you? I agree with the persian...

Romans 12:4,5 also strengthens your point.
"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."

 

[Scuba Pete]

Ypur incite is enlightening NetDoc.

You probably meant "insight", but I have incited a few riots here and there! Frubals on your head!

 

[Quiddity]

Answering this honestly is going to annoy some here, but never mind.

1. The Church

2. The Body of Christ (these two are synonymous)

3. No, I don't. Christ created a single, visible Church which exists to this day. Schisms and heresies can not divide the Body of Christ and so the different 'denominations' are not other parts of that Body, but rather groups of Christians who have fallen away from it. (That doesn't mean they aren't Christians, though, just that their churches are not part of the Church.

4. Yes, I believe that the Body of Christ is singular. I don't believe that all who call themselves Christian are part of that Body, though. Though you appear to think otherwise, I have no problem accepting that there is one singular Body of Christ that all Christians should be, but are not, part of.

5. Not applicable.

James

My thoughts and views exactly.

 

[ΩRôghênΩ]

1. What is your definition of "Body of Christ"?The Human beings around the world that have prostrated themselves to the religion of The Christ, as well as the Annointed One himself

2. What is your definition of "The Church"?The Divine kingdom on earth made up of the body of Christ who folow the teachings of the annointed one.

3. Do you believe that all Christians are part of the Body of Christ? Why or why not?All people who folow The Christ's teachings, try to folow his teachings, or believe in their hearts that they are folowing his teachings are in the body of christ.

4 Do you believe that the "Body of Christ" is singular...as in ALL Christians are part of ONE singular Body, regardless of religious denomination or do you believe otherwise?Denomonations do not seperate the spiritual bond of God between all the annointed

5. If you view the "Body" and the "Church" as two SEPARATE "concepts" (for lack of a better word) do you place equal emphasis on the two or do you feel ONE deserves more emphasis than the other?I do not seperate the two.