Quote:
Originally Posted by ErikJohnson
Perhaps the definition of "church" is too narrow. According to the Bible, the church is the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:23, Colossians 1:24). All believers are a part of it (1 Corinthians 12:27). Salvation doesn't hinge on one's association with the Reformed or the Charismatic, the Presbyterian or the Pentecostal...
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If one uses this line of reasoning, then at least two questions can be raised:
1) Who are the "believers" mentioned in this scripture?
2) What qualified these people to be believers?
In order to make a proper definition of a term, one must be able to define all of the words used in the definition itself. In this case, if one asserts that "all believers are a part" of the church, then one must be able to define what it means to believe and what it was these ancient members believed. At least one ancient Christian (Paul) taught the unity of one faith based on the "unified" Gospel the Lord Jesus Christ taught during his mortal ministry, not on sectarian positions (1 Cor 1:12-23).