What is it with the universalist?

[DaveW 3,789]

I remember a time when you never heard a Baptist talk about the invisible universal church, or even making a distinction between local and universal.

People used the term "the local church" not as a distinction, but as a statement.

Now we have all sorts of people here stating or intimating a belief in the universal church.

What are we coming to?

[Pastor Scott Markle 2,456]

8 hours ago, DaveW said:

I remember a time when you never heard a Baptist talk about the invisible universal church, or even making a distinction between local and universal.

People used the term "the local church" not as a distinction, but as a statement.

Now we have all sorts of people here stating or intimating a belief in the universal church.

What are we coming to?

It is interesting the difference in perspective, because all throughout the years of my upbringing, I was aware of the controversy among Baptists between the "local church ONLY" position and the "local AND universal church" position.  I myself was raised on the "local church ONLY" position, learning all of the support for that position and all of the arguments against the other position.  I was also made to recognize that an extreme form of the "local church ONLY" position would enter the realm of "Baptist briderism," and was cautioned strongly against that "extreme."

Edited March 2 by Pastor Scott Markle
added last sentence concerning "Baptist briderism"