Alan

Hello and welcome to Online Baptist.

Many years ago, so many years that I had forgotten what year, I visited with Pastor Eric Capaci at Gospel Light Baptist Church in Hot Springs, AR at the church and met some of his staff. I did not have a meeting with the church but I was just in the area and wanted to ask him personally for a meeting. At that time, he was, to my knowledge, IFB, had a very active soul-winning ministry and a lighthouse for the gospel in the Hot Springs area. As a missionary, I was well treated, his staff showed me the ministry, and I was afforded every courtesy as a missionary. It saddens me to know that he is in the SBC.

I do hope that the piano hymns are a blessing to your heart. The music and the scenes of Colorado are the courtesy of Kaleb Brasee May God bless all of you. Alan

“Independent Assemblies” Philippians 4:15 The apostle Paul is now on his second missionary journey that he and Barnabas started in Acts 15:36. “Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.” Philippians 4:15 & 16 The apostle Paul is commending the Philippian church, or local assembly, for helping him with his physical necessities. Three Locations Mentioned 1. Philippi. The city where the current church, or assembly, is located. We will also take note that the accepted time of the writing of the book of Philippi was in 64 A. D. Also, according to Acts 16:6-12, while at Troas, Paul received the Macedonian call. So, instead of travelling to Asia, the East, the Lord directed Paul and his companions on the first missionary effort towards the West, the Roman province of Macedonia and Europe. 2. Macedonia. The Roman Province that Philippi and Thessalonica is located. 3. Thessalonica. A city further south from Philippi. At the time of the writing of the epistle to the Philippians, 64 A. D. , the church at Philippi had know of the events that took place at Thessalonica, Acts 17:1-9. The book of 1 Thessalonians was written in 54 A. D. So, since the distance between the two cities was not great, and there was an church in both places, and as Paul clearly indicates that the the two churches were in close contact with one another, both of the churches had fellowship with one another but there was no other ties between the two churches nor with the other churches in the area. Map is the courtesy of BibleStudy.org I would like to bring to mind that at that time the apostle Paul mentioned only one church, or local assembly, was giving towards his necessities as a missionary. Later on in his missionary journey that situation changed. In 2 Corinthians 8:1-4 we read, “Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering of the saints.” Different Churches not a Universal Church “… no church ...” As led by the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul clearly differentiated between the church at Philippi from the other churches in any other city, region, or location. In this passage, Paul mentions the church, or assembly, at Thessalonica. Therefore, the saints at various locations, when they assembled together, constituted a local church and were independent of other local churches, or assemblies. Independent Assemblies “… communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.” The church at Philippi knew the brethren at the church at Thessalonica. The two churches, and probably more churches than we know, had close fellowship with one another. But, besides fellowship, there was no denominational binding of the assemblies together. Even though Paul had stated other churches, only the church at Philippi gave toward his necessities. So, it is plainly evident that the local assembly makes the decision to use its funds, or time, or other goods, or any other decision, without the authorization of any other assembly. Every church is a local entity, independent, from other local churches, or assemblies. There is no ecclesiastical authority, or hierarchy, above a true, New Testament, local church. As with Paul the Apostle, when it comes to missionary effort, if a church wants to support a missionary, or any other decision affecting the assembly, than they make the decision. In the New Testament, let me repeat that, in the New Testament, there is no denominational board, nor is there any religious hierarchy over the church, making any decision. All, as in every one, of the churches in the New Testament were independent from one another with no denominations, or a religious hierarchy, binding them together. The New Testament Bishop We had previously looked at Philippians 1:1, “Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.” Even though the church at Philippi was in close proximity with the church at Thessalonica, and with other assemblies in the region of Macedonia, the bishops at Philippi did not, repeat, did not, have any authority over the church at Thessalonica nor in any other assembly in the region of Macedonia. In the New Testament, the bishop was the overseer, or the pastor, or the elder, of only the local assembly. The concept of a bishop being the overseer of a region, or in an ecclesiastical hierarchy, over numerous local assemblies, is foreign to the scriptures and a man-made position.

Here is a quote from Wikipedia concerning Professor Immanuel Velikovsky and his theories concerning the Old Testament and science. "In general, Velikovsky's theories have been ignored or vigorously rejected by the academic community." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel_Velikovsky

Brethren, Our next study on the local church will be on Philippians 4:15 Alan

None of the references submitted above are scriptural evidence that the 10 Plagues as written by Moses in the book of Exodus was world-wide. Forgive me for being blunt, the information concerning the Amalekites, legend of the Pawnees, Persian legends, and other north American Indian legends are not proof of any kind.

Hello and welcome to Online Baptist!

Thank you Jim. In my understanding, the church at Philippi, the church at Ephesus, and the local assemblies in the early church, more fully understood that they were a part of, "the body of Christ" instead of some generic "Universal Church" as is the main emphasis in our age. The early assemblies, it seems to me, believed their union with Christ in salvation, service, persecution, joy, and blessings, was of a personal nature. The Lord Jesus made it very clear that when a person, government, religion, or denomination, persecutes the church or a saint, whether physically, legally, or verbally, they are really persecuting the Lord Jesus. Anybody else have any thoughts, discussions, or comments?

“Persecuting the Church,” Philippians 3:6 The apostle Paul had previously warned the pastors, deacons, and the saints at the local church at Philippi this solemn warning, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.” Philippians 1:29 & 30. The apostle Paul clearly warned the local church at Philippi that persecution for the name of Christ was coming. In his testimony, Paul the apostle stated, “Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Philippians 3:5 & 6 In the book of Acts the apostle Paul, then called Saul, persecuted the local assembly of saints, the church at Jerusalem, Acts 8:1-3. Then Paul recounted, twice, in his personal salvation experience with Christ how he persecuted the church. First, we will concentrate on Acts 8:1-3. In Acts 8:1-3 we read, “And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judæa and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.” Saul, in his zeal as a Pharisee, persecuted the church at Jerusalem and then, in his zeal, desired letters from the high priest to persecute the saints as far away as Damascus. The church at Jerusalem was pastored by the Apostles, they followed the baptism of John the Baptist, were meeting in the Temple, and, apparently, in houses. The church at Jerusalem is considered the first local church mentioned in the scriptures. Saul was determined to break up the meetings, haul the saints to jail, and persecute the church in an effort to destroy it. The Church – the Body of Christ In the book of Ephesians, the apostle Paul is explaining more fully the saints spiritual relationship to the Lord Jesus. In Ephesians 1:3, 22-23; 2:6, 19-22; 3:6; 4:1-5, 11-12, 16; 5:23-33, we read of the mystery of, “The Body of Christ.” At the moment of salvation, the individual is saved, he is a saint, and enters a spiritual relationship with Christ. The promises, and blessings, to the saints in the New Testament church are spiritual. 1. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3 2. “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6 3. “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:12 4. The marriage relationship between a man and a woman is a type of the church: Ephesians 5:22-33. So, the spiritual relationship between the saints and Christ is a mystery not completely understood this side of heaven. “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:32 As God created the institution of marriage to populate this world, so did Christ institute the church to populate the streets of heaven. The saint in the New Testament local church is in, “the body of Christ.” In Acts 9:1-20 and 22:1-16 Paul goes in more detail concerning his conversion experience with Christ and the Lord Jesus clearly shows that when a person, or a religion, the Muslim religion as an example, or a denomination, I will give the Catholic Church as an example, or a Government, I will use the Communist Chinese Government as an example, is persecuting true saints, the local church, than in reality they are persecuting the Lord Jesus. In Acts 9:4 b & 5 we read these words from the lips of the Lord Jesus, “… Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” Was Saul literally persecuting the Lord Jesus? No. Was Saul persecuting the local church at Jerusalem? Yes. Therefore, spiritually speaking, Saul was persecuting the body of Christ. In Acts 22:7b & 8 we read, “… Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.” When a person, or a denomination, I will give the Catholic Church as an example, or a religion, the Muslim religion for example, or a Government, I will use the Communist Chinese Government as an example, persecutes, maligns, slanders, the local church then that person, or religion, or denomination, or government, is persecuting, maligning, and slandering the Lord Jesus Christ. Conclusion. The Lord Jesus stated, “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” John 15:20 This world is not our home nor is the saint in the local church welcomed in this world. All our treasures, all our hopes, and our Lord and Savior, are in the world to come.

May God give us the spirit of Spurgeon in our churches! "Spurgeon believed in a regenerate church membership and was very careful in this regard."

Brethren, I will be starting the next lesson soon. Our last lesson was on Philippians 1:1. So, we will continue the study of the local church as recorded in the book of Philippians. We will be looking at the phrase, "... persecuting the church ..." in Philippians 3:6. In connection with Philippians 3:6 we will be looking at parts of Acts 8, 9, and 22 Alan

Dave is entirely correct. I found out the same thing in my initial reading of several of his devotions. Also, if you look at his devotions, and even this thread, you will also notice the following two interesting items: 1. His usage of how the Holy Spirit is specifically leading him: "but I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to spend some time here." Matt's Friday 11:42 reply and in numerous devotions. Like the Charismatic's, Matt uses the name of the Holy Spirit to try and prove his spirituality over other saints. 2. Matt's reference to the New Covenant, usually capitalized: "and the New Covenant." This phrase is posted in his July 26th. reply and in numerous devotions.

Pastor Markle has a fine study on 2 John in his, "A Forum Bible Study on 2 & 3 John." Here is the link to the study: In his study, Pastor Markle discusses the elect lady and the corresponding passages.

Excellent article by Dr. James Arch and Pastor Wilkerson and the First Baptist Church in Hammond, IN.