Quote:
Originally Posted by Trapped
This actually touches on a topic I had on my mental back burner. I had an interaction with an elder one time where he talked about needing to check with "the brothers" (in Anaheim) about a certain local matter. I can't remember what it was, but it was something banal, like having a particular meeting, or possibly having a conference that involved a few churches. It was not a serious situation, like the implosion of a bunch of churches. I asked, "why do you need to check with them if this is something that doesn't actually involve them?" The elders' hesitated for a second and then said, "Well, it's good to get the feeling of the Body."
Of course, this means "check with Anaheim" but, me, always hesitant of that baby/bathwater thing, couldn't help but wonder if there is any Biblical precedent for this before throwing it out as "nonsense". I love what you say that the members/Body are described by Paul on the local level. It makes so much sense to "get the feeling of the Body" on the local level, in your own church. Are there any instances in the Bible where "get the feeling of the Body" on a larger-than-local level could be argued for?
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There is support for circulating the apostolic epistles around the churches. Ephesians, for example, could be a circular letter. In his conclusion to Colosse, Paul exhorts them to exchange letters with Laodicea (Col 4.15-16) which btw we do not have. John's letters in Rev 2-3 were also circulated. It is interesting to note that the towns of Ephesus to Laodicea followed a well-traveled route, which some have said formed a rainbow in shape. Next in line was Colossae and Hierapolis, had there been 8 or 9 letters in total.
Concerning "
the feeling of the body" according to Lee, this teaching is entirely manufactured with the goal to force compliance with headquarters. Who is qualified to "know" this feeling. Scripturally and practically speaking this should uniquely be the Head of the body leading the elders and the gifted brothers
who are with the saints. How in the world could those in Anaheim know the needs in Cleveland, Ohio? Compare Paul's letters to Corinth and Galatia. Their needs were diametrically opposed.
When it comes to the ministry of the word concerning the truths of the faith, there is ground to bring congregations together to benefit from certain gifted members. But Lee once said that the local elders had enough "authority" to choose what time to have a church prayer meeting. Seriously? This is why many have rightly said that LC elders have become only franchise managers. Thus Podunk, Nowheresville has the exact same "menu" as the megatropolis of NYC.
The N.T. shows us a continued battled between Gentile Evangelists and Judaizers sent out from Jerusalem. Initially they battled over circumcision, apparently resolved in Acts 15, yet really never was until the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The "feeling of the body" should be guided by the Spirit, by the new covenant, and by righteousness. Look at every case in the N.T., they were all guided in this way.