Ground of Locality and Generality

Cal · 01-29-2009, 07:06 AM

I once met in a Bible study with some people at work. One of the believers there was a Christian whose beliefs forced him to believe none of the rest of us were saved. I asked him once, "You don't think we are saved, yet you are experiencing fellowship with us. How can that be?" He couldn't answer.

Die-hard local grounders who have left LSM are kind of like that. They've split from the one church in the city, and so have violated the "oneness," yet they still hold out for one church per city. Yet they realize they must "go on" somehow, and so make the best of where they are. Eventually, like Norm, some concede that they must modifiy their views because necessity demands it.

The theoretical model of one church per city does them no good, someone else already claims to be that church. So they must either claim the title themselves and discount the rival, find an unoccupied city, or simply live and let live.

The first option is arrogant, the second is stupid, the third denies the local ground teaching. So pick your poison, I guess.

01-29-2009, 07:06 AM	#22
Cal Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: USA Posts: 4,333	Re: ground of locality and generality I once met in a Bible study with some people at work. One of the believers there was a Christian whose beliefs forced him to believe none of the rest of us were saved. I asked him once, "You don't think we are saved, yet you are experiencing fellowship with us. How can that be?" He couldn't answer. Die-hard local grounders who have left LSM are kind of like that. They've split from the one church in the city, and so have violated the "oneness," yet they still hold out for one church per city. Yet they realize they must "go on" somehow, and so make the best of where they are. Eventually, like Norm, some concede that they must modifiy their views because necessity demands it. The theoretical model of one church per city does them no good, someone else already claims to be that church. So they must either claim the title themselves and discount the rival, find an unoccupied city, or simply live and let live. The first option is arrogant, the second is stupid, the third denies the local ground teaching. So pick your poison, I guess.