by 2Nu » Wed Jun 14, 2006 12:16 pm
[quote][i]Originally posted by Quite Life[/i]
<br>One more thing Matthew 18 is a wonderful text and I do thank you for mentioning that. But it only works if your in “The Churchâ€. Question 2Nu, how do you apply verse 17 to those who are not a member of a church? Or one who goes to a church that doesn’t recognize your church as a Christian. That is if someone in the Southern Baptist Church or Evangelical Free Church would have a charge against lets say a member in the Mormon church, the Mormon would not recognize that charge because Mormonism sees these churched and all evangelical protestant churches as non-Christian (Just like Evangelicals don’t see Mormons as Christian the exclusion is mutual). How do you apply Matt. 18 in this case? How do you apply Matt. 18 to Muslims? Don’t Muslims have to cease being Muslims and confess Christ as the only truth and way (John 14:6) and be in the church according to the appeal in Matt 18:17? Please help me out here.
Sincerely yours,
QL
[/quote]
QL, It is not my intention to engage you in theological debate.
My reference to Matthew 18 was simply meant to touch on how people need to witness in a manner that intrigues and encourages others to join in the discussion rather than putting them on the defensive and tuning out your 'message'.
It is obvious that you are a man of unshakable moral convictions who is particularly well read on many salient aspects of Christian doctrine.
You have indeed made some valid points regarding inconsistencies within the ecumenical philosophies of various bible based churches which is worthy of further elucidation.
That having being said, it still leaves me in a position to come to YOU as a fellow Christian to call attention to what some of your pejorative statements were eliciting. Rather than spreading the 'good news', I instead, sense that you are calling others out to invoke shame upon them.
[b]1 Thessalonians 2:10-12[/b]
[i]10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.[/i]
As stated previously, I need to set a tone of respect for all concerned.
Therefore, it would indeed be best that you (and others) take MM's suggestion to engage/debate one another via direct email correspondence.
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