House Church Talk - Organism vs. Organization

[Bruce Woodford]

Hi Claire,

You wrote:"I have sadly seen organisms transition into organizations.  
Usually it is because a "leader" has shown up to exploit and manage what God 
has created.  Or men seek to reproduce or expand what God has done with the 
idea that it is possible to reverse engineer God's creation to learn his 
methodology."

Dear Sister, members in the body oif Christ who once functioned as healthy 
body members may be conscripted or coerced to join and support an 
organization, but that is NOT "an organizm transitioning itno an 
organization"!    A healthy oak tree that is growing and fruitful may be cut 
down, sawn unto luimber and fashioned into a table for the board room of the 
Coca-Cola Corporation.

However, that change (from oak to Coke) can in no way be seen as a 
transition from organizm to organization, any more than a corporate 
boardroom table can be "reverse engineered" back into an oak tree!

You also wrote:"We do know that the Old Testament systems were designed by 
God, and not by man, and each element had a divine purpose."

You are absolutely right here! Such things as a male priesthood of the tribe 
of Levi, physical temple or tabernacle buildings which were the temple of 
God, animal sacrifices, tithes and offerings to support that priesthood and 
to maintain the temple buildings etc etc were all right and proper under the 
old covenant system.

But once the veil was rent in two from the top to the bottom, the old 
covenant was decayed, waxed old and ready to vanish away! (Heb.8:13)  So 
attempting to produce life with old, decayed and obsolete materials just 
DOES NOT WORK!  The new covenant which ia entirely dependent on God keeping 
His promises to men rather than on men attempting to keep their promises to 
God is a radically new "ball game"!

Notice the basis of the old covenant system in Ex.20:1-17 and 24:3.

Notice the radically different basis of the new covenant in Heb.8:8-12 and 
II Cor 3.

Under the first, men said, "We will do it all!" But under the second, God 
said, "I will do it all!"

The vast majority of "churches" (including many house churches!!) which 
claim to be new testament churches  follow principles of the old covenant 
rather than those of the new!  Just as it is an impossibility for an oak 
tree to function as a corporate boardroom table, it is an absolute 
impossibility for the body of Christ to function as a religious 
organization!!!

Your brother in Christ,
Bruce

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