House Church Talk - speaking, JL

[Bruce Woodford]

Hi Travis,
Thanks for your post  after the questions I asked you.  You wrote:"As for 
answering your questions, it is basically fruitless for me to walk through 
each point systematically without you being among us."

Dear brother, I am puzzled by your answer! I live in Southern Ontario, 
thousands of miles from you in California so visitting you is next to 
impossible. Why would answering my questions (most of which only require a 
"yes" or "no" answer) be "basicly fruitless for you to walk through"???

If such would take too much time, would you consider simply answering my two 
summary questions....i.e. "how do you and the others with whom you gather 
determine what is a whole church gathering and what is not?  Is this 
determination the basis on which you determine when the sisters are to be 
silent?"

I can see that I am in very much agreement with your understanding of I Cor 
14... i.e.
-we both believe that there are times for sisters to exercise their vocal 
gifts for the edification of other saints,
-we both believe there are meetings in which I Cor. 14 regulations are to be 
carried out literally,
-we both believe that men and women have distinct roles which God intends 
they should fulfill.

At this point in time, I think our only difference on I Cor.14 regulations 
is on what "the whole church gathered together into one place" (verse 23) 
actually means.  If I correctly understand those of your gathering who have 
expressed themselves here, you believe that "the whole church" is a weekly, 
Sunday gathering for all the saints who are a part of a particular house 
church.

I believe that "the whole church" is a gathering for all the believers in a 
particular city or community.  I have expressed the reasons from scripture 
which have brought me to this belief. But I recognize that I have often been 
wrong in the past and am willing to change my thinking if I can be shown 
with more convincing scriptural proof that another understanding is more 
consistent with all of scripture. I realize that you are not trying to 
persuade me.  I am simply asking why you function as you do so I can learn!

It is my understanding that we should be ready to explain and give reasons 
to others for every practice of ours that we believe is truly a Biblical 
one. Over the years, I have had to acknowledge that many of my religious 
practices had nothing at all to do with scripture! When I realized they were 
not Biblical practices, I had to scrap them and adopt those which were. So 
would you or any others of your gathering in Springville be willing to help 
me out and explain to me WHY you do WHAT you do?  I would really appreciate 
any help in this regard from any of the saints there who would be willing to 
take the time to share the reasons for the manner in which you function.

Your brother in Christ,
Bruce

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