orthodox and baptism, split from are pc anabaptist?

[ohio jones]

Virtually every denominatio has sects/divisions under their own 'main' denomination head- (whomever started thse to begin with, because they were started by man/men-

Sort of like the threads on this forum, except here some of them are started by women. It's interesting that this discussion is in a thread on baptism, which was itself sectioned off from another thread for being irredeemably off topic. It may just be human nature to keep branching off from the one true topic -- as the hymn says, "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it" -- should we bother the mods to dissect this diversion, or just leaf it alone?

[Sudsy]

When we get more 'turned on' by what divides us than what unites us, what does this say about our spiritual growth ? I think Paul called it 'carnality'. Remaining as babes in Christ. "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" 1 Cor. 3:3

And a longer list of the fruits of carnality in Galatians 5:19–21: When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these".

Some of these may be easy to skip over but what about ones like 'quarreling' or 'dissension' or 'division', they too are included as acts of carnality. From what I see and have participated in 'Christian forums' are quite active in carnality, right ?

[Josh]

If what Valerie yearns for is the feeling of no division, complete unity, and unshakeable faith that one is in the one, indivisible church of God, I recommend she heads down Rt. 57 towards Apple screen and visit the Rock of Ages congregation of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite.

As a bonus, they just finished their new school building’s gym which is doing a brisk business hosting fellowship meals on Sundays when there is a wedding (which now has happened two Sundays in a row). In addition to your soul being fed, you’ll also get a tasty meal with friendly, attentive service from the youth running around pouring coffee and water for thirsty diners.

[Sudsy]

If what Valerie yearns for is the feeling of no division, complete unity, and unshakeable faith that one is in the one, indivisible church of God, I recommend she heads down Rt. 57 towards Apple screen and visit the Rock of Ages congregation of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite.

As a bonus, they just finished their new school building’s gym which is doing a brisk business hosting fellowship meals on Sundays when there is a wedding (which now has happened two Sundays in a row). In addition to your soul being fed, you’ll also get a tasty meal with friendly, attentive service from the youth running around pouring coffee and water for thirsty diners.

I'm curious about the Holdeman 'true church' concept. In GAMEO it says 'Attendance at other churches and participation in intimate spiritual relationships with nonmembers are regarded as bordering on "spiritual adultery" or listening to "false prophets." How do CGC believers regard non-CGC believers ? Are they considered 'saved' or 'born again' ? Or is it that anything outside the CGC teachings are 'playing with fire' so to speak and you could lose your salvation ? I'm not clear on where any group who identifies themselves as the 'true church' regards others not a member of their church.

Not looking to quarrel but to understand more about the CGC group.

[Hats Off]

[quote="Valerie"but it helped my understanding into this whole issue of 'rebaptizing' being considered so wrong- I had the most simplistic understanding of baptizing, it's been helpful to learn for me- to understand the uproar that split the Church in thousands of sects

Are the RCs and EO sects or what exactly is a "sect"?

No offence intended HO, but when I saw this post I immediately thought of Proverbs 26:17. It probably applies in at least some ways.[/quote]
I will try a little harder not to take a dog by the ears.

[Valerie]

[quote="Valerie"but it helped my understanding into this whole issue of 'rebaptizing' being considered so wrong- I had the most simplistic understanding of baptizing, it's been helpful to learn for me- to understand the uproar that split the Church in thousands of sects

Are the RCs and EO sects or what exactly is a "sect"?

No offence intended HO, but when I saw this post I immediately thought of Proverbs 26:17. It probably applies in at least some ways.

I will try a little harder not to take a dog by the ears.[/quote]


Forgive me if I misunderstood, I thought you were sincerely asking a question-

[Valerie]

If what Valerie yearns for is the feeling of no division, complete unity, and unshakeable faith that one is in the one, indivisible church of God, I recommend she heads down Rt. 57 towards Apple screen and visit the Rock of Ages congregation of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite.

As a bonus, they just finished their new school building’s gym which is doing a brisk business hosting fellowship meals on Sundays when there is a wedding (which now has happened two Sundays in a row). In addition to your soul being fed, you’ll also get a tasty meal with friendly, attentive service from the youth running around pouring coffee and water for thirsty diners.

Did you mean Apple Creek?

[Valerie]

Virtually every denominatio has sects/divisions under their own 'main' denomination head- (whomever started thse to begin with, because they were started by man/men-

Sort of like the threads on this forum, except here some of them are started by women. It's interesting that this discussion is in a thread on baptism, which was itself sectioned off from another thread for being irredeemably off topic. It may just be human nature to keep branching off from the one true topic -- as the hymn says, "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it" -- should we bother the mods to dissect this diversion, or just leaf it alone?

Undoubtedly in these threads there will be 'one' comment made that invites me to shae what I feel an opportunity to clarify based on what we've been taught (not my own opinionions, mind you) because we don't change our own minds easily, shared the same theology/doctrine on a lot of these things as you all- and aren't convinced easily (just ask our Orthodox friends!)
So, by the way I didn't start this thread, actually although it will seem like something I wished to promote- I don't believe if I remember right, I have ever started any Orthodox threads- I have said things that promoted someone (usually Boot) started threads in reaction to my comments though-

But if anyone can find a thread I started on Orthodoxy, I'm sure it would be you OJ or Boot- there may be 1 or 2 out there- if so, as I've said before, we were at a crossroads trying to discern alot of things that were new doctrines to us from whence we came (well hubby grew up Catholic)

[Josh]

If what Valerie yearns for is the feeling of no division, complete unity, and unshakeable faith that one is in the one, indivisible church of God, I recommend she heads down Rt. 57 towards Apple screen and visit the Rock of Ages congregation of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite.

As a bonus, they just finished their new school building’s gym which is doing a brisk business hosting fellowship meals on Sundays when there is a wedding (which now has happened two Sundays in a row). In addition to your soul being fed, you’ll also get a tasty meal with friendly, attentive service from the youth running around pouring coffee and water for thirsty diners.

Did you mean Apple Creek?

I did, but alas, I was composing that message on an Apple screen, and it so ordained that my feeble attempt to tap in "Apple Creek" became "Apple screen".

[Josh]

I'm curious about the Holdeman 'true church' concept. In GAMEO it says 'Attendance at other churches and participation in intimate spiritual relationships with nonmembers are regarded as bordering on "spiritual adultery" or listening to "false prophets." How do CGC believers regard non-CGC believers ? Are they considered 'saved' or 'born again' ? Or is it that anything outside the CGC teachings are 'playing with fire' so to speak and you could lose your salvation ? I'm not clear on where any group who identifies themselves as the 'true church' regards others not a member of their church.

Not looking to quarrel but to understand more about the CGC group.

Like most other conservative or plain Anabaptists, the CGC views the individual believer as quite a different thing than a church, which is a collection of believers (or a collection of believers mixed with unbelievers).

We believe that there are many sincere followers of Jesus all over the world. Some of them are in the CGC. Some of them are in churches that are not faithfully following Jesus as a whole church, even though some individual believers in them are. And we believe some faithful followers aren't in any church at all.

We take seriously the injunction to "judge those within your body" instead of judging those without; if we believe we are a true church of God, then our duty is to make sure we stay that way. That's where most of the focus on being a true church ends, including rather frequent admonitions in conference papers, the Messenger of Truth, from the pulpit, and from other brothers during sharing time at church to take heed that we do not trust in our church membership or our status as a true church of God to think we can get away with letting laxness, sin, and the world creep into either our individual lives or into the church as a whole.

Now, for a person who was born and raised in the CGC, spending a lot of time in close spiritual fellowship with non-CGC members tends to be viewed with suspicion, particularly if the choice of with whom to do so is people who are in a significantly more worldly direction. Spending time around people in the Nationwide and Ohio Wisler affiliates near my home church wouldn't cause much of a stir; spending time around slightly less conservative people, or a generic evangelical setting, definitely would.

We do have a strong belief that those who are not preaching the gospel as we understand it (particularly nonresistance) could very well be false prophets. I can't say I disagree with this belief. I don't believe it's productive to try to have close, intimate spiritual fellowship with someone who believes a follower of Jesus sometimes picks up a gun and shoots people.