Terry wrote: > Sounds good on the surface, John. It may even > be true for some who are more dependant than > independant. It certainly would not apply, > however, to ...
Some good points, Terry. It seems to me that there is an important balance between individualism and community dependence. God desires for the individual to be intimately connected to him as an individual, yet he also desires to find the expression of that individual working through relationships in community. The hermit, or even monasticism, is the kind of error that results from being too individualistic, whereas communism and cults are the type of error that results from being too community oriented. In my involvment in home churches, I found an increasing emphasis upon the community, the ekklesia, to be that vehicle whereby Christ manifests himself in the city. I believe that this is true, but individuals must be careful not to be too dependent upon the community as a whole. Many home church cults have sprung up because of placing too much emphasis on the community and completely forsaking the individual. The individual is meant to support and give to the community, to be a pillar that makes the community stand, rather than a person who is dependent upon the community. When individuals who can stand on their own and know truth on their own, join up in relationship with other believers in community, a mighty synergism can result and the glory of Christ can be manifested in a way that is extraordinary. This is what we see in the early chapters of Acts where believers did not consider any of their possessions to be their own. A passage that goes toward what I think John is trying to articulate is 1 Timothy 3:15. 1 Timothy 3:14-15 (14) These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: (15) But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. Notice how this passage says that it is the church, the ekklesia, the community of believers, that is the pillar of ground and truth. This post is getting too long, so I will stop here for now. Maybe more later, but I think you can get the gist of what I am trying to say. Peace be with you. David Miller. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
