Christ's Household
Jesus spoke of His church as a household and not as a business [Matt.24:45; Luke 12:42]. Therefore the local church polity should reflect that same mentality in both its words and its works. We do not charge for church services as the local business down the street. We need to rid the church of that mentality as well as its hierarchy.
One of the proofs of Christ's thinking is that the Holy Spirit takes up His residence inside every believer that is added. Christ therefore expects those whom are added to the great church universal body to take up their residence in a local body [Acts 2:47] and to participate in all its spiritual functions [Acts 2:42-47; Heb. 10:25]. [Note: language of 1 Cor. 12--member is used 17 times there.]
Failure to comply with the Lord's wishes withholds that gift He would impart for that particular body member [1 Cor. 12:4-5]. Thereby this local body does not have all that is needed to equip the saints, to do the work of service and the building up of that body [Eph. 4:12]. The body is therefore stymied, and a full knowledge of the Son of God is prevented and maturity is impossible for all the members.
Every member has value and all are needed [1 Cor. 12:14-27].
Note: No one who goes through a bad marriage that ends in a divorce and solves the problem by co-habiting with the next mate. No one should even consider being allowed to do that in Christ's household.
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