Political and Church Law Version

CALLED OUT!

Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the Church in your house", Philemon 1:2 . EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE

Mat_16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. What did Christ mean when he said this? What was he trying to convey? Well we will attempt to give some insight to the questions ask or statement made by our Lord. Frist: The Church is the catalyst to advance the Kingdom of God through mankind, to complete the original mandate that was given to Adam from the beginning. It’s not just a building, but is the flesh and blood of men and women, who make up the body of Jesus the Christ, by proclaiming, teaching and living the gospel of Christ, as it is written; "he is the head of the body, (the Church), who is the beginning, the first born from the dead", Col 1:18 , and, "ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular (individually)", 1 Cor. 12: 27 , and "for His body’s sake, which is the Church", Col 1:24 , and since, He "hath put all things under his feet, and gave Him to be Head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fullness all in all", Eph 1:22-23 . Second: 1 Cor. 3:16-17 identifies our bodies as a "temple of God". A temple is a place where we worship our God. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” [ 1 Cor. 3:16-17 , Bible, KJV] Third: The Church can meet in many places and is not restricted to any building or Physical place, as it is written; "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them ", Mathew 18:20 . The Church can be a building where the body meets or it can be any house (of a believer in Jesus the Christ) in order to function as a Church of Acts, since Paul spoke, "and how I kept back nothing that was profitable (helpful) unto you, but showed (proclaimed) you and have taught you publicly and from house to house", Acts 20:20 "and to our beloved

Fourth: In the U.S. Supreme Court decision considering the case of Everson vs. Board of Education, 330 U.S. 1 (1947), LEd 2nd 711 , the Court held that: The " establishment of religion " of the First Amendment means: Neither a state nor the Federal Government can set up a church. Neither can it pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another . Neither can it force nor influence a person to go to or to remain away from a church against his will or force him to profess a belief or disbelief in any religion. No person can be punished for entertaining or professing religious beliefs or disbeliefs, for church attendance or nonattendance. Well, as you can see the Church mandate was to raise up a nation or the Kingdom of God in the people hearts and minds, not just brick and mortar! Heb_8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: Heb_10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; this not to say that we should not meet in a building nor to forgo altogether the assembly of ourselves because this is a sin also. Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised ;) Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Cont. see pg (10)