The UPC with the pastors who sit up high in throne chairs, along with district superintendents and the General Superintendent, are not the way the 1st century Apostolic church looked. The hierarchial model is priest worship all over again (the roots of the word hierarchy in Greek or Latin mean "priest worship"). The term senior pastor, is akin to Chief Shepard, or the Greek word archepoimen, which is used only once in reference to JESUS in 1 Peter 5:4, all the other ministers are "poimen."
GOD BLESS!
Bro. Alex
You still haven't shown me where God detests the UPCI, or church organizations in general.
__________________
I've gone and done it now! I'm on Facebook!!!
You still haven't shown me where God detests the UPCI, or church organizations in general.
The following is written in love. The questions asked in consecutive order can be read like an interrogation- this is not my intent.
Would you like Scripture that says, "The LORD detests the United Pentecostal Church International, that will be formed in 1945"? Well, that's not there, but the fact that the structure and pattern contradicts the Word of GOD, we see the problem laid out before us.
Can you tell me where GOD authorizes the appointment of General Superintendents? District boards? A denomination of HIS Church, modelled in ways similar to Protestant denominations?
The following is written in love. The questions asked in consecutive order can be read like an interrogation- this is not my intent.
Would you like Scripture that says, "The LORD detests the United Pentecostal Church International, that will be formed in 1945"? Well, that's not there, but the fact that the structure and pattern contradicts the Word of GOD, we see the problem laid out before us.
Can you tell me where GOD authorizes the appointment of General Superintendents? District boards? A denomination of HIS Church, modelled in ways similar to Protestant denominations?
GOD BLESS!
Bro. Alex
Did God authorize you to drive a car, or shouldn't you be traveling on foot or on donkeys like Jesus and his disciples did?
Just because there isn't scripture saying we CAN, you can't claim that we CAN'T unless you have scripture that says we can't. I don't see any such scripture.
BTW, if you aren't Catholic, you are Protestant.
And I don't see denominations mentioned in scripture, do you? God has a church, not a denomination.
You said God detests the UPCI. You still haven't shown that to be a true statement.
__________________
I've gone and done it now! I'm on Facebook!!!
Did God authorize you to drive a car, or shouldn't you be traveling on foot or on donkeys like Jesus and his disciples did?
Just because there isn't scripture saying we CAN, you can't claim that we CAN'T unless you have scripture that says we can't. I don't see any such scripture.
BTW, if you aren't Catholic, you are Protestant.
And I don't see denominations mentioned in scripture, do you? God has a church, not a denomination.
You said God detests the UPCI. You still haven't shown that to be a true statement.
Travelling in a car does not affect the running of GOD's Church. They also drove in chariots in JESUS' day, and they had boats, ect... Flying in an airplane rejects nothing in Scripture, neither does it add to any Scriptural mandate.
Appointing General Superintendants and other such offices that are not authorized in Scripture and is wrong. Also, if GOD does not have a denomination, as you say, then would it be reasonable to say a denomination is not HIS? A demoninational system is not authorized by HIM? ect... A denomination puts man at the head. The UPC works through elections and other such things? Where do we see this in Scripture? The UPC sets standards that bind and that hinder fellowship. The UPC also charges a fee for liscensing it's ministers, where do we see this in Scripture? Where did the apostles align themselves along denominational lines? Can the structure of a thing, affect the working of the thing? Can a car being built some according to the pattern, and some deviant from the pattern, make the car different? Yes, and it will run different, and it will be different. Not the best example, but it's late.
Travelling in a car does not affect the running of GOD's Church. They also drove in chariots in JESUS' day, and they had boats, ect... Flying in an airplane rejects nothing in Scripture, neither does it add to any Scriptural mandate.
Appointing General Superintendants and other such offices that are not authorized in Scripture and is wrong. Also, if GOD does not have a denomination, as you say, then would it be reasonable to say a denomination is not HIS? A demoninational system is not authorized by HIM? ect... A denomination puts man at the head. The UPC works through elections and other such things? Where do we see this in Scripture? The UPC sets standards that bind and that hinder fellowship. The UPC also charges a fee for liscensing it's ministers, where do we see this in Scripture? Where did the apostles align themselves along denominational lines? Can the structure of a thing, affect the working of the thing? Can a car being built some according to the pattern, and some deviant from the pattern, make the car different? Yes, and it will run different, and it will be different. Not the best example, but it's late.
GOD BLESS!
Bro. Alex
Again, nothing you state above is stated in scripture. Just because God doesn't mention it doesn't mean He is against it, just like the lack of the mention of cars doesn't mean God is against cars.
We don't see a lot of things in scripture that we have in the church today, like altars, testimony services, ladies meetings, and Holy Ghost shoutdowns, but just because you don't see those things mentioned in scripture doesn't mean God is against those things taking place.
__________________
I've gone and done it now! I'm on Facebook!!!
Again, nothing you state above is stated in scripture. Just because God doesn't mention it doesn't mean He is against it, just like the lack of the mention of cars doesn't mean God is against cars.
We don't see a lot of things in scripture that we have in the church today, like altars, testimony services, ladies meetings, and Holy Ghost shoutdowns, but just because you don't see those things mentioned in scripture doesn't mean God is against those things taking place.
Yup we don't see altars in Scripture, except in the OT and we don't see altar calls... hmmm... could we do without them? You bet!
Testimony services- the apostles didn't tell of what GOD was doing in and through them to exhort their brethren? They sure did (although it was probably in a house church/dinner-table type setting).
Ladies meetings- The older women are told to teach the younger women, having the ladies get together for fellowship is great for them.
HG shoutdowns- I have no clue what that is. A move of GOD though in the assembly is very much Biblical.
We could go through each knit-picking thing, but none of these are so great matters as to how the very Church is RUN. Bishops, elders, deacons, the 5-fold ministry, are all very Biblical. General Superindentents are just as unbiblical as Popes and Cardinals, and a compendium of rules that bind or break fellowship is as unbiblical as a catechism, and the LORD detests such things.
Just my two cents for what it's worth. As one who was raised on the mission field, I tend to speak from a global perspective. With all of its imperfections, I'm not sure that any one organization has done more to spread the Apostolic message throughout the world than the UPCI. Speaking specifically of Liberia, which was ravaged by civil war, in addition to the spiritual support, the UPCI was at one point the only international agency providing humanitarian aid to the country. There have definitely been problems as with any other group of people (even amongst the twelve disciples there were bad apples), but all in all I do deeply respect what has been done for the advancement of the Apostolic doctrine.
__________________
There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Chuck Norris lives in Houston.
Either the United States will destroy ignorance, or ignorance will destroy the United States. – W.E.B. DuBois
Yup we don't see altars in Scripture, except in the OT and we don't see altar calls... hmmm... could we do without them? You bet!
Testimony services- the apostles didn't tell of what GOD was doing in and through them to exhort their brethren? They sure did (although it was probably in a house church/dinner-table type setting).
Ladies meetings- The older women are told to teach the younger women, having the ladies get together for fellowship is great for them.
HG shoutdowns- I have no clue what that is. A move of GOD though in the assembly is very much Biblical.
We could go through each knit-picking thing, but none of these are so great matters as to how the very Church is RUN. Bishops, elders, deacons, the 5-fold ministry, are all very Biblical. General Superindentents are just as unbiblical as Popes and Cardinals, and a compendium of rules that bind or break fellowship is as unbiblical as a catechism, and the LORD detests such things.
GOD BLESS!
Bro. Alex
Alex, I have read your posts with some interest. Honestly, I believe some of your approach is a function of your age. I do love to see passion for God and the word of God in our youth though.
I have read a lot about your church's endeavor to mirror the early Apostolic church and I am just curious about how far you all go towards "having all things in common" in the financial sense or selling all and bringing the proceeds to the church. And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need (Acts 2:42-45).
__________________
There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Chuck Norris lives in Houston.
Either the United States will destroy ignorance, or ignorance will destroy the United States. – W.E.B. DuBois
Yup we don't see altars in Scripture, except in the OT and we don't see altar calls... hmmm... could we do without them? You bet!
Testimony services- the apostles didn't tell of what GOD was doing in and through them to exhort their brethren? They sure did (although it was probably in a house church/dinner-table type setting).
Ladies meetings- The older women are told to teach the younger women, having the ladies get together for fellowship is great for them.
HG shoutdowns- I have no clue what that is. A move of GOD though in the assembly is very much Biblical.
We could go through each knit-picking thing, but none of these are so great matters as to how the very Church is RUN. Bishops, elders, deacons, the 5-fold ministry, are all very Biblical. General Superindentents are just as unbiblical as Popes and Cardinals, and a compendium of rules that bind or break fellowship is as unbiblical as a catechism, and the LORD detests such things.
GOD BLESS!
Bro. Alex
And still no scriptural support for that statement.
If you are going to speak for God, show where God speaks for Himself in such matters.
__________________
I've gone and done it now! I'm on Facebook!!!
Hybrid Mode
