Baptist History, Heritage and Distinctives – Invisible Universal Church – Protestant History Part Five of Five – Why do so many insist on this Universal Church Doctrine?

Thomas E Kresal Admin · August 14, 2020\

Baptist History, Heritage and DistinctivesInvisible Universal Church – Protestant History Part Five of Five Why do so many insist on this Universal Church Doctrine?

If it is admitted that the church is only local and visible and these churches constitute the “Real,” and “True” church, then there is a limitation, a restriction on who are in them. The implications of such a definition become unthinkable to them. It would mean that they are excluded from being in the Bride of Christ, that they are not the Ground and Pillar of the Truth, that they are not the “Church of the Living God,” the house of God. It would mean that they have no authority to administer baptism or the Lord’s Supper, that the Great Commission is not given to them, and thus are not able to make disciples, baptize, or teach men to observe all which Christ has commanded. Nor are they the body of Christ. Nor can they lay claim to the promises of Christ to the overcomers in His churches as mentioned in the Revelation message to the seven churches of Asia.

Moreover, if it is admitted that the church is local and visible then the statement of Jesus in Matt. 16:18 “…. the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” is the testimony of Jesus Christ Himself that what He built has continuity to this very day; it never ceased to exist.

The alternative to their view is not acceptable to them! This concession would make them wrong and take away their legitimacy. Why? Because they are Protestants. They know they have neither any heritage to claim nor any doctrinal claim to be of the churches of the New Testament. They are not about to “unchurch” themselves!

All of the men who founded their new churches had opportunity to embrace the Church, which Jesus built, but they did not. They preferred their own doctrinal systems of beliefs. The cry was raised to re-establish the apostolic church, but it was right in their midst and they rejected it. This same opportunity is still available, but they deny even the existence of that one and only True Church, which Christ built.Presented by Thomas E. Kresal from: The Non-Protestant Baptist by Wm. F. Bekgaard, Pg.44

Why do so many insist on this Universal Church Doctrine?

If it is admitted that the church is only local and visible and these churches constitute the “Real,” and “True” church, then there is a limitation, a restriction on who are in them. The implications of such a definition become unthinkable to them. It would mean that they are excluded from being in the Bride of Christ, that they are not the Ground and Pillar of the Truth, that they are not the “Church of the Living God,” the house of God. It would mean that they have no authority to administer baptism or the Lord’s Supper, that the Great Commission is not given to them, and thus are not able to make disciples, baptize, or teach men to observe all which Christ has commanded. Nor are they the body of Christ. Nor can they lay claim to the promises of Christ to the overcomers in His churches as mentioned in the Revelation message to the seven churches of Asia.

Moreover, if it is admitted that the church is local and visible then the statement of Jesus in Matt. 16:18 “…. the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” is the testimony of Jesus Christ Himself that what He built has continuity to this very day; it never ceased to exist.

The alternative to their view is not acceptable to them! This concession would make them wrong and take away their legitimacy. Why? Because they are Protestants. They know they have neither any heritage to claim nor any doctrinal claim to be of the churches of the New Testament. They are not about to “unchurch” themselves!

All of the men who founded their new churches had opportunity to embrace the Church, which Jesus built, but they did not. They preferred their own doctrinal systems of beliefs. The cry was raised to re-establish the apostolic church, but it was right in their midst and they rejected it. This same opportunity is still available, but they deny even the existence of that one and only True Church, which Christ built. Presented by Thomas E. Kresal from: The Non-Protestant Baptist by Wm. F. Bekgaard, Pg.44