‘Church History The New Testament Church’ by Dan Nelson

Thomas E Kresal posted Dan Nelson’s Article: (20+) Facebook

Dan Nelson ‘Church History The New Testament Church’

Dan Nelson Yesterday at 4:13 PM  · 5/7/2025

Catholicism is working on getting a new Pope for what they call the church. What is the church, and why has its definition been changed? Please Read:

Historical Reasons for the False Replacement of the New Testament Church

Modern-day Christianity strongly emphasizes the “Universal Church” as opposed to the local assembly of baptized believers joined together in the faith of the gospel. Many evangelical circles emphasize this so-called church that they say is invisible and universal for certain reasons:

1-Catholicism has perverted the usage of the church, making its group a universal entity with its head in Rome. In the following centuries, the emphasis didn’t change. It led to the control and persecution of those who spoke out against its corrupt practices. Protestants never modified their view of the Catholic belief in the universal church. It was easier to enter the group by infant baptism and hard to get out by using the term of the church as local.

2-Protestant churches never cleared up the false view of the church as universal in the Reformation or afterward. They did not seek to correct this view and found it easy to persecute groups like the Anabaptists through a hierarchy aligned with the state rulers and churches. Their adamant view of salvation and the doctrines of grace did not go further in looking at the true biblical view of the church. Every mainline Protestant church has some trace of Catholicism that they have not removed with infant baptism, hierarchical church leadership, formal worship, church structure, or other practices.

3-State churches in Europe and colonies in America have made it easy to bring everyone under the control of the civil ruler. Their submission to the hierarchy of one group enforces conformity to a hierarchical rule instead of local autonomy, not allowing people to choose the church in which they want to be a member.

4-Certain movements in the last few decades have found it easy to believe in a universal church to advance their agenda or practices. Groups like the modern charismatic movement, Promise-keepers, youth groups like Young Life, and many other parachurch movements bypassed local congregations. Liberal circles in the ecumenical movement and the World Council of Churches make it easy to promote and gain more power than local congregations. Someone said, “They believe in the universal church but always come to local churches for support.”

5-Escatalogical views of Christians raptured, buoyed by the statement, “Jesus is coming to rapture His church,h” is familiar. I do not discount the rapture and Jesus’ return, but the church is not universal in being raptured. It talks about believers raptured but not a universal church. The Plymouth Brethren and Darby have popularized this view. The Schofield Bible also postulates this view. In his writings, Schofield calls all believers the true church. Does this make the local one the false church? This definition is not to say the Schofield Bible is all wrong but just in error in this viewpoint.

6-The hierarchy of main-line Protestant groups refers to the denomination as the church and to them making decisions mandated to local bodies. This leads one to believe in these groups as the real church. The bishops or elevated leaders make decisions and tell their denominations how the bodies will believe or practice.

7-Those believers not in any local body, making it a contest between the two groups. Those in New Testament churches will be more fruitful, productive, and disciplined in their Christian life. The basic reason is that Jesus promised to bless His church, realized in a local sense, and those who are a part of it.

8-Those who choose not to be in a local body of believers say they don’t want to be accountable to anyone or a group. At best, I know people mean well; at worst, they find it easier to be in their invisible church. They have no pastor, building to come to, address, or group of people to commit to, and no method of identifying with public ordinances like baptism or the Lord’s Supper. There is no zip code, website, responsibility, or accountability to a universal church. You can’t practice church discipline in a universal church, and many people like it that way.

9-The desire for unity and many venues lead many to say, “We are just one big church anyway.” They refer to all Christians in a town as the church. The location is a part of this universal church: It would be impossible to get along with everyone, minimizing those things that should be emphasized and maximizing those things that may be false or underserving of so much attention. Questions like how the church will be structured, the ordinances, the emphasis on spiritual gifts, and the final authority for practice are unanswered. Ripping the name off Baptist churches will not make everyone think alike on these matters.

10-The failure to teach properly about the church and wanting to drop distinctions has led to a misunderstanding of what the church is. We must make primary again what everyone used to take for granted as Baptists: There are not two churches on earth: Universal and local. The church will always be an assembled group of baptized believers who are joined together and preach the gospel of Christ. May the Lord’s churches never waver on this truth.

· Catholicism is working on getting a new Pope for what they call the church. What is the church, and why has its definition been changed? Please Read:Historical Reasons for the False Replacement of the New Testament ChurchModern-day Christianity strongly emphasizes the “Universal Church” as opposed to the local assembly of baptized believers joined together in the faith of the gospel. Many evangelical circles emphasize this so-called church that they say is invisible and universal for certain reasons:1-Catholicism has perverted the usage of the church, making its group a universal entity with its head in Rome. In the following centuries, the emphasis didn’t change. It led to the control and persecution of those who spoke out against its corrupt practices. Protestants never modified their view of the Catholic belief in the universal church. It was easier to enter the group by infant baptism and hard to get out by using the term of the church as local.2-Protestant churches never cleared up the false view of the church as universal in the Reformation or afterward. They did not seek to correct this view and found it easy to persecute groups like the Anabaptists through a hierarchy aligned with the state rulers and churches. Their adamant view of salvation and the doctrines of grace did not go further in looking at the true biblical view of the church. Every mainline Protestant church has some trace of Catholicism that they have not removed with infant baptism, hierarchical church leadership, formal worship, church structure, or other practices.3-State churches in Europe and colonies in America have made it easy to bring everyone under the control of the civil ruler. Their submission to the hierarchy of one group enforces conformity to a hierarchical rule instead of local autonomy, not allowing people to choose the church in which they want to be a member.4-Certain movements in the last few decades have found it easy to believe in a universal church to advance their agenda or practices. Groups like the modern charismatic movement, Promise-keepers, youth groups like Young Life, and many other parachurch movements bypassed local congregations. Liberal circles in the ecumenical movement and the World Council of Churches make it easy to promote and gain more power than local congregations. Someone said, “They believe in the universal church but always come to local churches for support.”5-Escatalogical views of Christians raptured, buoyed by the statement, “Jesus is coming to rapture His church,h” is familiar. I do not discount the rapture and Jesus’ return, but the church is not universal in being raptured. It talks about believers raptured but not a universal church. The Plymouth Brethren and Darby have popularized this view. The Schofield Bible also postulates this view. In his writings, Schofield calls all believers the true church. Does this make the local one the false church? This definition is not to say the Schofield Bible is all wrong but just in error in this viewpoint.6-The hierarchy of main-line Protestant groups refers to the denomination as the church and to them making decisions mandated to local bodies. This leads one to believe in these groups as the real church. The bishops or elevated leaders make decisions and tell their denominations how the bodies will believe or practice.7-Those believers not in any local body, making it a contest between the two groups. Those in New Testament churches will be more fruitful, productive, and disciplined in their Christian life. The basic reason is that Jesus promised to bless His church, realized in a local sense, and those who are a part of it.8-Those who choose not to be in a local body of believers say they don’t want to be accountable to anyone or a group. At best, I know people mean well; at worst, they find it easier to be in their invisible church. They have no pastor, building to come to, address, or group of people to commit to, and no method of identifying with public ordinances like baptism or the Lord’s Supper. There is no zip code, website, responsibility, or accountability to a universal church. You can’t practice church discipline in a universal church, and many people like it that way.9-The desire for unity and many venues lead many to say, “We are just one big church anyway.” They refer to all Christians in a town as the church. The location is a part of this universal church: It would be impossible to get along with everyone, minimizing those things that should be emphasized and maximizing those things that may be false or underserving of so much attention. Questions like how the church will be structured, the ordinances, the emphasis on spiritual gifts, and the final authority for practice are unanswered. Ripping the name off Baptist churches will not make everyone think alike on these matters.10-The failure to teach properly about the church and wanting to drop distinctions has led to a misunderstanding of what the church is. We must make primary again what everyone used to take for granted as Baptists: There are not two churches on earth: Universal and local. The church will always be an assembled group of baptized believers who are joined together and preach the gospel of Christ. May the Lord’s churches never waver on this truth.

A Warning MinistryABSTAIN FROM ALL APPEARANCE OF EVILANABAPTISTSANTICHRISTAPOLOGETICSBaptist BaptismBaptist Church HistoryBaptist History, Heritage and DistinctivesBaptist Landmarkism DoctrineBaptist SuccessionBaptist Theology and DoctrineBaptists Are Ancient PeopleBride of ChristCatholics and ProtestantsConfusion – Confused – Contentious -ConsternationDaily Baptist EncyclopediaDISCERNMENT WISDOM SOUND JUDGEMENTEASY BELIEVISM CULTEmergent Church Movement – Emerging ChurchEntire Counsel of GODETERNAL SECURITY – ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVEDFamilyHeaven and HellHistoric Baptist EcclesiologyHISTORY OF AMERICAN LIBERTYKingdom of GODKINGDOM OF HEAVENLives of Virginia Baptist Ministers – Jim CurranModern Bible VersionsMYSTICAL INVISIBLE UNIVERSAL “CHURCHNew EnvangelicalismNEW TESTAMENT CHURCHONE WORLD CHURCHProper Bible Interpretation MethodsProphecy – Eschatology – End TimesREFORMED – REFORMATIONREFORMED – REFORMATIONRepent and RepentanceSalvationSATANIC SATAN DEVIL DEMONSSnapshots from my Library – Jim CurranSomeone Recently Asked This Question!The Gospel of Jesus ChristTheological LiberalismTrain the Trainers Mentor the Mentors Teach the Teachers for ChristTravels in Baptist History – Jim CurranTRUTH DEFENDEDWar of the Regulation – Jim CurranWHAT MEN/WOMEN BELIEVE ABOUT: Truth, Politics, Religion, Science, Business, Heaven & Hell, and many other subjects!Wolf Watch False Teaching Exposed