The Myth Of The Universal Invisible Church Theory Exploded

One of the most widespread theories of today is the universal, invisible church theory. This theory teaches that all believers belong to this invisible church and they were made a part of it through Holy Spirit baptism. The author of this book shows the fallacy of such a theory. He discusses all passages used to support a universal church theory, refutes them, and uses those same passages of Scripture to show how the Bible teaches a local church.

Christianity has become increasingly careless about Biblical truth, doctrine, and the Christian’s testimony. Building Thereupon demonstrates how, after salvation, carefully laying steadfast doctrinal truths one upon another forms the proper structure for fruitful and victorious Christian living. The Bible admonishes believers to lay precept upon precept...line upon line. Christian faith and truth are to be built upon the firm Foundation, Jesus Christ. But what happens to faith if the first great truths are misunderstood? Building Thereupon offers an in-depth discussion of Biblical doctrine—the knowledge of the things that relate to God and to the Lord Jesus Christ. It shows that believers need to understand the details of their own salvation, or else be vulnerable to deception in other critical parts of the Christian life. The Lord gives truths intended for every Christian, and these truths better equip each child of God to realize steadfastness, maturity, and the will of God. Building Thereupon presents a convincing validation to earnest Bible believers, demonstrating that the body of correct Christian theology need not be rife with obscurity, contradiction, and inconsistencies. The great Biblical truths flow together, fit seamlessly, and fall into order when doctrine is believingly laid precept upon precept and line upon line.

The issue of the church is one of the most divisive issues in Christendom. In this volume, Professor Fenison restricts his studies to Pre–New Testament and New Testament uses of the Greek term ekklesia. He then evaluates the more modern universal invisible church theory in its relationship to the historical usage of ekklesia and in its relationship to the very fundamental basics of biblical soteriology. In particular, Fenison demonstrates that this post-biblical theory is not inconsistent with regard to the primary consequence of the fall (spiritual death/separation) and its only possible fundamental solution (restoration to spiritual union with God). Fenison argues that ecclesiology was never part of that solution prior to the cross and is no part of that solution after the cross. Fenison totally repudiates church salvation in every form but insists that salvation consists in its most fundamental essence as restoration to spiritual union with God, which is affected by the internalized empowered gospel as the Spirit’s creative Word (2 Cor. 4:6; Jam. 1:18; Pet. 1:23,25) without any relationship to the church or its ordinances in any way, shape, or form.

While nearly half of Americans identify themselves with a fundamentalist brand of religion, and a sizable minority has rejected religion altogether, there is a vast middle ground. This book is aimed at that huge group of people who describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. In other words, people who are open to encountering the divine and the transcendent, and indeed actively seek these experiences. The authors help readers improve their understanding of the religious nature of the psyche, the origins of myths and religions in the collective unconscious, and the ways in which organized religion has often worked to infantilize its followers. They leave the reader with an empowered ability to claim his or her own spiritual authority and lead a more abundant, authentic life. Many of those who have left organized religion have done so because it has hurt them in some way or because it failed to address their needs, yet they maintain a strong yearning to reconnect with the divine and transcendent level of human existence. As religious fundamentalism continues to influence so much of our national discourse, and as atheistic books rank high on bestseller lists, the time has never been more crucial for a book to address a third way between fundamentalism and atheism - a way that encourages readers to connect with their true religious nature, while at the same time maintaining their intellectual integrity and claiming their own authority. McGehee and Thomas offer that third way.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From one of the world’s most influential spiritual thinkers, a long-awaited book exploring what it means that Jesus was called “Christ,” and how this forgotten truth can restore hope and meaning to our lives. “Anyone who strives to put their faith into action will find encouragement and inspiration in the pages of this book.”—Melinda Gates In his decades as a globally recognized teacher, Richard Rohr has helped millions realize what is at stake in matters of faith and spirituality. Yet Rohr has never written on the most perennially talked about topic in Christianity: Jesus. Most know who Jesus was, but who was Christ? Is the word simply Jesus’s last name? Too often, Rohr writes, our understandings have been limited by culture, religious debate, and the human tendency to put ourselves at the center. Drawing on scripture, history, and spiritual practice, Rohr articulates a transformative view of Jesus Christ as a portrait of God’s constant, unfolding work in the world. “God loves things by becoming them,” he writes, and Jesus’s life was meant to declare that humanity has never been separate from God—except by its own negative choice. When we recover this fundamental truth, faith becomes less about proving Jesus was God, and more about learning to recognize the Creator’s presence all around us, and in everyone we meet. Thought-provoking, practical, and full of deep hope and vision, The Universal Christ is a landmark book from one of our most beloved spiritual writers, and an invitation to contemplate how God liberates and loves all that is.

"[This] magnificent critical survey, with its inherent respect for both the 'Westt's mainstream high culture' and the 'radically changing world' of the 1990s, offers a new breakthrough for lay and scholarly readers alike....Allows readers to grasp the big picture of Western culture for the first time." SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Here are the great minds of Western civilization and their pivotal ideas, from Plato to Hegel, from Augustine to Nietzsche, from Copernicus to Freud. Richard Tarnas performs the near-miracle of describing profound philosophical concepts simply but without simplifying them. Ten years in the making and already hailed as a classic, THE PASSION OF THE WESERN MIND is truly a complete liberal education in a single volume.