3:21), then those who have not been baptized for the remission of sins are not really Christians. If that is what the NT teaches, and it is (Acts 2:38 22:16 1 Pet. They do not teach that one must be baptized for the remission of his sins to be saved. There are many misconceptions about the nature of Christ's one body, but one of the greatest misconceptions is the idea that this one body is composed of "true believers" from among all the various denominations in "Christendom." In this brief article, I want to explain why this concept cannot be correct Biblically.įirst of all, most of the denominations in modern "Christendom" do not teach the truth about conversion. So it is not the belief in one body that gives us trouble it is our various conceptions of this body's nature. That is a good explanation of what the NT teaches, and his comments are representative of other commentators like Barnes, Henry, Hendriksen, Barclay, et al. The organism composed of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Head and all true believers in him." (The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. In commenting on Ephesians 4:4, Alfred Martin writes: "One body. One body, one church, pretty simple isn't it? In fact, I might be tempted to conclude this article at this point, since I have explained why I believe there is one body but the belief in one body (or one church) is really not the issue in modern "Christendom." Almost everyone believes in one body. So there can be no doubt that the NT teaches that there is one body, and this one body is identified as Christ's church (Eph. ![]() Other passages clearly say the same thing (cf. Just as surely as there is one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God, there is one body. When the apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he said: "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling" (Eph. The song says "Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so." Friends, that is not only why I believe that Jesus loves me, but why I also believe that there is one body - because the Bible tells me so. We believe it’s the key to Kingdom success -in the midst of adversity, not in the absence of it- as thriving, mature, fruit-bearing disciples.Ephesians 4:4 - "There is One Body" - church Secondly, loving our neighbor as we love ourselves provide us with the preeminent, essential keys to holistic, successful, Kingdom living which bears the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control (Matthew 6:33 Galatians 5:22-23 Matthew 22:37-40 1 Thessalonians 5:23).Īt Thrive Church, “up, in, and out” is our motto, and how we roll. Seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and loving God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind is paramount. Ultimately, we believe that our Kingdom values and priorities should be demonstrated upwardly, inwardly, and outwardly as thriving, mature disciples of our King Jesus Christ. We believe that our primary mission is to worship God, build His Kingdom, and thrive on purpose as one Kingdom community. ![]() Thrivers wholeheartedly believe in one Father of all, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one Kingdom, one Family (or Royal Priesthood), one Body, one Spirit, one Hope, one Church, and one ultimate mission (Ephesians 4:1-6 John 10:10 1 Peter 2:9 John 17:11 Romans 8:28-30). We believe that God’s Kingdom Church consists of one spiritual, faithful family made up of many diverse, unique, and talented persons, cultures, and nations - called by God to worship Him, build His Kingdom, and thrive on purpose as one (1 Corinthians 12:12-31 Ephesians 4:1-6 John 17). "Upward, inward, and outward" is our prioritized approach to discipleship, as mature fruit-bearers who thrive holistically in God’s Kingdom. No matter who you are, where you come from, and how you got there, Thrive Church is committed to loving, serving, and equipping persons from all cultures, ages, socio-economic levels, and backgrounds, and connecting them to God, their purpose, and their communities through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe that our Kingdom mandate is to thrive faithfully and obediently as Christians in the midst of adversity, not in the absence of it. We are a diverse and relational community of seekers, strivers, and thrivers. ![]() ![]() Thrive Church is a Kingdom-focused, multicultural, Bible fellowship that helps people, families, and communities thrive through holistic discipleship and wellness programs in our broken and divided world. THE THRIVE CHURCH MOVEMENT – a Kingdom Agenda
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