The Advance of Christianity

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

The following quote in a separate thread along with a discussion about facts therein prompted me to want to begin a discussion that truly analyzes the growth of Christendom throughtout history.

Even more interesting is the fact that Christendom ... God's Church ... grows huge-enormous in the earth and advances throughout the world NOT through the power of intellectual argumentation or the power of human's application of logic and reason to the issues .... ..... but rather God's Church advances worldwide through the SUPERNATURAL power of the Holy Spirit........................

So the Christian Church SUPERNATURALLY advances worldwide through the power of the Holy Spirit................(We started out a mere 2000 years ago with only a few hundred Christians, today we are over 2 billion strong worldwide and we are growing like wildfire in Africa, South America, and China, as we continue to carry out our Lord's Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20.)

A few of the items I wish to discuss are as follows:

1. What was the plan for the church according to the scriptures?
2. What timetable, if any was in place for the fulfillment of that plan?
3. Is it reasonable to conclude that God's Holy Spirit is responsible to the development of Christendom, especially the modern variations?
4. What does the "great commission" mean for us?

 

[Sinthesis]

1. Christ's Church is still in the process of filling the whole earth.

Dan 2:35 - Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
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2. No timetable that we can perceive
3. Yes
4. Participation in the filling of the whole earth

 

[Joe Domingo]

1. What was the plan for the church according to the scriptures?

"till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" Ephesians 4:13

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

1. What was the plan for the church according to the scriptures?
- the church was not mentioned until the NT. In Matthew 16:18 quotes Jesus as saying that He intended to build His 'church' upon the foundation of truth that Simon Peter confessed about Jesus being the Christ and Son of the living God.
- the 'church' was to be the pillar and support of the truth about Jesus being the Christ and Son of God I Timothy 3:16 and was comprised of individuals that were 'called out' and sanctified by His blood sacrifice.
- The 'church' was said to be Jesus' bride that he would come back to receive to himself (I Thessalonians 4:17)

 

[Guest]

There is no advance of Christianity. Sin is the same no matter what year it is.

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

2. What timetable, if any was in place for the fulfillment of that plan?

Luke 21:27-32
27 'Then, they'll see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, along with power and great glory. 28 But, as these things start to happen; stand erect and raise your heads high. For, your time of release has drawn near!'
29 Then he gave them this illustration:
'Consider the fig and all other trees;
30 For, when they start putting out buds,
You can see that summer is near.
31 Thus, when you see all these things start to happen;
Know that the Kingdom of God has drawn near.
32 'I tell you the truth; This generation will not pass away until all these things are fulfilled…

Luke 9:26-27
- Some [of you who are] standing here will not taste death until you see the Kingdom of God!'

 

[gr8grace]

1. What was the plan for the church according to the scriptures?
- the church was not mentioned until the NT. In Matthew 16:18 quotes Jesus as saying that He intended to build His 'church' upon the foundation of truth that Simon Peter confessed about Jesus being the Christ and Son of the living God.
- the 'church' was to be the pillar and support of the truth about Jesus being the Christ and Son of God I Timothy 3:16 and was comprised of individuals that were 'called out' and sanctified by His blood sacrifice.
- The 'church' was said to be Jesus' bride that he would come back to receive to himself (I Thessalonians 4:17)

Eph 3:10-11~~so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly [places]. 11[This was] in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,