Comments on: An Axis of Evil in the Church? http://kennethbirch.wordpress.com/2007/03/19/an-axis-of-evil-in-the-church/ Trying to make sense of the world, Church, God and life in general Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:02:57 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Kenneth Birch http://kennethbirch.wordpress.com/2007/03/19/an-axis-of-evil-in-the-church/#comment-558 Kenneth Birch Thu, 22 Mar 2007 08:48:46 +0000 http://kennethbirch.wordpress.com/2007/03/19/an-axis-of-evil-in-the-church/#comment-558 Thank you, David. I like the thought of Rev 18:4-5 talking about the individual. Christianity is, like no other religion, individual. Being a part of God's family is about baptism, not race, as we are told numerous times in Acts. So Rev 18:4-5 and also Rev 14:12 could easily be interpreted as a call to the individual, as membership is by individual choice. I am, of course, no theologian. But it doesn't take one to agree with your statement, "we should be diligently studying to be more Christ-like in our lives". Amen. Thank you, David. I like the thought of Rev 18:4-5 talking about the individual. Christianity is, like no other religion, individual. Being a part of God’s family is about baptism, not race, as we are told numerous times in Acts. So Rev 18:4-5 and also Rev 14:12 could easily be interpreted as a call to the individual, as membership is by individual choice.

I am, of course, no theologian. But it doesn’t take one to agree with your statement, “we should be diligently studying to be more Christ-like in our lives”. Amen.

]]> By: David Herdman http://kennethbirch.wordpress.com/2007/03/19/an-axis-of-evil-in-the-church/#comment-556 David Herdman Tue, 20 Mar 2007 03:23:25 +0000 http://kennethbirch.wordpress.com/2007/03/19/an-axis-of-evil-in-the-church/#comment-556 Interesting observation. One comment. The "church" always wants these verses (Rev 18:4-5) to apply to the church. I believe that you can make a strong theological case that the verse is actually talking to the individual. Can we, as individuals, come away from the pleasures and worries of the world, and focus exclusively on the One with whom we will spend eternity? Sounds like a pipe dream. But in reality, that is what we are encouraged to do in many different places in the Word. Instead of spending valuable time worring about this aspect of 'the church', or that doctrine, we should be diligently studying to be more Christ-like in our lives. Only then can we be used by the Spirit to spead the gospel, and also take care of His lambs. As Pogo famously said many years ago, "We have met the enemy, and he is us!" Interesting observation. One comment. The “church” always wants these verses (Rev 18:4-5) to apply to the church. I believe that you can make a strong theological case that the verse is actually talking to the individual.

Can we, as individuals, come away from the pleasures and worries of the world, and focus exclusively on the One with whom we will spend eternity? Sounds like a pipe dream. But in reality, that is what we are encouraged to do in many different places in the Word.

Instead of spending valuable time worring about this aspect of ‘the church’, or that doctrine, we should be diligently studying to be more Christ-like in our lives. Only then can we be used by the Spirit to spead the gospel, and also take care of His lambs.

As Pogo famously said many years ago, “We have met the enemy, and he is us!”

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