Luther's Catechism: New International Version (2011) by Martin Luther

Author:Martin Luther [Luther, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780810028166
Publisher: Northwestern Publishing House
Published: 2017-06-04T04:00:00+00:00

210. Why do we also call a group of people who gather together in one place to hear the gospel a church (visible church)?

Isaiah 55:11 So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Matthew 18:20 Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.

We can see the people who come together to hear the gospel, so we call a group of people who come together to hear the gospel a visible church. We know that wherever the gospel is proclaimed, the Holy Spirit is at work creating faith. That doesn’t mean every person who associates with a visible church is a believer, nor does it mean every visible church teaches all of God’s truth faithfully.

211. God commands us to test every church. What are we to examine as we evaluate different churches?

Matthew 28:19,20 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Acts 17:11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

2 Timothy 4:3,4 The time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

1 John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

John 8:31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.”

Revelation 3:8-10 (Jesus praised the church in Philadelphia because it kept God’s Word.)

Revelation 2:13-16 (Jesus faulted the church at Pergamum because it allowed false doctrine to be taught in addition to God’s Word.)

212. When we find a church that passes God’s test, what does God want us to do?

John 17:20,21 My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

1 Corinthians 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.