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Post by blessedbygod on Jul 6, 2011 23:17:29 GMT -5
I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or insight to the following scripture.....addressing House of Prayer -Thanks- 1.Isaiah 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. Isaiah 56:6-8 (in Context) Isaiah 56 (Whole Chapter) 2.Matthew 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. Matthew 21:12-14 (in Context) Matthew 21 (Whole Chapter) 3.Mark 11:17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer[/color]? but ye have made it a den of thieves. Mark 11:16-18 (in Context) Mark 11 (Whole Chapter)
4.Luke 19:46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the : but ye have made it a den of thieves.house of prayer Luke 19:45-47 (in Context) Luke 19 (Whole Chapter)
.. -[glow=red,2,300][/glow]
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Post by robertcolumbia on Jul 6, 2011 23:22:30 GMT -5
Well, in those days, God's "House" on Earth was the Temple, was it not? I think that the Temple is being literally referred to, which figuratively extends to Jesus since he is the fulfillment of the Temple and its sacrificial system, and Jesus himself referred to himself as "this temple" (John 2:19)
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Post by blessedbygod on Jul 6, 2011 23:32:16 GMT -5
Should our churches be called "House of Prayer"? Thanks
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Post by Brother Ben on Jul 7, 2011 8:34:23 GMT -5
Some, if not most, theologians say that there is no reference to the New Testament church in the Old Testament. In a sense, I agree, but I also see in these passages of scripture a transitional truth. God always said he would not dwell in a temple made by hands, and yet, he blessed and honored Solomon's Temple. As we see the end of the Jewish dispensation and the beginning of the New Covenant, I believe God was transitionaing the worship, which was centralized at Jerusalem, but administer locally in the synagogues, to the concept of the New Testament Bride of Christ, the church.
This Bride was not to fall under the mistake the Jews made, nationalizing it to one group or sect, but to all who were washed in the blood of Jesus. As the one passage clear states,
Mark 11:17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Of all nations, Greek, ethnicos, ethnic groups. The Lord wanted all people to come together as the Gospel reached around the globe. I believe it was always God's will for the truth of Himself to go to all people, but it became centralized and "outsiders" were excluded. Even in the Psalms the Lord refers to the "outcasts," and in the Law God mentions the necessity to being kind to the "stranger," becasue they were strangers in Egypt and the Egyptians didn't treat them too well.
So, should our churches be called houses of prayer? Sure, why not, but not exclusively. The church really has no name, it is the assembly of the redeemed. It is the visible manifestation of the body of Christ. Scripturally, it was never given, "a name," but had a name for practical reasons, i.e., the church at Thessolinica. It is also called "the Pillar and Ground of Truth in one of Paul's epistles to Timothy. These phrases are descriptions of the characteristics of the body of Christ.
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Post by robertcolumbia on Jul 7, 2011 21:07:44 GMT -5
Should our churches be called "House of Prayer"? Thanks As a general descriptor, I'd say it was acceptable, but with the caveat that prayer is meant to happen everywhere, in the sense that we can call schools "Houses of Learning" when we can and do learn outside of them. We don't need to enter a church building or even meet other church members in public in order to pray any more than we need to formally register for a class in order to learn! As to requiring that congregations formally call themselves "Houses of Prayer" to the extent of filing legal paperwork as "5th Street House of Prayer of Newburg", and being listed in the phone book under that name, I don't see any requirement anywhere in either the scriptures or church history to indicate that it is in any way a necessity.
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Post by blessedbygod on Jul 9, 2011 22:55:43 GMT -5
Thank you for answering....in reading the scriptures - I looked at what it said - My house should be called a House of Prayer - Since we call our churches - God's House - I had understood these passages to be saying we should call our churches - God's House....House of Prayer.
Thank you again!!!!
THANKS!!!!
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