_{Paul adds to that in I Cor. that no other foundation can be laid other than that which has already been laid.  We know from that that we can't be a part of the foundation, but that doesn't take away from the fact that we are a part of the holy spiritual Temple of God! The Foundation is the words of Jesus, yes we can be part of that same exact foundation if we count the cost for our salvation in heaven.  If you believe then you are amongst the Spiritual Temple of God but not part of it, to be part of that is to repent and to be baptized just as Jesus was to show good faith, it must be a personal decision, a choice to be submersed into water.}

_{If God's Temple were all foundation, and that's all, it would not be complete!}

_{What a great and wonderful privilege we all have to be a part of that beautiful complete holy spiritual Temple of God that He Himself is still building!! He finished building, it is us who is still building (His Temple of God) us, his followers.}

Brother Thomas, it is questionable as to whether or not we see eye to eye on everything once we understand each other, but one thing we know is that we are brothers in the Lord and should continue to maintain mutual respect for one another!

Although you didn't seem to agree with me on everything---at least on your take of what I was saying---you did approve what I wrote to be added to your forum and I appreciate that!

When we misunderstand each other or disagree, that is all the more reason why we should communicate in an attempt to draw ever closer to the One Who has called us out of darkness into His glorious light, right?

If I said something that led you to believe that I see the church as something that is less important than what Jesus meant it to be, I'm sorry!  I certainly didn't intend to!

The apostle Paul speaks of the church as one body---Christ's body---in I Cor. 12 and explains how that we, being many members, make up the one body!

At the end of the 2nd chapter of Ephesians we find the apostle Paul, who was a Jew, saying this to Christian Gentiles:

Eph. 2:19-22 (NKJV)

"Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place for God in the Spirit."

Brother Thomas, you said that the foundation is "the words of Jesus."

To that I would agree in that Jesus WAS the Word from the very beginning according to John 1:1-5

I agree with you that we must always look to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith!

I also agree that it is not easy to believe in Him, in fact its not even possible without His Spirit!  Our human nature is such that we don't want to retain God in our knowledge!  But God knows that---He created us!

You made reference to Acts 2:40-47 as that which the church should be striving to become!

Before I go there, I would like to make reference once again to Matt. 16:18 where Jesus is continuing to talk to Peter.

Matt. 16:18 (NKJV)

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

The point I want to bring out here is that Jesus said that He would build His church, it is not something that He has left for us to do!

If it were left to us, we would probably botch it up and the gates of Hades would prevail against it!

The Scripture you make reference to in Acts is about the remorse the people felt as they realized they were the reason that Jesus, The Lamb of God, was crucified!

All of us fit into that catagory as well!  He died for the sins of the world and we have all done our share!

The people asked the apostles the same question we should be asking in verse 37 of Acts 2 as we come to realize the extent of our guilt.

"Men and brethren, what shall we do?

It was Peter who came back with the answer in verse 38

"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Then Peter goes on to explain in verse 39 that the promise of salvation was to them and their children as well as those who were afar off (which might well include us) "as many as the Lord Our God will call."

Notice that in verse 38 Peter mentioned "repent" first!

What that means is to stop living the way you have lived before and begin to live differently!

He didn't say, "Go ahead and be baptized and then repent!"

Repentance is to come before baptism!

Then as we come to verse 40 we find Peter exhorting the people with many words and he even testified.  I would say that means he told them about the experiences he had with Jesus as he was being taught by Him.

He then told them to "Be saved from this perverse generation."

How were they suppose to do that?

He had already told them how---repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit!

Verse 41 says that those who gladly received the word---the teachings of the apostles about Jesus being the Messiah---were baptized and about three thousand were added to their number in one day!

I would recommend that as we read through this portion of the book of Acts that we realize that the New Testament church was in its earliest stages of development!

Eleven of Jesus' twelve disciples were still alive, only Judas, who had betrayed Him, was not!

Jesus had instructed them to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came to give them "power from on high".

These apostles that Jesus had given the authority to be His witnesses were speaking with the power from on high that they had been given!

Jesus told them that they would be His witnesses to the ends of the earth---and even so they still are His witnesses today as we read and study His word!

This is getting longer than I had planned so I will stop with that!

Have a blessed and wonderful day!

J.V.

Thanks once again brother Thomas!

First of all let me say that no, I didn't see anything you said that implied that we were to be baptized before we repent.  Sorry, I didn't intend to imply that you did!

Since this is a public forum, I just wanted to make sure that the understanding was correct as far as the way I understand things to be!

There is a correct order of things and an incorrect order.

According to my understanding, first of all we are cleansed by the word of God!

We find Jesus, in John 15:3, telling His disciples,

"You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you."

What we know about this is that Jesus' disciples were not converted and yet they were cleansed by the word.

The reason I say they were not converted is because the death, burial, and resurrection of Our Lord had not occured yet!

It was not until after His resurrection and ascention that the Holy Spirit was sent which Jesus told them would lead them into all truth!

So what I am saying is that first we have to be cleansed by the word which makes us to see our guilt, sin, and shame from God's point of view!

Once we see that, we repent for being the way we have been and then as an act of obedience, we are baptized!

Sorry if I come across as one making accusations, that's not my purpose!

I am interested in knowing where you draw your conclusion from that we, the members of the body, are responsible for building the church!

My understanding is that Jesus said He would do that!

In Acts 2:47b, Dr. Luke, the author of the book of Acts, tells us,

"And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

You are right about Matt. 28:19, we have an assignment which we might refer to as Jesus' last command to go and preach the gospel and baptise the people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Again, first things first! 

Jesus said that it was because that,

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and earth."

that we are suppose to be doing that. 

He went on to tell us what we are suppose to be teaching them!

He said in Matt. 28:20,

"teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Now I see you have given me an assignment to write down certain passages and comment on how they tell us that we are to relate to the Body of Christ!

John 13:34, 35

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

This is a new commandment in that it was not listed among the commandments that God gave the children of Israel in the days of Moses.

Jesus is not just instructing us to love one another here, He is instructing us to love one another in the same way that He has loved us!

That's a tall order!  He loved us enough that He gave His life in place of ours!

35

"By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Jesus is still laying out His new commandment here and this is part of what we are instructed to teach others in Matt. 28:20.

The ten commandments that was given to the children of Israel at the hand of Moses is now a thing of the past.  That was the old commandments!

Jesus is giving us the new commandments which involves us having love for one another as a sign that we are truly His disciples!

Under the old covenant with Israel they had the law of circumcision, and certain days and seasons that they were to observe as a sign that they were the people of God.  It also involved animal sacrifices.

Jesus is telling us here that this is now the sign that shows that we are the people of God---His disciples!

Eph. 5:1, 2

"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.  2 And walk in love, as Christ has also loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma."

Here we find the apostle Paul being obedient to the command of Christ that He gave in Matt. 28:20. 

Paul was teaching the Ephesian church to observe all things that he had been commanded.  That is, that Christ has loved us so we should also love one another in the same way!

That's what it means to be imitators of God!  He IS love!

I Cor. 13:1-3

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

2    "And though I have he gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3    "And though I bestow all my good to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing."

This 13th chapter of I Cor. is often referred to as "the love chapter" because Paul has so much to say about the subject of love!

The point he is getting across is just how important love is in all of our relationships!  Relationships we have with each other and the relationship we have with God as our creator, sustainer, provider, and giver of eternal life!

Col. 3:14

"But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection."

This verse is right in the middle of a paragraph and it is understood better when we read all of it.

Gal. 5:6

"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love."

13  "For you brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

14  "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "

This is still more about love, that's what the new commandment is all about!

I Pet. 4:8, 9

"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.'

9  "Be hospitable to one another without grumbling."

What does it mean to love another person? 

It means to have a desire to have another persons needs met just the same as you have a desire for your own needs to be met!

What does I John 3:16 say it means to another person?

I John 3:16

"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.  And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

When we sacrifice our time to help others to come to a better understanding of what God has in mind for all of us, are we not laying down our lives to benefit someone else?

We can all do more collectively than any one of us can do alone and that's why God has given us all different gifts to be used in different ways!

Jesus is still alive and is still actively building His church and has given all of us the privilege to be a part of it! 

He is the cornerstone that the builders rejected but now He is the one who is forming us into His likeness! We, collectively, are the temple in which He resides!

May He bless us all to become more and more like Him!

J.V.