Baptist historian Thomas Armitage states “IN THE APOSTOLIC AGE, THE CHURCH WAS A LOCAL BODY; AND EACH CHURCH WAS ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT OF EVERY OTHER CHURCH. The simple term ‘Ecclesia’ designates one congregation, or organized assembly, and no more, this being its literal and primal meaning.” Page 28 of A History of the Baptists, VOLUME 1, Thomas Armitage
The New Testament knows nothing of the monsters man has organized such as the Southern Baptist Convention. When Paul wrote 1 and 2 Corinthians it was to a local New Testament church. In the first letter he wrote to that church he had something to say concerning a born again baptized church member going to law against another member of the same local New Testament church. Here is what he wrote. 1Corithians 6:1-8 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. 5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. 7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
Nevertheless man too often has set up organizations such as the SBC which has its children such as the North American Mission Board. The following pdf is a result of man’s ways.
