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Originally Posted by wsw201  I would not call this a church and it would be outside the visible church. The elements of worship are not there. It doesn't even seem that they are attempting to to have a worship service, which is central to a church. I would consider this as no different than a bible study. |
The line between a Bible study and a service can be difficult to draw. Many people see preaching as simply a matter of teaching, with no authority that is not possessed by any teaching or discussion of the Bible. What is the difference? I know in prior threads some (not you) have rejected the authority or significance of preaching as anything distinct from any kind of Bible-teaching or discussion.
So, if that part is fixed, is he part of the visible church? Let's say that he or his lay friends take turns "preaching." So, they have "preaching," bible reading, prayer, and singing. Is it sufficient to just mix these elements with two people to have a church and a sevice?