"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:5-6)
Now, I'm not wondering how you justify church as a teaching institution - Jesus himself attended the synagogue after all, but what I am wondering is how my Christian friends integrate this quotation into their understanding of what church is supposed to be.
It seems to me that the quotation is an argument against the church as a worshipping community. There are, of course, quotations that do discuss communal worship. How ought we understand this quote in light of those and Christian practice since Jesus?
2007-07-18
01:50:14
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9 answers
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asked by
The Man Comes Around
5
in
Religion & Spirituality