This is an automatic translation, pending correction
CELL CHURCH
Some churches go concerned with a system introduced in Brazil, which corresponds to a kind of "cell church", which is called "G12". The basic idea, according'm informed, is to gather a group of twelve interested candidates and prepare them to be "leading" new "churches", teaching them their doctrines (found in your "User's Disciple"), and training them in evangelism, pastoring and teaching. Then each of these twelve repeat the process, aiming for growth by creating a geometric structure that would call the "pyramid" in the commercial.
According to the testimony of a person who attended the initial sessions called "Pre-Meeting" and "Encounter", it is a brainwashing process by which the person who gets involved is injected with strange doctrines and even contrary to what the Bible teaches, is subject to strong emotions skillfully manipulated by psychological processes, and encouraged to continue learning.
The pyramidal system typically gives control of the dome structure formed by the first, who enjoy the financial benefits resulting from the work of others. Second I know, this also occurs in the system G12, its promoters are driven by lust for power economic and religious. There is no way a church in the biblical sense.
In its etymological sense, the church is a term used in the New Testament from the Greek word ecclesia, which means "one called out":
· ecclesia was used among the Greeks to denote a group of people called and gathered together to discuss affairs of state (Acts 19:39).
· The writers of the Septuagint, the old version of the Old Testament in Greek, quoted in the New Testament ecclesia used to describe a gathering of Israel called for any purpose, or an assembly of representatives of the nation (kahal in Hebrew).
Although in the original Greek word ecclesia has been used in the broadest sense (Israel in Acts 7:38, an angry crowd in Acts 19:32, 41), its derivative in Portuguese church has only two applications with reference to believers in Christ:
· the set of all redeemed by faith in Christ in the current era, ranging from his first coming two millennia ago to the rapture of the redeemed, raised and processed, of which Christ said "I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18 ), also described as "the church which is His body" (Galatians 1:13, Ephesians 1:22, 5:23). The set is not complete at the end: there, at any time, its components or have died and are in heaven, or are living, as yet to be saved or saved, or not yet born. You can also, exceptionally, that some of its components, when alive, do not belong to a congregation for a special reason.
· a congregation of professing Christians (Matthew 18:17, Acts 20:28, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:5, etc.). plural indicates more than one of these congregations, similar nature or the same geographic area (Acts 9:31, 15:41, 16:5, Romans 16:4,16, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Galatians 1:22, etc.).. In each congregation usually find a greater or lesser extent people who claim to be believers, but never been born again and therefore do not belong to the set.
Turning now our attention to the congregation, we will call the local church have in the New Testament, particularly in the epistles of the apostle Paul, guidelines for their supervision, the responsibilities of members, the order to be observed at their meetings, the objectives pursued, etc. .
Contrary to what many think, the Holy Spirit did not provide detailed parameters of the local church when he gave us the New Testament in His wisdom, gave us lots of flexibility to adapt to circumstances that surround us, since we observe these guidelines.
Each local church has its own character, none is perfect but strive to be, and each one is in the hands of Christ, to whom it belongs (eg, Revelation 2:03). Each one is a body attached by the Holy Spirit, and it is he who gives gifts of competent people for evangelism, pastoring and teaching (Ephesians 4:11), and distributes gifts for the benefit of all (1 Corinthians 12).
The local church is an indivisible unit, unless it come sin and heresy. It is not divided into cells independent of each other. Through the outreach done by its members, may give rise to other, equally independent, and with similar characteristics.
Earlier, after expelled from the temple in Jerusalem and the synagogues, members of local churches could only rely on private residences for your meetings: the home of Mary, mother of John Mark in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12), the house of Lydia in Philippi (Acts 16:40), the house of Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:19) and later in Rome (Romans 16:5), the house of Philemon at Colosse (Philemon 1:2 ) are all examples.
Today the local churches usually have their own buildings where they can gather. It is a privilege, but with a downside: loss of mobility and flexibility, investment of capital and the need for funding. The meetings of believers in their homes with the primary goal of evangelizing relatives, friends and acquaintances are very useful, and should be encouraged.
Meetings for Bible study and prayer in their homes may also be useful, particularly if made under the direction of supervisors of a church or other fit person to teach (2 Timothy 2:2). How are meetings where not all the church is present, they should not be done at the expense of regular meetings. Informal meetings are generally more vulnerable to outside influences and false teachings, requiring caution. If difficulties arise, they must always be brought to the attention of the supervisors of the church.
There is also the temptation to formalize such family gatherings, like some churches in large cities or population centers, where they have expanded upon the division of their family members in cells, in practice "local cliques" subordinate to the first, meeting in homes, joining everyone for worship and adoration once a week, or less frequently, in a main building. The "little churches" lack the autonomy of the Bible, being in the same situation of the local churches that are attached to an ecclesiastical structure, as most of the "names", or becoming social centers in clubinhos and spiritual life, but without causing divisions in the church site.
We heard from someone who not only proposed to divide the members of the local church in cells, but still call them M 12, some are using expressions such as "cell church", "dreaming dreams of God" etc.., Giving a connotation of identification with the system G 12.
Brothers, avoid associating ourselves with the works of darkness: do not adopt their methods or their labels!