10/2/2016

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Whatisanecumenicalchurch?

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WhatPeopleAskAbouttheChurch
ByDr.DaleA.Robbins

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52
Whatisanecumenicalchurch?
Theideaofecumenicalismisassociatedwithunityanduniversality.Theword,ecumenical,(Greek,
OIKOUMENE)isused15timesintheNewTestamentasareferencetothe"wholeworld,"primarilyina
geographicalsense,asinMatthew24:14.
Inthepostapostolictimes,variousbranchesofthechurchassociatedwiththetermecumenicalinthecorporate
sense.TheEasternchurchhaditsecumenicalsynodsandtheologians.TheRomanchurchcalleditscouncils
ecumenical.ThecreedsoftheApostles,Nicene,Athanasianandotherswerecalledecumenical.
Today,variouschurchesareassociatedwiththemodernecumenicalmovement,primarilythoughaffiliationwith
theWorldCouncilofChurches.Thisisatheologicallyliberal,leftistorganizationdevotedtotheworldunification
ofchurchesandreligiousentities.Mosttheologicallyconservative,evangelicalchurchesrejectanyassociation
withtheecumenicalmovementortheWorldCouncilofChurches,asthesegroupsareidentifiedwith
compromised,pseudoChristianphilosophy,andthegoalofformingaoneworldreligion.Authoritiesonthe
subjectofprophecycitethattheAntichristwillariseamidareprobate,oneworldreligion.
AspiritofunitybetweenallChristianchurches,acrossdenominationalboundaries,isanobleambitionthat
shouldbepursued.ThebodyofChristneedstobeunitedintheirlove,theirprayers,andtheirevangelisticefforts
totheworld.ButnotatthecompromiseofbasicChristianideals,asisembracedbymodernecumenicalism.
This article is from the book, What People Ask About the Church, authored and copyrighted by Dr. Dale A. Robbins, 19902015, and is a
publicationofVictoriousPublications,GrassValley,CANashville,TN.Unlessotherwisestated,allscripturereferencesweretakenfromTheNew
KingJamesBible,ThomasNelsonInc.,1982.Youmaydownloadthisarticleforpersonaluseaslongasyouretaincredittotheauthor.Obtain
permissionbeforereproducingcopiesforanyreason,byfillingoutoursimplepermissionform.Manyofourwritingsarealsoavailableasfreepdftri
foldpamphlets,whichcanbedownloadedforreproductionfromourOnlineCatalog.Formediareproductionrights,ortoobtainquantitiesofthistitle
inotherformats,emailus.

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