The deceptive teachings of aida when she haughtily concluded that, "
No wonder, chapels, churches, and cathedrals had no place in the 1st century Christianity!", reveals her true color as a false teacher and her deceptive manipulation of what is written in the Bible.
Is it true that chapels, churches, or the much revered Temple or House of Worship no longer had a place to the 1st century Christians?
Did Christ no longer gave high regard and respect to the Temple, which was build to give glory to God, and a place where his people may worship God with dignity and solemnity befitting the one and true God?
A quick perusal of the Bible will readily reveal that during the time of Jesus Christ there was already an existing temple which Christ himself recognized as
"My Father's house":
NIV LUKE 2:6 "After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."
49"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"
Another proof that Christ gave high regard to his Father's house was when he angrily drove away people who "turned his Father's house into a market!"
TNIV JOHN 2:13 "When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father's house into a market!"
Such burst of pious anger coming from Christ himself when his Father's house was desecrated by people who turned it into a market place only shows how he respect and hold in high esteem the sanctity of the Temple that was built for the glory of God.
No wonder proponents of those who adheres that "temples, chapels, or houses of worship have no place in the Christian era" mockingly desecrate their so called places of worship where they hold congregational worship services by turning them precisely into market places with all the merchandise that they could sell to the blind followers.
From mineral water, banana que, softdrinks, clothing, even underwear apparels, name it they have it, are conspicuously displayed for sale in their places of congregation like what Eli Soriano does in his so called ADD Convention Center where they regularly hold their congregational worship services.
Are these the so called followers of Christ? The answer is very obvious, my friends.
The temple or house of worship remains to be necessary in the spiritual life of the Christians. The Scriptures records that the apostles and church members continued to congregate at the temple:
"While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God." LUKE 24:51-53 NIV
"Day after day they met as a group in the Temple, and they had their meals together in their homes, eating with glad and humble hearts, praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people." - Acts 2:46-47
So why then did the apostles not built houses of worships or chapels?
It was simply because it was physically impossible to do so because of the vicious persecutions that they encountered in the 1st century. Many members were killed and many were imprisoned causing them to scatter (Acts 8:1-3).
Such persecutions did not stop after the death of the apostles but continued with the appearance of false prophets who came to the flock in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ferocious wolves.
It is therefore wrong to conclude that just because Christ and the apostles were not able to built temples in the 1st century, God's commandment to build him a house of worship is no longer in effect. On the contrary, Christ foretold that those who believe in him will do "
GREATER THINGS":
"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." - JOHN 14:12 NIV
One of the things considered in the Bible as “great” is the temple or house of worship where the people of God worship him:
"The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods." 2 Chronicles 2:5 NIV
"I am building a temple to honor the Lord my God. It will be a holy place where my people and I will worship..." 2 Chronicles 2:4 GNT
Therefore, the fact that the Iglesia ni Cristo continues to construct houses of worship only proves that we are the true believers of Christ. Being the true people of God, we will keep on building houses of worship for it is in these holy edifices where God expects his people to worship him.
So what can you say now, aida and Manunuwag?