When I read in Acts 7 I noticed in verse 38 that Stephen actually uses the word "church" in reference to the time of Moses. The main question is that most people I talk to say the Church began in the New Testament times, (usually at the time of Pentecost). Are not the Hebrews themselves the 'called out people' of the Old Testament?
In Matthew 5-7, is Jesus introducing the Jews to the future kingdom of heaven on earth? And if that's the case, are the acts indicated in Matthew 5:29,30 the result of Matthew 5:28 and something believer's must physically carry out while in the future kingdom in order to enter into his final resting place?
Please comment on the controversy of the Local versus Universal Church.
What is the correlation/connection between water baptism and church membership? I see where Acts 2:41 references both baptism and adding to the church in the same context, but have not found where baptism is clearly required for church membership.
We (Christians) have consistently been told that all children who die before they reach an age where they can understand about personal salvation (an age of accountability to God) that they go to heaven. I have prayerfully searched the scripture, all references, for anything regarding children, infants, family, brother, sisters, mothers, fathers, salvation, etc. Nothing could I find to support the argument, even though it does refer to passages where the whole family was saved (I believe in two places) and Christ Himself says to His disciples not to stop children coming to Him. Though nowhere can I find these ideas where accountability and instant infant/child salvation have any relationships, though salvation tied to the family maybe classed as having some scriptural basis.
