The New Testament never refers to Paul and his coworkers as a church. The local church by its nature is open to all who believe, while a missionary band is restricted to a few.11 There are good reasons for not calling mission bands churches, as though somehow they are a functional equivalent to the local church. Yet the closest possible relationship exists between the missionary band and the local church. Nevertheless, when Paul and his team traveled to a location, they immediately formed a church. They would have worshiped, celebrated the Lord’s Supper and gathered to hear and obey the Word.
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