The article was written some time ago, the questions coming up on the influences that took place to get it away from acts body an ecclesia where sharing and dialogue dominated . It was later the self made gain seekers formed ecclesiastical hierarchy where two distinctions of people were created to produce a medium state or form to go through is not a new topic nor is it scrpitural. Ref sections walkers hiroty angus, onthe mystery relgions impact into Christianity, Robert Brown on the word church and it;s form.
It's been well known as unrevealed in the post modern body and keeping it well institutionalized in various levels to sustain the post Acts model. Where the revelatory by intent was exchanged for the gnosis quoting (anger Bert) highkly descriptive quoting Oriegen effort to blend or mix things into the faith. Thus we saw the birth of platonics and many insertions from the mystics, sophistry, philosphphy with it;s former back ground ideas and so many other manufactured terms to support the new constructuion of institution subject to the state.
Those elevating themselves. in order to extend the forms derived by some of the modified political terminology replacing the relationship in Acts body to one more modeled from the pagan forms. With men at the center or acting as a medium in either themselves or the institution at large or any one part of it. Moeny is often used to sielnce the truth...We felt adding the history section is way for people to make up there own minds as to the facts and forms. Thanks, early history is quite descriptive of the actuall acounts leading to the post modern forms. Wwe hpe people will test what they hear not to just slide along to get along.The article below reveals discussion and dialoge over the form's bondage.
Christianity vs. Churchianity
From ZWT Reprints, page 533, September, 1883, by A. A. Phelps.
We are living in an age of
shames and counterfeits. Satan seems to have abandoned the hope of crushing out
the Christian Church by a process of undisguised hostility, and now seeks to
destroy her efficiency by stealthily draining off her vitality, and robbing her
of every supernatural element. He "transforms himself into an angel of light",
and often assumes to be the special friend and guardian of the Church.
Craftily
he infuses his deadly virus and inculcates his plausible philosophy, until the
moral perception is obscured, the conscience is distorted, and policy runs
nearly the whole ecclesiastical machinery. Thus a popularized religion -- which
costs nothing and is worth nothing -- is readily accepted, while the old
religion of the cross is utterly discarded. The consequence is, that there
is religion enough, and Churchianity enough, but a great famine for real Christianity.
We meet with thousands all over the land who, if catechized in regard to their
spiritual condition, reply with much self- assurance that they are members of
such a Church. They assume that the Church is an ark of safety; and, once
ensconced within her enclosures, all further anxiety ends. Let us try to unmask
this dreadful delusion of the devil.
There is a difference, we may
premise, between the real and the nominal Church of Christ; The former is composed of
all true Christians. Its boundaries are therefore invisible, as no man can tell
exactly where to draw the lines. The latter is composed of those who assume the
Christian name and practice the ordinances of God's house. It is commonly called
thevisible Church, because its
boundary lines are known. The epithet may apply to a single local society of a
given denomination, or to the aggregate of local societies of all denominations.
We use the term, in this paper, to designate the outward or visible
Church.
1. Christ and the Church are not identical.
There may be ten thousand
Churches, but there is only one
Christ. Nor can all those Churches supply the place of our one, blessed all-sufficient Savior. A
man may be saved without the Church, but he cannot be saved without Christ. A
man may be in the Church and not be saved; but he cannot be in Christ without salvation. Sinners sometimes become members of the Church; but
only saints are members of Christ. A person may live in
the Church for years, with the old heart of carnality and selfishness; but "if
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature". The requirements of the Church are
often wrong and ruinous; but the claims of Christ are always reasonable and
right. The Church may become a sink of pollution; but Christ is ever the
perfection of purity. The Church may be rent with divisions; but Jesus Christ is
not divided. The Church may become terribly entangled in mysticism and error;
but Christ is always the embodiment of light and truth. The Church may change
her name and her nature; but Christ is "the same yesterday, today, and forever".
The Church may be a crutch to walk with, but she is a poor Christ to trust in
for salvation and eternal life.
2. Christian worship and Church worship are not identical.
Vast multitudes cling to some
Church establishment as a drowning man would cling to a life-boat. They bow
obsequiously to her priestly and official mandates, and imagine that the blind
servility which they tender to the Church will be accounted acceptable service
offered to Christ. The simplicity of the Gospel is lost in the imposing forms
and glittering accompaniments of modern churchism. Splendid church edifices
attract the eye. Splendid music charms the ear. Splendid prayers are addressed
to the CONGREGATION. Splendid sermons please the fancy, and leave deluded
sinners to slumber on. Church rivalry has achieved a glorious success, if
success thundering organs, ostentatious dressing, theatrical singing, pointless
praying, rhetorical preaching, careless hearing, and unscriptural
practicing!
Much of the current worship is
done by proxy. Lazy religionists surrender their sacred rights to others. They
take it for granted that the preacher is on the right track, and readily swallow
whatever may be doled out from the pulpit, without using their own brains in
searching for the hidden treasures of truth. Thus religious ideas are
transmitted from generation to generation, until tradition exerts a more
powerful influence than the Bible in molding the sentiments of men. There comes
to be a fashionable faith, as well as a fashionable dress. To embrace a certain
stereotyped circle of doctrinal views entitles a man to the claim of
"orthodoxy"; but let him not venture one step out of the beaten track, if he
would not be denounced as a deluded heretic!
few have the moral courage to
question the decisions of the Church, much less to discard what she has labeled
as "orthodox". The verdict of a few leading denominations has thus grown up into
a threatening tyranny; and the multitude cannot think of stemming the mighty
tide. So they bow down in their narrow enslavement and worship this curiously-
fashioned but pious-looking idol - the Church!
Since all idolatry is an
abomination to God, we have no more right to worship a church than we have to
worship a golden calf! We rob the Lord of His rightful honor, and ourselves of
the highest bliss of Christianity, by looking to the Church too much, and
"looking unto Jesus" too little. What can be done to deal a staggering blow to
this cruel church- worship of the day, and at the same time give us more exalted
and ravishing views of Jesus Christ? There is a grand failure to carry out the
ultimate design, when the appliances of the Gospel result only in the production
of Churchianity. Our perception, our prayers, our faith and our adoration must
overleap the narrow precincts of the outward Church, and rise up to the eternal
throne! "Worship God!"
3. Christian fellowship and Church fellowship are not identical.
The
followers of Christ are called upon to "love one another with a pure heart
fervently". Indeed, this is one of the Scriptural tests of discipleship. "We
know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren". All
Christians constitute one family, and love is the golden tie designed to bind
their hearts together around the common cross. But love is a tender plant that
needs to be reared with a hand.
Hence the many exhortations of Scripture to
"consider one another" -- to "be kindly affectioned one to another" -- to esteem
others better than ourselves -- to "bear one another's burdens" -- to exercise a
forgiving spirit -- to "let brotherly love continue" -- to "endeavor to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace". All such injunctions point out the
danger of alienated feelings and poisoned affections, and show the importance of
making a special effort to promote Christian unity and love. How disastrous are
the results of not regarding these Gospel precepts!
Worship in truth and Spirit, NW looking at the early history, ((has it changed))?
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