My current beliefs concerning Christianity and Church appear
to be diametrically opposed to what I supported and taught when I was younger. I
see no need for Church as it is generally presented. I believe our most
important responsibility is to believe that Jesus was and is God’s Son and
Representative, in flesh and spirit. I also believe that the Christian life
cannot be institutionalized. At Jesus’ baptism God acknowledged him saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well-pleased.”[1] On
the mountain where Jesus was transfigured, God addressed his Son’s pre-eminence;
Peter suggested that Moses and Elijah should be honoured along with Jesus, but God
said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom
I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”[2]
The Law and the Prophets were to give way to the Word. The author of Hebrews
wrote, “He is the reflection of God's
glory and the exact imprint of God's very being…”[3]
Salvation is in Jesus not in Church; Church programs are not the same as living
for Christ. Church attendance is different to living every moment for the Lord.
For the past while I have been trying to figure out how best to explain what I
now believe, and have come up with four lines of evidence:
·
Anecdotal
·
Impracticability of ordinances or rituals
·
Misinterpretation of scripture
·
Conflicting values
Anecdotal evidence
Many years ago I led a study in the home of a couple, very
successfully, because they decided to be baptized. The only hitch was they
wanted to be baptized by the pastor in the Church they attended. I assured them
that their choice to be baptized was good, and that they should keep in mind
that baptism was into Christ, not into a Church. The point I took from that
situation was that being in Christ has nothing to do with Church affiliation.
Many older people have difficulty getting to Church services
or sitting uncomfortably for extended periods. My parents were in that group,
they found it impossible due to health and economics to go to Church. Preachers
often express the need for regular attendance; that being with the Church
family is vital to one’s spiritual health. In my early years with the Church I
heard testimony of the influence of some person who attended every service,
rain or shine. I never heard a preacher tell older people that Church
attendance was optional, or that if they couldn’t make it to service that was
ok, because they were God’s children wherever they were. I never heard words
suggesting that being in the family of God was all the assurance one needed.
I recall my first foray into a small town situation, and the
absence of my Church. My Church was exclusive, it alone was right, and all
other Christian Churches may as well have been pagan. My employment included
shift-work. On Sunday morning when all good Christians went to Church, I was at
work doing what I was paid to do. The same thing Wednesday evenings when
working afternoon shift. One of my first work free Sundays we drove forty miles
to a nearby town where there was bone fide Church, only to find out that the
preacher was going back to the States and the doors were closing. Left without
spiritual support was an elderly lady; she continued to teach a few children in
her apartment on Sunday mornings. Something is wrong when a Church abandons converts
to fend for themselves. The Church seeks to convert people to its practices and
doctrines. Abandoning those people who have become dependent on its nurturing
creates spiritual orphans. It is imperative that believers are taught to place
their trust in God and Christ, not in a Church. Churches close up shop, fall
apart, lose interest in an area, but Christ is Lord and Saviour. Jesus never
leaves his disciples, and one’s faith must be vested in him. No Church deserves
loyalty; loyalty and commitment are assigned to Jesus. Our faith in Jesus has
to be portable, it cannot be dependent on Church attendance or involvement in
programs. If the Church you attend teaches that it alone is the way to
salvation or God, you need to get out of it, and commit your life solely to
Christ. If a Church encourages loyalty to Christ, and elevates commitment to
him above all else, then you have a spiritual fellowship to be cherished.
A few years after I retired we moved to a town close to a
city with an established congregation of the “right” Church. Events already in
the works took the preacher away from the congregation and left the group with
an empty pulpit. The position was hastily filled with an import and things went
downhill in a hurry. The atmosphere in Church services was unpleasant to say
the least. A congregation woven together over numerous decades began to unravel.
It happens, sometimes with positive results, but more often with disastrous
impact. Attending Church became a farce; the ride home from “worship service”
was thirty minutes of angry venting mostly about failed leadership. Realizing
that our spirituality was going down the tube it became necessary to take
action –we did, we stopped going to Church. We exchanged three or four hours of
Church activity for a life of worship. Our community is our mission field, our
neighbours are the people for whom Christ died. Our study is focused on Jesus, as
we are trying to become more like him. We got out from under dictatorial
leadership, to trying to reflect the love of Jesus.
These examples are anecdotal, and to some they will be seen
as unreliable and not supporting a need for change. Most Church leaders would agree
that baptism is necessary. But, most Churches require converts to be baptized in
their Church even if they have already been baptized in a different Church.
Which suggests it is more important to be in a specific Church than in Christ. If
all Churches believed that baptism is into Christ, a baptized believer from any
Church would be welcomed wherever he or she went. The Church most often reflects
the values of society which largely ignores older people or considers them irrelevant.
Some Churches have special seniors’ programs; that’s ok I guess, but I wonder
why seniors can’t be accepted as functioning adults. My sojourn in small towns
made me realize that Christianity is very personal and has nothing to do with
Church. Spirituality is most often assessed by Church attendance and
involvement. My religious friends sometimes ask if my sister attends Church, to
which I am tempted to respond, she doesn’t need to. “Thus you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me,
'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the
will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did
we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many
deeds of power in your name?' Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you;
go away from me, you evildoers.'”[4]
Like many others, my sister has been involved in voluntary work with women and children
suffering from aids, and she has given time and money to caring for orphans. It
seems to me that Jesus suggested a difference between religion and doing what
God wants done.
Along that line, consider; “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him,
then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Mat All the nations will be
gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand
and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand,
'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was
thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed
me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I
was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord,
when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you
something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed
you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in
prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just
as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you
did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are
accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me
nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you
did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then
they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or
a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' Then
he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the
least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal
punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”[5]
Not a word in Jesus’ teaching was spoken about Church planting or Church
programs. Jesus taught about life in the kingdom, a life that reflected God’s
grace and love. Jesus is the Son of God, in him alone is hope.
Impracticability of
ordinances or rituals
“But the seventh day
is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work--you, your son or
your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident
in your towns. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all
that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the
sabbath day and consecrated it.”[6]
“It shall be to you a sabbath of complete
rest, and you shall deny yourselves; on the ninth day of the month at evening,
from evening to evening you shall keep your sabbath.” The law of the
Sabbath was given to Israel. There was no provision made for time zones or
latitude. People who want to be bound by the law of the Sabbath argue for its
application outside the Old Testament time period and Jewish religion. The
Sabbath law was parochial, given to the Israelites, and as such had no
variability or confusion, but laws taken out of context become impracticable. Time
zones and latitude change circumstances which make the application of some laws
impossible to keep in the manner in which they were instituted. The reasons
behind some laws no longer exist.
The Communion or Lord’s Supper is a rite that has been
modified. In a few countries bread is not a staple or even available unless
imported, nor is wine available everywhere. If communion is a required rite,
then there will be situations where substitutes for bread, wine, or both will
have to be made. Considering the kind of bread and juice used in most Churches,
substitution should not be a problem. Grape juices instead of wine is widely
used today. Miniature crackers are used to represent the bread of the first
supper. The substitution of tiny tokens in no way meets the intent of the
remembrance meal. To a number of Churches the Lord’s Supper is an important
element of worship, yet the manner in which the supper is observed today is
nothing like originally instituted.
“Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have
commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”[7]
“The Great Commission”; marching orders of missionaries and ministers, a
primary tool in seeking support to embark upon one’s chosen course. As a young
believer living in Africa I enjoyed or endured those from other countries who
were fulfilling their Commission. There were many preachers and their families
who fulfilled the principle of the Commission in guiding and encouraging faith
in Jesus. There were a few that would have done more for Africa by staying
home; people interested in foisting their cultural norms on a foreign society. The
“Great Commission” was given specifically to the eleven apostles; it was the
only time in history in which the command makes sense. “Go” or its variations are
quite emphatic, it doesn’t say “if you go” or “if you feel like going” into all
nations; the command was to preach to all nations. Americans must go to Africa
or Europe, and people from those countries must go to Timbuktu or Hawaii. Jesus wasn’t suggesting
a foreign exchange program, but speaking to his disciples he told them to take
the good news everywhere. Without Jesus’ death and resurrection there was no
good news; Jesus met with the eleven and commissioned them to teach the good
news to all people everywhere. The New Testament contains principles requiring
believers to “let their lights shine”. Out of its first century setting the
Commission becomes vague, more so with the imposition of manipulated
interpretation. I am indebted to some missionaries for their guidance and
encouragement, not because they were fulfilling the “Great Commission”, but
because they chose to live as Christ’s disciples in Africa. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached
in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will
come.”[8]
There was great urgency to preach the gospel, and, the apostles were charged
with that duty. There is no “Great Commission”, that order was very specific to
the time following Christ’s ascension, and primarily to the apostles.
Church; a word that is not found in scripture, but has come
to represent Christianity. Too bad there aren’t more people today with the
common sense of Hezekiah. “He did right
in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. He
removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces
the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel
burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.” The Church came into
being following the Council of Nicaea. Through its various permutations it has
burgeoned and morphed into a myriad of denominations, all of which claim to be
singularly correct. To equate the resulting morass of iniquitous folly to the
kingdom of God is nothing short of blaspheme. The word Church is a
mistranslation of the Greek word ekklesia.
The Church can’t escape its awful baggage. The word Church embraces groups from
the political institutions of Catholicism and Anglican to the Peoples Temple
cult. Since the origin of Church is human it cannot reflect the spiritual
nature of the kingdom of God. It is estimated that there are tens of thousands
of denominations worldwide, there is however, only one kingdom over which God
rules. The book “Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore”
suggests four main reasons why most people don’t want to go to Church. The
author’s blog gives a preview of the reasons –the fourth being; “’Your God
is irrelevant to my life. But I’d like to know there is a God and he cares
about me.’ Research by the Barna Group reveals that only 44 percent of
people who attend church every week say they regularly experience God at
church. They’re not looking for the deep theological trivia that seems to
interest a lot of preachers. They crave something rather simple. They want to
be reassured that God is real, that he is more than a historical figure, that
he is present today, and that he is active in the lives of people around them.”[9]
There are many people who have left Church, some of whom find spiritual
expression in small groups or other less conventional associations; sadly some
give up on Christ and God, because their indoctrination in Church has left them
scarred and bitter.
Misinterpretation of
scripture
“For the Son of Man is
to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay
everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here
who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”[10]
“And Jesus was saying
to them, ‘Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who
will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with
power.’”[11]
“But I say to you
truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death
until they see the kingdom of God.”[12]
“So Peter seeing him
said to Jesus, ‘Lord, and what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If I want
him to remain until I come, what is
that to you? You follow me!’”[13]
The atheist Bertrand Russell understood what Jesus said to
mean, he would return within the lifetime of some of his listeners. “...I am concerned with Christ as He appears in
the Gospels, taking the Gospel narrative as it stands, and there one does find
some things that do not seem to be very wise. For one thing, he certainly
thought that His second coming would occur in clouds of glory before the death
of all the people who were living at that time. There are a great many texts
that prove that. He says, for instance, "Ye shall not have gone over the
cities of Israel till the Son of Man be come." Then he says, "There
are some standing here which shall not taste death till the Son of Man comes
into His kingdom"; and there are a lot of places where it is quite clear
that He believed that His second coming would happen during the lifetime of
many then living. That was the belief of His earlier followers, and it was the
basis of a good deal of His moral teaching... In that respect, clearly He was
not so wise as some other people have been, and He was certainly not
superlatively wise...”[14]
It ought to be a concern to Christians that an Atheist noted
the time in which Jesus said he would return to earth, as being in the lifetime
of some of the people listening to him. Most Churches teach that Jesus was
referring to a return at the end of time. The Church’s interpretation is one of
Satan’s most effective lies. One argument against the return of Christ being in
the first century is that there is no evidence of it taking place. That of
course is very true, there is no proof, but, what is faith? Our Lord told
people he would return while some of them were still living. That could have
been thirty, forty, or fifty years, we don’t know, maybe longer, maybe less. Evidence
of Jesus’ return, is not as important as, the fact that he said he would return
within a given period of time. Jesus the Son of God said he would return before
everyone there on that occasion died. Faith, as well as common sense, compels
me to believe that what Jesus said he would do –he did. Why should anyone
believe what Jesus promised if he didn’t mean what he said? Proof or not, I
believe Jesus returned while some of those who heard him teach were still
alive.
Miller, the Jehovah Witnesses, and Camping in recent years,
preached a distorted doctrine of Christ’s return. Churches hold various beliefs
on the return of Christ; there are many different versions of what will take
place, all using the same scripture to calculate when it will happen. As
evidenced by Russell’s ridicule, much harm is done by Christians not believing
Jesus. By no stretch of the imagination can “some standing here” or “this
generation” become so elastic as to reach to the end of time. Jesus was not
speaking allegorically, nor symbolically, but stating a fact. The destruction
of the temple signalled the end of Judaism, the destruction of Jerusalem
proclaimed the end of Israel as God’s people. God’s promises were fulfilled:
the seed of woman dealt a crushing blow to Satan’s head. Born into Abraham’s
family, Christ the Saviour provided hope to all mankind. On the day of
Pentecost God poured his Spirit out on all people signifying that salvation was
offered to all. Jesus returned at the time of the destruction of the temple and
Jerusalem victoriously in his kingdom. Considering all that Jesus accomplished,
it is a shame that in order to hang on to their erroneous doctrines Churches
are prepared to subject Jesus to ridicule.
“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the
Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he
had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do
this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper,
saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you
drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink
the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”[15]
The Lord’s Supper was never intended for believers who lived after the end of
the Jewish age. Participation in the Lord’s Supper was a statement of faith in Jesus,
among the people who killed him. Communion was not a rite or sacred sacrament
it was a demonstration of discipleship.
Conflicting
values
Jesus taught that we must love our enemies. The Church sent crusaders into
battle to kill and conquer Moslems (Justified as a “Holy War”). Most Churches
today support war against “threats to their country”. No matter what position a
Church takes on the subject of war and killing it is almost certain that its
position will conflict with some of its members. It is impossible for a Church
to represent all of its members equally when it comes to political issues.
Jesus taught it was wrong to judge, but Churches judge each other and take
every opportunity to lure members from each other. Each Church believes it is exclusively
correct, or more correct than other Churches. Many Church members are more
tolerant regarding members of other denominations than their Churches are. Churches
are divided over doctrinal issues; Institutional values seldom represent what all
people believe. “Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and
strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing
that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ
out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me
distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in
pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I
will rejoice…”[16]
Paul’s attitude is not shared by Churches. “For God did not send the Son
into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through
Him.”[17] “If anyone hears my
sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge
the world, but to save the world.”[18]
The first of four reasons Thom and Joani Schultz give as to why nobody wants to
go to Church anymore is, “Church people judge me.”[19]
That assessment of Churches was held by 87% of people surveyed. When one reads
that Jesus did not assume the position of judge, why is it that Churches
habitually take on that role? Many Churches preach the good life as one of
abstinence; don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t divorce, and on and on. Churches
will not be accused of the impropriety levelled against Jesus; “Look, a
glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”[20]
Paul wrote to the Romans, “Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity,
so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the
truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the
Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to
degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that
which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural
function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with
men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty
of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer,
God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy,
murder, strife, deceit, malice; they
are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful,
inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding,
untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of
God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do
the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”[21]
The Church is between a rock and a hard place when it comes to teaching on sin.
Societal values change with the ebbing tide of morality; as one columnist
suggested, the standard of acceptance is lowered to preserve the country’s
morality. Churches appear to have a hierarchy of sin, with sexual sins being at
the top. Paul indicates that God does not have the same attitude toward sin.
The passage from Romans seems to include all aspects of sin with the same class.
Churches are condemnatory, but people are seeking acceptance and forgiveness.
Churches drive sinners from their midst, while Jesus calls them into service. Jesus
died to save sinners; Jesus said he came to seek and save the lost, but usually
Churches are only attended by the faithful. Church policy and doctrine don’t remove
personal responsibility; the Church can’t speak for its members or guaranty
their security. Our relationship with God is through Christ, not the Church. My
interaction with people must be fashioned by Christ’s teaching, not by Church
doctrine or policy. Believing in Jesus doesn’t make me better than others. Whatever
I gain as Christ’s disciple is a gift of grace. My sins are forgiven through God’s
grace and love; that’s what Jesus did for me. Forgiveness comes through the
same grace and love to all who believe. Jesus while on earth was the Light of
the world, we are to reflect his light through the way we live. Another
person’s sin is no worse than mine; “…for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”[22]
The Church requires its members spend as much time as they can in programs
designed by the Church; yet Jesus spent a lot of his time with sinners.
Paradox
“When I was a child, I
used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I
became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror
dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully
just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these
three; but the greatest of these is love.”[23]
I use this quotation to introduce a paradox; at certain points in my life,
Church fellowship has been both beneficial and desirable. The Church I attended
when I was young was family to me. It was the friendship of that Church that
appealed to me. That Church’s acceptance and love influenced me far more than
any of its doctrines. I wholly recommend association with any Church in which
people are encouraged to live the teachings of Christ. When I immigrated to this
country I was welcomed into the fellowship of a Church. That Church accepted me
and provided much needed friendship. I want nothing to do with Churches that do
not display God’s love and grace, which are dominated by a preacher, or leaders
whose primary concern is the institution. “The
scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;
therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to
their deeds; for they say things
and do not do…”[24]
Unfortunately in some Churches preaching doesn’t represent God’s word. To grow
in Christ we have to decide when it’s necessary to move away from a Church. If
our spiritual needs are not being met, or attendance has become merely
ritualistic, it’s time to move. We can’t allow our spiritual connection with
God to be choked by materialistic Churches. We need support found in groups
that honour Christ, whether they are Churches or just gatherings. Church
attendance or group fellowship is not mandatory, but, it is beneficial to have
association with spiritual people. Our place in eternity is based on having a
relationship with Jesus, not being a good Church member, being with others of similar
faith can encourage a believer in his or her journey toward being more like Jesus.
[1] Mat
3:17
[2] Mat
17:5
[3] Heb
1:3
[4] Mat
7:20-23
[5] Mat
25:31-46
[6] Ex
20:10, 11
[7] Mat
28:19, 20
[8] Mat
24:14
[9] http://holysoup.com/2013/09/04/4-reasons-the-majority-stay-away-from-church/
[10] Mat
16:27, 28
[11] Mar
9:1
[12] Luke
9:27
[13] John
21:21, 22
[14]
Bertrand Russell, “Why I Am Not a Christian” March 6, 1927
[15] 1Co
11:23-26
[16] Php 1:15-18
[17] Joh 3:17
[18] Joh 12:47
[19] Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church
Anymore, p. 23
[20] Luke 7:34
[21] Rom
1:24-32
[22] Rom
3:23
[23] 1Co
13:11-13
[24] Mat
23:2, 3
