The excerpt below is from John Fenn’s book Return of the First Church, Chapter 8 entitled “The Missing Link”. In this chapter John addresses the topic of accountability. This first part of Chapter 8 is subtitled “Character Building Forged in the Midst of Relationships”.
Righteousness in Christ is designed to be worked out in the midst of relationships. It is within this context and understanding the New Testament was written but is outside the thinking of most in the traditional church. Again, the reason for this is because the pyramid does not foster relationships. It’s all about the structure and program and person at the top. But withing the context of the New Testament interpersonal and inter-generational relationships among family and friends in someone’s living room and workplace were the norm, thus strong character was developed within these relationships.
Being a teacher, I like to refer to many scriptures when I am teaching. I am known for telling people to turn to a passage, then backing them up to the previous couple of versus ‘to set the context’.
If you’ve ever been quoted by a newspaper or other publication, you probably know what it is to have your words taken out of context, and the anger and frustration you’ve felt as you try to explain yourself. (Usually only digging yourself in deeper)
If you’ve ever been in an argument and someone says you said something, but you know it’s been twisted because it was taken our of context, you know how important context is.
The whole of the New Testament was written within the context of strong interpersonal relationships developed through the church (the people) that met in homes. This was their culture. Therefore, it is only within this context that we can fully understand the meaning of the New Testament.
Just like someone quoted out of context, what they said was true, but the context in which it was spoken is the only way to gain a full understanding of what was truly meant in the quote. If we today, try to read what the scripture says out of the context of the way it was intended, we introduce error into our understanding.
Therefore, when we try to understand the New Testament through the eyes of a pyramid style church, we are seeing things askew because the context of the NT was not a pyramid, but rather a flat V or square building, with leadership at the bottom, within the culture of close relationships meeting in homes.
2 replies on “The Missing Link”
This is a great way to explain it. How JESUS must feel every time we try to fit the Bible into “church structure “ when it was never intended for that! HE is so patient ..
I am contemplating leaving the church as we see it in our time. The “structure” in many cases has become authoritarian. The scriptures tells us that elders “oversee” and “shepherd;” this done by gently ministering to the flock–of which they are one of the sheep. Just some extra responsibility. We are all responsible for our spiritual edification. God did give the ekklesia teachers but the teachers today sometimes exhibit supreme knowledge. The priesthood of believers is swept into the closet in many traditional churches.