Category: Books / Videos

The book House Church and Mission:The Importance of Household Structures in Early Christianity by Roger Gehring is hard to find at a reasonable price. I’m not entirely sure why. I did find a 15 page pdf summary by John White, author and Co-founder of LK10.

Gehring’s thesis is that house churches are at the center of the missional strategy of Jesus  and the early church. The implications of this idea are huge! For one, it requires that we  rethink our understanding of what we call The Great Commission in Matthew 28. 

Rather than bringing our own ideas and strategies for fulfilling this Commission, we must  now ask how Jesus went about that task. Gehring makes a compelling case that Jesus had  a clear strategy for making disciples of all people groups. At the center of that strategy  was the birthing of house churches (small, family-like communities of faith), which  became bases of operation for His mission. Jesus implemented that strategy himself and  then taught it to His disciples. (The clearest description of His strategy is found in Mt. 10 and Lk  10.) Those disciples continued with that same strategy throughout the New Testament.  

Gehring demonstrates this strategy through five stages: Jesus’ ministry, disciples’  ministry (pre Easter), disciples’ ministry in Jerusalem (post Easter), disciples’ ministry  transitioning to the Gentiles, Paul’s ministry. He also demonstrates that an understanding of oikos (household) is critical in understanding not only the nature of mission but also the  nature of the church and of church leadership in the New Testament. 

Because this book was written as a doctoral dissertation, it is rather long and difficult to  read. For that reason, I’ve taken the liberty of gathering and organizing, in the paper  below, the key quotes from the book. 

As evangelicals, we affirm that “Scripture is our authoritative guide for faith and  practice”.  House Church and Mission brings new clarity to the “practice” of church and  mission in Scripture. How will this understanding now guide our “practice” of church  and mission today? 

If you would like to learn more about how to start and nurture house churches, go to our website at LK10.com 

John White 

The LK10 Community 

John.LK10@gmail.com

You can check out the Simple Church Europe website here.

The Open Church by James H. Rutz was published in 1992. Rutz and contributing writer Gene Edwards encourage pastors in “closed churches” to begin the process of opening up their services to the laity. I’ve read other books written in this same time period that also encourage institutional churches to do the same or add cell groups. Unfortunately it never caught on and doesn’t seem to work. The book does have some great historical content and I enjoyed the excerpt below written by Gene Edwards.

The modern concept of the pastor grew out of Wittenberg, Germany, and was but an adaptation of the pastoral duties of a priest! If you aren’t shocked, you sure ought to be.

From that day on, people have written literally millions of books on every theological issue conceivable to the mind of man, yet almost no one has closely questioned the Biblical basis for the all-in-one pastor, a superior being who operates as the heart and soul of the church. He is just there. I repeat, he was not born as a result of profound scriptural study. He just grew like Topsy out of the swirl of events in Wittenberg from 1525 to 1540. Before that he never existed, nor was he ever dreamed of.

In all of the millions of debates in church history, there has not been so much as one day of controversy over his scriptural right to exist! Yet there is not one verse of Scripture in the New Testament that describes such a creature, and only one verse that even uses the term “pastors” (Ephesians 4:11). Nonetheless, he is the center of the practice of Protestant Christianity.

One of the most fascinating things about the modern day practice of the CEO/pastor is that ministers seem to know-or sense-that their job is non-scriptural. As a pastor, then later as an evangelist, and until this very hour, I have brought up this question to scores of fellow ministers: “Where is the practice of a pastor in Scripture? I cannot find it.” The most reaction I have ever received was either agreement or a resigned shrug! No honest pastor will defend the role of today’s pastorate in light of the New Testament.

Today’s version of Protestantism rests on the concept and practice of the pastor, but he exists nowhere in New Testament Scripture. Yet ironically, he’s the fellow we hire and put in the pulpit to call us all to be faithful to the Bible! O Consistency, where are thy children?

I’m throwing in this extra little section at no additional charge. Call it “the confessions of a minister who hated being a pastor”!

Please do not look upon these examples as indicative of any lingering pique remaining from my years in the pastorate. Whatever traumas I may have suffered as a pastor have long since been faced, forgiven, and nearly forgotten. Besides, I gave up grumbling for lent!

The snapshots below are only to show you how the theoretical problems of an unscriptural pastorate have real-life consequences…

1-“Ladies and gentlemen, this evening we are gathered together to see the hockey team from Montreal get out here and murder the hockey team from Seattle. They’re going to beat one another senseless with clubs and sticks and knock one another over and hit each other. Also there will be riots in the stands. But just before that happens, we’re going to have the pastor of the First Baptist Church come and lead us in prayer.”

(Have you ever tried to think up a prayer for two groups of men who are about to kill one another over a hockey puck?)

2-The local businessmen’s club is about to start…amid chaos, noise, dirty jokes, swearing, bragging, and cocktails. Then the announcement: “Will Reverend Edwards please lead us in prayer?” And 1.001 seconds after the prayer, the carousing resumes.

But that pales in the presence of number three:

3-“Hello, pastor. Uncle Kurt died this morning. I’d like you to do his funeral Tuesday.” (“Who is Uncle Kurt?” I wanted to ask!) My reply: “Why, of course, sister. What time will it be?” (I have to say that. I’m a pastor. We alone bury the dead. I know: It’s not in Scripture; it’s a Catholic practice brought over from heathenism. Nonetheless, we Protestant preachers bury the dead. We dare not do otherwise!)

The reply I wanted to give: “I’m sorry, that just wouldn’t be right. I never did know him very well, and for the life of me, I can’t think of a single kind word to say about the old hypocrite. Let someone in your family do it. Let a neighbor do it. Preaching over the corpse of a man who may well be on his way down, not up, is something I refuse to do. Plus, funeral services are a holdover from Old Testament and pagan customs, anyway. Christians didn’t even have funerals in New Testament times.” (Burials and mourning, yes; funerals, no.)

Why didn’t I say that? Because that reply would have won me first place in the unemployment line within 24 hours.

4-“The Democratic Party this evening is gathered to hear the Honorable Sam Squeak speak, and now will Reverend Edwards lead us in prayer?” Maybe Reverend Edwards is a Republican, but he still has to pray. Why? Because he is a pastor. That’s what pastors do.

But even worse is number five:

5-The telephone rings, and a devout Sunday morning attendee says, “Pastor, my daughter wants to talk to Santa Claus. Be Santa Claus for my daughter. Here she is.”

A little bitty voice asks, “Is this Santa Claus?” And for five minutes I play Santa Claus on the telephone. My salary of $55 a week and a parsonage depend on it!

How would you like to have to do things like this? And wear a suit at all times except in the shower or in bed?…See your wife and kids subjected to constant, town-wide scrutiny?…Never be allowed to be angry, depressed, short-tempered?…Be required to talk piously all day long and do and say some of the most stupid things imaginable? It’s all part of the job description. But it is not in the Scriptures.

There is not an honest man alive today in the ministry that has not wished to unload and drop this whole masquerade and be an ordinary human being. None of this has anything to do with the Christian faith. In fact, the Christian faith stood against this kind of thing for the first few centuries.

But number six is the darkest snapshot of all!…

6-A conversation that is a blend of many true incidents: The telephone rings. “Hi, Pastor, this is Benedict. Pastor, my wife and I just want you to know that we love you so much.”

“Thanks so much, Benedict. You’re a fine person to say so. God love you, brother, for so thoughtful a nature.”

“Pastor, we’re going on vacation to the French Alps for the next month, and we have a country retreat house out on the lake. Lulu and I just wanted you to know that it’s yours every week while we’re gone. You can take your family out there, and rest and pray and enjoy it.”

“Why, Benedict, that’s the most gracious and Christian thing a person could do. God bless you, dear brother. My wife and I think so highly of you.”

They both hang up. Each has-knowingly-“scratched the other’s back.”

Benedict feels all warm inside, knowing God must love him because the pastor does. The pastor hangs up knowing he has gotten something out of another layman with the scepter of religious blessing. It feels so good, and the rich seem to need it more than the poor do. (Maybe they have a guilt complex about being rich?)

This kind of co-dependent relationship sometimes grows up between pastors and laymen (even poor ones) to the point it almost becomes a science. I, the pastor, bless you, the layman; that means God loves you. You, the layman, bless me (and buy God’s favor) by giving me gifts, special attention, special meals-and sometimes a weekend retreat house. You, the layman, become a sycophant, treating me as someone special. And I, the pastor, use my sacred call from God for ego gratification or material gain. While this sort of thing goes on, reality lives in some other part of the world-and heaven weeps while hell chuckles.

Symbiotic relationships will continue as long as we have a rigid division between clergy and laity. Psychologically, in fact, this just might be the main reason we have a hired servant of God and an endowing laity: so that laymen can shirt tail into God’s favor without doing all the heavy work!

If open church life is ever to be widely known on earth, the whole mentality that spawned the modern CEO/pastor/priest role must go. It demeans the layman and exalts the pastor-at the expense of God.

W. Carl Ketcherside lived his life teaching and attempting to bring unity amongst his brothers and sisters in Christ. His book In The Beginning is one of the best books I’ve read on the topic of unity and what true fellowship means. You can download the book free at the end of the excerpt below. I have also included a short testimony of his life in the Unsung Heroes section.

My father had six children, and they often differed with each other and even with their parents, but it never once occurred to me to deny they were my brothers and sisters because we argued loud and long. We were brothers not because of what we had done but because we were introduced by birth into a family state or relationship. The relationship into which we are introduced by the new birth is the fellowship of the new covenant. We have been in fellowship with a lot more people than we ever realized, or even yet realize. I am in fellowship with every saved person on this earth, that is, if I am saved. When I was younger, the family of God was a little one but now that I have grown out of my own provincialism, that family has increased perceptibly. Praise His name!

Every person who has received Christ Jesus, and thus has been born of the water and of the Spirit, who has experienced the riches of the glory of God’s mystery “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory,” is in the fellowship. They are partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, having been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of the Messiah. Having been called into the kingdom and glory of God, and having been sealed by the Holy Spirit they are in communion with God and with every other person on earth who has been born again. They are the beneficiaries of the grace of our Lord, of the love of God, and of the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14).

When the apostle wrote to Corinth he told them they had been called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ. They were torn by partisan strife, tolerant of immorality, intolerant of the scruples of the brethren, impleading each other in heathen courts, and even so factious they could not eat the love feast together. He was fearful of coming among them lest he find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, deceit and disorder. Yet he did not tell “the faithful” to go and start a “loyal” congregation! He did not even intimate that he would split them and take out a group when he arrived. He asked, “Do you not know that Jesus Christ is in you?–unless indeed you fail to meet the test” (2 Cor. 13:5). What was the test? Was it an attitude as to classes for Bible study, individual cups, fermented wine, unleavened bread, orphan homes, etc.? These are tests which men have concocted to shatter and split into factious groups those who are in the fellowship.

God devised no such tests. Jesus Christ can be in men, who in their weakness and ignorance, differ in opinion as to these things. Paul said “What we pray for is your improvement” (2 Cor. 13:9). Not once in all of the divine revelation of God was a congregation of believers ever advised to split or separate. Not once was a group of believers told to come out from, or separate themselves from the other believers. If so, where is the place? Paul did not advise the congregation of Corinth to divide. He did not advise the establishment of two “Churches of Christ” in Corinth–one a “heathen courts congregation” and the other an “anti-heathen courts congregation.”

Here is what he wrote: “Mend your ways, heed my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.” Never in the checkered history of the saints has this exhortation been needed more than at present. Every word needs to burn and sear our hearts until “we put no obstacle in any one’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry” (2 Cor. 6:3). The Christian life is difficult enough in these days without adding an extra burden of hate and animosity kindled by the factious spirit. Let us labor for unity!

God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, has quickened us together, raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:4-6). We are together because of grace, the undeserved kindness of God. We walk with God and He walks with us and in us. Is this conditioned upon our perfect understanding of all things as God sees them? If God can walk together with me while I am learning, seeking, searching, and yearning to know more about His will, can I not walk with all others in Him who are in the same condition? Jesus walked with two disciples on the way to Emmaus, and asked them, “What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” After hearing their stumbling explanation, he said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken,” and beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures concerning himself. Will He who then walked with foolish men who were slow to believe all that was spoken, refuse to do so now? Or, will His gentle grace abide with us, through His Spirit, that our hearts too may burn within us while He talks with us on the road?

We are not in the fellowship because we understand everything alike, or because we have reached a certain stage of spiritual development. We did not come into the fellowship by making an “A” on a test on doctrinal matters, or by passing a test. The fact is that we are in all sorts of developmental stages from lisping babes to mature men. Even those who are mature have much yet to learn. The fact is that we will never pass beyond the disciple stage in this life. “The brotherhood we are told to love” (1 Peter 3:17) does not consist merely of those who agree with us upon some controversial point such as Bible classes, colleges, individual cups, the pastor system, contribution baskets, long hair, or a manner of breaking the bread. There are those who would like to limit it to those who wear ties, have their hair cropped and have no beard. But they are schismatic and factional in their outlook. They suffer from restricted vision and spiritual astigmatism. “The brotherhood” of Christ stems from the fatherhood of God. Jesus is not ashamed to call us brethren because we have the same Father as himself. He said “Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father” (John 20:17).

This is the second excerpt from Megashift written by James Rutz. The first excerpt and my thoughts about the book can be read here. The concept of traditional church pastors becoming surrogate husbands is a topic worth exploring.

What do you want, geldings or giants?

No issue could be clearer: It’s emasculation vs. empowerment. The ordinary sit-‘n-sing church brings one, a team church brings the other.

For many of us, the most exhilarating part of the new Christianity is our rapid growth in power, versatility, and knowledge. We’ve put in too many years in the closed-church system, which locked us into piddly roles, put a cork in our bottle, and gave us burgers and beans instead of a banquet for the soul. Now we’ve got a life without limits.

The house church meeting pattern is great, but the real goal is the house church dynamic, the wide-open tornado that sweeps us into action, propelling us into countless situations where we must use our gifts, take exciting steps of faith, and grow like a radish. Perhaps we’ll even see more miracles soon. As someone has said, “If you want to see what you’ve never seen, then do what you’ve never done.” In an open church, you fall kersplat on your face now and then, but you learn to stand up, wipe off the mud, and keep going. The kersplats are part of the lifestyle. The fast-track discipleship of the new churches is not for invertebrates.

The Holy Spirit has millions of growth tracks to choose from, and your own path of growth will depend to a large extent on what gifts He has given you. Team Christianity opens up avenues of ministry for you that will utilize the full range of your current gifts plus an extended range of higher gifts that you don’t have yet. But take it from me, you’ll love the feel of the wind under your wings.

We have few spectators in open fellowships. “Every-member ministry” sucks in everybody sooner than later. Call it your pilgrim-age, quest, journey of faith, or adventure of adrenaline; the core reality is that you’ll spend the rest of your life in uncharted waters!

The emasculation problem springs from the Christian caste system, which feeds on itself: The greater the pastor, the more that people sit back and say, Wow! I could never preach like that. As lazy laymen dump more responsibility on the pastor, he accumulates a larger share of the church’s spiritual experience, and before long, he is indeed far above his flock.

Tragically, he may even begin to think this is God’s ideal, that he is supposed to hover in the heavenlies and bring down to his benighted followers a weekly blessing of wisdom and inspiration. Christianity Today, which does run a lot of helpful articles, is a leader in this sorry trend. In 1997 they featured a cover article in which the pastor-author tried to woo readers back into pre-Reformation darkness. Excerpts:

…in worship, the pastor must become priest…The pastor assumes the role of mediator, incarnating God to the people…

Through our craft, we will facilitate worship…As pastor-priest, we bring to the congregation the glory of our encounter with God. Having spent long, enduring time in the Lord’s presence, we speak to our congregations out of those encounters…And as we worship, liturgists and leaders become a priesthood, mediating God, showing the depth of their own experiences, radiating God’s glory, pointing weary souls heavenward…

I remember when one of our daughters was baptized. She stood near the baptismal font as our pastor bent over, asking her questions of faith…Later she said, “I remember Pastor coming near, and I was covered and lost in his long, black robes, and he baptized me.”

Mediator? Incarnating God? Lost in his robes? In such veneration, Christianity Today has spun out and left the track. As Paul wrote in I Timothy 2:5, “There is but one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” And Peter added that all of us are “a royal priesthood.” (I Peter 2:9)

Am I quibbling here? Perhaps a bit. But why don’t more American men attend traditional services along with their wives? Is it maybe because they’ve figured out that the pastor has taken on the role of surrogate husband of every woman in the congregation? Is it because they instinctively recoil from a game where they’re shut out and have to play a passive part? You betcha. When there’s no room left for strong men, they opt out.

Open churches offer a reason to opt back in: unlimited empowerment,which produces men of iron and women of fire.

The first half of the book Megashift by James Rutz highlights miracles and supernatural happenings around the world. It’s exciting reading and the author encourages us to get ready for more. The second half highlights the importance of relational gatherings and gives advice on how to start and sustain them. Written in 2005, James’ predictions for Western society was unfortunately overly optimistic, but let’s continue to be true to this vision. I would recommend this book because it contains some great insight into relational gatherings. An excerpt from the book is below.

The Holy Spirit is rapidly revising Christianity.

He is putting at the core of His new church small groups that are interactive, informal, exciting, and geared to rapid multiplication.

This is the beginning of the end for Spectator Christianity. Suddenly, it’s out of style to be a pew potato, doing little for the kingdom except sitting in a row on Sundays, looking at the back of someone’s head, and wondering if your team will win the afternoon game on TV.

For centuries, the main way to express your Christian identity has been by “going to church.” There, a lone, overworked pastor exhorted you to be holy, love your neighbor, be salt and light, and do great stuff for God.

But before you got a chance to actually do any of that, you got a benediction and a hearty handshake at the door…after which you were supposed to go home and improvise your own lifestyle of state-of-the-art sainthood. And a week later, there you were in the pew again, looking at the back of someone’s head.

Both laymen and pastors are starting to figure out what was wrong in that routine: It was like having the hockey team listen to the coach’s pep talk for an hour, and calling that “the game.”

So now we’re changing the whole shebang. Around the world, we’re rapidly drafting Christians into ministry teams-and the players are loving it. The bleachers are beginning to empty as 707 million action-oriented Christians start to pour out onto the playing field and discover the joy and challenge of every-member ministry.

The church’s “fighting force” is thus being multiplied-up to 100 times-as God redeploys large, passive audiences into small, power-filled teams where every person has an important function-plus a chance to widen his or her ministry by reaching out to help more and more people while pursuing the higher gifts.

Instead of one pastor doing the heavy lifting while 100 laymen watch (and often criticize), you may now have 100 “team Christians” sharing the work of ministry while various people with pastoral gifts coach and equip from the sidelines. This megashift to EMPOWERMENT is at the core of the new Christianity.

Being part of a small group takes effort. It requires thinking, whether you’re in a house church or cell church meeting-or some other group with a name like microchurch, heart church, Alpha group, metachurch mouse cell, organic church, Serendipity team, simple church, life transformation group, community of care, jacuzzi fellowship, or just a plain old open church meeting in a pub.

But it’s worth the work. Whereas traditional churches tend to produce spiritual babies, small groups tend to produce maturity. (BABIES is my acronym for Born Again But Is Enjoying Siesta.)

Nobody snoozes in small groups. The body life of the group will buff up your character, soothe your sorrows, sprout your gifts, heal your wounds, lift your spirit, teach your mind, disciple your soul, and bring you face to face with God again and again. You should understand that if you’re serious, an open fellowship looms large in your future. Two generations ago, eminent Christian spokesman A.W. Tozer thundered,

The fact is that we are not producing saints. We are making converts to an effete type of Christianity that bears little resemblance to that of the New Testament. The average so-called Bible Christian in our times is but a wretched parody of true sainthood. Yet we put millions of dollars behind movements to perpetuate this degenerate form of religion and attack the man who dares to challenge the wisdom of it.

This is the second excerpt from David W. Bercot’s book Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up. The first excerpt was about love (click here to read) and this excerpt is about serving two masters. Bercot references early writings of the saints and pagans and if you’re not convicted reading this, you don’t have a heartbeat.

“No one can serve two masters,” declared Jesus to his disciples (Matt. 6:24). However, Christians have spent the greater portion of the past two millenniums apparently trying to prove Jesus wrong. We have told ourselves that we can indeed have both the things of God and the things of this world. Many of us live our lives no differently than do conservative non-Christians, except for the fact that we attend church regularly each week. We watch the same entertainment. We share the same concerns about the problems of this world. And we are frequently just as involved in the world’s commercial and materialistic pursuits. Often, our being “not of this world” exists in theory more than in practice.

But the church was not originally like that. The first Christians lived under a completely different set of principles and values than the rest of mankind. They rejected the world’s entertainment, honors, and riches. They were already citizens of another kingdom, and they listened to the voice of a different Master. This was as true of the second century church as it was of the first.

The work of an unknown author, written in about 130, describes Christians to the Romans as follows: “They dwell in their own countries simply as sojourners…. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time, they surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men but are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned. They are put to death, but [will be] restored to life. They are poor, yet they make many rich. They possess few things; yet, they abound in all. They are dishonored, but in their very dishonor are glorified…. And those who hate them are unable to give any reason for their hatred.”

Because the earth wasn’t their home, the early Christians could say without reservation, like Paul, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). Justin Martyr explained to the Romans, “Since our thoughts are not fixed on the present, we are not concerned when men put us to death. Death is a debt we must all pay anyway.”

A second-century elder exhorted his congregation, “Brothers, let us willingly leave our sojourn in this present world so we can do the will of Him who called us. And let us not fear to depart out of this world,…deeming the things of this world as not belonging to us, and not fixing our desires upon them…The Lord declares, ‘No servant can serve two masters.’ If we desire, then, to serve both God and Money, it will be unprofitable for us. ‘For what will it profit if a man gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?’ This world and the next are two enemies…We cannot therefore be the friends of both.”

Cyprian, the respected overseer of the church in Carthage, stressed a similar theme in a letter he wrote to a Christian friend: “The one peaceful and trustworthy tranquility, the one security that is solid, firm, and never changing, is this: for a man to withdraw from the distractions of this world, anchor himself to the firm ground of salvation, and lift his eyes from earth to heaven…He who is actually greater than the world can crave nothing, can desire nothing, from this world. How stable, how unshakable is that safeguard, how heavenly is the protection in its never-ending blessings-to be free from the snares of this entangling world, to be purged from the dregs of earth, and fitted for the light of eternal immortality.”

The same themes run throughout all the writings of the early Christians, from Europe to North Africa: we can’t have both Christ and the world.

Lest we think that the early Christians were describing a lifestyle they didn’t really practice, we have the testimony of the Romans themselves. One pagan antagonist of the Christians remarked:

They despise the temples as houses of the dead. They reject the gods. They laugh at sacred things. Wretched, they pity our priests. Half-naked themselves, they despise honors and purple robes. What incredible audacity and foolishness! They are not afraid of present torments, but they fear those that are uncertain and future. While they do not fear to die for the present, they fear to die after death…

At least learn from your present situation, you wretched people, what actually awaits you after death. See, many of you-in fact, by your own admission, the majority of you-are in want, are cold, are hungry, and are laboring in hard work. Yet, your god allows it. He is either unwilling or unable to assist his people. So he is either weak or unjust…Take notice! For you there are threats, punishments, tortures, and crosses…Where is the god who is supposed to help you when you come back from the dead? He cannot even help you in this life! Do not the Romans, without any help from your god, govern, rule over, and have the enjoyment of the whole world, including dominion over you yourselves?

In the meantime, living in suspense and anxiety, you abstain from respectable pleasures. You do not attend sporting events. You have no interest in public amusements.You reject the public banquets, and abhor the sacred games…Thus, wretched as you are, you will neither rise from the dead, nor enjoy life in the meanwhile. So, if you have any wisdom or sense, stop prying into the heavens and the destinies and secrets of the world…Persons who are unable to understand civil matters are certainly unable to discuss divine ones.

When I first read the criticisms that the Romans leveled against the Christians, I painfully realized that no one would accuse Christians today of those same charges. We aren’t criticized for being totally absorbed in the interests of a heavenly kingdom, ignoring the things the world has to offer. In fact, Christians today are accused of just the opposite-of being money hungry and hypocritical in our devotion to God.

An excerpt from Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up by David W. Bercot. Sometimes you just need a hard Reset!

At no other time in the history of Christianity did love so characterize the entire church as it did in the first three centuries. And Roman society took note. Tertullian reported that the Romans would exclaim, “See how they love one another!” Justin Martyr sketched Christian love this way: “We who used to value the acquisition of wealth and possessions more than anything else now bring what we have into a common fund and share it with anyone who needs it. We used to hate and destroy one another and refused to associate with people of another race or country. Now, because of Christ, we live together with such people and pray for our enemies.”

Clement, describing the person who has come to know God, wrote, “He impoverishes himself out of love, so that he is certain he may never overlook a brother in need, especially if he knows he can bear poverty better than his brother. He likewise considers the pain of another as his own pain. And if he suffers any hardship because of having given out of his own poverty, he does not complain.”

When a devastating plague swept across the ancient world in the third century, Christians were the only ones who cared for the sick, which they did at the risk of contracting the plague themselves. Meanwhile, pagans were throwing infected members of their own families into the streets even before they died, in order to protect themselves from the disease.

Another example illustrates both the brotherly love of Christians and their uncompromising commitment to Jesus as Lord. A pagan actor became a Christian, but he realized he had to change his employment because most plays encouraged immorality and were steeped in pagan idolatry. Furthermore, the theater sometimes purposefully turned boys into homosexuals so they could better play the roles of women on stage. Since this newly-converted actor had no other job skills, he considered establishing an acting school to teach drama to non-Christian students. However, he first submitted his idea to the leaders of his church for their counsel.

The leaders told him that if acting was an immoral profession then it would be wrong to train others in it. Nevertheless, since this was a rather novel question, they wrote to Cyprian in nearby Carthage for his thoughts. Cyprian agreed that a profession unfit for a Christian to practice was also unfit for him to teach, even if this was his sole means of support.

How many of us would be so concerned about righteousness that we would submit our employment decisions to our body of elders or board of deacons? How many church leaders today would be so concerned about offending God that they would take such an uncompromising position?

But that isn’t the end of the story. Cyprian also told this neighboring church that they should be willing to support the actor if he had no other means of earning a living-just as they supported orphans, widows, and other needy persons. Going further, he wrote, “If your church is financially unable to support him, he may move over to us and here receive whatever he needs for food and clothing.” Cyprian and his church didn’t even know this actor, yet they were willing to support him because he was a fellow believer. As one Christian told the Romans, “We love one another with a mutual love because we do not know how to hate.” If Christians today made such a statement to the world, would the world believe it?

The love of the early Christians wasn’t limited simply to their fellow believers. Christians also lovingly helped non-believers: the poor, the orphans, the elderly, the sick, the shipwrecked even their persecutors. Jesus had said, “Love your enemies…and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matt. 5:44). The early Christians accepted this statement as a command from their Lord, rather than as an ideal that couldn’t be actually practiced in real life.

Lactantius wrote, “If we all derive our origin from one man, whom God created, we are plainly all of one family. Therefore it must be considered an abomination to hate another human, no matter how guilty he may be. For this reason, God has decreed that we should hate no one, but that we should eliminate hatred. So we can comfort our enemies by reminding them of our mutual relationship. For if we have all been given life from the same God, what else are we but brothers?…Because we are all brothers, God teaches us to never do evil to one another, but only good-giving aid to those who are oppressed and experiencing hardship, and giving food to the hungry.”

It’s no wonder that Christianity spread rapidly throughout the ancient world, even though there were few organized missionary or evangelism programs. The love they practiced drew the attention of the world, just as Jesus said it would.

This is the second excerpt from Selwyn R. Stevens’ book and it highlights where many of our current church practices originated from. If you’re interested in getting more details you can pick up the classic book Pagan Christianity authored by Frank Viola and George Barna. You can check out Selwyn’s website here. He has some great free material available here.

Church buildings: were first constructed by the Roman emperor, Constantine (285-337), around 327AD. They were patterned after Roman basilicas, modeled after Greek temples.

The Pastor’s Chair: was originally the Cathedra, the seat of the judge in the Roman basilica.

Tax-exempt status for Churches & Clergy: This was granted by the Roman emperor Constantine, in 323AD, to make them equal to the tax-free privilege for Pagan priests.

Stained Glass Windows: Introduced by Gregory of Tours, perfected by Sugar (1081-1151), abbot of St Denis.

Gothic Cathedrals: were first erected in 12th Century, according to the pagan philosophy of Plato.

The Church Steeple: Based on ancient Babylonian and Egyptian architecture and philosophy, this medieval invention was popularized by Sir Christopher Wren, noted occultist.

The Pulpit: The earliest known use in a Christian church was 250AD. It was derived from the Greek “ambo” used by Greeks to deliver monologues.

Sunday Morning Order of Worship: Evolved from Gregory’s Mass in 6th Century.

Communion Table: Introduced by Ulrich Zwingli in 16th Century.

Taking Communion Quarterly: Introduced by Ulrich Zwingli in 16th Century.

Two lit Candles on Communion Table: Used in the ceremonial court of Roman emperors in the 4th Century.

The Pew: Developed in England from the 13th Century onward.

Congregation Standing & Singing when Clergy enter: Borrowed from ceremonial court of Roman emperors in 4th Century.

The Altar-Call: Instituted by 17th Century Methodists, popularlized later by Charles Finney.

The Sermon: Borrowed by Greek sophists, masters of oratory and rhetoric. John Chrysostom and Augustine popularized the Greek-Roman homily.

The Single Leader (Bishop or Pastor): Ignatius of Antioch in early 2nd century. Did not prevail as model until 3rd century.

The “Covering” Doctrine: Former pagan orator, Cyprian of Carthage. Revived under Juan Carlos Ortiz of Argentina, and the “Fort Lauderdale Five” from USA, who created the “Shepherding Movement” during the 1970’s, since repented of.

Hierarchical Leadership: Imposed by Roman emperor, Constantine in 4th Century. This was the leadership model from the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks and Romans.

Clergy and Laity: The term “laity” first appeared in writings of Clement of Rome approx. 100AD. Clergy first appeared in Tertullian’s writings (160-225) in 2nd Century, with Christian leaders all called clergy by 3rd Century. (The term “nicolaitan” means to enslave the laity.)

Celibacy of Clergy: Required by Pope Siricius (334-399). This was carried over from the enforced celibacy required by the Priests of Mithras, a major pagan religion in Rome prior to then.

Ordination: From the Roman custom of appointing men to civil office. Augustine, Gregory of Nazianzus and Crysostom developed the idea of the minister being “the holy man of God.”

The Title “Pastor”: Developed by Lutherans as an alternative title to the Priest of the Roman church.

Clergy Attire: Began in 330AD when Christian clergy began to copy the dress of Roman officials.

The Clerical or Backwards Collar: Invented by Dr. Donald McLeod of Glasgow in 1865.

The Church Choir: Copied from Roman imperial ceremonies, and Greek dramas and temples.

Funeral Processions and Orations: Borrowed from Greco-Roman paganism of 3rd Century.

The Worship Team: Developed by Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel in 1965, patterned after secular rock concerts.

The “Sinners’ Prayer”: Originated with D.L.Moody (1837-1899), popularized in 1950’s through Billy Graham’s “Peace with God” tract, and later with Campus Crusade for Christ’s “4 Spiritual Laws.”

Use of the Term, “Personal Savior”: Originated in mid-1800’s by Frontier-Revivalists, later popularized by Charles Fuller (1887-1968).

Infant Baptism: Rooted in superstitious beliefs in Greco-Roman culture. Brought into Christian practice in 2nd century, replaced adult baptism by 5th century.

Sprinkling replacing Immersion: began in late Middle ages.

Baptism Separated from Conversion: Began in early 2nd century, based on legalistic view that baptism was the only medium for the forgiveness of sins.

The Lord’s Supper Condensed from full Agape Meal to only Cup and Bread: Late 2nd century, resulting from pagan ritual influences and anti-Semitism, and enforced by Roman Emperor Constantine (4th Century) and later emperors who saw themselves as leaders of the church. (This is a fraction of the Jewish Passover which reveals the Messiah.)

Tithing: Became a widespread Christian practice in 8th Century. Copied from 10% rent charge by Roman empire, and later justified using the Old Testament.

Clergy Salaries: Instituted by Roman Emperor Constantine in 4th Century.

The Collection Plate: The Alms dish appeared in 14th Century, Passing the collection plate began in 1662.

The Catholic Seminary: Early result of the Council of Trent (1545-1563), a reaction to the Protestant Reformation. The curriculum was based on the teachings of Thomas Aquinas, which blended Aristotle’s philosophy, Neoplatonic philosophy and Christian doctrine. Aquinas created the new doctrine of transubstantiation.

The Protestant Seminary: Began in 1808 in Andover, Massachusetts, with a curriculum also based by teachings of Thomas Aquinas.

The Bible College: Influenced by revivalist D.L.Moody, started in NewYork (1882) and Chicago (1886).

The Sunday School: Created by Robert Raikes from Britain in 1780. It was designed to teach poor children basics of education and had nothing to do with religious instruction.

The Youth Pastor: Developed in urban churches during the 1930’s onward to meet the needs of a new socialogical class called “teenagers.”

Chapter Numbers in the New Testament: Created by Stephen Langton, a professor at University of Paris, in 1227.

Verses added to New Testament Chapters: by printer, Robert Stephanus in 1551.

The book Help! The Sheep are Escaping by Selwyn R. Stevens is only 96 pages but it’s packed full of goodness. This would be a great book for anyone sitting on the fence about attending or even starting a relational gathering. The chapter discussing the definitions of “ekklesia” and “church” are very easy to understand. The excerpt below is from a section called New Testament Church: Meeting Together Manifesto.

1. We are the Church, People not Steeples.
   The church is not buildings. There is a growing, deep recognition that “We are the church. The English word “church” is from the Greek word “ekklesia” and means “the assembly,” “those gathered together.” It is not something one goes to or joins or has or does. We are the church! Many of God’s people are returning to this simple way of being the church, learning to just walk with God and enjoy Him!
2. Jesus is the Head of the Church; He is building it.
   The church has but one Head, Jesus. No person should interfere with His sovereign leadership of every believer and every gathering of believers. He is in charge, not us. He promised that wherever two or three are gathered together in His name, that He would be in our midst. We also need to yield to Him for results and not think it is by our cleverness, labor, wisdom, or creativity that the church will be built. Psalm 44 is wonderful meditation of our need of Him, His mercy, and His favor.
3. The Church gathers anywhere, typically in homes.
   The “church gathered” can happen any where and at any time – any where and any time two or three are gathered together in His Name (Matthew 18:20). The most common Biblical place of gathering is the homes of believers (Acts 2:1-2, 2:46, 5:42, 8:3, 10:24-27, 12:12, 16:40, 20:20, 28:30-31; Romans 16:3-5, 16:23; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; and Philemon 2). At times, the “whole church” comes together in one place 1 Cor 14:26. Today, most churches have dispensed with meeting regularly in homes, preferring anonymity over intimacy and responsibility.
4. The Church gathers for loving ministry one to another, not to be an audience.
   Churches make the mistake often of organizing around a few gifts (pastors, teachers) and even institutionalize them and make them above all other giftings and servants till they literally exclude every other function as less than legitimate “church.” When the church gathers, it is not to be an audience for lectures and entertainment, but rather it is to be a multi-gifted, all-as-ministers, functioning Body, where all (men and women) are free to fully participate under the Holy Spirit’s leading and anointing in ministering to one another (1 Peter 4:8-11; Ephesians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 12-14).

5. The Church has leading servants, not priests.
   All in the church are servants, it is the highest calling. Some are
   recognized for their faithfulness in serving and become leading
   servants. Scripture calls these Elders and Deacons. They are servants of servants. This leadership, submitted to Jesus, and to one another, is:
   a. Shared among several, rather than consolidated in one person (Acts 14:23, 15:6, 20:17; Titus 1:5, etc.).
   b. Raised up from within by the Holy Spirit, rather than brought in from the outside (Acts 14:23, 20:17; Titus 1:5, etc.).
   c. Serving, releasing, and coaching the members in their giftings and ministries to be a functioning Body; rather than to control, manipulate, and do all of the ministering themselves.
   d. Alongside the members- serving together, not above other members or between them and God.
6. The Church exists in locality, undivided by doctrinal or
   other differences.
   The church exists by locality, i.e., “the church which is at Cenchrea” (Romans 16:1). In your locality there is only one church – we need to begin to think, talk, and walk this important truth. We are members with all believers in our locality, and owe them our love and service. The church in the US has been splintered into almost 200 denominations and divisions by the focus on heads (knowledge and theology), not hearts.
7. The Church scatters to be light among the lost.
   Churches really get confused when they organize around the lost. Some even make that their whole focus (seeker-sensitive, or gospel message based, etc.). God calls us first and foremost to be, not to do. Church is not something we go to a few hours a week, it is something we are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As His servants at all times, we need to act in such a way as to bring Him honor. The highest recognition in the world is to have someone ask us a reason of the hope they see in us.

You can check out Selwyn’s website here. He has some great free material available here.

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The excerpt below is from the book The Yoke of Christ by Elton Trueblood published in 1958.

(Jesus) did not leave a book; He did not leave an army; He did not leave an organization, in the ordinary sense.  What He left, instead, was a little redemptive fellowship made up of extremely common people whose total impact was miraculous…It is hard for us to visualize what early Christianity was like.  Certainly, it was very different from the Christianity known to us today.  There were no fine buildings…There was no hierarchy; there were no theological seminaries; there were no Christian colleges; there were no Sunday Schools; there were no choirs.  Only small groups of believers-small fellowships.

In the beginning there wasn’t even a New Testament.  The New Testament itself was not so much a cause of these fellowships as a result of them.  Thus the first books of the New Testament were the letters written to the little fellowships partly because of their difficulties, dangers and temptations.  All that they had was the fellowship; nothing else; no standing; no prestige; no honor…The early Christians were not a people of standing, but they had a secret power among them, and the secret power resulted from the way in which they were members one of another…

Can you think of what it must have been like?  One little fellowship was meeting in a home in Philippi…mostly Christians gathered in homes…What occurred in the ancient civilization was the organic development of the fellowship but never a merely individual Christianity.  That would not have been able to survive.  The fellowship was the only thing that could win.  The early Christians came together to strengthen one another and to encourage one another in their humble gatherings such as are described in 1 Corinthians 14, and then they went out into their ministry in the Greco-Roman world…All of these parts (of the Empire) were touched because the fellowship itself had such intensity, such vitality, and such power…

If all the salt is washed out of (the fellowship), if all that is left is just the worldly emphasis of respectability and fine buildings, an ecclesiastical structure and conventional religion with the redemptive power gone, it isn’t partly good; it isn’t any good.  Christ is saying that mild religion, far from being of partial value, is of utterly no value…It is easy to go on with a system.  But Christ says it isn’t worth a thing.

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