In a ranking of importance, this essay stands out among my writings.
The major problem with the Christian Church is how it first saw and continues to see itself in relation to how it first saw and continues to see Jesus.
Just after the very beginning of the fulfillment of God’s purposes in Jesus Christ the church(es) plunged head-first downward and away from God’s provision and administration. That was an undetected catastrophic event. In fact, there is no witness of the faithful ones who did not follow that error aside from the promises of God in the New Covenant Scriptures of what He would immediately do. The entire immediate post-apostolic witness was grounded in the Patristic Fathers, also known as the Church Fathers. They have been misnamed Apostolic Fathers. Apostolic they were not, paternalistic they were.
The Christian Church(es) are actually a second century occurrence. It is in the second century that the first voices after the voices of the Apostles of Jesus and their delegates were heard. Those were the voices that formed and propagated the churches, known then and known today. They set the entire course and direction of the churches.
A note is in order here about identity before moving on to more detail. The original term used by the disciples of Jesus to identity themselves was The Way, that is, followers within the Way. It is used six to eight times in Acts. Two of those uses could be inferences. The word church(es) is used 107 times in the New Covenant Scriptures. In nearly all of those cases it is used to describe the assembly or assemblies of the disciples of The Way. These are all proper and historical apostolic uses of these terms.
Because the teaching and focus of the apostolic leaders was so immediately, radically, and catastrophically usurped and changed by the second century leaders, I will use the term church(es) or Patristic Church(es) to identify this phenomena from here on to make a clear distinction between the groups. In keeping with this emphasis, I will use the word assembly or assemblies when referring to the historic apostolic group(s) and when referring to what we should be today.
The churches’ teachings and their identities all evolved in various directions into what we have today. How could this have happened undetected the way that it did? Primarily because the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God came not with observation and was not of this world. It was and is a spiritual kingdom ruled by the Immortal Spirit Jesus Christ. That reality, grounded in the promises and faithfulness of God, was not properly comprehended by those who were immediately influential in the second century.
The focus of Jesus and His Apostles was spiritual and singular. Theirs were the expectations of immanent fulfillment of all of the purposes of God. The focus of the second century Patristic Churches was a fusion of the corporeal with a re-fashioned hyper-spirituality. Added to this, the churches were, and are, futuristic in expectations. Theirs was not the kind of future taught by Jesus concerning the coming of the Kingdom of God; the future that would find fulfillment within 40 years. Rather, it was and still is the future that will find fulfillment in the remote future, so far comprising some 1,955 years (and counting).
The churches have done with the Kingdom of God exactly what the Jews have done with the Messiah. They do not deny the statements of the Scriptures. However, through misinterpretations they have changed the very meaning of those same Scriptures.
(There is a major distinction regarding the outcomes of the reinterpretations. The Jews are still waiting for the Messiah and are thereby outside of God. The churches are still waiting for the Kingdom of God and are thereby away from the glory and riches of God.)
Both groups have radically changed the meaning and so have a radially different expectation and approach to God’s Word. Like the Jews, the churches have impoverished themselves by holding to their interpretations. The impoverishment is expressed in how they worship God and in the expression of their nature and character.
The changes were various and they were all held forth as essential in the expression of the will and plan of God. They all stood together. To question them or to stand outside of them was seen as heresy. This is still the case today.
The real central place of Jesus was modified. He was theoretically held forth as first and Lord of all, but that was adapted to be expressed in the authority and teachings – the interpretations – of the bishops (or primary overseers). Bishop was the preferred word used of the ruling leaders, one such man over each church geographical district. They held to a college of leaders in different locales (their presbyters or elders), but they, like the people they viewed as below them, were all subject to the main leader, the bishop, who was held to stand in the very place of Christ. The authority and teachings of the bishops were all to be unquestioned.
It was necessary to maintain the last days characteristics of the people of God with their last days expectations (as they saw them) because the divine change that was inherent in the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God was still future in their thinking. Without the Kingdom being fulfilled, of necessity, the riches of the glory of the change could not come. In this very way, the churches were time-locked; as they still are. In their belief system, they are all children of the last days of the Age of Moses. Because the Apostolic Assemblies had been modeled on the Jewish synagogues, they wrongly left that functionality intact. They did make some modifications that they deemed proper. Those modifications still stand today. Instead of Jesus Himself ruling alone, they kept as essential for righteousness, the rule of bishop (replacing Apostles representing Jesus), the rule of presbyters (elders), the rule of pastors, and the functions of deacons. The issue of the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit was handled in a strange fashion. For a short time, some groups emphasized their present legitimate function. After a while, their exercise disappeared, being replaced in the function of the church leaders, which by this same time took on more of the nature of the Old Testament priesthood system. Like the priests of old, the church leaders stood in special prestige and authority among the people.
This essential system, with its inviolable authority, guaranteed all doctrine maintained by the churches. To oppose it was seen as opposing God. Such a platform of believing guarantees the continuation of the error that is inherent in the system.
What is the present reality in Jesus Christ?
Fulfillment, and fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose is understood and vindicated in God’s people when they realize that Jesus did not fail concerning His promise of the fulfillment of the coming of God’s Kingdom within the lifetime of His followers, and when they see Him (Jesus) as the fulfillment of all things, that is, when God is seen as All in all. Today, in this Day Age, which is the fulfillment of the Age of Moses, Jesus is sole Apostle (whose mission has been fulfilled), Prophet (whose prophecies have been fulfilled), Good Message (His Name is The Word of God), Pastor (Shepherd) Who Teaches, and Deacon (Helper Who helps in everything). There are not any of His appointed functionaries of the former last days ministries functioning with Him today in that old partial capacity. The partial is over. The fullness has come. Jesus is Alpha and Omega, He is First and Last. He is Immanuel (God with us) without measure. He is Jahveh is Here! He is the Immortal Life-Giving Spirit. Faithful sons who see Him as He is walk with Him in all immortality and are full of His Holy Spirit. Jesus’ promises are fulfilled. Accordingly, we see (clearly discern and perceive) God! In each generation of the Day Age mature believers are manifested as sons of full inheritance, sons of light, and a kingdom of priests as we continually eat of the trees of life and drink of the river of life in unity with the highway of holiness of the Heavenly Jerusalem. More abundant Scriptural statements than these can be made of who we are in relation to who Jesus Christ is. The Old and New Covenant writers overflow with such grand, goal-reaching statements. This is immortal language, transcendent language, superlative language. It is the language of God. All such statements reveal the restoration and fulfillment purposes of our Almighty, Loving, and Faithful God.
Suffice it to say now that all of this highlights the primary place and function of proper faith and believing. Jesus is the author and perfecter of believing God. This is always true: the righteous shall live by faith. What John said at the end of his defense of Jesus Christ as Lord of the Kingdom of God is profitable to repeat now: “These (things) are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, you may have life in his name.”
What does this mean for us as the Body of Christ, as the House of God? See my essay on the Assembly of the Kingdom of God.
Really live! – Hallelujah! – Amen!