The Evolution of Christianity

by John Waddey⁽⁴³⁾
firstcenturychristian

One need not be a genius or a scholar to conclude that much of what passes today for Christianity is counterfeit. He need only read his New Testament and compare that with the typical denominational body and what it says and does in the name of Christianity. Same Pascoe did this and concluded that "

Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise " (As quoted in Dave Daubenmire -- Christian Pimps). In the beginning, the church consisted of penitent believers turning to Christ for salvation from sin, a meaningful life here on earth and an eternal home in heaven. Christianity lived in the hearts of its members (Luke 17:21). There was no organization beyond the local congregation. No conventions, synods or councils. Most of the churches had no property. Their preachers were not a highly educated professional class who stood above the masses of the people (Matt. 23:8-9). They were determined to obey Christ and willingly bore the odium and scorn of their wicked neighbors (I Pet. 4:16). There in Palestine, they were faithful in the face of persecution, poverty and deprivation. The church flourished in that environment.

Greecian education and culture prevailed in the Mediterranean nations. Human wisdom, derived from the philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, was exalted. When Christianity reached those people, many of them sought to reconcile it with their various schools of philosophy (I Cor. 1:20-23). Evangelism and living a consecrated life were gradually replaced with philosophical speculation. The doctrine of Christ was infused with the views of various philosophers. When the message of Christ was forced through the prism of philosophy, the people received a distorted message. Christian doctrine was co-opted by intellectuals who loved to argue and speculate on Scripture and other questions God had not even chosen to address. The great school of Alexandria in Egypt with Clement and Origin was typical of this stage of the church's existence.

Christianity reached Rome by the middle of the first Christian century. Paul labored among them as an ambassador in chains (Eph. 6:20). Priscilla and Aquila spent time there (Acts 16:3). Rome was the mistress of the world. It was the center of all things political and commercial. The Roman spirit permeated the hearts of her citizens. When Christianity took root among the people, Satan was able to instil that worldly spirit of dominion in the hearts of some of the church leaders. The ascension of Emperor Constantine proved to be disastrous for the churches. No doubt he thought he was doing the Christians a favor by his many gifts and concessions to them. When he brought the church into political partnership with him, the stage was set for the future domination of the government and society by the corrupted but powerful church. From this evolved the Roman Catholic Church, with its pope and vast organizational structure, which sought to impose its authority on every person in the empire. To gain that power, the corrupt church resorted to threats, intimidation and persecution beyond far beyond that which the pagans had heaped on God's faithful servants. How strange to see a church with a man as its head, controlling the papal state, with lawyers, ambassadors a vast treasury and at times even an army. Around the world, its hierarchy with their costly cathedrals, do the bidding of the popes and send their treasure to him.

When Paul saw the vision of the Man from Macedonia (a European), he concluded that God wanted him and his team to preach the gospel among the European nations (Acts 16:9). There, in time, Christianity became the dominant religion and its code of values and conduct became the standard of society. There, art, literature, music, law, governance, family and education were shaped by Christianity. This became in time what we now refer to as Western Civilization. That cultural stream has been the primary source of the world's progress for the last 500 years. Those who left England, enduring the stormy seas, to found a new nation on the North American continent, brought with them their Western Civilization with its Christian values. Here Christianity has flourished more than in any other modern nation. From here missionaries have taken its message around the world.

But as Pascoe observed, in time, here in America, Christianity has for many become an enterprise, i.e., a profit-making business. No where is this more evident than in the numerous tele-ministries whose organizers and promoters have grown wealthy from their "Christian business venture." It is also seen in the vast commercial enterprises of Catholicism and the Mormon Church. Even in churches who do not think of themselves as businesses, some ministers have built for themselves power structures which they control and from which they draw a handsome living. With the evolution of the "Church Growth Movement" leaders have reached into the world of commerce and borrowed principles of management which they have applied to their churches. These have increased not only the size of their organizations, but the authority of the preacher and the level of his remuneration

In this decadent environment, the time is right for God's faithful remnant to present once again the ancient biblical concept of "restoring" the faith and practice of the church to its original state. People are weary of philosophy, institutional churches and those that are nothing more than businesses. They thirst for the pure waters of the gospel of Christ (John 7:37-39). They hunger for the sincere milk of God's Word (I Pet. 2:2) and the strong meat of his sacred message (Heb. 5:13-14). The time is right. The tools are in our hands. Around the world, people are pleading "come over and help us" (Acts 16:9). Let us rise up as good and faithful servants and take to them the good news of Christ and him crucified (I Cor. 2:2). Lost sinners need the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). It must be our mission to deliver it to them without addition or subtraction.

Article submitted Wednesday, July 15, 2009 & read 22 times.

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