“The hallmark of an authentic evangelicalism is not the uncritical repetition of old traditions, but the willingness to submit every tradition, however ancient, to fresh biblical scrutiny and, if necessary, reform.” — John Stott Ever wonder where our contemporary church practices come from? Authors Frank Viola and George Barna in their book Pagan Christianity (Tyndale 2008) take a hard look at the roots of our church practices and traditions. They pose the simple question “how do these [current church] practices square with Scripture and the practices of the first-century church.” Surprisingly, many of our typical church traditions are rooted historically in pagan practices. So where do our religious traditions come from? Regarding our notion of “the church”, the early Christians understood that they themselves were corporately the temple of God (ekklesia in Greek). They understood that they were the “body of Christ”… that God took up “residence inside of His people.” They understood the church to be the assembly of God’s people, rather than a meeting place or building. During the first three centuries, churches met in private homes. In these house churches, “every believer recognized that he or she was a priest unto God” as described in 1 Peter 2. With the evolution of Roman Catholicism in the 4th to 6th centuries, sacred buildings were erected and became associated with “God’s house” for Christians, much as the temple had been for the Hellenistic and Jewish faiths. A special priestly caste was set apart to serve God and to receive the Eucharist (the bread and the cup). This professional priesthood was first encouraged by Constantine when he became emperor of the Roman Empire in 324 AD. A physical barrier, in the form of a rail or screen, was constructed to separate the clergy from the laity. The Eucharist was performed by the priest at the altar. In front of the altar was a throne-like “bishop’s chair”. The holy priest would preach the sermon while seated in this chair. Such formalization led to “a loss of intimacy and open participation. The professional clergy performed the acts of worship while the laity looked on as spectators.” Thus was created the great divide which “fostered a monopolizing clergy and the inert congregation.” “By the 5th century, the concept of the priesthood of all believers had completely disappeared from Christian practice. Access to God was now controlled by the clergy caste.” The 16th century Protestant reformers modified the architecture, making “the pulpit the dominant center of the building rather than the altar table.” The reformers believed that “the people could not know God nor grow spiritually unless they heard preaching”. Unlike the Catholic church service which emphasized the sacraments administered by a priest from a central altar, the Protestant church service emphasized the sermon preached by a minister/preacher/pastor from a central raised pulpit. Thus, even to this day, the great divide remains between the clergy and laity in most Catholic and Protestant churches. The authors consider the professional priesthood and the separation of clergy from laity to be “unbiblical” to the extent that it absolves the church members of their biblical responsibility to be “priests”. In effect, the biblical “priesthood of believers” in most Protestant churches is nonexistent. The authors suggest that we believers need to step outside the “safe bounds of institutional Christianity” and be willing to preserve “the primitive testimony that Jesus Christ is Head of His church. And that every believer is a priest…a minister…and a functioning member of God’s house”. Why should we care that the “priesthood of believers,” as exemplified in the early church, be preserved? The authors would argue that this practice is at the core of authentic Christianity. Such a church is “organic” in that it is “Spirit-led” with “open-participatory meetings” and “nonhierarchical leadership”. This contrasts sharply with a typical “clergy-led, institution-driven church”. The abdication of leadership responsibility to professional clergy ultimately results in the lack of transformation among the church members. The hierarchical separation of the pastor from the congregation causes the members to loose touch with “both the Word of God and the history of the church”. While the authors carefully document the “pagan” roots of numerous traditions which have influenced the modern church (such as architecture, church hierarchy, professional clergy, communal worship on “Sunday”, the sermon, the order of worship, “dressing up” for church, the celebration of the Incarnation at “Christmas” on December 25th, etc.), that does NOT appear to be the core message of their book. The authors pose the poignant question “how can a Christian passively sit in a pew and affirm the priesthood of all believers when he is passively sitting in a pew?” To their way of thinking, we parishioners must take personal responsibility for our actions within the Body of Christ. We are encouraged to attend churches which fosters the biblical view that every believer is a priest “not only before God, but to one another”. Toward this end, the authors close by emphasizing the strengths of the first century church. Author Frank Viola is a proponent of the "contemporary house church movement," which encourages church meetings in private homes. This approach places Jesus Christ at “the center of the meeting. He is glorified through the songs, the lyrics, the prayers, the ministry, and the sharing.” While this particular church model may pose logistical problems, particularly for larger church gatherings, the clarion call for reform remains. As members of the Body of Christ, we are to accept our biblical responsibility to be “functioning priests”. Therein lies the cure for the disease of hyper-authoritarian church leadership, among other things. Dr. Jon
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Thanks, Dr. Jon; great review. Sounds like an interesting book.
Dee & Deb, I like the new format. It took me a while to realize that my bookmark needed to be updated, as the link I had saved was taking me to a page on your site with the message 404 not found, rather than displaying new blog entries. I suspect others may have done something similar and it may take a few days for everyone to figure out that you’re posting new entries. It also isn’t immediately obvious that to add a comment to a thread that has no comments you click on the words “No Comments”. But if I figured it out, I’m sure others will soon also.
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Junkster,
Glad you like the new format. We really wanted to catalog our posts. Sorry you had a little difficulty commenting.
Dr. Jon enjoys writing book reviews, and he’s very good at it! I have also read Pagan Christianity, and I agree with much (but not all) that George Barna and Frank Viola include in their insightful book.
Let me be among the first to say “Happy New Year”!
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I would be interested in hearing about the parts of this book you all disagreed with. I was so glad to see it published because I had done much research years back on the history of Christianity and the rise of the ‘legal church’. I came across much of the same and was appalled at how much is tradition and has no basis in NT scrpture for the early church. it really helped me read the Word in a fresh way. I had to pray for all the presuppostions to be removed.
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Lydia,
Thanks for your comment.
I agree with Stott that many of our pressupositions about evangelicalism warrant careful review, with an eye on authenticity.
No question that we need to accept our Biblical responsibility as priests, but I would like to see the authors expand their discusssion beyond the house church model. As mentioned in the post, there may be some logistical problems with the “house church” concept (particularly for larger church gatherings)as an ultimate solution to the historical abdicaton of our role as priests.
Here are some of my questions for the authors:
-Are there OTHER viable solutions to the issue of church leadership and governance?
-What are our specific responsibilities as priests, and how can we carry them out?
-What are appropriate biblical checks and balances in church leadership?
-Should formal theological training be abandoned?
-Should pastors be paid for what they do, or should the notion of professional clergy be abandoned?
-Is the problem with hyperauthoritarian pastors the institution of professional clergy per se or is the problem more with a particular bozo ‘pastor’ who has selfishly ignored his scriptural calling as servant?
-All of us have experienced excellent teaching from the pulpit by gifted preachers or theologians…Are we to abandon the protestant emphasis (Luther/Calvin) on theological scholarship?
Responses to these and other questions would, in my view, strengthen the book. That said, I agree with you that the authors have opened our eyes to a bold and fresh look at our church institions.
Happy New Year!
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Jon, Many of your questions above have been answered for me by missionaries working in underdeveloped countries. It is amazing what happens when resources are zero and one has very few theologically educated people yet the Body grows and churches are planted. It can only be the Holy Spirit!
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What the authors bring to the front forme is the abominable move to Christian Entertainment. Who needs to be a priest if we are entertained and entertained well? Good expository teaching must be done and Paul, the apostle, takes the Church to task in that many are there to be sucking on milk instead of growing and taking in meat. If the Priesthood of Believers is meat eating, good teaching will abound. That missionaries see this and the larger grouping, called the church, does not, tells me alot about what happened with the bishop out front and the body being entertained. Will we dare eat the Body of Christ and not live His Life? Meat to the priests. Priests, go eat meat! Thanks, Jon.
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Bill,
Thanks for your comment. One of the ways the modern church maintains separation of priest from laity is through polished entertainment up front. Heaven forbid we spectators interrupt a polished priest show!
Maybe it’s time to pick a church home where good expository teaching if followed by spontaneous comments from the whole church family during the service. How can we move from milk to meat? How can iron sharpen iron within the priesthood? In my view, me sitting in a pew being passively entertained brings little glory to God. Why not participate actively? Such was the case in the first century church.
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Dr. Jon,
I agree with your reply. The how to break out of the prison of passivity is a relating relationship with the One True God who does work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Even though the disciples messed up from time to time, they asked questions, they qalked to new places, their spiritual gifts werre activated and then they were filled with Holy Spirit from n action from The Father and Jesus. Faith works. Faith is not passive. Passivity is a fruitless connection or an indication of no connection. What curch, other than a small congregation , can listen and comment on the teaching or preaching. Church size increase seems to lead to passivity increase. Faith without activity is dead. May His light shine without incumbrance.
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Dr. Jon,
This is a refreshing breath of air in my search for the “Truth” regarding the behavior and belief from the members of the family of God.
Like all other families, the family of God has established rules, expectations, and we are taught what is acceptable, (biblical), and what is not acceptable (not biblical).
Jesus has instructed us on these family issues. Measure ones behavior and belief against the family of God values to find the charlatans in the Church.
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Mortal,
Thanks for your comment. While most churches claim to function as “families” of God, many of these “families” appear dysfunctional. Somewhere amidst the pageantry of the large elaborate church service, the purity of the character and person of Christ can be ignored.
I seek a church family whose values embody Christ and His righteousness, giving to the one who is hungry something to eat… giving to the thirsty something to drink…inviting in the stranger…clothing the naked…looking after the sick…visiting the prisoner (Mt25:31-46).
I am called to behave in this manner, in the context of this sort of church family. There is no room for pride here.
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Along with Dr Jon, I concur. We have found a church were atheistic professors from a large, well known university come in to listen to our discussions in a Sunday school class. A retired Jewish professor actually chimes in on the discussion.
In our previous SBC church, I never saw folks like this seeking. Guess why? You were considered Biblically illiterate if you thought the earth was old. Guess this church will never reach the lost scientists. And they lost me, a Christian who lives to interact with folks like these professors.
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Dr. Jon,
I want to thank you for the review of the Pagan Christianity. This has peaked my interest and will try to locate a copy and investigate this topic in more detail.
This seems to fill in a gap in my understanding.
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Dee,
I would like to comment on this statement you made,
“In our previous SBC church, I never saw folks like this seeking. Guess why? You were considered Biblical illiterate if you thought the earth was old. Guess this church will never reach the lost scientists. And they lost me, a Christian who lives to interact with folks like these professors.”
My concern with those you mention are those who cannot bring themselves to understand that the age of the earth is very old. They may not know about this study published in the NY Times.
Tubes of Ice Hold Record of Climate In Past and Future
By WALTER SULLIVAN
Published: July 20, 1993
The earth is at least 250,000 years
Plus
Reality Check on Old Ice, Climate and CO2
By ANDREW C. REVKIN
Richard Alley’s name has been thrown around a bit by bloggers asserting that ice-core records from Greenland show that carbon dioxide has scant, if any, influence on climate. Dr. Alley, a glaciologist and climate scientist at Penn State, is a longtime contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, author of a nice history of ice and climate, “The Two-Mile Time Machine,” and — as many Dot Earth readers are aware — a teacher with musical and terpsichorean talents (see the YouTube video below for his orbital dance explaining how ice-age cycles help show the amplifying power of greenhouse gases).
The above discusses the the “Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2.”
There are other research papers that scientist have access to that a layman like me canot have access.
There are other studies that show the earth is over 2 Million years old which are part of the “Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2.”
Lots of scientific evidence on the age of the earth.
Which also shows, based upon an analysis I read in the NT Times Science section back in late 1993, that the atmospheric gases were to deadly to support any type of life from 2 million years ago until 13,000 years ago, and for some reason, which the scientists can not explain, the atmospheric gases stabilized such that life could be supported.
Maybe this kind of scientific information is helpful. And there are other earth temperature scientific evidence that the temperature of the earth was to erratic to allow the currents of the earth to flow. And again, the scientific evidence do not explain why 13,000 years ago the temperature of the earth stabilized such that the very deep and cold ice in the north melted, and this heavy water flows deep in the ocean, and created the deep ocean currents. It flows down the east coast of the US, around South America, and the up past the Hawaiian Islands where it circulates. It takes 5,000 years for a drop of water to complete this journey.