LIFE AFTER CHURCH: Why Christianity Needs a Second Reformation

Considering it is now the holiday season, when Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, it seemed fitting (to me, anyways), to have a frank discussion about the state of the Christian church.

First of all, full disclosure: I was involved in Christian ministry for 20 years as a layperson, not as an ordained, seminary-educated pastor. Most of my focus was in music ministry, though I also participated in youth leadership and street evangelism. I had a great time in the church. I did not leave for negative social reasons as many have done. I have seen the good side of Christianity and in all fairness, Christianity has a lot to offer any sincere seeker of truth.

There is no other religion that is so well organized, committed to social outreach and open to the community than the local church. Much of the success of Christianity is due to the organizational abilities of its leaders from the earliest days of the church during the 1st Century.

The second reason for the success of Christianity is the Bible. There is no other holy book that is so well organized, comprehensive and logically laid out. The Bible provides a chronological worldview, with a complex host of believable, human characters in the context of their struggles with God, man, the devil and the world.

A HOUSE DIVIDED

Having said that, Christianity is also the most sectarian divided religion on Earth. Beginning with its division into Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant—the church is further subdivided into 45,000 denominations globally. This is far beyond the sectarian division in Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism. There are no two Christians alike, everyone you meet has a different theology.

Christianity is in danger of fulfilling one of its own sayings: A house divided against itself will not stand.

Why the division?

2000 years ago, the supposed leader of Christianity, prayed for unity within the circle of his followers:

“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father. . . . I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

The early Christians were indeed united, firstly by their close association with the godman from Nazareth, whose personality and divinity overwhelmed them, and secondly, due to the persecution from the Sanhedrin, and the Romans who slaughtered them for sport in the Colosseum.

“All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as they had need.”

Try asking any Western Christian to sell all his possessions, and see what kind of reaction you will get. One of the leading American evangelists, Joel Osteen, (who is worth $50 million and lives in a $10 million mansion) advises his followers, that “Prosperity is not just about money; it’s about being blessed in every area of your life.”

Sounds good, right?

“Jesus, looking at the man, loved him and said, 'You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.' When the man heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.”

Most of the 16 prophets in the Old Testament were murdered for their efforts. Jesus, himself died penniless after being tortured to death by his enemies. Most of his immediate followers were also murdered.

Am I saying that the Church leadership are greedy, selfish pricks?

Moving right along …

FOUR BIBLES

There are basically four different ways of studying the Bible:

1. Atheist version - There is no God, so the Bible is irrelevant. It is mostly fairy tales and superstition, and a relic of our past, that will soon be relegated to the dust bin of history.

2. Fundamentalist version - The Bible is the infallible Word of God, it is perfect, without error. The Bible is a divine book about humans. Anyone who disagrees with this statement is doomed, lying or deceived.

3. Inspired version - The Bible is the inspired Word of God, not perfect but still truthful. The Bible is a human book about the divine.

4. Academic version - The Bible is a compilation of Jewish literary religious writings. It is a mixed bag of Hebrew, Egyptian, Babylonian and Greek authorship. The New Testament theology is a hybrid of Mithraism, Zoroastrianism, Greek philosophy, Judaism and the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. The historical record in the Bible is flawed, yet somewhat accurate.

The infallible-word-of-God guys invariably quote this passage ( Timothy 3:16-17) to prove their position:

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

I know what you’re thinking—it says inspired not infallible, but if you are an infallible-word-of-god guy, that doesn’t matter, because when God wrote this verse, he meant to say infallible (because it’s infallible.) And this is not a circular argument, just because it’s circular (and an argument).

Merry Christmas by the way.

More confessions are forthcoming: I was an infallible-word-of-God guy for 20 years. Anyone who seriously studies the Bible will join category #1, #3 or #4. And when I say seriously, that means a careful examination of how the Bible, specifically the New Testament, was created, beginning with Paul’s letters.

PAUL IS THE REAL FOUNDER OF CHRISTIANITY

Jesus of Nazareth gave no instructions or directions about the formation of a physical church. One of his main tenets was “the kingdom of heaven is within you.” It was the apostle Paul who gave all the instructions for church members, deacons and pastors, as well as advice for marriage.

Paul substituted the church (the Bride of Christ) for the kingdom of heaven. The invisible spiritual brotherhood that Jesus envisioned was replaced by the outward physical church. He compares the church to a marriage:

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” [Ephesians 5:25-32]

I am not sure that Christ would be pleased with his gold digger bride—the Church seems more concerned with material reward than heavenly treasure.

Paul made Jesus the Jewish Messiah, and opened the door for worship of the Son, instead of following Jesus’ teachings to worship the Father. Christ became the central focus, instead of the Father. Paul then proceeded to create a philosophical atonement doctrine based on the death and resurrection of the Jewish Messiah. Pauline Christianity can be defined as the religion of the resurrected Christ.

It should be remembered that Paul’s letters were written first, about 20 years after Jesus’ death, during the 50’s AD. The first gospel (Mark) did not arrive until 68 AD and the last gospel (John) not until 101 AD, fully 65 years after Jesus’ death. Paul’s letters were copied and circulated within the early churches that Paul himself organized. Paul’s gospel became the foundation of Christianity, and the original message of Jesus became secondary, a state of affairs that continues to this day.

Most Christians are unable or unwilling to see the glaring differences between Jesus’ message and Paul’s. This reveals a deplorable lack of discernment on the part of so-called truth seekers.

Jesus’ universal message of brotherly love was transformed into a Western-sponsored institution within 300 years. The institutional church hunkered down, consolidated power and gradually conquered European civilization through political intrigue, land and wealth acquisition, education control and a mass propaganda campaign that affected every facet of medieval life—up until that fateful day when Martin Luther nailed his litany of complaints on the door of the Wittenberg church in 1517.

In my previous post, I examine the Bible’s theology which is subdivided into three overlapping, yet distinct messages, championed by Moses, Paul and Jesus of Nazareth:

ZioChrist, David Christ and Other Saviors

THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

This humble blogger has spent years asking the $64,000 question to a host of Christians, and the vast majority fail to answer it, despite it being the central teaching of the man they call Master:

What is the good news of the kingdom of heaven?

First of all, I can tell you what it is not.

The good news is not “you are a sinner and you are going to hell.” That is bad news.

The good news that Jesus and his entourage of followers taught for three years was likewise not the atonement and redemption of mankind through the death of a sacrificial son. It would have been impossible to teach this prior to his death. The apostles and the 70 were similarly unable to preach a message based on an event that had not occurred yet. The apostles had no idea Jesus would be resurrected from the dead, an event that was far outside their frame of reference.

When asked point blank on three separate occasions, How do I inherit eternal life? Jesus did not answer, “My death on the cross will save you from your sins and redeem the world.”

Instead, he answered:

1. “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

   “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

   Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

2. Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

3. On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

   “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

   He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

   “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

   But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

   In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

   “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

   The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

   Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

THE SECOND REFORMATION

A Second Reformation is needed, and I believe it will take place eventually, though it is anybody’s guess when that will be. Another reformation is needed to re-unite the splintered Church, and it can happen only if it is based on the one thing that unites all of Christianity, and that is the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

Some things that Jesus never said:

• Follow the church

• Follow the apostle Paul

• Follow your pastor

What he did in fact say was Follow Me. This is a profound statement, that triumphs over sectarian division, divided theologies, feuding denominations and fossilized dogma. Jesus did not intend human beings to be parrots of religious doctrine. He intended for human beings to enter into the family of God (kingdom of heaven) as new born spiritual children, in a relationship with both the Father and their new spiritual brothers and sisters.

Jesus taught people to worship the Father. And for those who are irritated by the word Father, it should also be pointed out that God is also the Mother. There are numerous references to God the Mother in the Bible:

“For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant.” (Isa. 42:14)

“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” (Isa. 66:13)

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” (Isa. 49:15)

Jesus’ concept of being born again is a maternal concept about motherhood, childbirth and a new baby joining a family.

The second reformation needs to acknowledge and include the dual nature of God as both Mother and Father combined, as well the need to give women full equality in the Church. The Protestant churches have made great strides in this area, but many denominations, such as Catholic, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists and Presbyterian still do not allow women leaders. This is a serious violation of civil rights and blatant discrimination against women. If any other profession banned women, there would be an outcry, yet many churches believe themselves to be above the law.

This poor attitude towards women is the direct result of the teachings of the apostle Paul, who claimed that: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent” (1 Timothy 2:12) This is in sharp contrast to Jesus’ message, that claimed “There is no male or female, no Jew or Gentile, no freeman or slave in the kingdom of heaven.”

The point being, that Christianity has followed Paul, not Jesus for the majority of its existence.

One of the most radical things that Jesus ever did, and it is something that is virtually ignored by the patriarchal church, is that he created a women’s corp of apostles, mentioned in Luke:

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

This last verse is almost invariably translated incorrectly to make it appear these women followed Jesus around and supported the male apostles financially, but the actual verse reads:

These women served him with their own funds. In other words, they provided for their own financial support. The key word is diakoneō, (διηκόνουν) where we get the word deacon.

Luke 8:3 καὶ Ἰωάννα γυνὴ Χουζᾶ ἐπιτρόπου Ἡρῴδου καὶ Σουσάννα καὶ ἕτεραι πολλαί αἵτινες διηκόνουν αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐταῖς

The New Testament mentions female leaders, that reveal that the early church attempted to fulfill Jesus’ mandate, but by the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine’s endorsement of Christianity in the 3rd Century, the institutional male hierarchy was complete.

Romans 16:7 says: “Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.”

In the Letter to the Romans, Paul sends greetings to a number of people and specifically mentions:

• Priscilla and her husband Aquila. She and her husband are mentioned six times in the Bible, as missionary partners with the Apostle Paul.

• He greets Julia, and Nereus's sister, who worked and traveled as missionaries in pairs with their husbands or brothers. He also sends greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, who "labour for the Lord's work", and to Rufus' mother.

• He commends the hospitality of Phoebe, a leader from the church at Cenchreae, a port city near Corinth. Paul attaches to her three titles: diakonos meaning a deacon, sister, and prostatis meaning “a woman in a supportive role, patron, benefactor.”

Anyone who has spent any time in the Christian church knows that it is women who form the backbone of most ministries.

Jewish culture, however forbade women rabbis, something that exists to this day within Orthodox Judaism. Women were not allowed in the main sanctuary of the synagogue in ancient Jerusalem, but had to sit in the women’s gallery above.

LIFE AFTER CHURCH

The early Christians met together in each other’s homes, broke bread and drank wine to commemorate the memory of the godman from Nazareth who turned their whole world upside down. For a brief period, they were the spiritual brotherhood of believers that Jesus intended, but this gradually degenerated into an institutional and hierarchal church, due to the domineering influence of the apostle Paul.

Many Christians, myself included have wandered away from the Church, in order to pursue the true message of Jesus of Nazareth, and attempt to actually follow him, instead of following the Church.

Is the Church compromised and corrupt? Has it become a secular institution that is mostly interested in wealth, political power and fossilized doctrine?

I will leave that for you to decide. Everyone’s experience with Christianity is different, and who am I to deter anyone from following God in the manner they see fit?

Faith and belief are two different things. You can believe in Santa Claus, unicorns and fire-breathing dragons, but faith is a growing, living thing that takes root in your own heart.

Everything healthy grows.

During this holiday season, I hope to remind you of the message of the angel who announced the birth of Jesus with these words:

Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All.