I was thinking about something.
I was thinking about before Christ, during his lifetime on earth, and after his death and resurrection.
Before he was the Christ named Jesus from Mary's womb, He was on earth, as the Angel of the Lord, the WORD, etc... As such he was very active in the developing hiearchies in the CHURCH, consider the OT is a shadow of what the NEW should be like. Why did the priesthoods in the OLD have a hiearchy? :O
I was thinking about how things never changed even while he was alive.
He never came to set up churches, but to explain and show us what truly mattered. It had nothing to do with creating hierarchy systems in, but to show us God was within us--The Kingdom--We were the temples of God--The Holy Spirit.
He called PAUL on the road to damascus to come and help establish His church. He taught the apostles, the apostles took His teaching and trained others, they were Priests, of the Church in the order of Melchizedek. They taught both written and orally things that should occur. Paul wrote very specifically notes to timothy on how the Church should be ran.
I guess you could argue, Christ made a mistake and the Apostles screwed it up though...
Somehow after his death we still just did not get it and many still don't.
The last apostle lived during the time Clement was bishop of Rome. Go read 1 clement, not as canon but as History. He worked with Paul, Peter, Barnabus, had Paul's approval, and graduated to a high position in the Church. He was competent.
Read how he described the Church, chapters ummm around 44ish about ten chapters. It is exactly the opposite of what you teach here. Don't you think if he ws teaching HERESY, John would have addressed it with a letter? Nothing insinuates that occured. PLUS every claim Clement makes for the Church, a protestant will disagree with, but EVERY LINE IS STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BIBLE! What does that tell you?
Why did Jesus never talk about creating buildings--monuments for God, etc-where we would go and worship?
Why did he never say not to? Why did the OT present a likeness of God for people to look at?
It is clear when he told the Samaritan woman that a day would come when men would no longer look for a place to go to worship God--but would know he was a SPIRIT--and could be worshiped anywhere. I believe Jesus wanted to get our focus off of the man-made laws and traditions that were keeping us from seeing the real point of our lives...--to LOVE.
The love part is dead to rights on target, btw.
It has never been about building a place for God--We are the temples of God.
I don't believe Paul ever intended to set up churches as we know them today, but the 'assembling together' we were not to forsake was really something that a true believer could not forsake anyway. You desire fellowship in the name of the Lord with brothers and sisters, but there is no command to become some member of an organized religious institution.
Yet, at the same time, there is no sin in it either. This is where Liberty in Christ comes in, and a part of the true meaning of "Liberty" in Christ.
I believe God uses all of these separations (DENOMINATIONS)to accomplish his will and purpose in each of our lives.
He continues to show us he just is not inside this 'one' box we keep trying to put him in.
Since man always wants to be lead by 'man, God allows it, and this is where a lot of the structure of religion comes in, but it is not necessary. It may be necessary in the Natural world, but not in the Spiritual world. Still, God allows it and uses it.
A lot of Paul teachings are taken too far and out of context, just to the extreme--but God allows it and uses it to still accomplish the separations that are needed anyway to give us the ability to be FREE in Christ and lead by the Holy Spirit as our own conscience dictates.
Anything else is Spiritual Slavery, Spiritual Control, Spiritual Manipulation...all the time thinking they are doing God a favor as if God needed any to deal with his own creation.
I can't wait until the day when people finally realize ( as we are ) that denominations and sects are not to be Idolized--and allow God to push them on into a deeper place and understanding beyond a lot of doctrines and beliefs that keep us held hostage and in bondage without knowing it.
When people can see that God uses these things to teach us to a certain extent (Denominations, etc), but that the true place he wants to take us is outside the box ( the four walls) and thinking God is concerned about what church you go to, what you wear to church, all the external things we have labeled "God" that a lot of times keep us in FEAR, HATE, PRIDE against others. If your denomination or belief system causes you to discriminate, hate, and walk in PRIDE--you need to check yourself and see if you are in the faith.
All of centuries of brainwashing and middle-men have disrupted the simple message of the Gospel-LOVE, Mercy, Forgiveness, Grace.
The Kingdom (GOD) is within you.
Wake Up People!
Love Conquers ALL!
How can you truly love when we constantly worried about the wrong things?