Come out of Babylon. This is written in Isaiah, Jeremiah and other books. The church IS Babylon. While this connection is not in the bible, it is apparent when you study Babylonian religious practices.
The biblical reference to a fallen church being Babylon is of course in Revelation 17:
"3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration."
And the adoption of Babylonian religious practices by much of Christendom is sadly manifest.
But is is important to not aggregate the whole of the church into that example, there remain those faithful members who are called out and have heard their shepherd's voice and have followed Him and not bent the knee to false Gods.
The point of the article is to grasp the complex varied, and often-times negative picture that scripture paints of the church and to note how accurate it all is. The view of the triumphant church filling the earth with truth by its (our) own efforts is false, but so too is the view that the church is entirely false and corrupt.
Just as an afterthought - stunning comment by Trump on Easter Sunday - he claims he is a Christian and that God is using him. This is the same God who said "thou shalt no kill" and Jesus who said "those who live by the sword will die by the sword". what appalling Christian witness.
"We are still here Lord" not in the local abominations called "church" but standing - we are told to be still and wait and watch. We follow the words of Christ - to love our neighbour as ourselves and keep the commandments but many so-called Christians are so far away and sunk in ritual. I long for Yeshua to return - to all his children "born again" who live in Hope for a better world to come.
I thought I'd share a brief testimony that amply witnesses to much of what you say David...
The Church seems to be in a dire and perilous state , caught between 80's prosperity preaching and popular psychology, man centred and a tepid and apologised /apostate Gospel.
We strongly believe we need to be in fellowship as Christians for the reasons you highlight in the early church, and that it encourages a real and active faith where the fruits of the spirit can be sharpened , outworked and to build effective discipleship in the day to day.
We have been attending the only church in our region that both upholds the inerrancy of scripture, the foundation of the cross and recognises the status of Israel in Gods plan, and the special place they hold, and continue to hold in eschatology.
The worship remains a constant battle, aspirational , manipulative and sensual , theatrical more than worship as I would understand it. The congregation are indeed passive as you say.
Recently we had enough and left, standing outside for a while chatting with a friend who was equally frustrated.
A first nations ( aboriginal) family came , a young couple and their 5 yr old daughter. My wife took the child to see if she would like to play in the Sunday school, but this created apprehension and I was given a book to read to her outside by a woman from the class.
A strange late middle age man reading to a young girl out with the church boundary...really ?
The mother had a brain tumour ( a very credible history and scars to prove it) and they were seeking petrol to get to her sisters. No drama, no desperate leading, just a quiet answer to why they had come.
My wife suggested the leadership would help at the end of the service, and an awkward assistant pastor, teased from the sanctuary suggested they would help.
Following the service my wife took them to see the pastor, and he 'interviewed them' at the front of the church, little dignity...
Shortly after they left, the mother in tears. My wife ran after them , they displayed no anger just shame and remorse in coming , they felt humiliated , having been told that the church 'was not a bank'. Did anyone say it was?
The last straw, we left. Interestingly a few other left in the wake.
Incredulously, the next two weeks saw the pastor berate those who were trouble in churches and referenced them as ' the blessed subtraction' who God removed from churches, Foxes in the vine I assume he meant .
A need came to the church, but in reality an inconvenience ,that disturbed the well oiled Sunday machinery. Congregants are to engage in specific roles in the Church, rostered and demarcated.
Seeing a need, thinking and acting as individuals, as a member of the royal priesthood is to challenge the hierarchy of how church is 'done'.
If we turned out every opportunist who comes to our mission clinic in Nigeria we'd have few patients. Of course discernment is needed, but you render help first ! A church or mission is to walk out our faith in the midst of real life, chaotic and challenging.
An Indian surgeon friend working in rural MP has a ministry , that 'meets, greets and chews the Gospel' , an open table with food, bibles and logs to burn as they sing at the close of day with the whosoevers who care to join.
The church he says is like a tropical fish tank, brightly lit, warm , colourful and tasteless predictable food dropped in at regular periods. The fish are exotic, swim aimlessly, fat and have no resilience or purpose. Rather, the wild trout that swims upstream , muddy and dull of colour , yes, but alive, purposeful, muscular and strong ,plus they replicate.
Thank you again for this article and your continued output.
THOU SHALT NOT KILL - simple - end of - the commandments are not complicated but many fall foul of the denomination structures that show little basic humanity. The Good Samaritan was my very favourite parable. The Jews would not drink from the same cup as a Samaritan - but Jesus taught his followers it was the Samaritan that helped the man the priest and Levite walked on. Not much different today. When you truly know your Lord you have compassion on others - whatever their race, nationality or beliefs. God touches those He uses - they are the true children of our Coming King.
Hi David - this is great! Love the connection to the two witnesses - as God's end time 'emergency workers' - focussing on their 'function' rather than 'identity' (as per usual).
Thanks David, another thorough article. I find it helpful when reading the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven to realise they were given in between the telling and explanation of the parable of the wheat and the tares. This emphasises the connection.
This is an excellent point, the structure of Matthew 13 is very unusual and this too, it would seem, carries information. I will reflect on that, thanks.
Thank you so much for your writing David! How are you coping with the widowed life? I'm missing Anna terribly but comforted that she is safe and secure and I will see her again. God bless you Good Sir!
"They were united and active. How entirely different from the churches of today, who toady to the state, and to popular culture, and who meet weekly in huge buildings for structured worship, where the role of the membership is largely passive. The church became rich and powerful, an instrument of the establishment, and then it became divided and torpid". Indeed. Where were the churches when the people needed them?
Come out of Babylon. This is written in Isaiah, Jeremiah and other books. The church IS Babylon. While this connection is not in the bible, it is apparent when you study Babylonian religious practices.
Thanks for the comment DD
The biblical reference to a fallen church being Babylon is of course in Revelation 17:
"3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration."
And the adoption of Babylonian religious practices by much of Christendom is sadly manifest.
But is is important to not aggregate the whole of the church into that example, there remain those faithful members who are called out and have heard their shepherd's voice and have followed Him and not bent the knee to false Gods.
The point of the article is to grasp the complex varied, and often-times negative picture that scripture paints of the church and to note how accurate it all is. The view of the triumphant church filling the earth with truth by its (our) own efforts is false, but so too is the view that the church is entirely false and corrupt.
Just as an afterthought - stunning comment by Trump on Easter Sunday - he claims he is a Christian and that God is using him. This is the same God who said "thou shalt no kill" and Jesus who said "those who live by the sword will die by the sword". what appalling Christian witness.
"We are still here Lord" not in the local abominations called "church" but standing - we are told to be still and wait and watch. We follow the words of Christ - to love our neighbour as ourselves and keep the commandments but many so-called Christians are so far away and sunk in ritual. I long for Yeshua to return - to all his children "born again" who live in Hope for a better world to come.
I thought I'd share a brief testimony that amply witnesses to much of what you say David...
The Church seems to be in a dire and perilous state , caught between 80's prosperity preaching and popular psychology, man centred and a tepid and apologised /apostate Gospel.
We strongly believe we need to be in fellowship as Christians for the reasons you highlight in the early church, and that it encourages a real and active faith where the fruits of the spirit can be sharpened , outworked and to build effective discipleship in the day to day.
We have been attending the only church in our region that both upholds the inerrancy of scripture, the foundation of the cross and recognises the status of Israel in Gods plan, and the special place they hold, and continue to hold in eschatology.
The worship remains a constant battle, aspirational , manipulative and sensual , theatrical more than worship as I would understand it. The congregation are indeed passive as you say.
Recently we had enough and left, standing outside for a while chatting with a friend who was equally frustrated.
A first nations ( aboriginal) family came , a young couple and their 5 yr old daughter. My wife took the child to see if she would like to play in the Sunday school, but this created apprehension and I was given a book to read to her outside by a woman from the class.
A strange late middle age man reading to a young girl out with the church boundary...really ?
The mother had a brain tumour ( a very credible history and scars to prove it) and they were seeking petrol to get to her sisters. No drama, no desperate leading, just a quiet answer to why they had come.
My wife suggested the leadership would help at the end of the service, and an awkward assistant pastor, teased from the sanctuary suggested they would help.
Following the service my wife took them to see the pastor, and he 'interviewed them' at the front of the church, little dignity...
Shortly after they left, the mother in tears. My wife ran after them , they displayed no anger just shame and remorse in coming , they felt humiliated , having been told that the church 'was not a bank'. Did anyone say it was?
The last straw, we left. Interestingly a few other left in the wake.
Incredulously, the next two weeks saw the pastor berate those who were trouble in churches and referenced them as ' the blessed subtraction' who God removed from churches, Foxes in the vine I assume he meant .
A need came to the church, but in reality an inconvenience ,that disturbed the well oiled Sunday machinery. Congregants are to engage in specific roles in the Church, rostered and demarcated.
Seeing a need, thinking and acting as individuals, as a member of the royal priesthood is to challenge the hierarchy of how church is 'done'.
If we turned out every opportunist who comes to our mission clinic in Nigeria we'd have few patients. Of course discernment is needed, but you render help first ! A church or mission is to walk out our faith in the midst of real life, chaotic and challenging.
An Indian surgeon friend working in rural MP has a ministry , that 'meets, greets and chews the Gospel' , an open table with food, bibles and logs to burn as they sing at the close of day with the whosoevers who care to join.
The church he says is like a tropical fish tank, brightly lit, warm , colourful and tasteless predictable food dropped in at regular periods. The fish are exotic, swim aimlessly, fat and have no resilience or purpose. Rather, the wild trout that swims upstream , muddy and dull of colour , yes, but alive, purposeful, muscular and strong ,plus they replicate.
Thank you again for this article and your continued output.
THOU SHALT NOT KILL - simple - end of - the commandments are not complicated but many fall foul of the denomination structures that show little basic humanity. The Good Samaritan was my very favourite parable. The Jews would not drink from the same cup as a Samaritan - but Jesus taught his followers it was the Samaritan that helped the man the priest and Levite walked on. Not much different today. When you truly know your Lord you have compassion on others - whatever their race, nationality or beliefs. God touches those He uses - they are the true children of our Coming King.
Hi David - this is great! Love the connection to the two witnesses - as God's end time 'emergency workers' - focussing on their 'function' rather than 'identity' (as per usual).
Thanks David, another thorough article. I find it helpful when reading the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven to realise they were given in between the telling and explanation of the parable of the wheat and the tares. This emphasises the connection.
This is an excellent point, the structure of Matthew 13 is very unusual and this too, it would seem, carries information. I will reflect on that, thanks.
Thank you so much for your writing David! How are you coping with the widowed life? I'm missing Anna terribly but comforted that she is safe and secure and I will see her again. God bless you Good Sir!
"They were united and active. How entirely different from the churches of today, who toady to the state, and to popular culture, and who meet weekly in huge buildings for structured worship, where the role of the membership is largely passive. The church became rich and powerful, an instrument of the establishment, and then it became divided and torpid". Indeed. Where were the churches when the people needed them?
Hi David, I really appreciate your interpretations here. Very scriptural and balanced. Many thanks.