"...anything else is just commentary."
The goal of my tribe, if I have understood it through the years, was to restore the New Testament Church of the first century in our century. While we accepted that there were some cultural issues that were for them and not us, for the most part the goal, as I understand it, was to have a First Century Church in our day.
While this may be a worthy goal in some ways, I think we need to rethink it. Rob Bell in “Velvet Evis” makes a valid point.
“The point in the book of Acts isn’t the early church. The point is the God who is at work in and through the early church to change the world. When we take the Bible seriously, we are taking God seriously. We believe that the same God who was at work then is at work now. The same God in the same kinds of ways. The goal is not to be a “New Testament church”. That makes the New Testament church the authority. The authority is God who is acting in and through those people at that time and now these people at this time. “
The book of Acts is just the first chapter, so to speak, in God’s story of what He did, and what He continues to do in the church. God continues today to work through His Body, the Church, as He has done down through the centuries.
I know to some that I sound like a heretic when I say that, but if we could but step out of our inherited pattern theology for a moment, and see that the Bible is simply a record of God at work in the lives of His people at that time. We are reading their mail. What they did is not nearly as important as why they did it. Their actions were the result of their relationship with the Father. Their goal was to be like Him and to accomplish His will, not to establish some institution to be duplicated century after century.
Not only was the restoration of the New Testament Church of the first century a goal, some from our tribe even believed that they accomplished the mission! All others interpretations of scripture are now judged right or wrong by their own. To them and others of a similar mind set I simply say, “The Bible is the inspired word of God and anything else is just commentary.”
posted by Lee Hodges | 6/13/2006 10:47:00 AM
6 Comments:
I loved that book, and that is a great insight.....the Lego church illustrates it perfectly....we can be an exact image and still fail to be alive.
Thank God for men like Rob who challenge us to look again at what has become familiar, and see it, as if, for the first time.
Many years ago I dropped the "pattern theology," and try very hard not to look back.
I'm amazed that some tribes in the COC don't insist that we wear the exact replicas of the robes and sandals worn by the first century church.
Perfect scriptural interpretation will never be attained by any person, or group. We have a few churches with Restoration roots that try very hard to convince the world they alone have the right answers; this type thinking continues to separate brothers and sisters.
See... THIS is why I read your blog. Thanks, once again, Lee... for being such a brave blogger. I love that you are willing to think out loud through your blog even when it's risky business.
WOW! Acts is about God more than a pattern for setting up church!!! Clearly, I agree. But when your mind has been locked around the pattern theology for so long... it takes effort to break free of that and see scripture with fresh eyes.
Scripture isn't God.
Church isn't God.
God is God. And commentaries can definitely be productive aids, but everything ultimately pales in comparison to knowing Him.
P.S. You are far from a heretic, friend! :-)
Larry, my heart goes out to those still held in this mindset. Many of them are great people with sincere hearts. I was there and some great people loved me out of captivity.
Angie, Oh how I have missed your Barnabas (Son of encouragement) spirit!
Right once again my friend and brother, we should be working for the twenty-first century church, not recalling the first century endeavers. times they are a changing. as Arlo said.
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