"Pagan Christianity" oh, brother...See, I was sorta all settled into perhaps the Orthodox church and hadn't counted out Roman Catholic. Viola has screwed up some things for right now.Ya know, it never dawned on me about all the things that are so obvious. I can see why there is an ongoing thread here called the Pastor King. That it's only mentioned once---and yet so much is built around it...Now the established church will say that the "church" was never meant to stay in an embryonic stage as it was in the early days. They will say that it is ridiculous to think that it derailed so soon out of the chute. I want to agree with that premise. But Mr. Viola (and you are guilty because you suggested it) has caused me to retrace my steps.I was so comfortable to embrace an ancient tradition-something seemed right about it but something seemed not right about it.Thanks for throwing another curve...now I need to check out that "Wineskin" book of his.For so long I have said to my fellow believers that "We are not doing this right". Somehow this seems to be maybe closer to what I've thought Christianity is to be...Prayers appreciated.
__________________ "He who is humble in his thoughts and engaged in spiritual work, when he reads the Holy Scriptures, will apply everything to himself and not to someone else" Mark the Ascetic (5th Century)
"All the Hebrew you need to know is LXX"
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I have met Frank, heis a serious person, at least when i met him. But he is easy to approach. There use to be a south carolina house church conference in the summer, you should check the house church network, Steve Atkerson also, and go to a conference in the future, i found them very refreshing, hundered of people from all over the country come and from fmany different house meetings all sorts of topics discussed and different seminars etc. lots of book, tapes etc.
just a thought.
We have been meeting in our homes for about 14 or 15 years or so, and we can never go back ito the religious system. I know there are many many believers caught up in it, but we had to come out once you have been lead home to gather around Christ and be free to move and live in him as you gather with others you won't want to go back.
"Pagan Christianity" oh, brother...See, I was sorta all settled into perhaps the Orthodox church and hadn't counted out Roman Catholic. Viola has screwed up some things for right now.Ya know, it never dawned on me about all the things that are so obvious. I can see why there is an ongoing thread here called the Pastor King. That it's only mentioned once---and yet so much is built around it...Now the established church will say that the "church" was never meant to stay in an embryonic stage as it was in the early days. They will say that it is ridiculous to think that it derailed so soon out of the chute. I want to agree with that premise. But Mr. Viola (and you are guilty because you suggested it) has caused me to retrace my steps.I was so comfortable to embrace an ancient tradition-something seemed right about it but something seemed not right about it.Thanks for throwing another curve...now I need to check out that "Wineskin" book of his.For so long I have said to my fellow believers that "We are not doing this right". Somehow this seems to be maybe closer to what I've thought Christianity is to be...Prayers appreciated.
Is it really that bad that the early churches adopted some practices to attract pagans to the Christian religion?
I was visiting some of my old haunts...words & ideas I was comfortable with before (nun, priest, established fast days, monks, vespers) sounded foreign...
Was the church meant to stay as a nomadic grassroot sort of movement or was it meant to grow? When Peter was given "keys to the kingdom" was it to be used by God to build a church? And then what was/is a "built" church to look like? An organization-world shaking powerhouse or was it to stay more like what Jesus and the apostles demonstrated?
Even in Acts there was a council-do home churches have councils amongst themselves? Acts 15 seems to record an authoritative demonstration of ecclesiatical power, unless I'm reading into it too much? Maybe just for a time when there were apostles?
If there was someone in charge at those churches that Paul and others wrote to, why weren't the leaders recognized? "Greeting to the pastor of Galatia" or something?
__________________ "He who is humble in his thoughts and engaged in spiritual work, when he reads the Holy Scriptures, will apply everything to himself and not to someone else" Mark the Ascetic (5th Century)
"All the Hebrew you need to know is LXX"
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Last edited by menno; 29th January 2006 at 01:01 AM.
it's clear that G-d does not take kindly to "mixing" pagan practices with His own appointed practices.
is it really that bad? That's kind of like asking "is it really that bad to take sleeping pills with alcohol?
*shrug* just my thought on it.
I always thought the mixing of pagan and Christian traditions was part of the net result of Constantine's legalizing of Christianity in 313. He and the elders of the church at the time blended Christianity into the mainstream and over the course of 20 some years (from then until the Nicene Council) the church morphed -- although some may argue that process had been going on the 2nd Century.
I picked up Viola's The Untold Story of the New Testament Church yesterday at the Christian bookstore.
Anyone read it?
__________________ "He who is humble in his thoughts and engaged in spiritual work, when he reads the Holy Scriptures, will apply everything to himself and not to someone else" Mark the Ascetic (5th Century)
"All the Hebrew you need to know is LXX"
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