I want to ask these early churches something:
The 1st Century Apostles were - most of them Jews. So they faced a lot of persecution from the Judaism Jew population. IOW Judaism had a very strong religious presence even in ROME considering they considered "Christians" as another sect if not something heretical in as far as observing the Mosaic law and halakha. Therefore, the Christian population was a "minority" in Israel and even if the Church with a reputable trace of its successors can "brag" of its authenticity it can't be 100% clear how much of Judaism infiltrated its practice.
Some sections of Judaism held in esteem the praying to departed Rabii or anyone thought "Holy" in their culture. Also the first prayers to departed Saints were for the Martyrs. There's coincidental proof that Judaism practice of praying to the departed could have influenced the traditions held in Esteem by CC and the Orthodox. Also, they prayed to Angelic Beings.
It shouldn't be dismissed that not all apostles who followed Christ had dropped the OT traditions including Peter who after a vision finally was delivered from foods the OT Laws considered unclean. Therefore, it became a little bit difficult to convert Judaism to Christianity than converting a gentile to the same religion. In other words, there's a truth behind Judaism in the first early church. So it wouldn't make sense that all the traditions practiced today came out of the blues, there was something that Mosaic law/Judaism considered as inherent to the Hebrews.
The very first Jew converts (after the first apostles) to receive the Gospel of the Lord played a dormant role in spreading it when compared to the Gentiles. In fact, there is a very weak trace of the first Jew converts taking any leadership roles in the early church and stunningly, the Christian-Jews only became active in the spreading of the gospel in the mid-20th century.
I would like to rebuke the first early churches for this... Most of the early successors may have applied Culture into Christianity and not Christianity into Culture. Assuming, I came from a culture that offered bulls to a god Tami for babies and fruitfulness. So along the way I met someone who told me about this Jesus who was the "Bull" and his sacrifice was enough to open doors to fruitfulness not only in children but also in everything else I needed. So I will apply Christianity in the Culture by abandoning the tradition, taking up the Gospel and offering up myself to God preaching that Jesus was indeed the "Bull" offered to give access to everything nice.
On the other hand, I listen to this man and instead of abandoning the tradition altogether I decide to apply the culture into the Gospel. So instead, I end up offering bulls every year but to God and in place of a god Tami I curve out a small image of Jesus that I will be praying to everyday for various things I need in life.
So How reformed would I be if I maintained traditions but in the name of GOD???
The 1st Century Apostles were - most of them Jews. So they faced a lot of persecution from the Judaism Jew population. IOW Judaism had a very strong religious presence even in ROME considering they considered "Christians" as another sect if not something heretical in as far as observing the Mosaic law and halakha. Therefore, the Christian population was a "minority" in Israel and even if the Church with a reputable trace of its successors can "brag" of its authenticity it can't be 100% clear how much of Judaism infiltrated its practice.
Some sections of Judaism held in esteem the praying to departed Rabii or anyone thought "Holy" in their culture. Also the first prayers to departed Saints were for the Martyrs. There's coincidental proof that Judaism practice of praying to the departed could have influenced the traditions held in Esteem by CC and the Orthodox. Also, they prayed to Angelic Beings.
It shouldn't be dismissed that not all apostles who followed Christ had dropped the OT traditions including Peter who after a vision finally was delivered from foods the OT Laws considered unclean. Therefore, it became a little bit difficult to convert Judaism to Christianity than converting a gentile to the same religion. In other words, there's a truth behind Judaism in the first early church. So it wouldn't make sense that all the traditions practiced today came out of the blues, there was something that Mosaic law/Judaism considered as inherent to the Hebrews.
The very first Jew converts (after the first apostles) to receive the Gospel of the Lord played a dormant role in spreading it when compared to the Gentiles. In fact, there is a very weak trace of the first Jew converts taking any leadership roles in the early church and stunningly, the Christian-Jews only became active in the spreading of the gospel in the mid-20th century.
I would like to rebuke the first early churches for this... Most of the early successors may have applied Culture into Christianity and not Christianity into Culture. Assuming, I came from a culture that offered bulls to a god Tami for babies and fruitfulness. So along the way I met someone who told me about this Jesus who was the "Bull" and his sacrifice was enough to open doors to fruitfulness not only in children but also in everything else I needed. So I will apply Christianity in the Culture by abandoning the tradition, taking up the Gospel and offering up myself to God preaching that Jesus was indeed the "Bull" offered to give access to everything nice.
On the other hand, I listen to this man and instead of abandoning the tradition altogether I decide to apply the culture into the Gospel. So instead, I end up offering bulls every year but to God and in place of a god Tami I curve out a small image of Jesus that I will be praying to everyday for various things I need in life.
So How reformed would I be if I maintained traditions but in the name of GOD???
