In the New Testament, no church ever hired a preaching “pastor” …
To come rule over their assemblies.
Instead, they trusted God to raise up pastoring elders among them …
To serve beside them as they gathered for ministry one to another.
Big difference.
God is calling us back to His ways, as we learn once again to become the multi-gifted, multi-part, multi-functional Body of Christ that builds up one another …
Rather than continuing to build up the vain, post-Biblical institutions of men.
I often hear the argument that it’s ok for church to be about ministry by one person, because the Apostles taught before large gatherings at Solomon’s Portico outside the temple in Jerusalem.
The gatherings in Jerusalem at Solomon’s Portico after the day of Pentecost, however, only lasted for a short while. We also see no counterpart to them anywhere else in the unfolding history of the early church as revealed in Scripture.
Solomon’s Portico was unique and temporary because it served an important initial purpose in the life of the nascent church. That’s where the Apostles first laid the foundations of the church through their teachings. In Acts 2, it says that in conjunction with Solomon’s Portico, the people would then meet house to house to continue in the Apostles teachings.
We continue in the Apostles teachings today when we likewise gather house to house, but we don’t need to go to a large meeting at Solomon’s Portico because we now have those teachings available in the New Testament.
So Solomon’s Portico was descriptive rather than prescriptive. Otherwise, we would see it repeated in other towns and cities where the believers met from house to house in the New Testament, but we don’t.
I’m not against believers in a town or city coming together for a large gathering if that serves a specific, unique purpose. But I absolutely reject the contention that Solomon’s Portico serves as a justification for “church” as we’ve come to know it – where the few routinely do church for the many, who are herded into large buildings to sit as spectators below them.
We now have the Apostles teachings and are to continue in them as we meet house to house. But we don’t have Solomon’s Portico because we don’t have the original need for it anymore.
Nonetheless, we still need one another as we gather for participatory ministry to each other for the mutual building up of all. And that is the core purpose of the church and our gatherings even to this day.
Why are “pastors and teachers” all for being the “church” …
Until it gets Biblical?
You know, like gathering for participatory ministry by “one another” to mutually build up each other as the New Testament commands …
Rather than gathering for mono-ministry by “the one” from a podium above us?
For example, I’ve never met an evangelist who thinks only evangelists can exclusively share the gospel …
Or that they have some divine right to make our gatherings always revolve around them.
So why do “pastors and teachers” think only they can exclusively minister and teach …
And our gatherings must always revolve around them doing so?
Unfortunately for them, the New Testament says otherwise.
So yes, some have particular gifts when it comes to teaching and pastoring, but not exclusively so …
Even though they may have heightened leadership abilities in those areas.
Nonetheless, the New Testament says we all can teach and minister to each other as God directs …
As we participate together in building up one another through the diverse gifts God distributes among us.
So let’s affirm those that have a particular gift …
But don’t give them a monopoly on that gift or our gatherings – including “pastors and teachers.”
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“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom …” Col. 3:16
“I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.” Rom. 15:14
“What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.” 1 Cor. 14:26
Authentic church as commanded in the New Testament is simple and participatory …
But never easy.
In contrast, sitting in a “sanctuary” and enjoying a finely-scripted show and a carefully-crafted message – rooted in the “senior pastor’s” own vision and motivations – is easy.
Sitting in a living room and conforming to some “apostolic worker’s” own perceptions of Christ and His church – rooted in his own personality, sensibilities, likes, dislikes, and theological proclivities – also is easy.
But whether in a traditional “church” building or a gathering in someone’s home …
Is that what Christ wants?
Continue readingAuthentic church as commanded in the New Testament is simple and participatory …
But rare these days.
As Scripture repeatedly commands, we’re to gather for the primary purpose of mutually building up one another through ministry to each other using the diverse gifts God distributes between us …
With elders (plural) who emerge among us to watch over and humbly serve beside us.
Instead, however, “church” has become a building with spectator seating and a “senior pastor” who’s hired to monopolize our gatherings from a podium above us.
As for me, I think I’ll stick with the simplicity of church as the Bible actually defines it …
Rather than the self-serving, hierarchical, post-Biblical traditions of men.
How about you?
The reason the New Testament commands us to gather together is not for worship services.
Such a concept is utterly missing from the New Testament.
I know that seems shocking …
But hear me out.
In fact, that concept didn’t arise until the 4th Century as a new self-interested class of hierarchical, professional “clergy” emerged and sought to justify their growing power and privilege as unbiblical mediators between us and God …
By turning “church” into a “worship service” with associated special buildings containing altars, spectator “sanctuaries,” and elevated platforms for the special few – all under their control and patterned after Old Testament temple concepts – where they could convince people to come and encounter God through them.
Continue readingWhat’s one of the greatest impediments to simple, relational, participatory church as actually commanded in the New Testament?
Finding your validation in your gifts – including your spiritual motivations and abilities.
Rather than the One who gave you those gifts.
Because you then prioritize yourself …
Over Him and His equally valid gifts in others.
After decades of ministry to those in jail, discipleship when they got out, and helping to start indigenous churches within communities with high rates of addiction …
I’ve never seen an exception to this regarding the roots of addiction (of any kind).
Ignore it, and any hope of redemption will be fleeting.
Touch not God’s anointed?
Other than “judge not,” I doubt any other passage in Scripture has been so misused and misquoted.
As an attorney (now retired) and local elder, over the years I’ve voluntarily helped victims and their families by investigating and confronting more than a few predatory and abusive church leaders.
I even helped put some in jail.
In every single instance, however, I’d hear from misguided people quoting King David’s admonition in 1 Chron. 16:22 and Psalms 105:15 to “touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.”
Here’s one typical response someone actually sent to me in one of those cases:
“In my opinion Jim, you should seek God and HIS word. Does not the bible say ‘touch not mine anointed and do my profits no harm.’ Pastor [Name Removed] is anointed and is right where he should be.”
When I first read it, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the misspelling of “profits” for “prophets,” because protecting the income of a church or ministry is often a key motive for those who want to sweep allegations of pastoral abuse under the rug.
Maybe that was a proverbial Freudian slip!
Regardless, even if you get past the exegetical hurdle of somehow saying those verses apply to an unrepentant predatory church leader, the Hebrew word for “touch” means to physically assault.
I can assure you, I have never physically assaulted any church leader – predatory or not!
Nonetheless, 1 Tim 5:19-21 commands us to confront abusive church leaders – on behalf of their victims and ultimately to protect others – by investigating, exposing, and stopping them.
So don’t let the bad exegesis of one part of Scripture keep us from obeying the clear mandate of another part of Scripture …
Which commands us to protect His church from those who use their positions of authority and influence in the church to exploit others.
I often hear from people frustrated because they can’t find or start a sustainable house church where they live.
As I talk with folks from around the country, here’s one of the main reasons (not the only reason, but certainly a big reason) I’ve seen for why house churches fail:
In one critical regard, they become just like the unbiblical institutional mono-churches they sought to leave.
A mono-church centers around one particularly gifted person’s vision and abilities, or focuses on one particular ministry or mission.
They are common these days, but can’t be found in the New Testament.
Continue readingOver the last fifty years – going all the way back to my college days in the mid-1970s – God’s often used me to help relational participatory churches emerge.
Yet I can’t think of a single one of them that didn’t first start with discipleship.
Looking back, I guess that makes sense given that Jesus said He would build His church …
But we are to build disciples.
In contrast, I’ve seen many try to start a “church” first, but in my experience real discipleship seldom follows and things quickly begin falling apart.
This has been a source of great frustration for many.
Continue readingIn the original Hebrew and Greek language of Scripture, the primary words translated as “worship” refer to the temple ritual prostration and temple ritual sacrifices – but not to what we call “worship” today.
For example, singing praises to God is certainly important, but that’s never called “worship” in the Old or New Testament and the original meaning of the words translated as ”worship” don’t include music or singing.
Nor are those words for “worship” ever applied in Scripture to an assembly of believers, and our gatherings are never called a “worship service” in the New Testament.
In fact (and I know will shock many), the New Testament- although it has a lot to say about why and how we gather as the church – never says to gather for “worship” or a “worship service.”
Nope, not, nada …
Just ain’t there.
Continue readingFalse prophets, teachers and so-called apostles are not so hard to spot:
They seek more attention for themselves;
More fame for themselves;
More privilege for themselves;
More power for themselves; and
More enrichment for themselves …
Than Jesus ever did.
There’s lots of frauds, fakes and flakes out there, folks.
Learn to discern!
So you’re tired of attending an impersonal Sunday event each week designed to build up a “church” …
And wanna find a relational community of believers who gather together to build up one another instead?
That’s great, but let’s start with understanding the differences between them, otherwise it’s too easy to drift back into old, unbiblical habits …
Rather than pressing forward towards actually being the church as specifically commanded in Scripture.
Continue readingSitting among rows upon rows of spectator seating week after week …
Have nothing to do with church as the New Testament commands it.
So how do we help folks get out of this trap?
We need to boldly share our stories of relational participatory church as actually commanded in the New Testament, and what we’ve learned along theway …
To encourage others that they can indeed begin to be the church once again.
Otherwise, most people have no idea that it’s possible to leave spectator “church” behind …
And start gathering in living rooms and other places were life naturally happens, to minister one to another for the mutual building up of each other.
But how can you expect that to happen …
Unless we openly tell of our own journeys and experiences?
When someone’s salary is primarily about preaching sermons …
Is it any wonder that they make church primarily about them preaching sermons?
Yet where do you even find that in the New Testament?
You don’t.
Nope, not, nada …
Just ain’t there.
Why?
Because when we gather together, we are commanded to actively build up each other through ministry one to another …
Rather than passively listen to the one.
So why do we keep following the post-Biblical traditions of men …
Rather than the actual commands of God in Scripture?
Relational participatory church like commanded in the New Testament?
Be discerning!
Some will take advantage of what God is doing by trying to use it to peddle their own influence, “programs,” courses or agendas.
Often, they lack any real history of successfully starting, sustaining or even being part of an actual local church back home – or lack having done it for any meaningful length of time needed to prove their abilities and their concepts – like they now want to sell to others.
Unlike them, Paul never asked those God sent him to help …
To pay for his help, cover his expenses, or provide for his income.
Rather, he appealed to those he previously helped and were now viably established by asking them to contribute to his costs and expenses so he wouldn’t be a burden on new churches and believers to whom God was sending him.
Which begs the question:
If these modern day house church marketers – and what they’re peddling – are so successful, then where are the established, viable churches and believers they previously helped bring forth …
Who should be able to now help cover their ongoing costs and expenses so they don’t need to seek payment and contributions from new or emerging believers and churches to whom they keep promoting themselves and their wares?
Typically, there are none …
Or their past endeavors have not yet become truly viable and thus proven.
I’ve seen it all too often:
What they’re peddling and their own lack of verifiable, tested experience over time …
Plus their own failure to ever develop the ability to actually support themselves through their own skills and labor (even if they legitimately need temporary support while going on mission to help others, and thus are away from their own successful careers back home) …
Inevitably leads to failure among themselves and those they’ve promised to help.
Maybe not right away, but over time it never turns out well.
I’ve seen it time and again, and again, and again …
I’m not saying they are necessarily insincere. Some, but not all, have good intentions.
But they lack experience, proven over sufficient time, to confirm their gifting and abilities through established churches that are able to now help them – without financially burdening or trying to monetize those they’re proposing to help.
So before turning to anyone for assistance or advice – or paying for resources like books, courses, and conferences – on viable discipleship and how to start or sustain a relational participatory church like the New Testament actually teaches, ask and verify:
Because you can’t get to viable discipleship and churches with those needing to sell themselves and their wares …
Nor get to authentic from phony.
What about mono-church, where our gatherings primarily revolve around ministry by one man …
Such as a so-called “Senior Pastor?”
You can’t find that anywhere in the New Testament (unless you count the warnings against Diotrephes, who wanted to be “preeminent” in his church) …
In fact, it explicitly violates the New Testament’s many commands about how we are to actually gather together – one to another – as the multi-gifted, multi-functional and multi-part Body of Christ.
Continue reading
According to 23andMe, about 2% of my DNA comes from Neanderthals – which is more than average.
I guess that helps explain why I’ve been known to go caveman on abusive “church” leaders over the years …
And why such predatory narcissists and their cult groupies don’t tend to like me too much. 😎
The Diotrephes List* keeps growing:
Mike Bickel, Steve Lawson, Frank Viola, Bill Gothard, Ravi Zacharias, Michael Brown, Paul Pressler, Robert Morris, and on and on …
And hardly a week goes by without new names being added.
Each of these fallen “leaders” appears to have shared two related characteristics:
Their “ministry” revolved around them and their own “gifts” and “vision” as they assumed the prerogatives of pinnacle “leadership” over everyone else; and
They had no true integration or submission to a Biblically functional local congregation where they lived and were known and there was diverse ministry and mutual accountability one to another, along with multi-gifted, balanced leadership.
So what did you expect?
Continue reading
Don’t be surprised as God increasingly exposes the sin and corruption often found in “churches” and “ministries” centered around one gifted man and his particular vision.
That’s because Christ is calling us – each and every one – to finally be the church.
One of the ways He’s doing that is by accentuating the growing dichotomy between:
Unconnected people who barely know each other (if at all) but go to staged “services” with spectator seating for monopolizing ministry by one man, contrary to New Testament commands, as he builds his “church” roster;
Versus relational communities of believers who gather together in hospitable settings for participatory ministry to one another, like the New Testament mandates, as they build up each other.
Continue readingIn 2004, I came down with a rare, degenerative autoimmune disease called scleroderma (also known as systemic sclerosis).
With it, the Lord has taught me that sometimes He loves us enough to nearly kill us. And I’m not talking metaphorically.
Yet, as Job proclaimed when everything good in his life also was being stripped away, “Though you slay me, will I trust you Lord.” Job 13:15.
When the disease first hit me, I nearly died and I lost everything – and I mean everything – dear to me. It was a difficult transition, but God used it to kill what needed at the time to die in me and around me.
Continue reading
Apostle Who???
Don’t fall prey to those who pervert legitimate God-ordained functions and giftings …
By turning them into illegitimate man-ordained titles and “offices” to feed their need for hierarchy, recognition and positions over others in the Body of Christ.
Frankly, I’m done with those calling themselves “Apostle” this and “Apostle” that …
And those strutting about calling themselves “Prophet” this and “Prophet” that …
Along with those calling themselves “Senior Pastor” this and “Senior Pastor” that.
They’re clearly disobeying Jesus, who said:
“But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called instructors; for One is your Instructor, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” Matt. 23:8-12
By turning function into title and gifting into ego, they bring dishonor to Christ …
And harm to His people.
In this photo, Nicky Cruz – a former gang leader in New York City who came to the Lord through the ministry of David Wilkerson – is praying for men and staff at the recent annual banquet for the Delmarva Adult & Teen Challenge, headed by Bob Carey.
Over the years, I’ve occasionally sent men coming out of addiction to Bob Carey for help if they needed more intense, initial discipleship than we could offer.
Although I wasn’t at last night’s banquet, it reminded me of a personal story about Nicky Cruz and my family as I was growing up.
Continue readingFor simple, participatory church to thrive, we need each other …
And our different God-given gifts, motivations and perceptions.
That’s because Christ, in His wisdom, does not want any one person, ability or ministry to dominate His church …
But distributes His many gifts among us instead.
Continue reading
Plumbline Faith 