[Subversive Radio Podcast] Still Embracing Constantine?

So, many House Church practitioners only disavow the Hierarchy model that Constantine introduced into the Church, but do not yet feel comfortable letting go of the Church/State political entanglements that he infused at the same time.

Still Embracing Constantine?

I have a little more grace for Christians who are still part of the Traditional Church when it comes to mixing politics and faith. I mean, they already accept the Constantinian model of Church with its hierarchy and professional clergy, so it’s not a mystery to me why they also embrace the idea of a Church that is aligned with the State.

But when Christians in the Organic (or House) Church movement affirm an entangled Christianity, I have to wonder what’s really going on?

Historically, the Christian church viewed the State as an adversary – at best as a necessary evil – and something that was to be “called out” from, not something to be embraced or to become entangled with.

Paul affirmed that the State served a purpose – to wield the sword and maintain civil authority – but that the Church served a higher purpose – to carry the cross and proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom. (See Romans 13)

The early Christian church took all of that to heart. From the earliest writings of the Apostles, through the Second and Third centuries, the Church resisted military involvement and refused engagement at the political level – even requiring new disciples to the faith who already served in public office to resign or be turned away at the Lord’s Table and disqualified from Baptism.

Of course, all of that changed when the Emperor Constantine allegedly converted to Christianity. But the form of Christianity that Constantine offered the Church was one that was fused with the State.

In exchange for a place of honor and acceptability within the public square, the Christian Church sold Her birthright and bowed her knees to the State.

Ironically enough, the Church compromised Her values so that the sword would no longer come against Her –and yet once Constantine and the Empire become entangled with the Church there were even more Christians put to death than ever before. Only now, sadly, it would be the Church Herself who would imprison and torture and put to death any Christian that opposed Her – or the State.

When the Anabaptists stood up and defied the State Church – even the Reformed State Church of Calvin and Luther – they were arrested, beaten, tortured, and put to death for seeking to turn back the clock to a time when the Church wasn’t aligned with the State.

Because of all this, Christians who today embrace the Organic or House Church model should automatically understand the importance of untangling their faith from their politics. If they truly understand that the Church went off the rails by aligning Herself with Constantine, then it shouldn’t be too hard to see that any Christian who maintains political entanglements is still enslaved to that Constantinian form of Church.

Yet this is not the case. Perhaps part of the problem is that Christians who have left the Traditional Church are still carrying some of the baggage they brought with them from the Constantinian form of Church? Maybe they have yet to fully grasp all that the Constantinian model stands for?

I do know that many within the House Church movement do not automatically reject Constantine’s Sword, for example. They still hold fast to a form of Christianity that embraces violence rather than returning to the words of Jesus for instruction on how to respond to those who want to harm us. They haven’t yet understood the power of Christ that is at work in our weakness or fully trusted in the transformational power of the love of Christ to disarm our enemies.

So, many House Church practitioners only disavow the Hierarchy model that Constantine introduced into the Church, but do not yet feel comfortable letting go of the Church/State political entanglements that he infused at the same time.

Until we completely turn away from every perversion of the Christian faith that Constantine introduced into the Church, we will never be completely free to experience the Koinonia of the Ekklesia, and we’ll never be empowered to really “Be the Church” that Jesus designed in the first place.

-kg
**
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READ THE ENTIRE "JESUS UNTANGLED" SERIES:

Part 1: "Jesus Untangled"
Part 2: "Who Are We?"
Part 3: "Why Do People Think I'm A Liberal?"
Part 4: "Still Embracing Constantine?"

Part 5: How American Evangelicalism Has Been Exploited, by Ross Rohde

Part 6: The Entanglement Agenda

Part 7: "What Would Jesus Say About The American Revolution?" by Chuck McKnight

Part 8: "Ambassadors of Contrast"

Part 9: “AWOL Christian Soldiers”
Part 10: "The Elephant In The Church"

Part 11: "Christian American Horror Story"

Part 12: "Our True Source of Liberty" by Ross Rohde

Part 13: "Welcome To Post Christian America"

Part 14: "What Would Wilberforce Do?"
Part 15: "Crucify Your Politics"

[Subversive Podcast] Constantine: Violence and Hierarchy

Some Christians will only admit that Constantine was either the one who brought the Church into a Pro-Violence Nationalism, or a Clergy-Laity Divide, but not both.

In this podcast we'll look at how Constantine's influence was directly responsible for leading the Church away from two of Jesus' main teachings:
"You are all brothers" and "Love your enemies."

See also:
Biblical Scholarship In Support Of Non-Hierarchy

Interview: Scott Bartchy (Part 2)

The Disciples on Leadership and Hierarchy

[Subversive Radio] Interviews

I've got some great interviews lined up for [Subversive Radio] this month.

Join me on for these upcoming shows at 6pm PST:

*Herb Montgomery (Tuesday, 8/5) "Christian Nonviolence and LGBT Issues"
*Steve Gregg (Wednesday, 8/6) "Jesus, Israel and the Church" >SPECIAL TIME: 9pm PST
*Jon Zens (Thursday, 8/7) "The One Anothers"
*Thomas Crisp (Tuesday, 8/12) "Jesus, Gandhi and Nonviolence"
*Al Baker (Tuesday, 8/26) "Constantine's Christian Conversion: Fact or Fiction?"

I'm also very excited about the possibility of interviewing Dr. Scott Bartchy next month on the topic of "The Early Christians and Nonviolence".

Call in to join us at:
(646) 652-4945
Or listen live online at:
blogtalkradio.com/subversive-radio/

WHY ARE (SOME) CHRISTIANS SO MEAN? – PART 1

It happens far too often. We hear stories like the one my non-Christian friend shared with me last week where someone she knows was turned away from a local church and asked to leave the property because it "looked bad" that she was crying in front of their building.

Of course, the woman’s daughter was missing, she was close to losing her apartment due to HUD restrictions limiting her ability to care for her grand daughter, and she needed help with food and clothes for this little one. Luckily, this elderly woman, with her grandchild in tow, ended up down the street at a secular organization which fed her grand child, referred her to a food bank, and even put some cash in her hand while the volunteers behind the counter scrambled to find clothing for the little girl and a dedicated social worker to help her with housing needs.

What’s wrong with this picture? How could the woman with the hungry grandchild be turned away by the people who profess to follow someone who said “Whatever you’ve done for the least of these you’ve done it to me”, and receive help from those who do not?

It’s almost a modern day Good Samaritan story, isn’t it? Except that it’s not a story. It’s real.

So, how is it that Christians can be so insensitive and mean? What’s going on here?

In this short series of articles to follow, I hope to shed some light on this troubling phenomenon.

Honestly, I believe there are a variety of reasons for this aberrant behavior, the first one being that Christians in America define themselves by the things they believe, not by their attitudes or behaviors.

Reason #1 – Christians in America are defined by doctrines.

This idea goes all the way back to the third century when Emperor Constantine was allowed to define what it meant to be a Christian. Before this, the Christian church (as evidenced by the New Testament writings and early church practice) defined Christianity as a way of living that mirrored the life of Jesus. This is why Paul the Apostle was so adamant that the early Christians not associate with those who called themselves Christians but refused to actually obey His teachings.

“But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.” (1 Cor. 5:11)

Ironically, in this same passage, Paul makes a point that he’s not talking about non-believers who behave this way. Not at all:

“…not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.” (1 Cor. 5:10)

Somehow Christians in America have gotten this backwards. They refuse to associate with “worldly” people who don’t act Christian, but have a very high tolerance for people within the Church who don’t act like Jesus.

But it’s not our tolerance for this behavior that has led us to this unsettling situation. It’s our definition of who a Christian really is.

When Constantine showed up and helped to end the persecution of Christians with the edict of Milan in 313, many (but not all) Christians hailed him as a hero, and even welcomed his influence in the affairs of the church. Possibly this was because Constantine granted their leaders tax exemptions and put many of them on the Roman payroll, perhaps?

At any rate, Constantine did what no Emperor had ever done before – he influenced the church to codify a statement of orthodoxy – a set of core beliefs – that defined what “true” Christianity was all about.

 

Before this the early church disagreed on a number of doctrinal points, and even freely dis-fellowshipped themselves from those who taught heresy (as they defined it). But, until Constantine officially declared what made Christians “Christian” the only criteria was a simple faith in Christ and a sincere desire to put His teachings into practice. Granted, some might disagree with you on a few points of doctrine, but they wouldn’t have killed you for it. We have Constantine to thank for that eventual practice.

Fast forward a few hundred years and nothing much has changed. Pastors and churches are still exempt from taxes, they are still useful to propagate the policies of the Empire, and Christianity is still defined as an agreement with a set of core doctrines.

This is why you can now call yourself a Christian and disobey Christ’s command to care for the orphan and the widow. Because if you have agreed with the Statement of Faith (the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the Trinity, the Resurrection, etc.) then you are absolutely a Christian, and your actions are not taken into account.

Of course, this is in direct contradiction to Jesus’ words that:

 

“they will know that you are my disciples (followers) if you love one another” (John 13:35)

 

and

 

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.” (John 14:21)

 

and

 

“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” (John 14:23-24).

So, basically, as long as you take a new believer’s class or agree with a detailed “Statement of Faith” you’ll be considered a Christian by almost every Church in America today. In spite of the fact that you may not follow Jesus, obey Jesus, or have any intention of learning what Jesus commanded His followers to do.

For the record, if you can turn away someone in need who comes to you begging for help, you might not be a Christian. Or, as the Apostle John asks,

 

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” (1 John 3:17)

Christians in America desperately need to redefine themselves as people who are doing their best to put the words of Jesus into action. Otherwise, we’ll be left with a Church that looks and acts nothing like Jesus.

-kg

[END PART ONE]

JESUS: The Prince of Peace (4 of 4)

By definition, we who call ourselves "Christians" should be followers of Jesus. Our Lord is known as the Prince of Peace. We are commanded to "Love one another" and to be known for our love. Jesus pronounced a blessing to those who would be peace makers saying, "Blessed are the peace makers for they shall inherit the Earth."

Yet, somehow, we who are called by His Name are not known for our great love. We are not known for our expertise on the ways of peace. Even though we are given the ministry of reconciliation, we are not the ones people come to when they hope to resolve conflict and experience peace in their lives.

What has happened?

It was not always this way. In our New Testament we find a seamless flow of love from our Lord to His disciples and from his disciples to the world.

In fact, for roughly 300 years the followers of Jesus were models of peace. Even though they were hunted and beaten and pursued and persecuted and put to death by the sword and wild animal, they did not raise a hand in retaliation. They shared all that they had with anyone in need and gave up their own daily bread to feed the hungry in their midst. For 300 years they were people of peace and examples of love to everyone they met.

Imagine that. Imagine 300 years of Christian history where not one recorded instance of violence is found in the record books where a follower of Jesus took a sword to another person or raised his hands in violence.

Something happened to change our tune. Someone stepped in and rearranged the music, and the saddest thing is: We listened.

When Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 312 A.D. and established himself as the "Pontifex Maximus" of the Church he effectively unraveled 300 years of Christian pacifism and ushered in a new era where Christianity would be re-defined as a belief system rather than as a way of life.

In 316, Constantine acted as a judge in a North African dispute concerning the validity of Donatism (a Christian sect). After ruling that the Donatists were heretical in their faith, Constantine led an army of Christians against the Donatist Christians. For the first time in Christian History, after 300 years of pacifism, a Christian took up a sword aganst another person - and those people were other followers of Jesus.

This radical shift created by Constantine set in motion a series of changes to the Christian faith that are still being felt to this day. While the early Christians peacefully opposed the Empire and lived a life of quiet subversion against the pattern of this world, the new Christians (under Constantine) became the tool of the Empire.

To this day the Christian faith remains the puppet of the Empire. In America, the Christian Church has alligned herself with the State and has adopted the party message, seeking to influence the world through political means rather than through the transformative power of the Gospel.

I've met Christians who cannot imagine their Christian faith apart from an allegiance to the Republican Party. I've spoken to Christians who feel that the use of deadly force against another person is not only acceptable, it would be endorsed by Jesus. I've debated Christians who support the use of torture against other human beings as long as it means we can sleep safe in our beds at night.

These views are not in line with the words of Jesus. We have to divorce our faith in Christ from such blind Nationalism and rediscover what it means to submit to Jesus as our Lord, placing Him on the throne of our hearts.

If our allegiance is to Christ, then we must take seriously his commands to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. We must wrestle with these difficult issues of ethics and faith.

Our calling as followers of Jesus is not only to avoid violence, it is to take the initiative to show love to our enemies and to bless those who want to bring violence against us.

These are not political issues, these are personal issues. These are matters of personal faith and obedience to the words of Jesus.

Either we love Him and we believe His words to be true, or we must admit that we've found another way that is more attractive to us than the Way of Christ and embrace the American Dream. We cannot have it both ways.

My prayer is that Christians in America would rediscover their original DNA as peaceful, loving followers of Jesus and jettison the Nationalized Christianity that enslaves us to the Empire.

Let us place Jesus back on the Throne of our hearts, and crown him again as King of the Church. Let us pledge allegiance to Christ and to His Kingdom, not to any man-made creed or political system.

-kg
**
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." - Jesus (Matthew 5:25-30)