Planting Churches?
In thinking of the statement that Paul did not plant churches but instead planted Christ. How does this relate to our "struggle" to find/administer/retain/found an authentic church?
I think the fact that Paul planted the gospel, which is the testimony of Christ, therefore Paul was planting a Person, is key. In this sense. If you are planting a person then what will naturally develop is community, family, fellowship, and freedom. When you are planting a "church" you are planting a humanly defined construct. Basically a teaching and therefore you are really planting law, conformity, formalism, and the other fleshly manifestations of missing the mark.
It's not so much that we need to go back to a particular pattern. That's looking backward, or better stated outward in. We are looking at the outward manifestations in the Scripture, trying to copy them and therefore expecting that the inward reality will just show up. That seems backward. The outward manifestations are manifested BECAUSE of an inward reality, not because of a constructed systematized memorized conforming doctrine. Christ was planted, a Person. Therefore that which is personal flowed from it. Helping one another, loving one another, serving one another. One anothering.
When you plant a "church" meaning an institution you are planting a teaching really. It's ABOUT Christ, but it is NOT Christ. It is man's impressions, interpretations, expectations, and fantasies rolled into a pivotal doctrine or two packaged and administered by an institution. When you plant a person you get the freedom of community. When you plant an institution you get the bondage of conformity.
Why? A person is ALIVE. And THIS Person is LIFE itself. An institution is NOT living. Therefore it will not impart what you truly seek.
So do we need to go back and do what they did? I think that misses the point. We can see what they did, now the question is WHY did they do those things, what was the cause, the foundation? It was Christ. Start there, and He will build His church. And He will cleanse us from this fleshly religious gobbledegook that we've passed off as truth, faith, and worship.
I think the fact that Paul planted the gospel, which is the testimony of Christ, therefore Paul was planting a Person, is key. In this sense. If you are planting a person then what will naturally develop is community, family, fellowship, and freedom. When you are planting a "church" you are planting a humanly defined construct. Basically a teaching and therefore you are really planting law, conformity, formalism, and the other fleshly manifestations of missing the mark.
It's not so much that we need to go back to a particular pattern. That's looking backward, or better stated outward in. We are looking at the outward manifestations in the Scripture, trying to copy them and therefore expecting that the inward reality will just show up. That seems backward. The outward manifestations are manifested BECAUSE of an inward reality, not because of a constructed systematized memorized conforming doctrine. Christ was planted, a Person. Therefore that which is personal flowed from it. Helping one another, loving one another, serving one another. One anothering.
When you plant a "church" meaning an institution you are planting a teaching really. It's ABOUT Christ, but it is NOT Christ. It is man's impressions, interpretations, expectations, and fantasies rolled into a pivotal doctrine or two packaged and administered by an institution. When you plant a person you get the freedom of community. When you plant an institution you get the bondage of conformity.
Why? A person is ALIVE. And THIS Person is LIFE itself. An institution is NOT living. Therefore it will not impart what you truly seek.
So do we need to go back and do what they did? I think that misses the point. We can see what they did, now the question is WHY did they do those things, what was the cause, the foundation? It was Christ. Start there, and He will build His church. And He will cleanse us from this fleshly religious gobbledegook that we've passed off as truth, faith, and worship.
posted by GBT at
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
