.
What might Christianity look like if the Gospels had become ink before the Epistles? … “The Good News” – Andrew Blair
.
.
I have heard many “let’s go back to The Early Church” exhortations. I have thought it myself. Seems to me that replacing much of the “Temple Industry” practices/preferences still endemic in religion today with a “pure” faith (like what Jesus taught) to be an exceedingly good idea.
Except at what point do we drop the flagpole of The Early Church … ?
Before or after The Cross … Before or after Paul … ? If before The Cross where would the “The Big Reveal” of evangelising be? And if after … would that be before or after The Ascension – and if after how much after – and if before … why?
.
What might Christianity look like if the Gospels had become ink before the Epistles?
.
What a profound question from my blog partner!
.
.
For The Early Church was riddled with as much dissent as we have now – just that we prefer to paper over the cracks as we do today. The Early Church writings have as many tellings-off and “scandals” as today. The same “role model” churches as today. As much missionary work as today. A Head Office structure just like today. And – just like today – it was (and remains) a numbers game …
“How many have you brought me?”
.
.
I think it another good reason for going bible-blind. For being selective not in finding proof-verses that kill debate, but in finding the essence of the bible and letting the rest “rest”.
We are addicted to bible study, bible teaching, bible preaching. We have created an academic-theological language more complex than the most difficult of The Difficult Verses. We have idolised the verses of burden and sacrifice and hardship and persecution – idolised the verses of soul-saving-counting – made it all such hard work!
We have gone bible-blind in the same way as we have gone Love-blind – we read the bible and prefer to see darkly – we cannot live without sin and choose to Love sparingly. And we have that wonderful mantra written on the hearts of every believer:
“We are all but sinners saved”
Which is the get-out-of-jail-free-card used again and again as an excusing of our own weaknesses (or addictions) – along with the superstition at the end of almost every prayer “… in the name of Jesus we ask, amen”. Or else we won’t get what we ask for!
.
What might Christianity look like if the Gospels had become ink before the Epistles?
.
I think worth thinking about.
Thank you, Andrew.
.
.
Church Set Free 
I am not sure about doing so. Are we more intelligent, wise, than those who penned the New Testament? Do we keep what makes us feel good and throw aways what offends? Jefferson did that by tossing away everything that had to do with miracles, stopping his bible at the crucifixion. He kept only the teachings of Christ, except where miracles were part of the teaching. If we are rich and love money do we toss every teaching against wealth? Jesus never taught against slavery, does that make slavery allowable? Many thought so, when he healed the slave of the Centurion he praised him for his faith, but he never said, “Now go and free your slave whom I have healed.” Picking and choosing what we believe and what we prefer not to believe becomes a steep, slippery cliff (not a slope).
I do not speak against LGB, but I do not speak for it either. I read the verses in the OT against it and find that in those circumstances one has to question if the sin is the LGB activities or the rape that is occurring, or both?
The Law of Moses permits slavery, but puts limitations on how a slave is to be treated, and puts a limit to seven years. Jesus picked twelve men to lead the church, does that mean it is wrong to allow women, today, in leadership positions? Only men in the Levitical laws were allowed to be priests. Jesus said, Matthew 5:18-19 (YLT) “till that the heaven and the earth may pass away, one iota or one tittle may not pass away from the law, till that all may come to pass.” When did/does “all may come to pass?” Some say with the resurrection, some say with the second coming.
LikeLiked by 1 person
WOW! Such a gift when words come back from the heart. Thank you!
“I am not sure about doing so.” Nor me! 😊
Yet as much as I know “The Law” is a founded upon Love because of The Chosen People’s choice to “love” selectively. If so, then the choice to still prefer this pale imitation thousands of years later – and when the Real Thing is so readily available – I think an odd one.
Perhaps my struggle is simply this – that so long as we live by the Law we will never live by Love …
I read of a conversation with a young woman raped as a child at 14 years old – whose rape was filmed (and then uploaded to Pornhub with some “scenes” viewed 400k+ times). She said many things. But for her the worst was not to be judged a slut by the few who spoke – it was to be “judged“ by the many more who remained silent.
Surely we choose whether by speaking or remaining silent.
And, for me, the saddest part of all of this is our unshakeable addiction to the bible as “evidence”. To seek vindication of our choices from (a pick and choose of) the bible – and then to be content because we are correct in God’s eyes. I have come to think that is not the purpose of the bible. 🙂
Because always at the back of my mind is this. If I meet my Maker – only to be judged that I loved too much (and read the bible too little) … then perhaps “heaven”/”coming to pass” is not the place we fondly imagine it to be (nor the bible either).
Picking and choosing is what we were created to be. I see Jesus inviting us to choose Love – just as I see us determining the rest.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If I meet my Maker – only to be judged that I loved too much
True. We must meet him as the Publican, not the Pharisee. We are all sinners, both in the eyes of man and of God, the important thing is to choose whom we prefer to be judged by. Jesus chose to be judged a sinner by man.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perhaps The Way has many ways! Yet we all seem to favour the way we follow. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think I am going to repost your response since the
Question keeps cropping up.
LikeLike