| "[T]rying to figure out where 'organized religion' fits in with Jesus' teachings." (This post has been adapted from an on-line correspondence.) |
| [no date] Right now I am not sure about how having a "church family" fits in with the grand scheme of things. I have not made up my mind yet on this, I am just still trying to figure out where "organized religion" fits in with Jesus' teachings. Overall, I would love to find a sincere group of people who love Jesus and want to love others regardless of their lifestyle, denomination etc... B. |
| 10 May 2006 Dear B., I can identify with you over your problem; practically this same thing I questioned for roughly eight of my first ten years as a Christian. In the hopes that it may be of help, allow me to share with you how "church family"/"organized religion" fits in with Jesus' teachings. I shall be brief. Foundational to the harmony between "church family"/"organized religion" and Jesus' teachings are certain dealings of the Son of God and God the Father with the men Peter and Paul:---
That this was just so is attested by the Spirit of God through Peter at 2Peter 3.16 where Paul's letters are linked with, considered on par with Holy Scripture. |
| (2Peter 3.-15-16)
think of the long-suffering of our Lord as salvation, as also our
beloved brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom having been
given to him; as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning
these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the
unlearned and unstable pervert, as also they do the rest of the
Scriptures, to their own destruction. |
| Three of Paul's letters, which
is to say, three books of Holy Scripture are termed the Pastoral
Epistles: 1Timothy, 2Timothy, and Titus. First Timothy
2.1-3.15 lays out clear, explicit, ethical instructions regarding the
organization of and behavior in the local church. Additional
instructions are written in 1Timothy 5.1-6.2 and Titus 2.1-10.
These are a few of the many teachings of Paul, yea, of Scripture, yea,
of Jesus Himself (Whose "name is called The Word of God" [Revelation
19.13; cf. John 1.1-3,14]) regarding "organized religion," i.e., the
local church. The local church is the place for, among other
important things, corporate edification of (1Corinthians
14.3,4,5,12,17,26) and reciprocal edification among (Colossians 3.16,
Hebrews 10.24-25) Christian "brothers" and "sisters" (cf. Matthew
12.50, Mark 3.35, 1Corinthians 7.15, James 2.15). Organized religion, so to speak, is as prevalent in the New Testament as it is in the Old (cf. Exodus 25.1-31.11; 35.4-40.33, the whole of Leviticus, 1Kings 6.1-8.66, etc.); for no less than four of Paul's letters, yea, no less than four books of New Testament Scripture are addressed to specific local churches (1Corinthians 1.1-3, 2Corinthians 1.1-2, 1Thessalonians 1.1, 2Thessalonians 1.1-2; cf. Galatians 1.1-5, Philemon 1.1-3). In the light of all this, you and I both can rest assured that we no longer need to try to figure out how "church family"/"organized religion" fits in with Jesus' teachings. All we need to make up our minds about is whether we are going to obey what Jesus, that is to say, what "The Word of God" teaches on the matter. It is my sincere hope that the Holy Spirit will bless these truths to your heart. My very best to you, Thomas John Dexter P.S. You are so right that we should "love others regardless of their lifestyle". Essentially that is the command. |
| (Leviticus
19.11-18)
You shall not steal nor lie, and not deceive a man to another.
And you shall not swear by My name to a falsehood; and not shall you
pollute the name of your God; I am Jehovah. You shall not extort
your neighbor, and not rob; you shall not allow the wages of a hired
one to remain with you until morning. You shall not revile the
deaf one, nor put a stumbling block before the blind one; for you shall
revere your God. I am Jehovah. You shall do no
unrighteousness in judgment; you shall not respect the person of the
poor one, and not favor the person of the great one, but in
righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go as
a slanderer among your people; you shall not stand up against the blood
of your neighbor; I am Jehovah. You shall not hate your brother
in your heart; reproving you shall reprove your neighbor, and not allow
sin on him. You shall not take vengeance, and not bear any grudge
against the sons of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as
yourself; I am Jehovah. (Matthew 19.-16-19) one said to Him [Jesus], "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" And He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One, God! But if you desire to enter into life, keep the commandments."2 He said to Him, "Which?" And Jesus said, "'You shall not commit murder, Nor commit adultery, Nor steal, Nor bear false witness, Honor your father and your mother,' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matthew 22.-35-40) a lawyer, questioned Him [Jesus], testing Him, and saying, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments all the Law and the Prophets hang." (Mark 12.-28-31) "What is the first commandment of all?" And Jesus answered him [one of the scribes], "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, Israel. The Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall love the Lord your God out of all your heart, and out of all your soul and out of all your mind, and out of all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second is like this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is not another commandment greater than these." (Romans 13.8-10) Do not continue to owe, no one, nothing, if not to love one another. For the one loving the other has fulfilled the Law. For, "Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not covet," and if there is any other commandment, in this Word it is summed up, in the words, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does not work bad to the neighbor. Then the fulfillment of Law is love. (Galatians 5.-13-15) brothers, you were called to freedom. Only do not use the freedom for an opening to the flesh. But through love be slaves to one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you are not consumed by one another. (James 2.8-13) If you truly fulfill the royal Law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well. But if you have partiality you work sin, being convicted by the Law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep all the Law, but stumbles in one, he has become guilty of all. For the One who said, "You shall not commit adultery," also said, "You shall not murder." But if you do not commit adultery, but commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the Law. So speak and so do as being about to be judged through a law of liberty. For judgment will be without mercy to the one not doing mercy. And mercy rejoices over judgment. |
| Notwithstanding, the Christian
is
also
commanded
not to mingle with anyone bearing the name of "Christian" whose
tendency of behavior or normal manner of conduct is indistinguishable
from that of the unregenerate! |
| (1Corinthians 5.9-13) I wrote to you in
the letter not to associate with fornicators; and not altogether with
the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous ones, or with
rapacious ones, or with idolaters, since then you must go out of the
world. But now I wrote to you not to associate intimately; if
anyone being named a brother and is either a fornicator, or a covetous
one, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a rapacious one,
with such a one not to eat. For what is it to me also to judge
the ones outside? Do you not judge those inside? But God
will judge the ones outside. And take away from yourselves the
wicked one. (Ephesians 5.-2-12) walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a fragrance of a sweet smell. But let not fornication, and all uncleanness, or greediness, be named among you, as is fitting for saints; also baseness, and foolish talking, or joking (the things not becoming), but rather thanksgiving. For be knowing this, that every fornicator, or unclean one, or covetous one, who is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for through these the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partakers with them; for you then were darkness, but are now light in the Lord; walk as children of light. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is pleasing to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things being done by them in secret. |
| Notes: 1 Jesus and the Father are one in essence (John 10.30); hence, the singular "Master". 2 Do you desire to enter into life? The Scriptures quoted in "My Reply" to "my friend" will tell how you can be made able to enter. |
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| The author implores checking his
commentary against Scripture using the tools of biblical
interpretation. Please be diligent to present yourself
approved to God, a worker having no cause or need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Copyright © 2006 by Thomas John Dexter. All rights reserved. The matter of this work may be reproduced for distribution, but it is not to be sold. The author's commentary is subject to change as he grows in knowledge and wisdom concerning the Word of God. Scripture taken from the KJ3—Literal Translation Bible - 2005 Edition. Copyright © 2005. By Jay P. Green, Sr. All rights reserved. |