1600 Years of Church’s Slavery

The body of Christ, the church, the people of God, has been trapped for 1600 years (40 × 40) in the schemes and structures of the powers and principalities of this world. Not only externally, in terms of cooperating with them, receiving benefits, subsidies and privileges, spreading the gospel by force, etc., but also internally, in terms of the internal dynamics of worship and community order. Patterns, structures and forms of authority in external society have influenced the understanding of authority within the Christian community and, consequently, its internal functioning. This process began as early as the 2^nd century, and was sealed and finally established by 313 AD, when Christianity became the favoured (and soon afterwards the only permitted) religion of the Roman Empire. Following the pattern of human powers and religions, a separation between clergy and laity (even if it is not called that!) has developed within the body of Christ, which in practice means that most of the bodily functions are taken over by a small group of leaders, while the other members are passive, atrophied, moribund. And the leaders tend to get burned out – especially if they are conscientious in their work. Instead of a body where every member contributes (1Co 12:6–7; 14:26; Eph 4:16) and co-labours, we have a kind of association where the majority is inactive and where the leaders often dominate according to the pattern of the worldly authority and power (Mk 10:42). It is a gathering modelled by the imperial civil service, quite bureaucratic, rather than a sanctuary of the body of Christ where the Spirit works powerfully and effectively through every member; a body that spreads and grows in small holy communities (Mt 18:18–20) throughout the whole world (Mt 28:18–20; Col 1:6).

Would it not be time to begin building God’s sanctuary as Christ envisioned it? To stop seeking after our own interests and start seeking those of Christ (Hag 1:2–4; Php 2:21)?

Some parts of Europe have experienced some of this – the brotherhoods and lay movements in the Middle Ages, the Moravian Brothers in Czechia and Germany, the Methodist movement in Britain. In our country, too, some have experienced the beauty and power of meeting in a small community.

What is practised by contemporary discipleship movements is not something substantially new, all the elements were there long ago. What is different is that they approach these matters systematically, consistently, out of principle. Without feeling guilty for not setting up an organisation with dedicated leadership, meeting place, etc. With a vision of God’s sanctuary rising in the power of the Spirit from small communities, where contact between heaven and earth is established (Mt 18:18–19; 1Ki 8:30; Mt 6:10!), where the holy sacrifice of bodies, that is, of the whole life of individuals, is offered (Rom 12:1), where the shekinah of God is present (Mt 18:20; 28:20; 2Co 3:18), where the Spirit of God works through all (1Co 12:6), so that all may learn and all may be encouraged (1Co 14:31).

Is it not time for the church to finally break free from worldly patterns of power and authority, internally and externally, and begin to learn to walk in the good, humble and meek authority of Christ, which heals and revives, so that communities can serve as embassies of God’s kingdom and as a light to the world? To begin to learn to follow Christ, who founded the small communion of the twelve, which multiplied and filled whole regions with families of God? To return to an order that values the greatness of leadership ministries according to how much they are able to mobilise others for the work of ministry (Eph 4:7–12!), that is, to raise up others, to strengthen others, to empower others, to equip others, to send out others – following the example of Christ (Mr 10:43–45)? Is it not time for the church to be freed from Babylon, not only externally, but also internally? Not only doctrinally, but also in the inner dynamics of community life?

Dear Martin Luther, after five hundred years, is it not time to finally introduce the third order of worship and bring the Reformation to completion, and to become Christians, as you wrote?