Modern Abuses From An Old Play-Book

Long ago the ancient, Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero said:

But not to know what happened before you were born - that is to be forever a child.

I’m inclined to agree with Cicero in this respect, repeating the mistakes of the past is the epitome of immaturity. We have set ourselves up to fall for some of Satan’s oldest devices because we fail to inform ourselves of a basic understanding of our own history.

The evidence of this historical abandonment becomes painfully clear when you compare the modern evangelical church with its medieval Roman counterpart. Some of the very things that led Luther, Calvin, Knox, and others to offer up their lives to defend are being cast aside with shameful indifference. Consider the following examples:

1. Many evangelical church pastors encourage their members in Biblical illiteracy by dumbing down sermons, not expecting people to bring or use their Bibles, creating a pastoral dependence for scriptural interpretation, or by brow-beating their members with sermons that dwell on things that should be left up to the consciences of the believer priests.

2. Many churches “institutionalize” Biblically ordained offices such as deacons making them a position of power instead of a ministry of service.

3. Many pastors bully their congregations with guilt often threatening them just as did the popes of the medieval period. This sort of leadership offends the very statements of Christ himself when He said, I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 NASB)

4. Youth Pastors position themselves between parents and their children. Looking down their noses at parents who are at best a cheap chaperone or van driver or at worst a nuisance. This sort of attitude flaunts the command of parents (not youth pastors) to be the primary source of spiritual instruction and encouragement (Deuteronomy 6).

5. Pastors who are more concerned with “filling pews” (which incidentally is never commanded in scripture) instead of making disciples and teaching them God’s Word (commanded in Matthew 28:19-20) usually for the purpose of inflating membership rolls. Even the president of the SBC Frank Page mentioned in a recent article that this practice is out of control:

All of us must be saddened by the fact that Southern Baptists claim more than 16 million members. One preacher once told me that the FBI could not find 5 million of them! I happen to agree with him. It is time to emphasize evangelism with integrity. No longer should we use manipulative methods that may bring about larger numbers when those persons' commitment to Christ is little or none. (Baptist Press May 7, 2007)

There are more examples that can (and will in time) be noted. Sufficed to say that we need to understand that the modern church is in serious need of reformation. We need to do just as the Biblical scholars of the reformation did and ignore what is being said and go back to the sources (Latin: ad fontes). We need to reform our churches so that if Peter or Barnabas or any of the 1st century saints were to show up at our churches they would at least in theory know what we are meeting to do.