I had this quote saved in my notes on my iPhone and I don't remember if it was a comment on this blog or elsewhere.
Here is why no one believes those who claim they follow 1st Century Christianity:
One of the reasons believers want to get back to the First Century practices of believers in the Christian church is that these manifestations were commonplace back then.
Christians crave something that was present back in that era, something which, giving the benefit of doubt, is not as prolific today if indeed it exists at all.
People even attempt to fake them in various ways to prove that they have the witness of God supporting them, but the fakery is easily seen for what it is, and as such does not provide incontrovertible proof which would rope in a non-believer as it often did in Apostolic times.
Fakery, once discovered, results in reproach and ridicule.
8 comments:
I've written something very much like that on different blogs several times over the years about the miracles performed by Jesus and the Apostles. The first time was in response to news of a fast which Rod Meredith had called, and which then became an annual event. He had the LCG membership beseeching
God for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, miracles which some believe disappeared dating with the dwindling and disappearance of the early Jewish Christians.
That these never accompanied HWA's so-called "restored truths" is very telling.
Where is the evidence that believers want to 'get back' to First century practices?
It has always been the propaganda from the Ministry that "they/those/beneath us/members/peasants need to be like First Century Christians"....thus putting themselves in the position of First Century apostles...
The miracle that's required is that the church leaders repent of the Pharisaic ways. Blessings and miracles from God would naturally follow.
No one today, least of all the Armstrongists, practice first century Christianity. And I for one am grateful.
Most of the people who make such claims don't even know what that really means. They don't know the first century church. They have a romanticized view of it - which, not surprisingly, matches what they want it to be like - but that's made up. Really, at the heart it's escapism.
The first century church was a good church but it was in its infancy. The church needed to grow and answer some questions. If you want to get back to something simpler yet solid, I think it would be much better to say something like, "I am a fourth century Christian."
Beware the pillar of salt thinking. Nowhere in scripture does God tell one generation to be like a previous generation.
The evidence is empirical, 10:52, collected in the geographic areas in which I functioned as a member of the old WCG. Their fantasy was supposed to finally become reality in Petra.
The splinters have become more bizzarre and crappier since my tribulation (tenure in Armstrongism), so I can only conjecture that this first century longing has become deeper. Nobody mentions things like fear of the Romans, or the Emperor soaking Christians with oil and igniting them as courtyard lamps, being kicked out of Temple, being expelled from Jewish society and losing employment, etc.
Although I don't agree with all of this man's teaching this is a very encouraging mesage. Any Comments? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMHkL8KixDI
Sounds good to me and you are right, it is encouraging.
Post a Comment