Redefining Christianity 1

It is clear that Christianity is in need of a radical redefining because over time the concept has become associated with practices that has little or nothing to do with Biblical Christianity. Most of what people see as Christianity is a mixture of the 'churchianity' of the dark Middle Ages and the evangelistic revivals of the previous eras. Even where some ministers of the Gospel see some of the new things God is doing, they find it apparently difficult to make the transition in their minds from the Christianity they know to what Jesus really wants. It is indeed necessary for those who want to see His purposes come to fulfillment to die to themselves, including their present ministries, churches, income, status or whatever gives them identity and to trust Jesus completely to raise up 'their' ministries in His own time and manner.

In the process of redefining Christianity, concepts such as the Word of God, heaven, hell, Kingdom of God, apostle, prophet, church, pastor, etc need to be redefined as well. This does not mean we define them according to popular tastes to fit more 'modern' mind-sets. No, we define them according to the Bible and the practice of the First church. The ' church' was the Ekklesia or 'called out ones'- those who responded to a Word about Jesus being raised from the dead who now lives IN believers through His Spirit. A better description for the church would probably be, 'The koinonia in Christ' or the 'In-Christ koinonia'. The early apostles and prophets never went out to 'plant' churches, they were propelled by the indwelling Christ to proclaim a Message. The fruit of the message became known as the Ekklesia! The 'Word' was the Message about a Person, Jesus Christ! For the first 100 years or more the believers did not have a 'Bible' other than the Scriptures (the Law and the Prophets)- the Apostles and Prophets spoke a living, dynamic and authentic Word. The Word was authentic because the Living Christ Himself was speaking through them, something He still does, if allowed.

The early ministers preached Christ, not about Him! 'Heaven' was a spiritual, dynamic dimension of living that could be entered in the present by faith in the Living Word; it was not a future physical place of 'golden streets and mansions'. It is the realm where God's presence is experienced in fullness and the only thing that prevents us from experiencing it in it's fullness now, is the fact that we are still hampered by our physical limitations.

In future articles we will pick up on some of the other concepts in Christianity which need to be redefined according to their original meanings.