Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

So, some of you may be thinking to yourself, I myself am one, why is there so much discord between the various divisions within the Protestant Church? So many different theories, paths, teaching methods, doctrines? Well, we're not alone. This all started back in the early 1st Century. Come with me, won't you....................

In its earliest stages Christianity was a non-entity. The apostles believed Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and a finalizing of Judaism, not a separate religious movement. The term Christian wouldn't be coined until years later with Paul's missionary trip among the Gentiles in Antioch, the home of the first Christian Church.

There were three different factions in the first century Church. They all believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but from that point their philosophies went there own direction. One sect believed they could usher in the Second Coming by practicing strict adherence to the Torah. (Hey everyone, it's the first Fundamentalists) Jesus' brother, James, led this ultra-orthodox group. Some scholars believe he was a Pharisee while others contend he was the High Priest in the period recorded in Acts. James is also considered by some as the first "Bishop" of the Jerusalem Church. The verse James believed verified his position, which in actuality was Nazirite in practice, is "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them." (Matthew 5:17) In saying this Jesus was using phrases familiar to the Jews. To fulfill the law, and not abolish it, meant that he agreed with it. Jesus went on to say "...not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place." (Matthew 5:19,20) He also veered from the Pauline doctrine adopted by Martin Luther and thus the entire Protestant movement when he said, "Even so faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself." (James 2:17)

The next group was led by Peter, traditionally held by the Catholic Church as the first Pope, the "Rock" that the Church will be built upon (Matthew 16:18). His vision in acts, (Acts 10:9-16), eventually led him to bring the Gospel to the God-Fearing Gentiles and the Diaspora (Jews living outside of Jerusalem). The term God-Fearing Gentiles is an important distinction, meaning those that were proselytes, obeying the Torah, especially the importance of circumcision.

Now Paul was the renegade according to the rest, say the first Mark Driscoll at the original Mars Hill. This same Super Pharisee, persecutor of the Christians and witness to the murder of Stephen that was saved on the road to Damascus was going to reach the gentiles. This mission sprung from his own vision (Acts 9:19). Not only was he ministering to the non-Jewish, idol worshippers of Asia Minor, Greece and Rome, his message taught that following the Torah wasn't a prerequisite for Salvation nor were good deeds and living piously. (Ephesians 2:4-9). As you may see this caused mucho problemos with the Jerusalem Church.

This tension was the precursor to the First Apostolic Council in which the leaders of the church issued a proclamation concerning future mission trips to the world, agreeing that the new followers were not required to be circumcised but still must refrain from idol worship and eating non-kosher foods.

"Oy vay", what an uproar this caused. Up until this time the Jerusalem Church was enjoying freedom in their new beliefs. After all, their leader, James, was a Nazarene and followed the Torah to the letter, but once the decree from the Council was issued, the non-Christian Jews started taking exception to this new faith. This was probably the beginning of the end for them having any inklings of proclaiming Jesus as their Messiah. "Their" Messiah would not condone such a departure from all they knew. Another consequence at this time was the eventual martyrdom of James by stoning and the taking away of Paul to "protective custody" in Rome where he eventually died. James, interestingly enough, was put to death by the High Priest Ananias, cousin to the High Priest Caiphas who found Jesus guilty and sent him to His death. Furthering this divide between Jew and Gentile was the destruction of Solomon's Temple in A.D. 70 and the exile of all Jewish citizens from Jerusalem. A struggling religion was scattered.

With the Church firmly in the hands of the Gentiles and the remaining Jewish Christians relegated to practical obscurity, the rise of the Catholic Church had begun. One of the first items they decided (hopefully with the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit) was what would be considered canonical and what was heresy. A core belief of the Catholic Church is the perpetual virginity of Mary. For this reason Peter was elevated as their first Pope and the supposition that Mary had siblings to Jesus, let alone that one was the head of the early church, were suppressed. Thus the Pauline doctrine took precedence and James' take on salvation (faith without works is dead) was sent to the back of the NT as a minor epistle (Martin Luther was even said to have wished it wasn't included at all).

So what happened? I believe that just as Paul put a local spin on his teachings, like naming the unnamed God on Mars Hill the true God, Jesus' post resurrection conversations with, and appearances to, James, Peter and Paul were His way of spreading His message to the world in a such a way that would be understood by whatever audience was being reached. How was His message so thoroughly confused? The Jewish citizens at large denied that "their" Messiah would allow the Torah to be defiled and let "the uncircumcised" become children of Israel. James, though seemingly tolerant of Paul's method and terms of spreading the Gospel, was thoroughly Jewish first, and because of that, was probably defensive about "sharing" the Messiah with the Gentiles. Peter almost waffles along; agreeing with whatever James says.

Paul alone seems to get the drift of what Jesus' message was all about. All the nations would come to the temple, but not by becoming Jewish or obeisance of the Torah, but by faith in Jesus and his atoning death. Not the temple of their time but the true temple in the New Jerusalem. Not with circumcision, but with baptism by the Holy Spirit.

..........................okay, back to the future. You can see there has always been disagreements, even among the apostles. We need to agree to disagree. Of course there are certain core beliefs that should define a true bible believing Christian Church but beyond that it's all just window dressing, meant to attract the most moths (us) to the fire (the redemption of sin and baptism by Holy Spirit) by truly becoming one with the community and showing them that life In Christ is for the here and now as much as for eternity. We're not doing anything new. The message has been the same since before time began. Jesus was and still is the Senior Pastor of the Eternal Christian Church, truly relevant and truly ahead of its time.