Institutionalizion of the Church

If the early church had been arranged much like it is today (meeting in buildings; public, centralized governing bodies; always on Sundays) it would have likely been eradicated. Yet, because they met where it was safe, away from persecution, the church, in a little less than 300 years, conquered the Roman Empire. By 320AD, it is estimated that Believers in Christ made up 8% to 10% of the population of the Roman Empire.

When Constantine offered peace with the believers he did so out of political expedience: had he NOT, the number of believers would have continued to climb exponentially. He knew his hold on the Empire could have waned to the point where his political hegemony would have suffered. So, when he offered believers the right to become the State church, he and his successors also made temples of Christian worship areas of cultural learning. To this end, the temples of pagan gods were retrofitted to accommodate new, Christian themes: statues of the saints and depictions of salient Biblical events were commissioned, frescoes and paintings were completed, entire ceilings of some buildings were covered in certain Biblical scenes. Paintings, statues, liturgy, robes, leadership, etc. all coalesced into what we see today as the "Institutional Church". Once this pattern was standardized it could be exported to all corners of the Empire in scope and practice.

And that's what they did.

But here's the rub:

Much of what was done to accommodate the fact that most people could not read. Therefore, pictures, and statues, and spectacular arrangements and buildings were of necessity. If they could not read, they could at least see and emotionally experience the message of "Our God is Greater than Any God and We have Monopolized Access to Him".

However, recall that the church had already spread to be the largest homogeneous group in the Empire without the ability to read. This occurred through relationships, word of mouth, testimonies; through Christ appearing in the believers as the fruits of the Spirit. THIS was the original way that Christ intended to build His church: one Living Stone at a time: connected by the Spirit one and all.

Much of the apostasy that Rome introduced remains as common practice among many denominations: hierarchy not found in scripture (pastors of programs), common meeting times, elaborate buildings, leadership chosen by education and not by examples of fruit and character, entertainment, Levitical Priesthood practices, etc.

The church was never an institution. The Lord is building a house made of living stones: saints built upon each other with Christ as the Head of the Body.

Aaron56

If the early church had been arranged much like it is today (meeting in buildings; public, centralized governing bodies; always on Sundays) it would have likely been eradicated. Yet, because they met where it was safe, away from persecution, the church, in a little less than 300 years, conquered the Roman Empire. By 320AD, it is estimated that Believers in Christ made up 8% to 10% of the population of the Roman Empire.

When Constantine offered peace with the believers he did so out of political expedience: had he NOT, the number of believers would have continued to climb exponentially. He knew his hold on the Empire could have waned to the point where his political hegemony would have suffered. So, when he offered believers the right to become the State church, he and his successors also made temples of Christian worship areas of cultural learning. To this end, the temples of pagan gods were retrofitted to accommodate new, Christian themes: statues of the saints and depictions of salient Biblical events were commissioned, frescoes and paintings were completed, entire ceilings of some buildings were covered in certain Biblical scenes. Paintings, statues, liturgy, robes, leadership, etc. all coalesced into what we see today as the "Institutional Church". Once this pattern was standardized it could be exported to all corners of the Empire in scope and practice.

And that's what they did.

But here's the rub:

Much of what was done to accommodate the fact that most people could not read. Therefore, pictures, and statues, and spectacular arrangements and buildings were of necessity. If they could not read, they could at least see and emotionally experience the message of "Our God is Greater than Any God and We have Monopolized Access to Him".

However, recall that the church had already spread to be the largest homogeneous group in the Empire without the ability to read. This occurred through relationships, word of mouth, testimonies; through Christ appearing in the believers as the fruits of the Spirit. THIS was the original way that Christ intended to build His church: one Living Stone at a time: connected by the Spirit one and all.

Much of the apostasy that Rome introduced remains as common practice among many denominations: hierarchy not found in scripture (pastors of programs), common meeting times, elaborate buildings, leadership chosen by education and not by examples of fruit and character, entertainment, Levitical Priesthood practices, etc.

The church was never an institution. The Lord is building a house made of living stones: saints built upon each other with Christ as the Head of the Body.

Aaron56

If the early church had been arranged much like it is today (meeting in buildings; public, centralized governing bodies; always on Sundays) it would have likely been eradicated. Yet, because they met where it was safe, away from persecution, the church, in a little less than 300 years, conquered the Roman Empire. By 320AD, it is estimated that Believers in Christ made up 8% to 10% of the population of the Roman Empire.

When Constantine offered peace with the believers he did so out of political expedience: had he NOT, the number of believers would have continued to climb exponentially. He knew his hold on the Empire could have waned to the point where his political hegemony would have suffered. So, when he offered believers the right to become the State church, he and his successors also made temples of Christian worship areas of cultural learning. To this end, the temples of pagan gods were retrofitted to accommodate new, Christian themes: statues of the saints and depictions of salient Biblical events were commissioned, frescoes and paintings were completed, entire ceilings of some buildings were covered in certain Biblical scenes. Paintings, statues, liturgy, robes, leadership, etc. all coalesced into what we see today as the "Institutional Church". Once this pattern was standardized it could be exported to all corners of the Empire in scope and practice.

And that's what they did.

But here's the rub:

Much of what was done to accommodate the fact that most people could not read. Therefore, pictures, and statues, and spectacular arrangements and buildings were of necessity. If they could not read, they could at least see and emotionally experience the message of "Our God is Greater than Any God and We have Monopolized Access to Him".

However, recall that the church had already spread to be the largest homogeneous group in the Empire without the ability to read. This occurred through relationships, word of mouth, testimonies; through Christ appearing in the believers as the fruits of the Spirit. THIS was the original way that Christ intended to build His church: one Living Stone at a time: connected by the Spirit one and all.

Much of the apostasy that Rome introduced remains as common practice among many denominations: hierarchy not found in scripture (pastors of programs), common meeting times, elaborate buildings, leadership chosen by education and not by examples of fruit and character, entertainment, Levitical Priesthood practices, etc.

The church was never an institution. The Lord is building a house made of living stones: saints built upon each other with Christ as the Head of the Body.

Aaron56

However, recall that the church had already spread to be the largest homogeneous group in the Empire without the ability to read. This occurred through relationships, word of mouth, testimonies; through Christ appearing in the believers as the fruits of the Spirit. THIS was the original way that Christ intended to build His church: one Living Stone at a time: connected by the Spirit one and all.

Overall I agree with your post, I'd just add one thing here. They also had the apostles' writings. Koine Greek was the common language of the Roman Empire. Even if someone couldn't read or write they could still understand if the writings were read aloud.

Yay another ”I hate the church thread”.
@Aaron56 quick question for you. When you say “The church was never an institution”, what do you mean by that?
The church being political for example, instead of serving God? If that’s what you meant, then yes I agree with you.

Also do you agree that not everyone is bad in any church? Or is your view that everyone is bad?

The Roman Church was not created by Christ but buy the Roman government.

Institutionalization, at its core, makes the form greater than its parts. You may clearly see this in legal proceedings, where the church name or group, properly registered with the state, is found in the documents apart from any person's name. That's how you know you are dealing with an institution. Furthermore, institutions are charged with protecting the survival of the institution. This is how centuries of child rape go unreported or properly dealt with: far from bringing all matters into the light.

Institutions are not inherently evil. That's silly (I'm not suggesting you said this). The institutionalization of the church, however, is evil. In the U.S. churches that want tax exemption must agree to 501(c)3 whereby they are granted status from the government.

Rome did this: the church had already conquered Rome through the power of the Holy Spirit. What Rome offered was authority granted to them by the decree of the government of Rome. The church supplanted their power in the Spirit for the power of the State. The State, then, defined the role of the Roman church, not Christ. Soon after its offer, the Roman government required codification of Roman church beliefs. This is the origin of modern day by-laws and belief statements. This was all designed so that the church could be handled and directed by governmental means, terrestrial powers.

Okay, thanks for explaining all that.
What would be the perfect church to you? Can you give me one or a few examples?

Yet, because they met where it was safe, away from persecution, the church, in a little less than 300 years, conquered the Roman Empire.

By 320AD, it is estimated that Believers in Christ made up 8% to 10% of the population of the Roman Empire.

Very interesting read, I enjoyed reading it!
I do have a question though if you don't mind me asking? - don't mean to be nit-picking, just insatiable curiosity.

How did you come to this conclusion that Rome was conquered by Christians in/around 300 AD? Most historians claim that it was more or less conquered by the Germanic tribes in/around 476 AD...?




Also, the info below seems very intriguing to me! What source did you use to find this info?




Hope to hear back and see more great stuff!!
God bless!