Christianity

Christianity as a distinct religion came into existence following on the rejection of Christ by the Jewish nation (Acts 28:23-28). The actual term Christianity is not found in the Scriptures, nor for that matter is the term Judaism. The term Christian came into use in Antioch and would appear to have been the name given to the disciples of Christ by those without (Acts 11:26). Those who were Christians became part of the Christian assembly. The assembly was made up of those who were of both Jew and later Gentile origin (Ephesians 2:11-22). To be a true Christian one had to be born again (John 3:3). This was a spiritual birth and not a natural one (John 3:5). A natural genealogy from Abraham was not the criterion of who was a Christian (Romans 9:6-7). However, Christians are children of Abraham in a spiritual sense (Galatians 3:6-8). Thus we may say, Abraham had a natural seed and also now a spiritual one. The Christian's blessings are spiritual (Ephesians 1:3). Because he has no earthly inheritance he does not raise armies to fight in the way he would if an earthly kingdom was to be established (John 18:36). Neither Christ, nor his apostles went to war to establish the Gospel nor did they suggest that we should do so. Paul reminded the Corinthians that God has called us in peace (1 Corinthians 7:15), and also pointed out that the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Paul propagated the Gospel by reasoning backed up by works of power (Acts 19:1-20). Many passages show that it is not intended that we should build a material temple. Peter speaks of a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:4/5) and Paul of the assembly as a holy temple (Ephesians 2:19-22). Our outlook is to be heavenward rather than earthward (Philippians 3:20/21; Colossians 3:1-4). The Christian company is a heavenly one, as the Jews are an earthly one. Ultimately both companies will get their allotted blessings: the Jews on earth and the Christian assembly in heaven.

It may be noted that God does not expect us to put the world right, but to take people morally out of it, that is, separate them from the evil (John 17:15; 1 Corinthians 9:19). When Christ comes the darnel will be separated from the wheat (Matthew 13:24-30). We should not seek to put people to death now as the Roman Catholic church did, that is, send them out of the world, but we should keep the public assembly pure by putting those who defile it outside the Christian company (1 Corinthians 5:13). The great church buildings that exist in Christendom today were never advocated by Christ's apostles, neither were church vestments, incense etc. The sending of armies to recover the Holy land was a mistake and in any case ultimately ended in disaster as the crusades failed in their objective, although the crusaders held the land for a time. Christendom has perverted the truth in much of what it has done, particularly the Romish church, that is, it has departed from from what it was originally. Islam on the other hand is a perverse religion, that is, it was wrong from the outset.

Although Christianity is essentially a spiritual religion there are certain rites, that is, baptism and the Lord's supper. As to the former it has particular force when people separate from Judaism and heathendom. Persons thereby change their position, leaving what they were in before and putting on Christ (Galatians 3:27). However, it may be noted that baptism is not something that Christ is particularly interested in else why did he not send Paul to baptise (1 Corinthians 1:17) ? It is the spiritual significance of baptism that is important and what is spoken of at some length, particularly by Paul (Romans 6; Colossians 2). As to the Lord's supper (the breaking of bread) the institution of it is found in the three synoptic Gospels, the practice of it is found in the Acts and it is placed in an assembly setting by Paul (1 Corinthians 11:17-34). It is not mentioned in the other New Testament books, though John has a spiritual equivalent to it (John 6). The Old Testament has a reference to the practice of breaking bread for the dead (Jeremiah 16:7). If it were not for Paul's teaching on the subject we would have no real basis for the practce because we cannot remember the Lord as the disciples could because we have never known Christ as a man here in flesh and blood. The actual references to breaking of bread in Luke 24:30 &35 and the Acts are difficult to distinguish from what takes place at an ordinary meal. The other Christian practices of meeting in a building have no real spiritual significance, and are simply for reasons of privacy, comfort and protection from the elements. In New Testament times sometimes a house was used (Romans 16:5; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 2). All this shows that Christianity is a spiritual religion and was set on by Christ who is not only its teacher but the centre around which it functions (Matthew 18:20; Hebrews 2:12). However, there are the Quakers who have abandoned the rites of the Christian faith altogether and therefore neither practice baptism nor partake of the Lord's supper. This is not following Scripture but taking the thought that the Christian religion is a spiritual one to an excess.