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INTRODUCTION
On October 31, 1517, Matin Luther attempted to start a public discussion about the state of the church of his times, and to propose some reforms. The result was much more radical than he had imagined: instead of reforming the church, a large movement in opposition against the church originated; while the catholic church refused to reform itself.
In our times, the evangelical churches themselves are in need of being reformed. Will they hear this time the call of the Lord; or will they repeat history, acting like the catholic church in those times?
Many of the observations made in the following thesis, came from my own experience in the Peruvian highlands; the situation may be different in other cultural settings. However, I received also similar reports from places so different as North America, Europe, and Africa, which indicate that some of the described illnesses have spread through the churches at a worldwide scale.
Most of the following theses are a simple comparison between the New Testament Church, and today's evangelical churches. Making this comparison with open eyes, ¿how far are we from being the Church God wants us to be?
Clarifying Notes:
- In these theses, frequently the expression appears:
"the evangelical churches today, generally..." - I am
aware of the fact that there is a wide diversity within
evangelical churches. One particular church may not be affected
by some of the mentioned points. However, we all are under the
obligation of examining ourselves according to the Word of God.
- This document was written not as an elaborate basis for
teaching, but with the purpose of promoting intercession, and a
wide discussion. As such, this document is still in a provisional
state, and several parts may require revision. Its publication
was planned for a later date; but I have come to the conviction
that this message is urgent, and therefore should be published as
early as possible.
Internet Discussion Forum (Spanish)
At http://www.altisimo.net/cgi-bin/discus/discus.cgi
there is a forum to discuss the issues stated in this document,
under the title "Discusión de otros temas - Avivamiento
y Reforma de la iglesia".
Comments to the author can be sent to: 
Recommended site related to Revival and Reformation of the church (English): Revival School
CONTENTS
I) About Interpretation of the Bible (No. 1 a 3)
II) About New Birth (No. 4 a 11)
III) About Evangelism (No. 12 a 22)
IV) About Holiness (No. 23 a 35)
V) About some aspects of the church's functioning
(No. 36 a 44)
VI) About Church Leadership (No. 45 a 62)
VII) About Christian Worldview (No. 63 a 67)
VIII) About Christian Education (No. 68 a 73)
IX) About Preparation for Ministry (No. 74 a 83)
X) About Revival (No. 84 a 95)
Conclusion
1. The Bible, in its original
manuscripts, is God's inspired Word, inerrant and infallible.
- Although the evangelical churches today, generally, state this
in their declaration of faith; in their practice many of them are
giving room to the theology of Higher Criticism which considers
the Bible a fallible human word.
(This faulty theology hides for example behind the
"Bible Sciences" promoted by the Bible Societies, and
is found in many theological commentaries and Study Bibles.) Once
the door is opened to this critical theology, other doctrinal
errors inevitably follow.
(Comment: In the Spanish-speaking world, in the field of Bible publishing and distribution, practically no alternative exists to the theologically liberal Bible Societies.)
2. The evangelical churches today,
generally, interpret the Bible through the filter of their own
traditions and ecclesiastical customs. These traditions prevent
them from seeing what the Bible really says.
When they read "church", they imagine an
evangelical church of today, and do not realize that the Church
of the New Testament was very different. When reading
"convert", they imagine a person who repeats a
"sinner's prayer" in an evangelistic crusade, and do
not realize that a conversion in the New Testament was very
different. When they read "pastor", they imagine a
pastor of a church today, and do not realize that a pastor in the
New Testament was something very different. (Examples could be
multiplied unendingly.)
3. The book of Acts, and the letters
of the apostles, are descriptions of the normal state of the
Church, according to God's will for all times.
The Lord is the same for all times; His Word remains forever
(Is.40:8, Matth.24:35); and if He had intended any change after
the conclusion of the New Testament, He would have announced it
prophetically.
The evangelical churches tody, generally, consider the book of
Acts only as a story from the past; or they interpret its message
in a way which adjusts itself to their own denominational
tradition; and in any of these ways, they do not apply its
message to the present. This is a serious error which blinds them
against seeing the weight of their apostasy.
4. New Birth is God's work, not
man's (John 3:8, 6:44). It is God who calls and justifies those
He predestined (Rom.8:29-30). Man's responsibility is answering
to God's call with repentance and faith (Mark 1:15, Acts 2:38,
Rom.4:5).
The evangelical churches today, generally, believe and teach
that the New Birth is man's work (even if their official doctrine
is different) - they demonstrate it by their manipulative
evangelism practices.
5. The New Birth does not occur by
repeating a "sinner's prayer", or any other human
"method". There is not a single case in the New
Testament where someone was born again in such a way.
The evangelical churches today, generally, accept as a
convert any person who repeated a "sinner's prayer". By
this erroneous practice, the churches are deceived and do not
realize that there are many false brethren in the churches.
6. True repentance consists in
confessing sin and forsaking it
(Prov.28:13). Such repentance requires that one has experienced,
by the work of the Holy Spirit, conviction of his sin (John
16:8-9).
A confession of sin, without the Holy Spirit having worked
for conviction, and without the firm decision of forsaking sin,
is not true repentance.
7. The evangelical churches today, generally, do not preach nor practice this true repentance. As a sad consequence, many of those who profess being evangelical Christians, in reality never have been born again.
8. True faith, which trusts in the once-for-ever sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and our salvation, leads to a security of being saved now, not only a hope of being saved "some day" (John 5:24).
9. This true faith can come in
action only after having come under conviction of sin by the work
of the Holy Spirit, and after having truly repented; not before.
He who attempts to trust in Christ's sacrifice, or receives
the "gift of salvation", without having experienced
conviction of his sin, lives in a false confidence, since does
not yet know from what danger and condemnation he needs to be
saved.
10. True faith does not
"claim" anything from God, nor does it make
"positive confessions" of something one imagines
contrary to reality. Such "recipes" come from the
New Era idea of "positive thinking", and not from the
Bible.
True faith trust simply and firmly that God will do whatever
He promised, not what I imagine.
11. He who is born again, recevies
in his spirit the testimony of the Holy Spirit, that he is a
child of God (Rom.8:16).
This testimony is not the same as a human imagination of
being saved, nor a human act of "claiming it by faith".
He who receives this testimony, knows for sure that this
testimony does not proceed from his own imagination or will. He
who does not have this testimony within him, is not born again
(Rom.8:9).
12. Evangelism in the New Testament is to convict from sin, and to call to repentance for salvation. (Matth.3:2, 4:17, Acts 2:22-23.36-38, Rom.3:19-24)
13. In the New Testament, there was
never made an invitation to "accept Christ" or similar.
Although there were calls to repent, everyone had to manifest
his repentance by his own initiative. (The exhortation
"Repent and be baptized..." was given only to those who
had already asked: "What shall I do in order to be
saved?" - Acts 2:37-38, 16:30-33).
14. The evangelical churches today, generally, in their zeal of winning more members, invite unrepentant sinners to "accept Christ". This produces many false conversions and very few true conversions.
15. In the New Testament,
Christians never brought unbelievers to church meetings.
On the contrary, unbelievers were afraid of joining the
church (Acts 5:13). Only after conversion, they joined the
church. (This is not to confound with the meetings in public
places, where everyone had the opportunity of hearing the
apostles' teaching, even without joining the church.)
16. The evangelical churches today,
generally, bring unbelievers to church; so these unbelievers
begin to act outwardly like Christians, until they are accepted
as "brothers and sisters", while in reality they were
never born again. In this way, churches get full of false
brethren.
The very fact that unbelievers dare to join the church
without being ashamed, is a sign of how far we have departed from
the state of the first Church.
17. In the New Testament, the way how a sinner manifested his repentance, was by baptism. (Acts 2:38-41, 8:12, 8:35-38, 10:47-48, etc.)
18. The evangelical churches today,
generally,
- make tre truly converted wait unnecessarily for their baptism;
during this time, the enemy can sow every kind of doubts,
temptations and discouragement in the hearts of the converted;
- by lack of discernment, baptize unbelievers who have simply
learned to conform with the outward forms of Christianism, after
having spent much time together with christians.
A true convert does not need to wait for baptism, and a false
convert will not become a true one no matter how long we make him
wait.
19. Evangelism in the New Testament
never promised something apart from salvation and eternal life.
It did not promise healing, nor the solution of personal
problems, nor prosperity, nor happiness, as a "reward"
for conversion. On the contrary, the Lord called His followers to
forsake everything, even their lives, for Him (Matth.10:37-39,
16:24-26, Luke 9:57-62), and he announced persecutions and
suffering to them (Matth.10:16-25, 24:9-13). Only those who
follow the Lord under these conditions, can then receive the
promise: "...and all these things will be added to you"
(Matth.6:33) - which refers only to the basic needs for life.
20. The evangelical churches today, generally, attempt to attract new converts with promises of healing, solution of personal problems, prosperity, happiness, etc. In this way they produce false conversions, because people get "converted" for wrong and selfish motives.
21. As a newborn baby cries for
milk, a truly born-again Christian seeks by himself fellowship
with the Lord and with his brothers and sisters.
If he does not show this hunger and thirst for the Lord, he
is not really converted.
Many members of evangelical churches today have to be
"encouraged" constantly because they do not have by
themselves this hunger and thirst for the Lord; this shows that
in reality they have not been born again.
22. The evangelical churches today, generally, are doing wrong in their attempts of "follow-up" to false converts, dragging them to church services when they in reality do not want to go, forcing them to act in a "Christian" way when their unrepenting nature draws them into the opposite direction, etc. All of this is a loss of time, energy and resources; while the true work of the Lord is neglected, which consists in guiding people to true repentance and true faith according to the principles established by Himself.
23. The New Testament never calls
an unbeliever "holy", "brother", or
"Christian"; and never calls a born-again Christian a
"sinner". The born-again Christian is holy, because he
has died to sin and is alive for God (Rom.6:3-11).
The evangelical churches today, generally, are confounded
because among their members there are sinners who call themselves
"brothers", and saints who call themselves
"sinners".
24. The born-again Christian walks
according to the Spirit (Rom.8:1.4.9.12-13), and with the help of
the Spirit forsakes sin and so fulfills the justice required by
God (Rom.8:4).
He purifies himself because he is waiting for the Lord's
coming (1 John 3:2-3), and does not sin consciously (1 John
3:6-9). The true Christian "pursues holiness, without which
no man will see the Lord" (Heb.12:14).
25. This holiness cannot be
achieved by one's own efforts, but only by the work of the Lord
"who works in you both to will and to do" (Phil.2:13, 1
Cor.15:10, John 15:4-6, Eph.2:10).
The true saint is not striving to do which is good and right;
but he strives to remain in Christ (and as a result, he will
effectively do which is good and right).
26. This holiness has nothing to do
with fulfilling religious rituals or outward ordinances; but it
has to do with the integrity of heart, seeking God's pleasure in
everything (Ps.40:6-8, 51:6.10).
The evangelical churches today, generally, understand
"holiness" in a ritualist sense (doing outwardly the
"correct" and "accepted" things): They submit
themselves to outward precepts, "touch not, taste not,
handle not...", which have a reputation of wisdom, but are
of no value against the desires of the flesh (Col.2:20-23). They
act out rituals of "church service", of
"praise", of "prayer", of
"repentance", of "reconciliation" - all of
these according to an outward form, but its spiritual reality is
missing. (Matth.15:7-9)
27. The evangelical churches today,
generally, do not preach nor practice true holiness.
In their majority, either they excuse sin and take it
lightly, or they attempt to attain holiness with human efforts
which in reality are carnal (Phil.3:4-9). Therefore, the world
says: "What should I become an evangelical for, if they are
not better than we?", and God's name is being blasphemed
among the gentiles because of us (Rom.2:24).
28. Many members of evangelical
churches call themselves "unworthy sinners". With this,
they testify about themselves that they are not saved.
Many even use this expression as an excuse for going on
sinning, and so they demonstrate that they have never truly
repented. - The practice of "asking for forgiveness in order
to being able to continue sinning", is completely against
God's will (Jer.7:9-11).
29. The Gospel consists basically in two messages: the message of the Law and the message of Grace. In the NT, the Law is preached to sinners in order to convict them from their sin and to lead them to Christ (Gal.3:22-24). Grace is preached to those who repented so they may believe (Rom.3:21-24), and to the believers in order to affirm them in their faith (Rom.6:14, 1 Peter 1:13).
30. The evangelical churches today,
generally, have inverted this order and announce grace to
unrepenting sinners, and the Law to believers.
From this error stem two opposite illnesses which I will
describe below. In the evangelical churches today, generally,
where one of these illnesses is detected, frequently the other
one is proposed as its remedy, while in reality both of them are
very great illnesses:
31. "Cheap grace" is the
error which comes from announcing grace to unrepenting sinners.
It is not Biblical saying that the Lord forgives all our
sins, independent from our truly repenting or not (Luke 13:3). It
is not Biblical saying that our salvation costs nothing
(Mat.16:24-25, Mat.13:44-46). Such preaching produces unrepentant
sinners who come to God in order to say: "We are delivered
to do all these abominations" (Jer.7:8-11).
32. "The Yoke of the
Pharisees" is the illness which comes from announcing the
Law to born-again believers.
It is not Biblical to measure a Christian's holiness according to
his conformity with outward rules (such as the frequence of his
church assistance, the sum of his offerings, etc.) - See Matth.
15:7-9.
Such preaching makes Christians "fall from grace"
(Gal.5:4) and doubt again their salvation; it makes them attempt
to live again by their own efforts instead of the Lord's
strength; and so it submits them under a yoke they cannot
fulfill, and brings a false condemnation into their lives.
On the other hand, such preaching makes the unrepented sinners in
church act as if they were Christians, fulfilling the outward
requirements, while their heart remains unrepenting. The result
is such a confusion that is becomes almost impossible to
distinguish between true and false Christians in church.
33. It is also the "Yoke of
the Pharisees", exercising control over church members'
behavior, with rules and disciplinary procedures, about outward
matters and human commandments; or exercising the same control
with personal amonestations and threats.
This kind of "pastoral care" hinders the development of
conscience in Christians, and retains them in permanent
immaturity.
(See No.61 and 62 about
Church Discipline.)
34. In the New Testament Church,
where there was sin in the church, this sin was discovered, which
led to repentance (or, in the opposite case, to God's judgment);
and in both cases, produced fear of God. (Acts 5:1-11, 8:18-24,
Gal.2:11-14)
It was considered normal that an unbeliever, when he by
chance entered into a meeting of Christians, was immediately
convicted of his sin (1 Cor.14:24-25).
35. In the evangelical churches
today, generally, sin continues without being discovered; and
even when it is discovered, there is no true repentance.
In the churches there is theft, fraud, sexual abuse,
adultery. Lies and slander are already considered normal. There
is no supernatural work of God to discover sin and bring
conviction. This is a sign that the church as a whole has
departed very far from God's will and standards.
36. In the meetings of the New
Testament Church, "everyone has" something to edify his
brothers and sisters (1 Cor.14:26).
In the evangelical churches today, on the contrary, the majority
is passive in the meetings and does not have the initiative nor
the possibility of contributing something. Even in those churches
which emphasize the working of the Spirit, only a few of the
spiritual gifts are emphasized, and the average believer is given
very little or no opportunity to really exercise them.
37. In the New Testament Church,
there was "singleness of heart" (Acts 2:46) and
transparency (1 John 1:6-7), mutual help (Acts 2:32) and
unfeigned love (1 Peter 1:22).
In the evangelical churches today, generally, there is no such
true fellowship among believers; on the contrary, it seems more
important to maintain the outward appearance and
"status".
38. The evangelical churches today,
generally, have a tendency of dividing themselves more and more
in different denominations and parties. The deeper cause of these
divisions, in most of the cases, is that "love grows
cold" (Matth.24:12), and that sin is not dealt with in a
correct, Biblical way.
This divisive and denominationalist tendency is also related
to the lack of true fellowship among believers.
39. In the New Testament Church,
Christians confessed their sins to one another (James 5:16).
In the evangelical churches today, generally, either sins are
not confessed at all, or there is a vertical structure like in
the catholic church where everybody confesses to the pastor but
the pastor does not confess to anyone (except to his superior
leader); and the pastor counsels everyone but no one can counsel
the pastor. Therefore, leaders particularly are not transparent
and not accountable to the congregation, and there is no real
deep fellowship among brothers and sisters.
40. The New Testament Church
invested their finances in the help for needy brothers and
sisters, and in the support of full-time preachers. (Acts 2:45,
4:34-35, 1 Cor.9:14, 2 Cor.8:14-15, Gal.2:10, 6:6, Eph.4:28)
In other words, all their investments were in people,
not in material things (since material things pass away, but
people are eternal). Especially, they did not invest anything in
buildings or meeting places, since they met in public places and
in their own homes.
41. The evangelical churches today, generally, put themselves under a very heavy load of investment in finances, strength and time, because of their building projects. These resources are then lacking in the true work of the Lord.
42. New Testament Christians opened
their homes for visits and meetings, and for travelling teachers;
they were known for their hospitality. (Acts 2:46, 5:42,
Rom.16:23, 1 Cor.16:19, Col.4:15, Phlm.2, Heb.13:2, 1 Peter 4:9,
3 John 5-10)
Many members of evangelical churches today do not have
confidence to open their homes for other brothers and sisters,
nor have they the confidence of visiting a brother in his home.
This signals a lack of hospitality, and a lack of real fellowship
and trust between brothers and sisters.
(Comment: This might be an especially "Peruvian" problem; I did not notice it that strongly in other countries. However, what the real level of hospitality is, you will find out only if you go to a brother's house for an unannounced visit.)
43. No human organization is
identical with "the Church", and no human person has
the right to call himself "head of the church". The
Church is the Lord's and no one else's.
Therefore it is contrary to the Word of God if a pastor, a
local congregation, or a denomination, attributes himself any
exclusive right over the people who congregate with them
("my church", "my sheep"). The conversion,
surrender and loyalty of a Christian is to Christ, not to a
denomination nor to a human leader (1 Cor. 1:12-17, 3:4-9, 1
Peter 5:3).
Human organizations are imperfect, they always introduce a
certain measure of error, and always contain a certain number of
not born-again members.
44. The problem of denominationalism will not be solved by simply abandoning the existing denominations, since that will only create new denominations which in turn are competing with the existing ones. - Neither will it be solved by remaining "out of church", since a Christian needs the union and fellowship of the other members of Christ's body. - It will be solved only when the church will again live the Christian life of the New Testament.
45. The Church of Christ is not a
dictatorship (2 Cor.1:24, 1 Peter 5:2-3). The leaders of the
Church of Christ are established in order to serve the members
(Luc.22:24-27). Not every word of a leader is "God's
voice".
Many evangelical churches today are dictatorships. Leaders
put members to shame in a calculated way, in order to make them
submit to their will. They exercise a false authority, by means
of manipulation and threats, often abusing God's name in order to
attain their own goals. They teach, explicitly or implicitly,
that a Christian can hear God's voice only by means of his
leaders.
Of a leader who governs according to his own will, it cannot be
said that he is established by God, nor that he represents God's
voice.
46. The Church of Christ is not a
democracy. It corresponds to God, not to man, to call and to
establish leaders (John 15:16, Acts 20:28, Eph.4:11).
Many evangelical churches today elect their leaders according
to carnal criterions; a majority of impious men elects impious
leaders. Of such leaders it can also not be said that they are
established by God, since they are in their positions against
God's will.
47. The Church of Christ is lead by
a plurality of leaders.
The New Testament does not mention any single local church
led by only one person. On the contrary, there are many churches
mentioned which were lead by a plural team (Acts 13:1, 14:23,
15:4.6, 20:17, Phil.1:1, 1 Thess.5:12-13, Titus 1:5, Hebr.13:7),
and a variety of ministries (Eph.4:11-12).
48. In the New Testament, people
with spiritual authority are recognized by the fact that they
know Jesus Christ personally and are near Him; and by the fact
that their life is an example for the believers.
The evangelical churches today, generally, apply wrong
criterions of authority, such as for example:
None of these is a Biblical criterion for spiritual authority. Therefore, many who currently lead churches, are not those who should be the leaders according to Biblical criterions.
49. In the New Testament, the words
"pastor" (when it refers to a leader of a local
church), "elder", and "bishop", are synonyms
(Acts 20:17.28, Titus 1:5-7, 1 Peter 5:1.4).
There are no "pastors above elders", nor
"bishops above pastors".
(Timothy and Titus were not local "pastors", but
exercised an apostolic or "co-apostolic" (regional)
ministry as delegates and successors of Paul. - See Titus 1:5
"in every city".)
50. Of the five ministries mentioned in Eph.4:11, the evangelical churches today, in their general practice, recognize only the ministry of a "pastor", and even this one they misunderstand because they put a single pastor over a local church, which is not Biblical (see above No.47). Therefore, God's people is spiritually undernourished.
51. The Church of Christ is
governed by consensus (Matth.18:19-20, Acts 15:22.28).
Consensus as described in these passages, is not a mutual
agreement between different human opinions. Rather it is the
harmony which arises when all the leaders are sincerely seeking
God's will (see Acts 13:1-3), and so come to an unanimous
decision. To reach this kind of consensus, requires the
supernatural work of God who leads everyone involved.
52. The evangelical churches today, generally, do not obtain this kind of consensus because they do not seek earnestly God's will; and because some of their leaders have not even been born again. Therefore, they allow themselves to be guided by human decisions instead of God's will. This lack of consensus is another sign that the churches and their leadership have departed far from God's standards.
53. A leadership which hinders spiritual life, or is indifferent towards it instead of encouraging it, is not a true spiritual leadership.
Spiritual life is hindered where ...
Where a leadership acts in one of the described ways, or similar, a Christian is NOT under ANY obligation to obey or submit to such a leadership. (Acts 5:29)
54. In the New Testament, there is
no authority of human leadership beyond the local church, except
the apostolic ministry.
(The ministries of prophet, evangelist and teacher can be of
a regional scope, but they do not exercise leadership authority
over churches.)
55. The evangelical churches today, generally, have established apostolic structures (presbyteries, synods, regional and national boards of a denomination, etc.) without even having clarified if the apostolic ministry is still existing today; and even less having clarified what would be the requirements for someone assuming an apostolic ministry. Therefore, they have leadership structures without a doctrinal foundation, and occupy these structures with people who do not fullfill Biblical requirementes for the function they are exercising.
56. All Christians are priests. (1 Peter 2:5.9, Rev. 1:6, 5:10, 20:6 - these are the only Scriptures where the word "priest" is used referring to Christians, and all of them refer to the totality of Christians.) No Christian needs a priest (mediator) apart from Jesus Christ, in order to come near to God (1 Tim.2:5, Hebr.4:14-16, 10:19-22). Therefore, it is unbiblical and blasphemous if a Christian leader attributes to himself priestly privileges over other Christians. The apostles themselves never attributed to themselves such privileges.
57. The position of "ordained
minister" does not exist in the New Testament.
Leaders were recognized by their evident spiritual authority
(see No.48 above), not by an act of
"ordination". No one "becomes a minister" by
an act of ordination; but the Church recognizes those who already
are "of good testimony, full of the Holy Spirit and of
wisdom" (Acts 6:3).
- There were "elders" in the New Testament, and there
were the five ministries mentioned in Eph.4:11; but both were
very different from what we understand today by an "ordained
minister".
(The only New Testament passages which could be interpreted
in the sense of an "ordination", are the references to
the "laying on of hands" in 1 Tim.4:14, 5:22,
and 2 Tim.1:6. But these passages speak simply of a
"gift" which was imparted. If some interpret them in
the sense of an "ordination", it is because they are
already influenced by the Roman catholic concept, see the
following No.58.
- In the Old Testament, priests were ordained; but this cannot be
applied to the New Testament Church, since in the church all
Christians are priests; see above No.56.)
58. The current concept of an
"ordained minister" comes from the sacrament of
ordination in the catholic church, which separates the
"clergy" from the "laymen" and excludes the
"laymen" from the ministry of the Lord (while
Eph.4:12 declares that it is the task of the
"ministers" to train all Christians for "the work
of the ministry"). Therefore, the evangelical churches
today, generally, understand "ministry" still much more
in a Roman catholic way than in a Biblical way.
Another root of this wrong concept comes from shamanism, with its
belief that the "minister", because of being
"ordained", possesses certain mystical powers which
other believers do not possess.
Because of all this, many of the current "ministers",
"pastors" and "leaders" actually hinder or
discourage God's work instead of promoting it. This happens
because these leaders make themselves indispensable, and this
prevents the "laymen" from ministering with efficacy
and authority. The "laymen" remain immature and
dependant.
59. The administration of the
Lord's Supper and of baptism is nowhere in the New Testament
associated with a determined position of leadership or ministry.
The Lord's Supper particularly, is the continuation of the
Jewish Passover, and was celebrated in the houses like the
Passover (Acts 2:46); therefore it is to be assumed that the
Lord's Supper was administrated, like the Passover, by the family
father.
Speaking of baptism, the apostle Paul was baptized by Ananias
(Acts 22:16), who was neither an apostle nor an elder, but a
simple "disciple", "pious man". Paul himself
declares that he was not sent to baptize, so there were others
who baptized Paul's converts (1 Cor. 1:13-17). The Lord's Great
Commission to all His disciples (Matth.28:18-20) includes the
command of baptizing.
(We cannot say that this commandment was given only to the
apostles, since it extends "until the end of the
world"; and the apostles were committed to "teach them
to observe all things which I commanded you", which surely
includes this same commandment to baptize.)
The logical conclusion is that the New Testament does not impose
any restrictions regarding Christians administering the Lord's
Supper or baptizing. These functions are part of the general
priesthood of all Christians.
60. The evangelical churches today, however, are not in the condition of practicing this general priesthood, because many of their members are not true Christians; and even among the true Christians there are many who are unable to discern in others what a true conversion is. Therefore, the general priesthood cannot really be practiced while the church has not yet really reformed itself.
61. In the New Testament Church, church discipline was applied to members who did not repent from their sin (1 Cor.5:1-5, 5:11, 6:9-10), with the purpose of leading them to repentance and restoration, if possible (2 Cor.2:6-11, 7:8-11).
62. In many evangelical churches
today, a distorted form of church discipline is applied, which
serves to manipulate and threaten members, so that they conform
to the leaders' demands.
"Discipline" is then not applied for Biblical reasons,
but in order to silence those who contradict or criticize a
leader (no matter how justified their criticism is), etc. In too
many cases, if someone discovers a sin of a leader which would
really deserve discipline, not the sinning leader is disciplined,
but the person who discovered the sin.
63. The Word of God applies to all
spheres of life, knowledge, and society (Psalm 24:1).
The Bible presents not only a religious system, but an entire
worldview, or "paradigm" for interpreting the whole of
life and the world.
64. The evangelical churches today,
generally, apply God's Word only to ecclestiastical life (and
some of them to private life), but not to life generally.
Therefore, the church has lost its function of being "salt
and light" in the world.
Many members of evangelical churches do not even apply God's Word
to their private life, apart of church activities. Therefore,
they are no testimony of God before the world at all.
65. There cannot be two truths,
such as for example a "religious truth" and another
"scientific truth", which would contradict one another.
Truth is one. Therefore, if a supposed "scientific
truth" (established by fallible men) contradicts a Biblical
truth (established by the infallible God), the "scientific
truth" must be wrong and must be submitted to the Word of
God.
66. Leaders and members of the
evangelical churches today, generally, have a divided mind. While
they accept the infallible truth of the Bible in religious
matters, they follow fallible human "truths" in matters
of science, politics, education, psychology, sociology, work,
etc. Therefore, they have very erroneous concepts in those areas.
Since they consider those areas "secular", they receive
the teachings of professionals in those areas without
questioning, and do not examine those teachings from the Word of
God. So they allow that from there every kind of false teaching
can enter into the churches.
The proposals of evangelical churches today, in the areas of
politics, education, society, etc, generally, do not have any
Biblical foundation, and often even contradict the Bible.
67. The Kingdom of God is where God reigns, this is, where His will is being done. The church is not the Kingdom of God, but it should represent it through their members' lifestyles. (The evangelical churches today, generally, do not even fulfill this one.) Since God governs over all spheres of life and society, His Kingdom should be represented also in the spheres of science, politics, education, work, etc; teaching and practicing Biblical principles which apply to these spheres.
68. The primary place of education is the family, and the primary responsibles for the education of children are parents. (Deut.6:4-7, Ps.78:5-8, Prov. 1:8-9, 4:1-4, Eph.6:4)
69. In the evangelical churches
today, generally, parents neglect this responsibility towards
their children, and the leaders do not help them nor encourage
them to assume their responsibility.
The evangelical churches today, generally, have put Sunday
School in the place of the family. By implementing all their
programs in age-segregated groups, churches are dividing families
instead of uniting them.
70. School is no Biblical mandate.
Within the Biblical mandates for society, school belongs to
the sphere of family, and not to the government nor to the state
(see above No. 68).
The Bible does not allow a Christian parent to charge an
unconverted teacher with the education of his children. (2 John
9-11)
71. The evangelical churches today, generally, have submitted under the worldly influence of secular schooling, and allow their children to be educated by unbelieving and worldly teachers.
72. The best age for converting to
Christ is in childhood. (Prov.22:6, Ecl.12:1, Mark 10:14-15, Acts
2:39)
Therefore, our evangelistic efforts should concentrate much
more on children; giving priority to those children who are
already assisting church because their parents are Christians.
73. The child of a Christian is not
automatically a Christian. On the contrary, the Bible says that
the child is born in sin (Ps.51:5, Rom.3:23, 5:12) and needs to
be born again in order to be saved.
The evangelical churches today, generally, treat the children
of Christians as if they themselves also were Christians; and
therefore do not evangelize them. In this way, the children are
being deceived about their true spiritual state; and at the same
time are submitted to norms of Christian behavior which they
never can fulfill, since they are not regenerated. Therefore, it
becomes often more difficult to convert for the child of a
Christian, than for the child of an unbeliever.
74. The training of a true servant
of God happens in God's very presence; the true servant of God
learns more from God Himself than from humans (John 6:45, 14:26,
Gal.1:15-16, 1 John 2:27).
The most important preparation for a minister is spending
much time with the Lord. (Mark 3:14, Acts 4:13)
75. The training of a true servant of God happens also by means of the example of other true servants of the Lord, and by means of practical ministry. (1 Cor.11:1, 1 Thess.1:6-7, 2 Tim.3:10-11)
76. Academical diplomas and titles
are a wrong motivation for preparing for ministry.
Students who get "prepared" with this motivation,
acquire only theoretical knowledge, and knowledge puffs up (1
Cor. 8:1b).
77. A large number of students at
Bible Schools today are not born again, and even less are called
to ministry.
In consequence, even of pastors and ministers we cannot be
sure if they are really born again.
78. Those Christians who are really
called to ministry, often do not "fit" into the current
Bible Schools.
They might not be inclined to intellectual study, and
therefore have difficulty to meet the academical requirements.
They might be innovative people, and therefore will not fit into
a rigid and regulated environment.
They might suffer from much lack of understanding from their
teachers and fellow students who do not share their zeal for the
Lord.
They might perceive that the environment of a Bible School is
spiritually unhealthy, and therefore do not consider being
prepared there.
79. The training of a true servant of the Lord should begin at an early age (1 Sam.1:24-28, Prov.22:6, 2 Tim.3:14-15).
80. The evangelical churches today, generally, neglect Children's ministry and reject completely the children's potential to minister. In this way, churches are losing almost all of their future leaders, and stay with mediocre leaders.
81. Training of a true servant of
the Lord does not happen according to humanistic patterns, nor by
a training in outward forms.
The evangelical churches and their educational institutions
today, generally, follow the humanistic idea that "education
improves man" (The old Greek philosophers already had this
idea, and the apostle Paul refutes it decidedly, Rom.1:21-24, 1
Cor.1:18-31) Biblically, the only thing which improves man is the
New Birth and the work of the Holy Spirit in a Christian
(Rom.8:7-14, 2 Cor.3:18, Phil.2:12-13, 3:7-11).
82. The existing Bible Schools, generally, do not prepare their students for spiritual ministry. Instead, they prepare them for the "correct" functioning of human organizations, and teach them human methods.
83. Many Christian
"teachers" do not seek God for themselves; they only
copy teachings of other teachers. Therefore they teach things
which they do not have real authority to teach, because their
teachings are not a reality in their own lives.
They do not follow Paul's rule who "would not dare to
talk anything but what Christ has done by me" (Rom.15:18).
These teachers are not real teachers. Therefore, in the churches
we have a lot of "doctrinally correct" preaching and
teaching, but which is spiritually dead, and therefore does not
bring fruit.
84. Revival consists in a return of the church to its original state, as it was designed by God and described in the book of Acts and the letters of the apostles.
85. Revival is God's work, not man's. It corresponds to man (even to the most influential leaders) to submit to God's move, not to command Him how He should move.
86. Revival begins with deep
repentance within the church.
Revival comes when the church becomes aware of how far it has
fallen in comparison with the first church, and repents of its
apostasy, and when the church members themselves get truly
converted and born again.
87. Historical revivals generally resulted in large and exciting meetings, conversions of large multitudes, and a transformation of the entire society. However, all these are only the following fruits of revival, but not its essence. Its essence is repentance within the church, and a return of the church to its first state as designed by God.
88. The evangelical churches today,
generally, either do not seek revival at all, or they have a
wrong concept of it.
Many confound "revival" with outward events, organized
meetings, church growth plans, a particular worship style, etc. -
while none of these has to do with a true revival. Even more
wrong are those who believe that a revival will conform itself to
the patterns and traditions of their own particular denomination.
Therefore, those churches are in the great danger of following a
false "revival" when a such will come.
89. Every church (understood as a human organization) has the natural tendency of "cooling down" spiritually, until apostating from the faith. The evangelical churches today, generally, have already advanced dangerously in this path of "cooling down". Only a revival can reverse this tendency.
90. The evangelical churches today,
generally, are in such a process of apostasy.
The process of apostasy, as it can be observed in Europe
after the effects of the Reformation had passed, is happening now
in Peru in parallel form.
We can describe its steps as follows:
91. Historical revivals started in times of "spiritual drought", when some true Christians united in order to desperately cry out to God for revival.
92. The tragedy of the evangelical church today consists in that currently it is suffering from such a spiritual drought, but is not aware of it, nor repents, nor cries out for revival (Rev.3:1-2, 3:17-20).
93. Historical revivals started
with "revived" groups within existing churches; but
almost always they were rejected by the existing churches, which
led to conflicts and separation.
- Some examples:
94. The evangelical churches today, generally, are in great danger of being blind towards a true revival when a such will come, and of rejecting it because it will not adjust itself to their denominational patterns. The protagonists of a coming revival will most probably have to suffer rejection and even persecution from the leaders of the currently existing evangelical churches.
95. God's judgment begins with His
church (1 Peter 4:17).
In the current situation, analyzing from Scripture, we have
to conclude that God's judgment over the church is imminent. On
the other hand, God does not want the death of the wicked (Ez.
33:11); He wants repentance and revival. But everything depends
on how we, the church, will respond to God's call.
If these observations are true, then the evangelical churches today are thousands of miles away from the first church. Should we simply conform with this situation and say: "Times are like that, and we cannot change it"? My answer is: IN NO WAY!!
"And I looked among them for a man who would make a hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it..." (Ez.22:30)
"And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; and the LORD said to him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house... " (Ez.9:3-6)
May I talk to you directly for some moments, brother, sister, you who are reading this? The situation is more serious than you think. Are you the person who will stand in the gap before the Lord? Are you among those who "sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done", so that God may put His mark on your forehead, and you may be freed from His judgment? Is there in your heart a cry and a longing for a pure and clean church, a bride worthy of her Lord? - If God has opened your eyes to see the state of the church, do not delay any longer. Stand up and cry to the Lord for mercy and for revival. Get together with other brothers and sisters who have the same purpose. "... They shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth." (Is. 62:6-7)
Recommended site related to Revival and Reformation of the church: Revival School
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