1 : example, pattern; especially : an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype
2 : an example of a conjugation or declension showing a word in all its inflectional forms
3 : a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated; broadly : a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kind
We all tend to view different things in our lives in different degrees through a paradigm. It is perhaps the culture itself, that to an extent formulates the framework through which we view the world and reality itself. The issue I have though, is that we tend to view the truth and still choose to ignore it. Why?! One major culprit is tradition. Tradition is so ingrained in our minds we can't seem to see clearly. The eyes of our understanding are blinded.
Lets look at an example. "Church" buildings are a primary illustration of what I speak of. We view the buildings in which we meet as spiritual. Why? There is nothing of the sort in the New Testament. You may not think this is a big issue, but it is. We say phrases like, "We're going to church", "behave yourself in the house of God", "let's assemble in the sanctuary". There is no doubt about it, we tend to view the building we meet in as holy and the roots of that are deeply ingrained in tradition. When confronted with scripture we readily agree with it (that it disagrees with our tradition) but our actions and words deny that we believe it. We still have this idea that God is more readily present there then anywhere else. We tend to believe that praying in that building will grant us better access to God. We dress up to go there, we act differently when we are there... All our actions testify to the fact that we truly believe that the "church building", is the house of God when God's word is in direct opposition to that. What if we believed that we, not a building, were the temple of God? Would we live our lives differently?
Ac 7:49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
Ac 7:50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
Not once does the bible equate special significance to a building after the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Any teaching that puts spiritual overtones to a specific building flies directly in the face of NT teaching. Why?
2Cor 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? FOR YE ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD; AS GOD HATH SAID, I WILL DWELL IN THEM, AND WALK IN THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
Before Christ died on the cross, there was a priestly ministry, a temple, and a sacrifice. Now those of us that are Christ's, are priests and kings unto God. We are the temple of the living God, and the one sacrifice that is sufficient for all time in order to pay for all sin has been made, which is Christ. All of those prior things reach their end when Jesus died for our sins on the cross. The temple veil was rent from top to bottom, and now God lives in His children, not in a building of bricks and mortar. We now have direct access to God by faith. We have the same access to God as does Jesus Christ. We don't need another sacrifice. We don't need a priest or a pastor to intercede for us to God. We have one High Priest, and one Head of the true church, and that is Christ.
For three hundred years the church flourished without "church buildings". The Christian faith was founded in believers homes, along roadsides and in courtyards. Then Constantine (Roman Emperor) gave Christians pagan temples to worship God in and that started the downfall of what we see today. Instead of the believers in Christ being the temple of God, it slowly digressed into a meaningless building of brick and mortar. It is a direct insult to the redemptive work that God did for us in Christ. It is a denial of the truths of God's word. We do not go to "church" to worship God. We are the temple of God, we are the church and we worship God in Spirit and in Truth. Our very lives are meant to be an act of worship. To denigrate worship of God to a couple of hours on "the Lord's day" (everyday is the Lord's day), is a travesty.
The early church believed that Christ was the very presence of God. They believed that the body of Christ, the church constitutes the temple and they turned the world upside down. Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against buildings for Christians to come together in. I do have a problem when a mere building is revered, and replaces the true house of God which is not a building made with hands.
The other day I was reading a book called, "The Tangible Kingdom", and the author made a statement that a "church building" was no more holy or spiritual then your local coffee shop. Well, I did a double take. You see, I knew this before, but hearing it in such a manner really caught me by surprise. It proved to me that knowing what I know, I still look through a paradigm and view the world partially through a framework of tradition.
This is a constant struggle. How hard it seems to remove those things we once believed from our minds. How hard it is to see truth and receive it gladly without allowing preconceived notions and beliefs from getting in the way. I will continue to trust that the truth of the word of God will set me free in every way.
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