The Morphing of the Church
The word “morph” didn’t originate as the name of a British cartoon character. It actually means, “to change or transform something…from one thing to another; to undergo a dramatic change in a seamless way.” This definition is so incredibly accurate for what we are experiencing in the contemporary church today. It reminds me of the analogy of the proverbial frog being boiled alive one degree at a time. Changes have occurred to and within the church at large over the years with relatively little to no thought or recognition and for the most part we seem to press on in complete passivity and ignorance. Is ignorance truly bliss? I think not.
Although one of the most momentous, enduring, and spiritually debilitating morphs in our religious history took place over 16 centuries ago, our general lack of church history allows the consequences of this action to continually perpetuate literally unquestioned.
I realize what I am going to address in this article is sure to poke some “sacred cows” among our readers. We basically rise to defend our particular denomination or church fairly quickly. I am not wanting to fault that response. However, I do hope all will read with an open and studious mind. The material presented here has been conscientiously researched from numerous, qualified, and accepted sources.
Although changes have been occurring in our churches for hundreds of years, most have not had long lasting tangential effects on other corresponding aspects of the church. Consequently, we tend to take them in stride.
I would like to take us back to the fourth century to look at the time of Constantine the Great. He was a Roman emperor whose principal god was Apollo but who also showed tremendous favor to the relatively new sect known as Christians. The young church had already experienced periods of calm and violence, of tolerance and persecution. So the time under Emperor Constantine was accepted as a time of blessings. During his tenure, Constantine never did fully renounce and depose pagan religions. However while emperor, he brought about the following conditions through his edict of 313 AD:
- Exempted Christian clergy from all military and municipal duties
- Released clergy from paying any taxes
- Abolished customs and ordinances offensive to Christians
- Freed Christian slaves
- Legalized bequests to Christian churches
- Promoted the observance of Sunday worship in keeping with his following the pagan god Apollo
- Contributed liberally to the building of Christian churches and to the support of clergy
- Erased heathen symbols and idols from imperial coins
- Gave his sons a Christian education
It was in 312 AD. that Constantine had what appeared to be his epiphany where in a vision he saw a cross while hearing the words “Conquer in this sign.” Based on multiple reports, it is still a mystery as to what he actually saw and heard. Regardless, Constantine went on to experience a tremendous victory, solidifying his kingdom, and convincing him of the power in Christianity. All of that notwithstanding, ostensibly he never completely surrendered to Christ until on his deathbed, and even then it has been questioned.
Unquestionably, Constantine appears to have taken pressure off of the church and provided a smoother path for it. Many believe it was during this period that the church “conquered” the Roman Empire. However, many others believe it was the other way around. The Roman Empire, the world, actually conquered or spiritually emaciated the church. Let’s consider that for a moment.
These things are like tossing pebbles into a pond. You toss a little pebble and you get small ripples that only go a short distance. You throw in a large stone and it results in great ripples extending far across the pond. Constantine’s involvement in Christianity was a huge “stone” creating enormous changes with effects still prominent today. I don’t believe he intended to institute such, but nevertheless it came to pass regardless of his intentions. It was a consequence of the times, of who he was, and what he did.
Coming out of what Constantine did, his activities and seemingly goodness to the church, is what many today refer to as “Christendom.” By this they fundamentally mean a marrying of the church and the world. It is when the church basically begins to adopt the views, attitudes, and values of the world. Today, the polity, the government and organization of the church emulates the world. The hierarchical system used by the church essentially mimics the business paradigm of most corporations. Constantine promoted this as he considered himself a bishop in the church. In fact he carried the title of bishop of bishops. We recall Jesus saying this approach was of the world and that we were not even to lord it over one another.
Another devastating change that materialized in the fourth century under Constantine’s watch was the separation of clergy and laity into two different categories. This move functionally disenfranchised the average Christian from his principal calling, that of being equipped for the work of the ministry. With this development, the typical believer for all practical purposes became a silent spectator of what amounted to a choreographed presentation manned by professionals. The Apostle Paul made it clear that every believer was responsible for edifying the other members of the church.
Another morphing of the church came with the alteration of ministries to being titles, positions, and ranks. This took place with the serving ministries such as deacons, elders, pastors, and bishops. The particular denomination I was originally ordained in took what was meant to be areas of service and created rankings based on one’s preparation. During my first years of seminary while serving as a student minister, I was not permitted to baptize or administer Holy Communion in my own church until I passed through the ranks to their prescribed level. The biblical concept of “one new man” gets completely obliterated within all the ranking and positioning.
If we are ever going to aspire to the power and spirituality of that experienced in the pristine church, we are going to have to reimagine what it means to be the church and what our function truly is. This kind of thinking and ultimate change will require tremendous humility along with the willingness to surrender places of position, influence, and power within the church. Unfortunately, this is not where most people are spiritually who hold these positions.
The church has much to learn from a study of history. The question is, once it has learned, will it be willing to incorporate the meaningful and necessary changes that will put it on the track to becoming a Spirit filled and Spirit led church under the headship of Jesus Christ?
