Religion Hinders and Stagnates the “Church”, whereas the “Church” was meant to bring death to religion!
Stephen understood the truth about the temple thus, one of the reasons he was stoned was the religious leaders did not like it or condone it. He said to them; "It was Solomon who built a house for Him. However, the Most High DOES NOT DWELL in houses and temples (buildings) made with hands; as the prophet says" (Isaiah 66:1,2). "Heaven is My throne, and earth the footstool for My feet. What kind of house can you build for Me, says the Lord, or what is the place in which I can rest? Was it not My hand that made all these things?" Acts 7:47-50.
Believers grew and thrived as a living Body rather than a religious identity for the first 200 years or so. Then Emperor Constantine decreed that Christianity was a valid religion and that buildings and regular meetings were necessary. This meant that Christianity adopted the way of pagan religions with their temples, priests, pulpits and holy days and so the church as we know it was birthed. Effectively the people were being put back under the law from which Christ had paid such a dear price to set them free. "Therefore, I do not treat God's gracious gift as something of minor importance and defeat its very purpose; I do not set aside and invalidate the grace of God. For if justification comes through observing the ritual of the Law, then Christ died groundlessly and to no purpose, His death was then wholly superfluous. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works or was it by hearing the Gospel and believing it? Was it from observing a law of rituals or from a message of faith?" Galatians 2:21, 3:2.
It is not necessarily the "buildings" that causes the harlotry, it is peoples allegiance to the man-made-structure of religion rather than Christ Himself. That allegiance is camouflaged by religious terms and how they use scripture, God, and the name of Jesus which convinces people that religion is the genuine article all the while taking away the freedom from the people that Christ provided for them! Whether they realize or not, they are usurping the authority of Jesus as the Head of His Church!
Believers grew and thrived as a living Body rather than a religious identity for the first 200 years or so. Then Emperor Constantine decreed that Christianity was a valid religion and that buildings and regular meetings were necessary. This meant that Christianity adopted the way of pagan religions with their temples, priests, pulpits and holy days and so the church as we know it was birthed. Effectively the people were being put back under the law from which Christ had paid such a dear price to set them free. "Therefore, I do not treat God's gracious gift as something of minor importance and defeat its very purpose; I do not set aside and invalidate the grace of God. For if justification comes through observing the ritual of the Law, then Christ died groundlessly and to no purpose, His death was then wholly superfluous. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works or was it by hearing the Gospel and believing it? Was it from observing a law of rituals or from a message of faith?" Galatians 2:21, 3:2.
It is not necessarily the "buildings" that causes the harlotry, it is peoples allegiance to the man-made-structure of religion rather than Christ Himself. That allegiance is camouflaged by religious terms and how they use scripture, God, and the name of Jesus which convinces people that religion is the genuine article all the while taking away the freedom from the people that Christ provided for them! Whether they realize or not, they are usurping the authority of Jesus as the Head of His Church!
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