Hello and welcome to another edition of
ACTS 29 TODAY
now its YOUR turn
How did the Greek sermon find its way into the Christian church?
About the 3rd century mutual ministry began to fade from the body of Christ, also at this time the last of the traveling Christian workers who spoke out of a prophetic burden and spontaneous conviction left the pages of church history.
To fill the absence, the CLERGY began to emerge, and open meetings began to die out. The meetings became more and more liturgical (a standardized order of events observed during a religious service).
As a top down structure began to emerge the idea of a “RELIGIOUS SPECIALIST” began to take root. In the face of these changes, the FUNCTIONING believer had trouble fitting into this evolving ecclesiastical structure.
There was no place for them to exercise their gifts, and by the 4th century the Church had become fully institutionalized (established as part of an official organization ) or as I see it HAD THE LIFE BLOOD SUCKED OUT OF IT.
As this was happening many pagan orators and philosophers were becoming Christians, as a result, pagan philosophical ideas made there way into the Christian community. Many of these men became the leaders of the Christian church at that time, and are known as the “church fathers” and some of their writings are still with us,
Thus the needle and the damage done, the pagan notion of a trained, professional speaker who delivered orations for a fee moved straight into the the Christian bloodstream.
The paid specialist idea came from the Greek, not Judaism. The custom of the Jewish rabbi was to take up a trade as not to have to charge for their service of teaching.
Now the former pagan orators (turned Christian) began to use their skills for Christian purposes. They would sit in their official chair and expound the Scriptures.
So a new style of communication was being birthed into the church, a style that EMPHASIZED POLISHED RHETORIC, SOPHISTICATED GRAMMAR, FLOWERY ELOQUENCE, (CHEESY)… AND MONOLOG.
It was a style designed to ENTERTAIN AND SHOW OFF THE SPEAKERS SPEAKING SKILLS (YUK). It was Greco- Roman rhetoric.
And ONLY THOSE WHO WHERE TRAINED IN IT WERE ALLOWED TO ADDRESS THE ASSEMBLY. (starting to sound familiar now?)
What happened was….WHEN THE ORATORICAL SCHOOLS OF THE WESTERN WORLD LAID HOLD OF THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE….THEY MADE CHRISTIAN PREACHING INTO SOMETHING VASTLY DIFFERENT.
ORATORY TOOK THE PLACE OF CONVERSATION.
THE GREATNESS OF THE ORATOR TOOK THE PLACE OF THE ASTOUNDING EVENT OF JESUS CHRIST.
And the DIALOG BETWEEN SPEAKER AND LISTENER FADED INTO A MONOLOG (ONE MAN BAND)
is it over yet
In a word, the Greco-Roman SERMON replaced prophesying, open sharing, and spirit inspired teaching.
Now fast forward…neither homilies (sermons) or homiletics (the art of sermonizing) HAVE ANY CHRISTIAN OR BIBLICAL ORIGINS.
THEY WERE STOLEN FROM THE PAGANS. (commonly taught in most of the bible schools in our day)
THUS A ….. POLLUTED STREAM MADE ITS WAY INTO THE CHRISTIAN FAITH AND…MUDDIED ITS WATERS.
AND THAT STEAM FLOWS JUST AS STRONGLY TODAY AS IT DID IN THE 4TH CENTURY.
Well enough for this time WOW amazing what history can show us, and answered a ton of questions for me, and I hope you to.
God bless you as you take your part in writing your chapter 29.
LARRY
Acts 29 Today 