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Monasticism: Christianity of the Cloisters





 

While the persecution lasted, they largely shaped the Church’s character. None would join but those who were earnest, faithful, and true. One effect of the Decian persecution was to cause Christians to flee to the deserts to escape. This gave further impetus to Asceticism (discipline of character by self-denial) which was already well established in Christian thinking. It was thought a special righteousness could be attained this way.

Reasons for development of monasticism:

1) In early times people escape persecution this way

2) Philosophical tendency to look at the flesh as evil

3) The Scripture seem to support the idea of separation from the world

4) Many left society as means to escape civil disorder and moral contamination of the world

5) Many escape pagan practices and moral decline of the church of the day

6) At first geography played a role, desert stimulated meditation

 

 

Anthony (251 -?) Born near Thebaid, Egypt - started the Hermit Form of Monasticism.

Pachominus (292 - 346) began the Cenobite Form of Monasticism, allowing a convent for women to enter this form of life also. It was established at Tabennisi in southern Egypt. Gradually the Cennobite Form eclipsed the Hermit form and became the ready servant of the Church for the difficult period known as the Middle Ages.

a. In the East, Basil of Caesarea popularized monasticism. Basil’s rule emphasized 3 things:

1. Work

2. Prayer

3. Bible reading.

b. In the West, the monasteries each had their own rules until Benedict of Bursia founded the monastery on the hill of Monte Cassino, about half-way between Rome and Naples. His rules became the universal law of western monasticism. Some points of his rules were:

1. The Monk’s vow was for the rest of his life, so he was considered dead to the world.

2. It required him to surrender all his property.

3. It prescribed the virtues he must have:

a. abstinence

b. obedience to superiors

c. silence

d. humility

4. His time was divided between:

a. worship


b. manual labor in house and field

c. study

Pros of monasticism:

1) Monastery became a medieval equivalent of experimental farm

2) Kept scholarship alive during the Dark Ages (500-1000)

3) Many manuscripts were preserved

4) Monks became missionaries of the medieval church

5) The monasteries provided a refuge for the outcast of the society who needed help

6) Refuge for people tired of worldliness. Some good church leaders came out of the monasteries

 

Cons of monasticism:

1) Too many of best men and women were drained off into monasteries. Their abilities were never used for the world that badly needed it.

2) They were not rearing good children the society would need

3) Too often it became a place of spiritual pride

4) As monasteries became wealthy, became community of thrift and ownership, laziness and materialism and gluttony

5) Monasticism aided development of centralized organization of the church (and pope).

6) Jesus wanted as to be in this world to be the “light” and the “salt” to this world

7) Asterism, physical separation from society does not necessary solves problem of sin

 

 

5. Primacy & Paganism: The growth of hierarchy & liturgy (p. 169)

How Hierarchies were Formed

The early Church was organized in such a way that all members of each congregation played an active role in the Church’s life. The early Church had within her membership, a variety of people with different spiritual gifts that were profitable to the entire local body of believers. The two main areas of gift-function were those Christians who guided and labored in the Word of God, and those who participated in the various congregational ministries of I Corinthians 12:4-11 and Romans 12:3-8. The following is a list of the various ministries as contained in these chapters:

1. The word of wisdom

2. The word of knowledge

3. The gift of faith

4. Gifts of healing

5. The working of miracles

6. Prophecy

7. The discernment of spirits

8. Various kinds of tongues

9. The interpretation of tongues

10. Serving

11. Teaching

12. Exhorting

13. Giving

14. Governing


15. Showing mercy

There were many in the early Church who operated in these different realms of the Spirit, but they did not necessarily have names of titles. This was because the early Church considered the work or ministry that was being accomplished much more important than a title, office, or position given to the person that functioned by the grace of God in a certain area of ministry.

Unfortunately, today, because the Church has lost so much of her spontaneous, God-given power of the Holy Spirit in her daily walk, she tends to depend more on the strength and power that accompanies a title, office, or position, rather than experiencing the obvious power of God’s Spirit who needs no long introductions or apologies for His work. The work was more important than the rank, and the early Church put her emphasis on the function of the saints of God rather than on their official position.

The early Church chose out from among her members, those already manifesting the wisdom, character, and anointing of the Lord upon their lives. (Eg. Acts 6:3 and the choosing of the deacons). In this way, the early apostles underscored the principle that it is the man who sanctifies the office and not necessarily the office that sanctifies the man. The Church today would do well to choose out from among her, those who are already functioning in the area of their calling, rather than possibly laying “empty hands on empty heads” and expecting the “dove that has no wings to fly”. The one thought that is clear in all of the writings of the early Church fathers is that the power to render special services to the Church in the areas of ruling or governing, was always founded upon present service and ability to function rather than upon mere rank or position. The early Church fathers did not desire to “fill positions” in the Church just for the sake of filling positions. This same attitude must be restored to the Church today.

Within the first 300 years, there was such a drastic change in the governmental structure of the Church, that she has never yet entirely retrieved herself from its dregs. In the first century Church, there were basically two “offices”: the Bishops (ie., the elders, pastors, overseers, or shepherds) and the Deacons. The oversight of each local congregation was totally in the hands of the local church eldership, while the deacons ministered to the practical needs of the people.

However, the heart of a deacon (or servant) was to be in each bishop. Polycarp of Smryna (whose writings were written c. 110-117) believed that the first duty of the bishops was to be compassionate and merciful, visiting all those with infirmities.

In the second century, however, three offices began to emerge in the Church: the bishop (who was the pastor), the elders, and the deacons. In this structure, unfortunately, the group of local elders had the total power over the one man in the bishop’s or pastor’s office. The good that the Church was only beginning to see was that of God placing His special mantle of leadership upon one man (i.e the senior pastor)who was recognized by the other elders as having that mantle; but who did not use it to be domineering over his fellow elders.


For example, it was James, the bishop or pastor of the local church at Jerusalem, who stood up during the Apostolic Conference concerning the Gentiles and circumcision, and applied the Old Testament to what was happening (Acts 15). As an illustration in practical terms, only one man can actually “steer the bus at any one time”, but the bus driver should consult with his fellow team leaders as how to get to the gymnasium for the game. In this way, God appoints one man among the elders of a local church to be “first among equals”, not in the sense of domination, but in the sense of having a specific mantle for anointed direction.

By the third century, however, the office of the bishop or senior elder in the local congregation was taken to an extreme. During this century, the bishops of various local congregations began to exercise total power and authority over their local elders and deacons. This one man domination also relegated the deacons of each local church to be spiritually suppressed in their function of serving in the local church. Gradually, certain bishops

gained power and authority not only over their own local congregations, but also over many other local congregations. Finally, the office of the local bishop was taken to a non-Biblical extreme in its authority over many elders and their local churches. Almost total power resided with the bishop and not with the local elders as it had originally.

For what reasons did the Church allow such a magnification of the office of the local bishop? Here are some of the reasons:

1. The Church felt that she could more easily stem the tide of immortality and i ntellectualism with giving more power to one man.

2. The Church believed that she could accomplish a greater unity against divisive heresies if she exalted certain strong teachers.

3. The Church began to use one man from each local assembly to represent them to the bishops of other local assembles, which gradually led to the exaltation of this one man over the other local elders.

4. The Church began to desire to have most of the work of the ministry performed by the local bishops because they probably had the most education, which led to mainly the bishops being in charge of education, doctrine, marriages, baptisms, the communion table, the elders, the deacons, and even Church property and monies.

5. The Church began to look mainly to the bishops office for all major teaching, and thus the local elders were considered only “teachers”; whereas the bishop was considered as the joint Apostle/Prophet (the true traveling ministries of the separate apostles and prophets having receded into the background.)

The culmination of this attitude of the bishops’ supremacy can be accurately seen in the way that Ignatius of Antioch referred to the bishop. Ignatius commented, “We ought to regard the Bishop as the Lord Himself”. Consequently, the church digressed into the bishops being considered the apostles, prophets, and evangelists; the local elders being the pastors and teachers; the deacons mainly serving the bishops and elders; the congregational members as being just “not in the ministry” of the Lord

We can thank God, however, that ever since the Reformation He has been constantly restoring the New Testament local church pattern back to His people who have been under the bondage of non-Scriptural authority.


THE CHANGE OF THE CONCEPT OF A “MINISTER”

In the Church today, leaders are called “ministers” more than they are called “shepherds”. The word “shepherd” however, is more accurate term to describe a man of God serving Christ’s flock; especially contrasted with the way the word “minister” is used today. Today, the word “minister” refers to an ordained pastor, elder, or reverend who does the work of the Lord on a full-time basis. We need to ask ourselves, however, if this is the New Testament concept of the word “minister”. Are only some members of the Body of Christ “ministers” - or are all members of the Body of Christ “ministers” in the New Testament sense of the word, which is servant?

The word “minister” (or servant) has undergone a very unfortunate and drastic change since it was originally used in the New Testament Church. This change has occurred in two ways: grammatically and theologically.

1. Grammatically: In the early Church (c. 33 A.D.) The grammatical meaning and usage of the word “minister” was that of a verb, (i.e an action word.) The word “minister” of course is intimately connected in meaning with that of the word “Ministry”. Thus, all Christians (whether tent-makers, weavers, fishermen, doctors, or farmers,) in the early Church had a ministry of actively, dutifully, functionally, and effectively doing a work for the Lord and His people. The concept of a “Minister” (a Christian servant) with a “minister (a service in the Body) applied to those who performed various activities of the normal Christian life,(e.g., leading someone to Christ, helping the widows, praying for the sick, exhorting other saints.) The work load of the Church was not in name, title, position, or salary, but in action, commitment, spontaneity, and individual serving. “Ministry” was the action of all Christian believers in extending the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

 

Unfortunately, the concept of a “minister” and “ministry” gradually changed from its original grammatical meaning and usage. Gradually, the word “minister” began to refer to the name, title, position, or salary of those few who performed certain sacred New Testament activities..(e.g., preaching, water baptism, serving communion, anointing the sick, counseling.) Today the word is no longer an action word but has turned in its usage to a noun, the name of a person, place or thing.

 

The word “Minister” is today used as a noun because it refers to the title of a special person who has been ordained by a certain denomination to function out of a special office or study (i.e., a place)and to fill a hierarchical position (i.e., a thing). The New Testament presents the word “minister” as a word that describes Christian activity and function and not the mere name of a position, title, or salary-holder.


2. Theologically: In the early Church (c. 33A.D.) The theological meaning and usage of the word “minister” was that which referred to all members of the Body of Christ having a part in serving and not to only some members having such a part. No distinction was made between the “clergy and the laity” as it is today. All of the believers of the early Church were “ministers” (servants) of the Lord Jesus Christ in fulfilling different roles in the kingdom.

 

Today on the other hand, the word “minister” refers to one man doing the work of the Lord. To the contemporary Church, the one who has the calling of God on his life to serve Christ and the Church is the one man called “pastor”, “Reverend”, “bishop”, or “doctor”. In this framework, the “unordained”, common people are not considered an essential and valid part of the ministry.

The Lord however, Who is the Builder of the Church, will not leave His people in such a destitute state in which only part of His Body is functioning properly. In these last days, God is pouring out His Spirit upon the Church in order to restore to her the truth that all Christians are called to a ministry.

Because of the false concepts of the extreme division between the clergy and laity, many problems have arisen. Some of these problems are:

1. Positionally -minded people aspiring to a position of ministry;

2. Professionally-minded people who have no anointing of God;

3. Authoritarian-minded people who are domineering over the flock of God;

4. Power-hungry people who think ministry is exercising power over people’s lives;

5. Hypocritical leaders who, like the Pharisees, lay heavy burdens on the people but do not touch them with one of their own fingers;

6. A lazy majority of Christians in the Church who do not realize their callings in God;

7. Deacon boards ruling over local elders and congregations;

8. Politically-orientated leaders who put professionalism, money, and pleasing man, before meeting the needs of the people and pleasing God;

9. An over-worked minority who do most if not all of the “ministering” in the Body of Christ.

God desires to change all of these areas and restore them to New Testament truth. The following simple diagram will illustrate both the grammatical and theological change in the word “minister that has occurred in Church history:

 

8. Church Organization


By the middle of the 2nd century there was a uniform pattern of Church organization. Almost every Church had a BISHOP for its head and groups of Presbyters and Deacons assisting. They held districts under their control.

Late in the 2nd century the “CATHOLIC CHURCH’ BY NAME WAS RECOGNIZED; “Catholic” meaning “universal.”

a. Catholic churches were linked together in three ways:

1. All had one form of government; bishops, elders, deacons & presbyters.

2. All held the same creed, substantially the Apostle’s Creed.

3. All rec’d the same collection of Books of the New Testament.

 

b. Gradually the distinction between the clergy and laymen, unknown in the first century, became clear. Associated with this distinction between the clergy and laity became the idea of a higher morality among the clergy that caused the belief that te clergy should remain celibate (unmarried).

By the 3rd century the Christian minister was looked upon as a priest, and he stood between God and man. The Lord’s Supper was looked upon as a sacrifice and the Bishop’s office was thus magnified.

Again, the Bishop ruled over a congregation and district. The larger the district, the more power and influence he had. By the end of the 4th century the Bishop of Rome was claiming wide powers and authority, and 100 years later, through a series of incidents, centralization of authority:

1. The priest held authority over the local parish.

2. The Bishop held authority over a diocese (a group of parishes)

3. The Archbishop held authority over the SEE (a group of dioceses)

4. The Archbishops gained more power and became Metropolitans over a province (a large number of dioceses.

5. The Patriarch ruled over the Patriarchate (a group of SEES or Provinces).

By the end of this period, there were 5 Patriarchs, bishops at Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria. Antioch, and at Jerusalem. As can be seen, all was now ready for one declared Universal Head of the Church. This was claimed by Rome and Constantinople, the 2 capital cities of the Roman world. The Petrine Claim, and the doctrine of Apostolic Succession were the remaining factors that led to the Bishop of Rome making this claim good.

 

Life in the Church

By the middle of the 2nd Century worship was established as being on the Lord’s Day, and Christians gathered for Scripture reading, prayer, singing of hymns, preaching, and concluding with the Lord’s Supper. By the 3rd Century forms of prayers were used and liturgies (full orders of worship) were employed. Baptism was given elaborate ritual and was believed to wash away sin. The Lord’s Supper was administered in full liturgical form and considered a sacrament and sacrifice which ministered grace to the communicant (those taking part in it.)


Because many had come into the Church without being saved, the Church developed a form of discipline: that is, its method of dealing with offenses morally. Punishments were imposed, and penances such as public confessions, fasting and prayers were meted out for minor offenses and Excommunication was practiced in the cases of major offences.

Preaching gradually lessened, giving way to liturgies. The music element was enlarged, and hymns were written and sung by choirs. Church walls were decorated and the veneration of martyrs and saint worship became common. Relics of the saints and martyrs were believed to have miracle powers. Worship of Mary, Jesus’ mother began, and Augustine suggested the idea of Purgatory.

 







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