WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.440 Chapter 9 The Rise of Institutionalized Religion 2 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:09.920 How Did They Miss It? 3 00:00:09.920 --> 00:00:14.480 As a teenager, I wrestled with what struck me as a fundamental question. 4 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:20.040 How could the religious leaders in Jesus' time, those entrusted with guiding God's people, 5 00:00:20.040 --> 00:00:24.200 be so profoundly out of sync with His message and His mission? 6 00:00:24.200 --> 00:00:27.800 These were the people who should have been closest to God's heart, and yet they were 7 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:30.320 often His fiercest opponents. 8 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:32.040 How did they miss it? 9 00:00:32.040 --> 00:00:37.040 That question eventually led to another, even graver concern as I grew older. 10 00:00:37.040 --> 00:00:41.160 How do we know that today's spiritual leaders and church institutions aren't making the 11 00:00:41.160 --> 00:00:43.200 same mistakes? 12 00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:47.880 As I've mentored and coached believers who struggle to experience spiritual breakthroughs, 13 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:52.960 the disconnect I've seen repeatedly is rooted in institutional religion itself. 14 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:57.960 Despite sincere intentions, churches often perpetuate patterns that hinder spiritual 15 00:00:57.960 --> 00:01:00.440 growth rather than nurture it. 16 00:01:00.440 --> 00:01:05.680 These patterns trace their origins back to the very foundation of the institutional church, 17 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:09.640 a foundation that has been flawed from the start. 18 00:01:09.640 --> 00:01:17.660 Woven into the fabric of the church are issues rooted in control, pride, fear, and insecurity. 19 00:01:17.660 --> 00:01:21.880 These traits have shaped the organization's hierarchical systems, creating structures 20 00:01:21.880 --> 00:01:26.160 that often suffocate the work of the Holy Spirit rather than empower it. 21 00:01:26.160 --> 00:01:31.040 While God's grace can and does work through these institutions, the consequences of these 22 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:34.320 flaws have resounded for generations. 23 00:01:34.320 --> 00:01:38.920 Today the church is rife with division, stagnation, and spiritual weakness. 24 00:01:38.920 --> 00:01:44.880 It's often unable to fulfill the transformative role that Christ intended. 25 00:01:44.880 --> 00:01:46.280 Flawed Beginnings 26 00:01:46.280 --> 00:01:51.560 To grasp how the ecclesia, God's Spirit-led gathering of believers, was co-opted into 27 00:01:51.560 --> 00:01:56.760 the institutionalized system we now know as the church, we must begin to examine its 28 00:01:56.760 --> 00:01:58.540 early foundations. 29 00:01:58.540 --> 00:02:02.640 This isn't about the vibrant movement of the Holy Spirit that began at Pentecost or the 30 00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:07.280 organic spread of believers who called themselves followers of the Way. 31 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:11.500 That was pure and powerful, a divine outpouring of God's intention. 32 00:02:11.500 --> 00:02:16.520 What followed, however, reveals how human nature, and perhaps demonic influence, sought 33 00:02:16.520 --> 00:02:21.240 to take what was spiritual and transform it into something institutional. 34 00:02:21.240 --> 00:02:26.000 Specifically, Rome took what was meant to be a Spirit-led community and imposed its 35 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:33.160 own hierarchical and administrative framework, co-opting the ecclesia for a structured institutionalized 36 00:02:33.160 --> 00:02:34.320 system. 37 00:02:34.320 --> 00:02:37.400 This was the birth of what we now call the church. 38 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:41.880 While the original movement of the Way reflected freedom, diversity, and the power of the Holy 39 00:02:41.880 --> 00:02:47.360 Spirit, the systems that followed began to mold a movement that was something far more 40 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:50.140 rigid and human-driven. 41 00:02:50.140 --> 00:02:55.880 Over time, cultural influences and the desire for control and order replaced Christ's original 42 00:02:55.880 --> 00:02:59.200 design for a Spirit-led body of believers. 43 00:02:59.200 --> 00:03:04.460 The result was a shift from a living spiritual organism, a community empowered by the very 44 00:03:04.460 --> 00:03:11.660 Spirit of God, to formal organizations defined by human understanding and hierarchy. 45 00:03:11.660 --> 00:03:17.420 The ecclesian movement was absorbed, its essence diluted, as human understanding, ambition, 46 00:03:17.420 --> 00:03:22.620 and societal norms began to dictate the structure and function of what Christ had intended to 47 00:03:22.620 --> 00:03:25.460 remain dynamic and Spirit-led. 48 00:03:25.460 --> 00:03:31.340 Let's take a peek at a few examples and influences that set the direction of the church. 49 00:03:31.340 --> 00:03:36.580 Clement of Rome, 35-99 A.D. 50 00:03:36.580 --> 00:03:42.540 Around the same time that John wrote the Revelation, about 95 A.D., Clement of Rome, 51 00:03:42.540 --> 00:03:46.980 one of the earliest leaders of the Roman church, addressed a letter to the church in Corinth 52 00:03:46.980 --> 00:03:51.540 emphasizing the importance of order and obedience to church leaders. 53 00:03:51.540 --> 00:03:55.940 He is credited with introducing the concept of hierarchical leadership within the Christian 54 00:03:55.940 --> 00:03:57.420 community. 55 00:03:57.420 --> 00:04:02.060 While he advocated for unity and stability in the church, his writings also introduced 56 00:04:02.060 --> 00:04:06.380 the idea of a clear distinction between clergy and laity. 57 00:04:06.380 --> 00:04:11.100 Clement's teachings argued that leadership within the church was divinely appointed and 58 00:04:11.100 --> 00:04:13.260 hierarchical in nature. 59 00:04:13.260 --> 00:04:18.100 He compared church leadership to the Old Testament priesthood, reinforcing the idea that certain 60 00:04:18.100 --> 00:04:21.940 individuals held a higher spiritual status and authority. 61 00:04:21.940 --> 00:04:27.420 This analogy to the priestly system of the Old Covenant marked a departure from the egalitarian, 62 00:04:27.420 --> 00:04:29.740 Spirit-led model of the early ecclesia. 63 00:04:29.980 --> 00:04:34.500 Clement's writings provided the foundation for a hierarchical church structure that placed 64 00:04:34.500 --> 00:04:40.500 authority in the hands of a select few, diminishing the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding individuals 65 00:04:40.500 --> 00:04:43.900 and the community as a whole. 66 00:04:43.900 --> 00:04:49.060 Ignatius of Antioch, 35-108 A.D. 67 00:04:49.060 --> 00:04:53.900 Ignatius, a bishop of Antioch, was one of the most vocal proponents of a hierarchical 68 00:04:53.900 --> 00:04:55.700 church structure. 69 00:04:55.700 --> 00:05:02.700 In his letters to various churches, Ignatius repeatedly emphasized the authority of a hierarchical 70 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:04.960 of bishops. He declared that the bishop should be regarded as the ultimate spiritual leader, 71 00:05:04.960 --> 00:05:11.280 comparing the bishop to Christ himself. Ignatius also advocated for strict obedience to the clergy, 72 00:05:11.280 --> 00:05:15.120 arguing that no church activity should take place without the bishop's approval. 73 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:20.560 His teachings effectively centralized authority within the office of the bishop, 74 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:24.080 sidelining the role of elders and the broader community of believers. 75 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:30.400 Ignatius' insistence on the supreme authority of bishops marked a significant shift from the 76 00:05:30.400 --> 00:05:36.480 spirit-led, decentralized model of the early ecclesia to a rigid hierarchy. His teachings 77 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:41.840 marginalized the role of ordinary believers and established a precedent for institutional control. 78 00:05:41.840 --> 00:05:47.040 1. Irenaeus of Lyons, 130-202 AD 79 00:05:48.320 --> 00:05:53.520 Irenaeus, a bishop of what is now France, is best known for his defense of Orthodox 80 00:05:53.520 --> 00:05:58.960 Christianity against heresies, particularly Gnosticism. While his efforts to preserve 81 00:05:58.960 --> 00:06:03.840 sound doctrine could be considered commendable, Irenaeus also introduced the concept of 82 00:06:03.840 --> 00:06:10.320 apostolic succession. This idea asserted that only those ordained by a lineage of bishops, 83 00:06:10.320 --> 00:06:14.480 tracing back to the apostles, had the authority to teach and lead the church. 84 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:20.080 While apostolic succession was intended to protect the church from false teaching, 85 00:06:20.080 --> 00:06:24.560 it also created an exclusive hierarchy that excluded lay believers from meaningful 86 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:29.840 participation in ministry. It reinforced the idea that spiritual authority was centralized 87 00:06:29.840 --> 00:06:34.640 in the clergy, further distancing ordinary Christians from the spirit-led model of the 88 00:06:34.640 --> 00:06:41.440 early ecclesia. Irenaeus' emphasis on apostolic succession established the institutional church 89 00:06:41.440 --> 00:06:46.960 as the sole arbiter of spiritual truth, limiting believers' access to direct revelation 90 00:06:46.960 --> 00:06:48.160 and the Spirit's guidance. 91 00:06:49.760 --> 00:06:52.800 Tertullian, 155-240 AD 92 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:59.760 Tertullian, often regarded as the father of Latin Christianity, was a prominent theologian 93 00:06:59.760 --> 00:07:05.360 and apologist in the early church. An apologist is a theologian who defends the Catholic faith 94 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:08.880 through apologetics, the intellectual defense of Christianity. 95 00:07:09.920 --> 00:07:14.560 Based in Carthage, Tertullian's writings significantly shaped Christian theology 96 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:19.360 and laid the foundation for much of Western Christianity. He is one of the first to 97 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:24.960 introduce and develop key theological concepts such as the Trinity and the dual nature of Christ. 98 00:07:25.760 --> 00:07:30.160 However, Tertullian also reinforced the idea of a distinct divide 99 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:35.680 between clergy and laity. While he contributed much to the defense and development of the faith, 100 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:40.160 his views helped establish a formal, hierarchical structure in the church 101 00:07:40.160 --> 00:07:43.840 that placed significant power and authority in the hands of the clergy. 102 00:07:44.640 --> 00:07:49.920 Tertullian argued that the clergy, by virtue of their office, held a unique and superior 103 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:54.800 standing in the church. This fostered a growing dependence on ordained leaders to 104 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:59.600 mediate between God and the people. In addition, Tertullian was a strong 105 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:05.200 proponent of rigid moral and doctrinal standards. This emphasis on strict rules 106 00:08:05.200 --> 00:08:11.360 and ecclesiastical authority sowed the seeds for an institutionalized church that prioritized 107 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:16.960 control and conformity over Spirit-led community and personal relationship with God. 108 00:08:17.760 --> 00:08:21.680 Cyprian of Carthage, 200-258 AD 109 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:28.480 Cyprian, a prominent bishop of Carthage, played a crucial role in solidifying the hierarchical 110 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:33.360 structure of the church. He rose to prominence and became known for his writings and leadership 111 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:38.720 during a time of significant persecution and division in the church. Cyprian strongly 112 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:42.799 believed in the authority of bishops and the centrality of the institutional church. 113 00:08:43.760 --> 00:08:45.040 He famously declared, 114 00:08:49.760 --> 00:08:55.680 asserting that salvation was inextricably tied to the authority of the church. This statement 115 00:08:55.680 --> 00:09:00.880 elevated the institutional church to a position of supreme spiritual authority, making it the 116 00:09:00.880 --> 00:09:06.720 gatekeeper of salvation. His views entrenched the idea that the institutional church, rather 117 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:12.400 than the Holy Spirit, was the ultimate authority in the believer's life. His teachings laid the 118 00:09:12.400 --> 00:09:17.040 groundwork for the centralized hierarchical structure that would dominate Christianity 119 00:09:17.040 --> 00:09:21.200 for centuries and limit the Spirit's direct work in individual believers. 120 00:09:23.040 --> 00:09:26.800 Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 AD 121 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:34.000 Augustine, one of the most influential theologians in Christian history, made significant contributions 122 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:39.200 to Christian thought, particularly in the areas of original sin, grace, and the nature of the 123 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:44.880 church. However, Augustine also played a key role in merging church and state, advocating 124 00:09:44.880 --> 00:09:50.880 for the use of political power to enforce religious orthodoxy. Augustine's writings 125 00:09:50.880 --> 00:09:55.520 supported the idea that the church had the authority to use coercion to bring wayward 126 00:09:55.520 --> 00:10:00.000 believers into compliance. This set a precedence for the persecution of dissenters. 127 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:05.100 centers, and the centralization of power within the institutional church. 128 00:10:05.100 --> 00:10:10.020 While Augustine's theory shaped much of Western Christianity, his emphasis on institutional 129 00:10:10.020 --> 00:10:14.820 authority and the blending of church and state reinforced the hierarchical systems that the 130 00:10:14.820 --> 00:10:17.540 church had established. 131 00:10:17.540 --> 00:10:20.540 I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point. 132 00:10:20.540 --> 00:10:24.860 These early developments shaped the Roman Catholic Church, establishing a hierarchical 133 00:10:24.860 --> 00:10:30.020 structure that emphasized control, conformity, and ritual over the freedom in Christ that 134 00:10:30.020 --> 00:10:32.460 the early Ecclesian enjoyed. 135 00:10:32.460 --> 00:10:35.980 Now it may be tempting to lay the problem within the Roman Catholic Church and leave 136 00:10:35.980 --> 00:10:41.900 it there, but we still have to take the Reformation and Protestantism into account. 137 00:10:41.900 --> 00:10:44.140 The Protestant Reformation 138 00:10:44.140 --> 00:10:49.100 The Protestant Reformation, which began in the 16th century, was a monumental movement 139 00:10:49.100 --> 00:10:53.340 in the history of Christianity, breaking away from the authoritarianism of the Catholic 140 00:10:53.340 --> 00:10:54.340 Church. 141 00:10:54.340 --> 00:11:00.140 Reformers, such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, Holdren Ziegle, and others had a vision of 142 00:11:00.140 --> 00:11:04.860 liberating the Christian faith from the institutional grip of Rome, which had long established a 143 00:11:04.860 --> 00:11:09.020 hierarchy that dictated how believers should experience and express their relationship 144 00:11:09.020 --> 00:11:10.540 with God. 145 00:11:10.540 --> 00:11:17.300 The Reformers successfully initiated a sweeping change that reshaped Christianity, but unfortunately, 146 00:11:17.300 --> 00:11:22.460 they retained many of the hierarchical structures and institutional characteristics of the Mother 147 00:11:22.460 --> 00:11:23.780 Church. 148 00:11:23.780 --> 00:11:27.820 The underlying reliance on human authority persisted. 149 00:11:27.820 --> 00:11:32.460 Protestantism largely replicated similar levels of control and hierarchy within their ranks. 150 00:11:32.460 --> 00:11:37.940 Bishops, councils, and committees became a new kind of clergy class, replacing the old 151 00:11:37.940 --> 00:11:40.300 but retaining the structure. 152 00:11:40.300 --> 00:11:44.700 Although their theology differed, their approach to authority mirrored the very system they 153 00:11:44.700 --> 00:11:47.060 had intended to reform. 154 00:11:47.060 --> 00:11:52.100 This unintended carryover hindered the potential of the Reformation to restore the original 155 00:11:52.100 --> 00:11:55.620 participatory model of the early ecclesia. 156 00:11:55.620 --> 00:11:59.980 The result of this retained hierarchy has been a constraint on the movements of God. 157 00:11:59.980 --> 00:12:04.260 Just as the Catholic Church hierarchy once limited how and where people could experience 158 00:12:04.260 --> 00:12:08.580 God, the newer Protestant structures imposed their own limitations. 159 00:12:08.580 --> 00:12:12.820 Denominational doctrines and administrative approval restricted the movements of the Spirit 160 00:12:12.820 --> 00:12:18.460 of God as governing bodies became the arbiters of spiritual experience, defining and dictating 161 00:12:18.460 --> 00:12:21.980 what was acceptable and what was not. 162 00:12:21.980 --> 00:12:28.140 Even as great men of God—the Westleys, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Gilbert Tennant, 163 00:12:28.140 --> 00:12:33.340 Cotton Mather, and others in the 18th century—initiated movements that turned large numbers of people 164 00:12:33.340 --> 00:12:38.940 to Christ, they were building organizations on a less-than-perfect foundation initiated 165 00:12:38.940 --> 00:12:41.740 not by God but by man. 166 00:12:41.740 --> 00:12:47.020 Though perhaps more decentralized than Catholicism, Protestantism largely imposed restrictions 167 00:12:47.020 --> 00:12:51.300 on individual believers' ability to fulfill the personal moves of the Spirit in their 168 00:12:51.300 --> 00:12:52.740 lives. 169 00:12:52.740 --> 00:12:57.200 Like ancient Israel's dependency on a priestly class and like the Catholic Church they broke 170 00:12:57.200 --> 00:13:01.860 away from, Protestant believers were taught to look to their leaders for direction at 171 00:13:01.860 --> 00:13:06.780 the expense of seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance for themselves and a personal relationship 172 00:13:06.780 --> 00:13:08.620 with God. 173 00:13:08.620 --> 00:13:14.580 These circumstances all point to a common theme—humanity's tendency to rely on religion, 174 00:13:14.580 --> 00:13:21.060 rituals, and self-effort instead of trusting in God's provision for transforming and pursuing 175 00:13:21.060 --> 00:13:23.500 a genuine relationship with Him. 176 00:13:23.500 --> 00:13:27.820 But God is not looking for external displays of devotion. 177 00:13:27.820 --> 00:13:30.060 What He desires is your heart.