Jesus said that His church was not a building, but the people. The church is comprised of the people who believe in Jesus as the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant, the Mosaic law, and the earlier Messianic promises, and follow his commands and teachings. However, there is a practical need for a meeting place. In the early church days, people met in the homes of fellow believers. Roman persecution drove the church underground (often literally). After the legalization of Christianity, churches once again met in the open. When Constantine married the church and the Roman state, Christianity became somewhat of a fad among the Roman elite, who had previously been steeped in pagan tradition. They saw ornate buildings as a vital part of worship. The tradition of large, ornate church buildings can be traced back to this time. Modern churches generally fall into one of two camps: 1) Size and opulence are the way to go; or 2) Spend enough to get the building you need, and do it well, but not to excess. [edit] I guess there is a third group, the "whatever we can come up with is good enough for God."
A Christian cannot be defined as one who goes to church or one who prays (although a Christian will do these things). A Christian is one who 1) accepts that Jesus died for the sins of the world, fulfilling the law, and for his own sins, individually. They should 2) accept the authority of the Bible over man's word and tradition, and they should 3) try to conform their life to the principles found in the Bible. Many who believe 1) don't accept 2) and live in direct contradiction to 3); according to the Bible, they are still technically Christians, but they don't live out their faith.
[ February 13, 2003, 17:37: Message edited by: Krsqk ]
Re: [OT] Nation bashing
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