The Biblical versus the Traditional Church

Over some 2,000 years of denominational turmoil and cultural stress, the modern institutional (traditional) church has evolved into some 200 different Christian sects and denominations in the United States alone. The state of the modern church has little to do with answering Christ’s first-century prayer for a witnessing unity in John 17:20-26. The unity for which Christ prayed then is one that shows the world that God loves it with the save fervor with which he loves Christ. But that witnessing unity is clearly not what’s going on, and it prompts my Big Question: After 2,000 years, why hasn’t God answered his own Son’s prayer?

I believe the answer lies in the fact that God allows even the best of his people to “do their own thing” even when their “own thing” mediates against God’s will (Note: Romans 1:18-32). In other words, for some reason (to be developed in later posts), God allows us to fail at even the things he wants.

Too many modern churches have obviously missed the mark. Studies show that most pew Christians are biblically illiterate. In his book, "Boiling Point", Christian statistician George Barna talks about the current state of Christian education: “Our studies show that few churches use their teaching times to intentionally and relentlessly communicate a coherent and cohesive world view in a systematic fashion. [The teaching] tends to be random in its context and delivery.”

Thus, I conclude, the traditional church, the cultural church most believers have experienced today, is not necessarily the church Christ had in mind in the beginning. Christ wants the biblical church to be consistent with the New Testament model.

My goal with The Internet Church is to found such a church, a biblical church; and judging from Scripture (Romans 12:1-8; Ephesians 4:1-16; I Corinthians 12 & 13; I Peter 2:4-12) you—yes, you—have an important role to play in that establishment. You’re not here now reading these words without reason. You’re here because you have an important role to play in the unfolding of this Internet-wide ministry. As a skeptic or a believer, you have a card to play and many joys to receive as a result.