No More Hacking at the Branches, Part 6

Shawn McCraney discusses the tendency for critics to misinterpret his teachings by accusing him of promoting Christian relativism, while he asserts that there is one objective truth known only by God, and emphasizes patience and understanding among believers. He uses the teachings of Noam Chomsky to critique institutional religion and argues against dogma and rigid denominational claims, advocating for acceptance of diverse beliefs within Christianity until clarity is achieved at death.

Shawn highlights the misunderstanding of scriptural passages when interpreted strictly in English, versus their original Greek meanings, to criticize the ongoing structure and hierarchical authority of the institutional church rooted in misinterpretations such as those found in Ephesian 4:4-16. He argues against the fear-mongering tendencies within faith communities, as exemplified by Micheal's insistence on the necessity of a ministerial priesthood, suggesting that Christianity transcends political affiliations and economic beliefs, with Jesus as Lord and Savior for all, and urging believers to confidently embrace truth wherever it is found.

The teaching emphasizes that the Church established by Jesus did not include an authoritative ministerial priesthood, rather the authority lay with His specially appointed apostles whose authority ended with their deaths. The universal priesthood of all believers, without hierarchical structures, is guided by the Spirit, while historical references such as Jude 1:11 and the rebellion of Korah illustrate resistance to imposed authority and highlight internal divisions within early Christian assemblies.

Jude warns Christians against rejecting the authoritative ministerial priesthood established by Christ and propagated through prophecy and the laying on of hands, emphasizing that this priesthood requires a church to exist. However, Micheal misinterprets biblical references to Korah and apostolic authority, ignoring the transition to a universal priesthood led by the Spirit and misunderstanding the temporal context of biblical authority, suggesting that contemporary governance should be seen as Christ reigning by Spirit over a non-democratic church.

The teaching emphasizes that both conservative and liberal factions historically aimed to control public movements by reshaping ideology, as illustrated by Chomsky's critique of coordinated efforts by business and political groups. This process of manipulating belief systems, including within religious contexts, led to the transformation of simple faith commands into organized religion as a means to control social power and maintain dominance over diverse interest groups.

Apostolic leaders maintained the purity of the Christian faith amidst the evolving complexities of religious institutions, with genuine followers often choosing to distance themselves from corrupted religious authorities. Over time, the reshaping of ideology from a simple faith in Christ to organized religion has been used to maintain control, reducing active participation to passive observance.