Gospel Living

This is part of an ongoing series examining Wolfgang Simpson's "15 Theses" . Review: Response to Thesis One Response to Thesis Two 3. The Third Reformation. Simpson has stated that he wants a radical departure from the "system," the conventional means of church life. Though Luther made great strides in recovering the message of salvation, Simpson alleges that Luther failed to do enough in recovering the "pure" worship structure that came before Constantine. If we were to obtain such a departure today, it would amount to nothing less than a capital "R" Reformation of Lutheran proportions. He writes, In rediscovering the gospel of salvation by faith and grace alone, Luther started to reform the Church through a reformation of theology. In the 18th century through movements like the Moravians there was a recovery of a new intimacy with God, which led to a reformation of spirituality, the Second Reformation. Now God is touching the wineskins t...

This is part of an ongoing series examining Wolfgang Simpson's "15 Theses" . If you have not done so, you may click here in order to read the first part. 2. Time to change the system. If we are to assume that the current way we do church is flawed, then Thesis #2 goes without saying. Simpson writes, In aligning itself to the religious patterns of the day, the historic Orthodox Church after Constantine in the 4th century AD adopted a religious system which was in essence Old Testament, complete with priests, altar, a Christian temple (cathedral), frankincense and a Jewish, synagogue-style worship pattern. ... [U]ntil today nobody has really changed the superstructure. It is about time to do just that. There is a general consensus among believers with some knowledge of church history that Constantine the Great represents a flawed Christianity. That consensus is somewhat warranted, as Constantine was not someone you would want as pastor of your church. Coming from a pa...