The Problem of Topical Christianity
Today, within Christianity, we find ourselves steeped in teachers and teachings. One might even go so far as to say that there is a literal glut on the American Church market of these teachers and teachings, creating a veritable smorgasbord for the consumer. However, there is a subtle, but significant difference between hearing the words of God as opposed to the Word of God.
"What then is the Word of God," someone may ask. It is the very revelation of God Himself, fulfilled in and through His Son, Christ Jesus, And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten fro the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). It is suggested here that the old proverb, "water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink," can be used to describe the overall state of our teaching in the Church today.
Since, the mouth speaks that which fills the heart (Mat. 12:34b), what then does that reveal about much of what goes for "teaching ministry?" John wrote, What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, and if that be the case, considering what is generally taught, what does that suggest as to the level of what many teachers have seen and heard, not to mention what those being taught are willing to settle for, either out of ignorance or for lack of a deeper spiritual hunger?
Our sophisticated teachings and methods emanating from some of the most accomplished and polished speakers anywhere may have appeared to have significantly advanced the Kingdom of God. However, have we along the way, simply been reduced to a sort of "Topical Christianity," a Christianity which emphasizes topics over or apart from Person and Purpose?
On the contrary, what has been purported to be a mega-vitamin has only turned out to be a sugar pill, and has actually contributed to the decline in the Church’s spiritual health. Unfortunately, the diseases that so often lead to our demise are the ones that have already been at work in us for quite sometime, silently and unseen, slowly killing us until finally manifesting themselves, by which time severe damage has already been done.
T. Austin-Sparks, in his book, Union With Christ, opens with the following insightful commentary, "Union with Christ is the heart or center of all that has been revealed of God’s thought concerning man and of man’s relationship to God. Union with Christ is the hub of a mighty wheel. There are many spokes to that wheel-election, creation, redemption, salvation, sanctification, glorification, and then, like a series of subsidiary spokes-repentance, faith, justification, conversion, regeneration, and so on. These are the spokes of the wheel, but they all center in Christ and radiate from Christ and reach the rim, which is God. They unite us in Christ with God."
Sparks, then builds upon this thought to drive home a critical point; "Now, the first preachers of the Christian evangel preached Christ. They did not, in the first place, preach salvation or sanctification or forgiveness, or judgment or heaven. That does not mean that they did not preach those things-they did, but not in the first place. They preached Christ, and all those things were included in the preaching of Christ, Christ as inclusive of all and as transcending all, for after all, such things as salvation and sanctification, forgiveness, justification, are subsidiaries, they come afterward. Christ was before them all and Christ will be after them all. They are inside of Christ, but He vastly outstrips them all."
When Paul addressed the Ephesians elders at Miletus, he made the following statement, "For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God" Acts 20:27). The key phrase is, the whole purpose of God. Moreover, the letter to the Church at Ephesis is indicative of Paul’s thought and approach to ministry. Now, some of our most popular teachings come from this letter; topics such as, the gifts and ministries in the Church, our personal walk, domestic relationships, spiritual warfare, and so on. However, all of these "topics" are built upon the foundation of the first chapter, which exclusively deals with the Person of Christ and God’s eternal purposes.
Consequently, anything less prevents these passages, and others, from having their full meaning and effect. And so, we are left with "How-To" manuals for our countless Bible Schools, conferences and conventions, Bible Studies, and Christian Book Stores. If this spiritual equivalent to "pick yourself up by your bootstraps" approach to successful Christian living works so well, why then does the convention movement continue to grow? Has it occurred to anyone that truly successful ministers and ministries should actually be working themselves out of a job, especially with the same audience? And why do many of these same people continue to go to these events on a seemingly endless basis, bearing with them the same problems over and over again? Is this effectual ministry or in reality soulish addiction?
It is either a symptom of being enamored with forever learning, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth," or a form of ministerial roulette in the desperate hope that eventually they will stumble upon the right formula to right that which is wrong in their life, to add what is lacking, to remove what is undesirable, to enhance ministry, finding that particular remedy for that particular problem, desperately searching for that so-called "secret" that will fulfill the promise of a victorious walk. Well, the secret is out, and it is found in Christ. So then, Why do you spend money for what is not bread (Is. 55:2a)?
In Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth, he deals with nearly every issue imaginable. It is sort of a "Murphy’s Law" of anything that can go wrong in a church will, as it appears at Corinth. Paul makes reference to his teaching on a previous visit to the Church and reminds them that he determined to know nothing among (them) except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (I Cor. 2:2). Though many issues are addressed throughout, this pervasive thought never changes and great effort is made by Paul to have this reaffirmed.
At the beginning of his letter he reiterates to them that the grace of God was given to them in Jesus Christ, that in everything (they) are enriched in Him, and that, God is faithful through whom (they) were called into fellowship with His Son... And again, in Chapter 3, Paul reminds them, For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Amidst the myriad of issues confronting the Church at Corinth, Paul knew that the only real solution was to give them Christ, and to keep on giving them Christ, and to keep bringing them back to God’s eternal purposes in Christ, to remind them of who they are in Christ, and who Christ is in them.
Paul knew that only in Christ did all things hold together. He knew that only in Christ could the Church hold together. He knew that only in Christ could those at Corinth, or any church, fulfill its corporate calling according to God’s purposes. He knew that all things are summed up in Christ, and that apart from Christ, nothing would ever add up to being complete. It is also not coincidental that two of the most referenced chapters concerning how the Church should function, Chapters 12 and 14, are connected by the most consummate expression ever written concerning God’s love. All things must be seen as part of the whole Person and Purpose and approached from God’s perspective of Christ and His Church, or, Christ in (His Church), the hope of glory.
The teachers in the early Church did not teach on "things" or "topics" as separate, in and of themselves, apart from Christ and God’s purposes. There was only one teaching, and that teaching was Christ. The letter to the Colossians deals much with human philosophy and man-made rules, but is approached from the only standpoint that could effectually bring things to a spiritual light. Therefore, Paul does not begin by addressing these critical issues head-on. Rather, he lays the groundwork for dealing with these issues by writing what many believe to be the most Christological passage of Scripture recorded in the New Testament; declaring the preeminence of Christ and all that it means. It was from this perspective, and this perspective only, that Paul could transform the words of God into the Word of God, by the Spirit, to have the desired effect.
The Scriptures were never intended to form, or be used, as sort of a "Topical Bible," but rather a revelation of who Christ is and who we are in Him, and that by His Spirit, His Word should become flesh in our lives, written upon the tablets of our hearts. Paul did not give "teachings" as such, on holy living, spiritual gifts, evangelizing, spiritual warfare, marriage, end-time prophecy, finances, etc. This notion would have been quite foreign to him and the early Church leaders. The Church’s understanding and fruitfulness resulted from a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the true knowledge of Him (Eph. 1:17b).
Those who have the integrity and courage to take the hard look that is required may find in the final analysis, that we have a great deal of repenting to do; to unlearn before we can relearn, to allow God to take away the first in order to establish the second, to lay a "good" thing down at the foot of the Cross in order to see resurrection and the true ministering of Divine life. The "Apollo" in the Church, as educated and eloquent as he is, must be willing to humble himself, to be taken aside and have explained the way of God more accurately to him.
If Paul were alive today he might very well say to us as he did to the Church at Ephesus, But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, just as truth is in Jesus (Eph. 4:20-21). The "if indeed" is both the qualifier and dilemma for most of us. We must "learn Christ" in order to give Christ, so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.
Fred London
