Singing Jesus
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:1-2 ESV
Walk – Can there be any doubt about Paul’s use of peripateo as a Greek substitute for the Hebraic idea of walking a righteous path? Paul, the rabbi, knew precisely what it meant to walk in God’s ways, and in his letter to the Ephesians, he exhorts them to do the same. Walk worthily with humility, gentleness, patience and love. All of theses ideals are found in the path of Torah.
But Ignatius of Antioch takes the church in a different direction. Ignatius was the third bishop of Antioch, born sometime between 35-50 CE and “converted” to Christianity from pagan Greek backgrounds. According to Christian legend, he died a martyr’s death about 108 CE. Ignatius used the Greek word group symphoneo in his letter to the Ephesians exhorting them to sing “Jesus Christ” harmoniously like a choir. He claimed that “the unity of the Church was already achieved by Christ but is to be kept by the members of the community with a common mind, . . . the harmonious unity of the Church does not rest on monotonous uniformity but on the validity of hierarchically ordained relations: the members to the bishop, the bishop to Christ, Christ to God.”[1] For Ignatius, walking the strict path of Torah was monotonous uniformity. More importantly, Torah placed each person in a direct relationship of obedience with YHWH. This set aside the hierarchy that Ignatius desired to endorse. Therefore, Torah had to go. Judaism’s practice was not a hierarchy of priests and bishops. It was a community of followers and teachers. The Church required more supervision than that, especially since the Church was recruiting members who were not literate like the Jews. Supervision was essential. Let the choir sing, but let the choir director control the output.
It is fascinating to notice how Ignatius employs a metaphor very similar to Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 11:3, with a twist, of course. Instead of woman and man, Ignatius substitutes member and priest (bishop). One must ask if this isn’t just a bit self-serving. At any rate, Ignatius’ application of the hierarchy and the directed choir soon became the model for the Church, eventually morphing into a fixed hierarchy of offices that determined the spiritual condition of the people and controlled the spiritual education of the members. Luther broke the back of that particular system, but did not return to the walk of YHWH in the Tanakh. He simply replaced one hierarchy with another.
Today we need to ask, “Are we truly following YHWH as His children responsible to Him, educated by Him, redeemed by Him, or do we succumb to the control of some intermediary, a pastor, a teacher, a bishop?” Are we singing in the choir?
Topical Index: walk, peripateo, symphoneo, choir, hierarchy, Ignatius, Ephesians 4:1-2
Loaded topic! Are you sure this gun is safe in the house?
Excellent information about the metaphor of the choir director. These types of hierarchies are such that many here would have difficulty embracing them in the first place, because we have heard the voice of the Creator, and it is true. If we were doing the things that the Torah instructs, would there be time, energy, or resources to do all the other things we are being urged (by various ‘authorities’) to do? In my own life, I am often aware of those who would usurp the authority of the Creator, and have me serve their agendas instead.
Gayle that’s so true.
I noticed when I first started keeping Shabbat and the Holy Days that it was overwhelming when added to all the holidays that we already kept (Easter, Christmas, Valentines and so on). But when I eliminated Sunday worship and all the cultural Christian days, the true Holy Days were no longer a burden.
That’s my testimony to people when they tell me it’s “too hard” to keep the Holy Days. I tell them they are using the wrong calendar.
Does music effect the morals of the listener? Or simply reinforce?
I ask because I saw a video crediting Plato with this idea. My question is not about whether there is a minor effect – but if the issue is blown out of proportion. I don’t see a strong emphasis in the bible, unless it falls under ‘foreign worship’. So I wonder if the church preoccupation with styles of music is primarily an inheritance from Plato.
http://ianchadwick.com/blog/plato-music-and-misquotes/
“This set aside the hierarchy that Ignatius desired to endorse. Therefore, Torah had to go.”
YEP.
Praise God Almighty, I’M FREE AT LAST!
My wife and I have been marathon watching the 4-season DVD’s of “The Tudors” about the life and times (and wives) of Henry VIII.
It is very interesting in the portrayal of how he formed, changed, modified, and controlled the beliefs of his reign. His tyrannical rule reminded me of
similar reigns of rule today. Wild a comparison, I suppose, but, nonetheless, a sad commentary of the daily machinations of today’s religious establishments.
Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, as the sayings go.
Someone with apparent authority or self proclaimed authority says something authoritatively and the sheeple take it as such.
We are some weird beings sometimes.
One of Henry’s leaders, Cromwell, in the DVD’s was trying to encourage one of his friends to swear the oath to the King in order
to save himself from being burned on the stake. His objecting friend says, “But, I don’t believe that!” To which Cromwell retorted, “You don’t have
to believe it, just say it!”
I thought how familiar that was in my previous beliefs. Just say you believe it, your actions don’t have to follow so long as you verbally
profess the creed and accepted dogma. The Law is dead, you know, and Grace triumphs. We are no longer under Torah’s guide.
We are, because of grace, free to state whatever beliefs our new freedom allows. Praise the Lord!
Good grief. It is amazing how foreign those past beliefs are to me now. For his grace I am grateful with and with my life. For his Torah I am
now free to live within its life-giving boundaries. Choose this day . . .
. . . again, this day I choose life.