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God created the New Testament church with a distinct function and form. Its function was to facilitate shared life fellowship with mankind. Consequently, He provided the New Testament church with the form of a spiritual body. It followed and supported its function.
Form Follows Function Form provides shape and structure for created objects. It furnishes them with an identifiable appearance and facilitates the fulfillment of their divinely appointed function. Louis Sullivan is known for his architectural philosophy of form following function. He said, “It is the pervading law of all things organic, and inorganic, of all things physical and metaphysical, of all things human and all things super-human, of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that the life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function. This is the law.”1 Regarding architecture, Sullivan believed that the function of a building should dictate its design (form). For example, a hospital building exists to facilitate medical care. It would be significantly less effective to attempt medical care in a building designed to serve in a banking capacity. Sullivan understood that it is prudent to design a form or structure according to its intended function. In contrast, if function followed form, buildings would be designed not to serve their function but merely for artistic value. As a result, they would be attractive but dysfunctional. Of course, Sullivan did not create the fundamental philosophy of form following function. He merely popularized a preexisting concept. God created the original heavens and earth and later renovated them according to the simple but profound truth; form follows function. |
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Perfect Function and Form
The divine renovation of the earth was predetermined according to a specific plan. There were no surprises. God designed every aspect of the renovated earth to function together cooperatively to fulfill His eternal plan. Whether the moon and stars, the atmospheric heavens, the oceans, geological formation, plant, animal, insect, human, etc., every detail of His renovation of the earth had a predetermined function. It provided the impetus for the design of His unique forms (shape and structure). Concordant with His will, the forms chosen by God for His renovation of the heavens and the earth were “good.” (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31) Thus, every created object possessed a form that perfectly served its chosen function. As a result, the heavens and earth were renovated in flawless form. Imperfect Function and Form Like God, man utilizes form to support a desired function. Unlike the perfect forms of God, however, the forms of man are imperfect, corrupted by the Fall. Therefore, no matter how beneficent they may appear, they are incapable of adequately satisfying their function. Antithetical Function and Form The function and form derived from holy God and fallen man are antithetical. The perfect forms of God are utterly selfless, established for the highest good of His creation and flawlessly suited to serve their appointed function. In contrast, the imperfect, controlling forms of fallen man are innately selfish by nature. Therefore, they are used to support function that is self-willed, self-fulfilling, self-protective and self-serving. Antithetical Churches Regardless of differing denominations, doctrines, and dispositions, there have never been more than two types of churches on earth. God created the first church to minister eternal life (zoe) to a world corrupted by sin and death. Therefore, it was eternal. In contrast, fallen mankind originated the second church to facilitate religious activity in a world corrupted by sin and death. Thus, it was temporal. The eternal church and the temporal church are antithetical to one another in both function and form. Consequently, they are not subject to integration. |
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Eternal Church
God created the eternal church. It was finished in eternity before the foundation of the world and mirrored on earth in 33AD. (Acts 2; Ephesians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 4:3) God originated the eternal church with the capacity to accommodate eternal life (zoe) on earth. He designed it for animation by His indwelling life (zoe). God gave the eternal church an eternal function and form. In support of its predetermined function, its form was established before the foundation of the world. It was designed to follow and facilitate its function. The function of the eternal church was to facilitate shared life fellowship between God and man. In addition, it served to vindicate the nature of God from angelic accusation and repopulate the kingdom of God with willing citizens. The eternal church was created in the form of a spiritual body. Its form served to accommodate many individual members united with God and one another through His shared, indwelling life (zoe). The eternal church provided a perfect example of form following function. Its spiritual form was accommodative of its function of facilitating shared life fellowship between God and man. |
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Temporal Church
In contrast to the eternal church, the temporal church was produced by human effort. It was originated on earth nearly 300 years after the founding of the eternal church. Mankind created the temporal church with the capacity to accommodate temporal life (psuche) on earth. It was designed to be animated by lower human life (psuche) through organizational principles and precepts. The function and form of the temporal church were provided by mankind. Originating from civic and religious principle and precept, it utilized a preexisting form. Thus, the ever-evolving function of the temporal church followed the creation of its form. The temporal church utilized the preexisting form of a physical congregation. Like the form of the eternal church, it was comprised of many individual members. Rather than united to God and one another through shared life, however, its members congregated for Him according to shared interest and personal choice. The preexisting form of the temporal church was adopted not only for practicality and civic precedent but also for the ease by which it could be controlled by civic and religious leadership. The physical, congregational form of the temporal church was established in the early fourth century. It was initially patterned after legal and civic meetings commonly held in the meeting halls or basilicas of the Roman Empire. The form of the physical congregation was secured in history when the Roman emperor Constantine commissioned the construction of church buildings to accommodate the form of the physical congregation (AD323-327). Shortly afterwards, the function of the temporal church began to evolve. As revealed by its early doctrine and demonstrated through its corresponding practice, it was founded on the traditions of men. The fundamental function of the temporal church was to organize religious activity for God. The religious doctrine of the temporal church progressively unfolded after the adoption of its preexisting form. Derived predominantly by civic and religious authorities, it has been cultivated for hundreds of years from an amalgam of civic tradition, pagan belief, and Christian teaching. The ritualistic, religious practice of the temporal church was a clear reflection of its unbiblical doctrine. Rather than form following function, the temporal church provided an example of function following form. For reasons of practicality, civic precedent, and ease of management, it adopted the preexisting form of a physical congregation. Applied afterward, the temporal church adopted its function. It consisted of religious activity for God that served to justify its form of a physical congregation. Throughout history, the eternal church and the temporal church have been plainly distinguished by their function and form. Concordant with its shared life function of fellowship with God, the eternal church was originated in the form of an eternal, spiritual body. In contrast, the temporal church was originated in the form of a physical congregation to facilitate its function of religious activity for God. |
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Congruent with its divinely originated function and form, the eternal church is the church of the New Testament. Accommodative of divine life (zoe) on earth, it constitutes the embodiment of Christ, unadulterated by the religious traditions and organizational strategies of fallen man.
© 2023 James Hiatt |
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