The Real New Testament Church
  • Home
  • Contents
  • Preface
  • Plan
    • Kingdom >
      • Chapter 1 - Beginning
      • Chapter 2 - Errant Reasoning
      • Chapter 3 - Consequence
      • Chapter 4 - Adaptation
      • Chapter 5 - Original Earth
      • Chapter 6 - Renovated Earth
      • Chapter 7 - Degenerated Earth
      • Chapter 8 - Time, Space and Representation
      • Chapter 9 - Early Ages
      • Chapter 10 - Israelite Age
      • Chapter 11 - Gentile Age
      • Chapter 12 - Tribulation
      • Chapter 13 - Regenerated Earth
      • Chapter 14 - New Earth
    • Covenant >
      • Chapter 15 - Covenant
      • Chapter 16 - Major Covenants
      • Chapter 17 - Eternal Covenant
      • Chapter 18 - Renovation Covenant
      • Chapter 19 - Old Covenant for Israel
      • Chapter 20 - New Covenant for Israel
  • Church
    • Preparation >
      • Chapter 21 - Parables
      • Chapter 22 - Kingdom of Heaven Parables
    • Foundation >
      • Chapter 23 - New Testament Church
      • Chapter 24 - Church Covenant
      • Chapter 25 - Eternal or Temporal
      • Chapter 26 - Calling
      • Chapter 27 - Description
    • Legality >
      • Chapter 28 - Law
      • Chapter 29 - Transgression
      • Chapter 30 - Justification
    • Life (zoe) >
      • Chapter 31 - Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 32 - Progression of Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 33 - Birth
      • Chapter 34 - Perfect Example
      • Chapter 35 - Church Life
      • Chapter 36 - Sanctification
      • Chapter 37 - Rule of Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 38 - Life According to the Spirit
      • Chapter 39 - Return to Law
      • Chapter 40 - Faith
    • Composition >
      • Chapter 41 - Covenantal Headship
      • Chapter 42 - New Covenantal Headship
      • Chapter 43 - Practical Headship
      • Chapter 44 - Body
      • Chapter 45 - Women
    • Incarnation >
      • Chapter 46 - Function and Form
      • Chapter 47 - Purpose and Mission
      • Chapter 48 - Manifestation
    • Doctrine and Practice >
      • Chapter 49 - Apostolic Teaching
      • Chapter 50 - Apostolic Tradition
    • Apostolic Teaching >
      • Chapter 51 - Values
      • Chapter 52 - Prayer
      • Chapter 53 - Works
      • Chapter 54 - Giving
    • Apostolic Tradition >
      • Chapter 55 - Governance
      • Chapter 56 - Simplicity
      • Chapter 57 - Biblical Gatherings
      • Chapter 58 - Practical Gatherings
      • Chapter 59 - Supper: Celebration and Sign
      • Chapter 60 - Supper: Apostolic Tradition
      • Chapter 61 - Assembling Together
    • Growth >
      • Chapter 62 - Biblical Church Growth
      • Chapter 63 - Practical Church Growth
      • Chapter 64 - Exponential Growth
    • Simulation >
      • Chapter 65 - Temporal Simulation
      • Chapter 66 - Simulated Church History
      • Chapter 67 - Confirmation of Scripture
      • Chapter 68 - Sovereignty of God
    • Warfare >
      • Chapter 69 - Warfare
      • Chapter 70 - Utter Defeat
      • Chapter 71 - Freedom
      • Chapter 72 - Position
      • Chapter 73 - Descriptive Armor
      • Chapter 74 - Cooperative Armor
      • Chapter 75 - Armor Abridged
      • Chapter 76 - Armor Paraphrased
      • Chapter 77 - Armor Appropriated
      • Chapter 78 - Full Armor
      • Chapter 79 - Power of Position
  • Reformation
    • Chapter 80 - Formation, Deformation and Reformation
    • Chapter 81 - Law and Life
    • Chapter 82 - Practice of Law
    • Chapter 83 - Practice of Life
    • Chapter 84 - From Law to Life
    • Chapter 85 - Doctrine, Desire and Dependence
    • Chapter 86 - Design, Decentralization, Demonstration and Divestment
  • Conclusion
    • Chapter 87 - The Real New Testament Church
  • Endnotes
  • About
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Chapter 65 - Temporal Simulation
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God created the eternal New Testament church before the foundation of the world with distinct function and form. The function of the eternal church was to facilitate shared life fellowship between Himself and mankind. God provided the New Testament church with a form that was suitable. Thus, He made it in the form of a spiritual body.

The heavenly New Testament church did not change when God originated it on earth. It retained its distinct function and form.
 
Heavenly or eternal in function and form, God created the New Testament church on earth to accommodate His life (zoe). It was His chosen instrument for sharing life (zoe) and fellowship with the elect of the Church Age.

Concordant with its eternal function, the message of the New Testament church proclaimed the possibility of life shared with God. (cf. Philippians 2:16; 1 John 1:1-2) Thus, the message of the ecclesia of God was a “message of…life (zoe).” (Acts 5:20; cf. 2 Timothy 1:8-11)

The shared life message of the New Testament church is the Gospel or “Good News” of Jesus Christ. Demonstrating the attributes of God in an unbiased, concurrent manner, its willing reception by fallen mankind serves to vindicate His nature from angelic scheme and accusation.  

Relative to the role of the New Testament church in the vindication of the divine nature, the heavenly host offers a varied reaction. The holy angels rejoice when a fallen human being repents and receives eternal life (zoe) through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Luke 15:7) Conversely, Satan and his angels cringe when they see man, a lesser, undeserving creature, gain through the church what they lost; citizenship in the glorious kingdom of God.
​
​For the devil and his angels, the New Testament church serves as a public reminder of their judgment and condemnation. Therefore, it is for them an ever-present source of embarrassment, humiliation, and shame. As a result, the devil and his angels view the New Testament church with fiery hatred.

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                                                                                                 Opposition

​Not surprisingly, the New Testament church has historically encountered satanic opposition on the fallen earth. The schemes of Satan have targeted both its function and form.
 
                   Persecution and Doctrinal Deception
 
During the early history of the church, Satan predominantly targeted the shared life function of the New Testament church. Therefore, he fervently schemed to diminish and destroy its capacity for facilitating intimate, shared life fellowship between God and man.
    
As indicated by their frequent mention in the New Testament, Satan’s initial weapons of choice were persecution and doctrinal deception. Ultimately, Satan believed his scheme would serve to turn the ecclesia from faithful dependence on its heavenly life (zoe) source to self-dependence. Consequently, it would become powerless and unfruitful.
    
For nearly 300 years, the early New Testament church endured opposition from Satan in the predominant form of persecution and doctrinal deception. Despite unspeakable suffering and loss, the ecclesia persevered by the gracious, indwelling presence of the indestructible life (zoe) of God. (cf., Romans 5:10; Hebrews 7:16) Much to Satan’s chagrin, its faithful perseverance on earth only served to further demonstrate the righteousness of God and the unrighteous failure of his schemes.

 
                                         Simulation
 
Failing to destroy the early church through persecution and doctrinal deception alone, Satan addressed its form rather than function. He understood that its spiritual form allowed God the freedom to indwell, animate and govern His faithful ecclesia on earth. As a result, Satan recognized the need to encourage the ecclesia to adopt a form incompatible with God's indwelling life (zoe).
    
Concordant with the satanic scheme, the form of the New Testament church would transition from organic to inorganic. Thus, it would no longer be accommodative of divine life (zoe). Consequently, the New Testament church would be incapable of facilitating intimate, life-based (zoe) fellowship between God and man. To the contrary, the church would become a religious simulation of the organic original. It would possess a type of godliness but without power. (cf. 2 Timothy 3:5)
    
Supported by the powerful Roman Empire, the scheme of Satan influenced the origination of the simulated church on earth during the fourth century. The resultant, inorganic simulation was quite different from the living (zoe) ecclesia of the New Testament. It was divergent in origin, animation, function, form, manifestation, government, works, practice, and growth.



                                              Origin
 
God originated the living (zoe) church of the New Testament on earth during the first century. In contrast, the simulated Roman church was originated by man for God during the fourth century.


                                          Animation
 
The distinct church of the New Testament was designed for animation by the indwelling life (zoe) of God. In contrast, the simulated Roman church was animated only by the life (psuche) of fallen man. 
 
                                           Function
 
The function of the New Testament church was to facilitate intimate, shared life fellowship between God and man. In contrast, the function of the simulated church was to perform religious activity for God.
 
                                             Form
 
Designed by God to suit His predetermined function, the form of the New Testament church was a heavenly, spiritual body. In contrast, the form of the simulated church was a physical congregation.
 
                                      Manifestation
 
The early New Testament church was predominantly manifested on earth in small group community. It provided an example of form following function.
In contrast, the simulated Roman church was predominantly manifested in large group meetings. Unlike the early New Testament church, it essentially provided an example of function following form.
 
                                       Governance
 
God personally governed the early New Testament church. He fulfilled His role of governance by rule of indwelling life (zoe), characterized by lavish, unmerited favor.
    
In contrast, the simulated Roman church was governed by organizational principle and precept through human directive. The standard for governance was the rule of law (law of sin and of death). It was characterized by reward for obedience and punishment for transgression. 



                                          Doctrine
     
The doctrine of the early New Testament church originated from God. It was delivered to earth from the heavenly Father through the incarnate Son. New Testament Church doctrine was then taught to the apostles by the incarnate Son. Eventually, the original doctrine of the early church was communicated to faithful men who taught it to the brothers and sisters of the ecclesia.
    
In contrast, the doctrine of the simulated Roman church originated from man. It was an amalgam of pagan belief, civic tradition, and Christian doctrine.

 
                                          Practice
 
The early New Testament church was graciously animated on earth by the indwelling life (zoe) of God. (cf. Acts 2:41-47; Romans 12:1-13; 1 Corinthians 11-14; Ephesians 5:18-21; Colossians 3:16-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22; 1 Peter 5:7-11) He carefully directed its heavenly practice on earth through the immediate headship of Jesus Christ and the fullness of His indwelling Spirit. The human members of the church cooperated by adherence to the teaching and tradition of the apostles.
    
In contrast, the religious practice of the simulated Roman church was animated by man for God. It was facilitated by the submission of church members to the teaching and tradition of church leadership. Rather than animation by the indwelling life (zoe) of God, the religious activity of the simulated church was ordered according to predetermined liturgy.

    
Simulated church liturgies were fully developed by the fourth century. The two most popular are attributed to St. James and Cyril of Jerusalem.

 
                                            Works
 
Prepared in eternity and facilitated on earth by the animating presence of divine, indwelling life (zoe), the works of the early New Testament church were living (zoe). (cf. Romans 8:11; Ephesians 2:10) Its human members cooperated with God by faith alone.
    
In contrast, the religious works of the simulated Roman church were dead. Prepared and facilitated by man in time, the dead, religious works of the simulated church were the fruit of fallen earthly life (psuche). Performed by man for God, they were law-based rather than life-based.  

 
                                           Growth
 
The growth of the early New Testament church was heavenly, eternal, spiritual, and community-oriented. It was fulfilled by the work of God cultivating His shared life in mankind.
​    
In contrast, the growth of the simulated Roman church was earthly, temporal, physical, and individual. It was accomplished by human effort through organizational directive and development.

    
​The following table provides a summary of the fundamental differences between the New Testament church and the simulated church:

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New Testament Church
Simulated Church
Origin:
  • First-century by God.  
  • Fourth-century by man.  
Animation:  
  • Divine.  
  • Human.  
Function:
  • Fellowship with God.       
  • Organize religious activity for God.   
Form:
  • Spiritual body;
  • Organic;
  • Simple. 
  • Physical congregation;
  • Inorganic;
  • Complex. 
Manifestation:
  • Intimate, small group community.  
  • Impersonal, large group meetings.
Governance:
  • Rule of divine life (zoe) characterized by lavish, unmerited favor.
  • Rule of law (law of sin and of death)characterized by reward for obedience and punishment for transgression.    
Doctrine:  
  • Originated from God.  
  • Originated from man.  
Practice:
  • ​Directed by the immediate headship of Christ, manifested through the fullness of His indwelling Spirit, the teaching and tradition of the apostles, and fervent prayer. 
  • Immediate oversight by a priest (presumably standing in proxy for God).
  • Teaching about God.  
Works:
  • Living (zoe) works fulfilled with God through a union of shared life.  
  • Dead works performed for God.  
Growth:
  • Heavenly, eternal, spiritual, and community oriented.
  • Earthly, temporal, physical, and individual.
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© 2023 James Hiatt
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