The Paradigm Shift

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 Freely Gathered Communities

"Freely gathered communities based on faith in Christ become the new paradigm in the NT canonical texts. The new communities of faith provide a clear contrast with the emphasis on a chosen nation in the OT. As these new communities are established in various locations in the Greco–Roman world, they are not given land promises or the use of the sword to establish physical territories for the people of God. They are not on a crusade to capture land, and they have no warrant to establish a human government over any nation. The NT communities of faith that are established in Israel also do not attempt to wrest control of the nation from the Roman government, and at no point do they gain the religious control of the nation by taking it from the religious leaders in Jerusalem." (Erickson 2019, 103)

 

The Paradigm Shift and its Implications for Today

 

"The word “church” has inherited a great deal of Western baggage, much of which took place as a result of the joining of church and state which began with the impetus of the Roman Emperor, Constantine, and continued to grow and develop into the Middle Ages. This Western baggage has tended to obscure the actual change that was taking place. “Freely gathered communities of faith in Christ” is more descriptive of the actual paradigm shift that took place, a radical shift which enabled Christianity to spread through the ancient world in a remarkable way, particularly when tied to the empowerment and life of the Spirit."

"These communities were based on faith in Christ rather than ethnicity, social status, or wealth. Barriers between Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free, male and female, rich and poor were removed “in Christ” (Gal 3:25–28). The Day of Pentecost is the beginning point for the Spirit being poured out on all flesh, and the unity of the Spirit that is demonstrated there continues to grow in Acts as the Spirit joins believers together in the new communities of faith..." (Erickson 2019, 119).

 

Praxis

"The change from the OT nation of Israel to the NT communities of faith had a crucial pragmatic dimension when viewed as the development of God’s plan for reaching the nations. The NT communities of faith were the new strategy, the new societal unit that would become the vehicle for the message of Christ and the work of spiritual transformation for God’s people as accomplished by the Spirit of God among the nations." (Erickson 2019, 113).

 

Excerpts from:

Freely Gathered Communities of Faith and the Changes between the Testaments by M. A. Erickson (Wipf & Stock 2019). The book is available in print or Kindle formats at:


 Freely Gathered Communities of Faith and the Changes Between the Testaments at Amazon.com

 

 

For another recent book by M. A. Erickson which explains this paradigm shift from God's work in a nation to freely gathered communities of faith and a number of additional changes from the Old to New Testament, see also:

 

Key Connections: Understanding the Changes from the Old to New Testament by M. A. Erickson (Wipf & Stock Dec. 2023). The book is available in print or Kindle formats at Amazon.com, at:


 Amazon.com, Key Connections: Understanding the Changes from the Old to New Testament

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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