Disclaimer: This is a brief reflexion on the seven churches in Revelation. It offers no conclusions, judgements or solutions. I think the topic is relevant to (ex-)members of the "Assemblies".
Years ago, I was involved with an evangelical assembly (not related to GG), and what pained me greatly was to see so many Christians suffer from not knowing whether they had fellowship with the "right" local assembly/church/denomination. Something in the local group bothered them, either at the leadership or the membership level.
One of the things that bothered them most was when our group was critical of other groups. How could the Church be universal if our group rejected / judged / condemned so many other groups for not believing / practicin exaclty the rights things ?
These people found themselves in a similar situation to that of the members of the so-called "Geftakys Assemblies" who have decided they must cease associating with the Assemblies and find a different group to join in worship and growth. Where do you go if you have been trained to reject others as being flawed, or worse, corrupted by satan?
Haven't [Baptists, Brethren, Pentacostal, Lutherans, non-denominational evangelicals, etc., etc., etc.] all gone astray?
I remember being extremely impressed at the time, as I still am today, by the situation of the seven churches in Revelation (1:19 - 3:22). So soon after Christ's death --- assuming you believe as many Christians do that revelation was written in the late first century or thereabouts --- many churches were already in trouble. Ephesus needed to repent, Smyrna was OK, Pergamum had problems with Balaam teachings and Nicolaitans, Thyatira had the prophetess Jezebel to deal with, Sardis was dead, Philadelphia was weak but OK, and finally, Laodicea was lukewarm!!!!
By the way, I am quoting from the NIV
, is that Kosher?
Even back then, the choice was difficult!!! How was one to discern clearly where God was best glorified and what assembly was most nurturing to the believer who wanted to worship and serve his God with a group of like-minded, dedicated people? The text gives clear indications ...
So today, with our many denominations and non-denominations, mainstream and fringe, preachers, teachers and prophets, both true and false, we live through the same problems, although multiplied many-fold, and if they are to follow the exhortations of the Revelation, Christians must:
- repent (if applicable)
- "hold on to what you have"
- "do the things you did at first"
From seven churches in Revelation we have gone to how many groups? Hard to tell. According to some accountings, just the Baptists can be categorized in hundreds of differents ways/flavours/groups.
I end with this twist: I am sure that it was easier to believe that GG had it figured out and headed THE GROUP, THE ONE, THE ONLY righteous assembly, than to have to accept that God may live in many groups, each with its own strenghts and faults. But now, the disenfranchised must seek new affiliations to support their spirituality!
