The history behind religious institutions go back to the Old Testament Book of Leviticus. In Leviticus God designs a religious institution where man can make sacrifices to be cleansed so that they can be in God’s Holy presence & worship him. Remember Moses built the tabernacle and wasn’t allowed in. Thus the book of Leviticus which is divided into 3 main sections: Rituals, Priest, Purity. The book was written to let man know the sacrifices and moral values required before you could be in God’s presence. You must remember, God set this structure up because when Adam & Eve sinned by eating the fruit from the Tree of Life, they took the position that their definition of Good/Evil was better than God’s definition. Of course Adam and Eve’s decision threw them out of the only place on earth man ever walked with God which ultimately meant Adam and Eve picked death over everlasting life.
This all changed when the Messiah came to be. He formed the Church through his believers starting with Peter…the Rock. Jesus’s Church is actually within us all, especially when we are gathered, through the holy spirit, which spiritually connects us all together. Kind of like the Internet today. Jesus didn’t change the fact we must conduct ourselves in a high moral and ethic way, and that God’s definition of Good/Evil is the right way–not mans.
What the letters in the Epistle teach us is that we are a Church body together who believe and worship in the one true Lord. It also teaches us that we as a body are responsible the appointment of religious leaders, Elders, Priest, Deacons who possess high moral and ethical values required to teach the word of the Lord. But mans history of defining what’s Evil/Good rather than accept God’s definition of Evil/Good has lead to corruption within many religious ‘Institutions’.
The Epistle teaches us we have the right to observe and question the actions of these religious ‘Institution’ and their leadership. The moment you feel the Church, God’s house, is nothing more than an ‘Institution’, rather than a place to be spiritually connected and worship the Lord for his Grace and New Convenient promised…should be the day you find another Church (house to worship). For it is more important for your spirit, soul, and body to be with Jesus than a possibly wrongly ‘man lead’ religious ‘Institution’.
I highly recommend you read many of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossian, Thessalonians, Titus, and Philemon where he writes letters to parishioners and spiritual leaders alike telling them how the Church should be ran and conducted. Each time Paul warns them about trying to gain wealth off the Church (people), abusing power, and/or worried more about their ‘Status/Position’ in the Church than of the souls before them. For me I see far to many folks in church more worried about their status & not on body of the church. Keep in mind Jesus suffered and made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins which created the New Covenant for all. It’s up to us all to thank the Lord for his sacrifice and Grace…one of which is to attend Church…not a religious ‘Institution’.
