Part 1: How NOT To Teach Sunday School

Why we need not a revival or reformation, but a revolution

An Evil Root

Somewhere along the line Christian education took a nosedive. But the root of the problem goes way back to the first century. Not long after the apostles were gone, having warned us in writing that false teachers would come in after them, the sad prediction came true. Rome had been persecuting Christians for quite a while when an emperor named Constantine came to power. Being a shrewd politician, he sought to unify all the religions and put them under his control. He created the Roman Catholic Church, naming himself the first Pope, and designed the system of hierarchy that everyone has come to associate with "church". He skillfully incorporated elements of many religions together, mixing Christianity with pagan religions in a way that would offend no one.

You might ask how the pure, small church could be so easily assimilated, but remember that no one likes persecution. Any offer of relief would be met with open arms, and Constantine's offer was hard to refuse. They would instantly go from the scum of society to the cream, from outcasts to officials. They could still believe whatever they wanted, but they would practice an outward religious life that everyone could accept. And the leaders, those who had been charged with guarding the flock, would now transform into those infamous wolves in sheep's clothing by trading spiritual purity for social respectability. They were the new elite, the movers and shakers. But having the emperor's ear would certainly be a good thing for the church, wouldn't it?

Not a chance. Instead of being the salt and light that had been transforming the world, the world transformed the church. Instead of using this as an opportunity to spread the gospel in high places, the leaders in high places infected and poisoned the average believers with subtle blends of pagan belief and practice. Where Jesus had said we would worship God in spirit and truth, they commanded worshiping in sanctuaries and rituals. Where Paul had called our bodies the temple of the Holy Spirit, they called the cathedrals the temple.

But it wasn't just buildings that infiltrated true Christianity, it was also the accessories: altars, vestments, gold, silver, gems, a clergy/laity class distinction, rituals, icons, liturgies, and on and on. Like a frog slowly boiled to death because it couldn't detect a gradual change in temperature, the new religious power elite added error upon error until the people had forgotten the oral teachings of the apostles, and the elite carefully guarded the written words from the masses. Now it was the "church" itself making it a crime to read the Bible!