Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
Much of the discussion of eldership is dominated by Paul's experiences in Acts, and his epistles (Titus, Timothy, etc)....But I think it necessary to complement all this with a discussion of relations among the believers pre-Paul.
And I especially want to use Peter and James and John to home in on John, who remained post-Paul, and seemed to have a less than sanguine view (Rev. chaps. 2 & 3) of the various assemblies at the close of the apostolic age...
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John remains for me the bellwether, the best reference point for getting into the written record of the New Testament because he was there when Jesus arrived and he was there after Paul and James "the younger" had passed on. So his "Revelation" is worthy of our attention.
As I've mentioned earlier, John likely was the "other disciple" in the first chapter of the fourth gospel, who leaves John the Baptist and follows Jesus. John saw Jesus when he wasn't a media sensation. He was one of the original ones who wasn't drawn to the circus, but to the man. And he stuck with it even when it became a circus, even when it all came crashing down at Golgotha, and when the shattered believers regrouped and went on together.
Anyway, this post is simply to make the remark that John in the book of Revelation is very similar to Daniel in the OT. John was imprisoned on Patmos. Daniel was carried away to Babylon. Of course, Daniel wasn't the only "exile" record in the OT. Ezekiel got some of his visions by the banks of the river Chebar, and Jeremiah famously wept over the destruction of Jerusalem.
Nonetheless my subjective assessment is that the linkage with Daniel's experience is strongest. Daniel is writing to people in captivity, who have fallen away from the desire of God. They are in a strange land, and they are also worshipping strange things; things of man. They are far from where they once were. The king decreed that everyone not petition any other God but only the king (Darius) for 30 days. Daniel opened his window and prayed toward Jerusalem, as he did 3 times daily.
Now, how many other Jews got tossed for this violation? None. Only Daniel got busted. How many of the other Jews in Babylon continued praying toward Jerusalem? See the story in Daniel chapter 6.
My point is that not only were the Jews in Babylon, far from Jerusalem, but also they lost the practice of contacting God and following him. And they began to take up the ways of the locals. They became the "chosen people" in name only; no longer in deed.
Now, go to Revelation chapter 1, 2 and 3. Not only is John captive on Patmos, but he is writing to assemblies that have been captured by dark forces. He writes to them again and again: "repent". Only one of the seven is not urged to repent and turn back to God. And this is clearly an epistle meant to all the fellowships of believers, not just in Asia. "Blessed is he who reads the words of this prophecy and keeps the things in it..." (1:3).
John is in exile, placed on the island of Patmos. But he is only physically captured. Like Daniel, he is writing to a people whose souls have been led astray.
Look at the strong parallels in Revelation to Daniel. The apocalyptic visions, the "time, and times, and half a time" (Daniel 12:7), the decree that everyone must bear the mark of the beast and worship the beast or be killed, in Revelation chapter 13, which echoes Daniel's experience. Etc, etc.
These were letters written by people in captivity, written to their brethren who were also in captivity. Contrary to what many christians have asserted to me over the years, I think that the degradation of "the church" did not happened when Constantine got his vision of the cross, before the battle of Milvan bridge, and thenceforth assumed "headship" of the church. I believe the degradation of the church was well underway during the writing of the final NT chapters. Watchman Nee's "The Normal Christian Church Life" is perhaps not so normal, after all.