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Pursuing truth without prejudice...

 
 
 

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LEAVEN AND THE SPIRIT OF RELIGION:  The conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of the His day is a major issue in the New Testament, and yet this "elephant in the room" has been almost universally ignored by the Church. Our position? “Pharisaic Christianity” is what keeps the Church from functioning like a Body, where every member is treated with equal dignity, respect and value. On this page we explore the system that keeps the Church ensnared in divisive and ungodly practices, attitudes and traditions. Our hope and goal is that Christians could find again the freedom with which Christ has set us free.

The book below is presented here two ways: first, as a single downloadable document in .pdf format and second, as individual chapters in .pdf format, for ease of downloading specific charts or chapters.

NOTE:  Please try to leave fear, presumption, prejudice and self-interest at the door when reading the following articles if you can. You will not be able to appreciate any viewpoint that is presented here otherwise. We have done the same while writing them. That's partly how we got here. It is not our intention to offend or to inflame anyone's ire. And certainly our analysis is not perfect. But it's our best effort so far and we hope it at least furnishes some fodder for discussion in your own life and circle. We bless you for being willing to explore this topic. We speak with as much candor as we can muster and hope you will receive it as our hearts intend.
(Rev:8/30/10)




Leaven and the Spirit of Religion:
We offer this link for those who would prefer to download the entire book onto a disk or to their harddrive in one easy step. The document runs 270+ pages.



Document
Leaven and the Spirit of Religion


Leaven and the Spirit of Religion

(by chapters)

Contents

Preface I
~  Why a book on Pharisaism?   Why now?  And why us?  ~

Preface II
~  A Confession and a Caution  ~

A Captive Church
~  An introduction  ~

Leaven and the Leavened
~  Agents of change in a rising Church  ~

Pharisaism: Roots and Fruits
~  A deeper look at this entrenched plant  ~

Pharisaism in the Church
~  Undermining the good news  ~

To Hire or Not to Hire
~  That is the question  ~

The Pharisaic Church Wheel
~  Diagramming the problem  ~

Characteristics of the Pharisaic System
~  Defining the problem  ~


New Wine, Old Wineskins
~  Out with the old, in with the new  ~

The New Testament Church Wheel
~  Diagramming the solution  ~

Characteristics of the New Testament Church
~  Defining the solution  ~

True Church/False Church Chart
~  A shocking place where truth meets error head-on  ~

Evidence from the Four Gospels: A Chronology
~  Divining the divine perspective  ~

Contrast Chart
~  Comparing the two systems in more detail  ~


Dismantling Pharisaism
~  Being the Church in the midst of Pharisees  ~
Two parts:
1)  Dismantling Pharisaic forms in your own life
2) Confronting Pharisaism: Becoming Christlike in a leavened Church


Remantling the Church
~  One Way Out: House Churches or Gatherings  ~

A Last Word: Dying to Self
~  Facing the giants of sin, shame, Satan and self-interest  ~

Frequently Asked Questions
~  A work in progress  ~


Appendix A:
The Judaizer Theory
~  A speculation worth examining further  ~


Appendix B:
A Chronology of Scripture References
~ Supportive verses from the four gospels ~


        

-- Last Updated 8-30-10


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Grace-n-Truth: 8/30/2010