“Christianity began in Palestine as a relationship, moved to Greece and became an idea, went to Rome and became an institution, then came to America and became an enterprise” (Richard Halverson).
A 2016 Georgetown University study revealed that religious institutions in America take in around 378 billion dollars in annual revenue – that’s more revenue than Apple and Microsoft combined[1]. Churches in America have found their way into nearly every market of the private sector – healthcare, education, music, film, and apparel just to name a few. And while it is good and right for the influence of Christ to reach out and touch every segment of our society, it is challenging to stop and ask ourselves - Is this really what it means to “be about our Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49, KJV). Are these industries a legitimate part of the church’s ministry? Do we find these types of business models in the pages of our New Testament? Is God’s church an enterprise or a relationship? Or can it appropriately be both?
Jesus shows us His attitude about mixing church and big business when He visited the Jewish temple in John 2:14-16:
“And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, ‘Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business”
Ouch! Rarely, if ever, do we see Jesus acting with so much force and passion. He doesn’t just rebuke these businessmen; He ransacks their entire operation. Their money is scattered in the dust and their merchandise is left running loose in the streets of Jerusalem. What causes Jesus to react so violently? What was so bad about what they were doing here? They had made God’s house a “place of business.”
From the perspective of modern Christianity, we may not see much wrong with what was going on here. Worshipers coming to the temple needed to buy oxen, sheep, and doves in order to make the sacrifices that the Law of Moses required. Jews from foreign lands who wanted to present their contribution to the temple needed to exchange their foreign coins for the accepted currency. Wasn’t it logical to conduct these types of transactions within the temple court where it would be most convenient? It was just good business… but it was corrupt religion.
Biblical Christianity is not an enterprise. It doesn’t operate according to good business models and marketing strategies. It operates in the realm of religious devotion, spiritual fellowship, and heart-felt worship. Biblical Christianity looks like a lowly carpenter from Nazareth (Mark 6:3), uneducated fishermen from Galilee (Matt 4:18-19), and a wayfaring tentmaker from Tarsus (Act 18:3). Ornate church buildings, gymnasiums, coffee shops, and flashy worship productions are completely foreign to the New Testament church. Christians in the first century would more often assemble in houses (Rom 16:5), local synagogues, or other public buildings (Acts 19:8-9). Christianity was not a multimillion dollar industry, it was spiritual relationship between Jesus and His followers.
We do see the New Testament church taking up a collection (1 Cor 16:1-2), but not so they could “bigger” and “better” themselves or work their way up in the world. Their collection was to provide for needy brethren (Acts 4:34-35; Rom 15:26) and to support the preaching of the gospel (2 Cor 11:7-8; 1 Tim 5:17-18). No one ever got rich from Biblical Christianity. We don’t see any church bake sales, bazaars, or other fund-raising schemes in the New Testament – no church gift shops or coffee shops. Only the voluntary sacrificial giving of brethren committed to the Lord’s work of bringing salvation to the lost and ministering to those in need.
How does this compare with “my church”? How would Jesus react if He walked into the foyer of our building? Are we truly about our Father’s business or have we become distracted with something else? I challenge us all to honestly evaluate our religious commitments in light of the scriptures. May we all have the courage and resolve to follow God’s word above our own personal preferences and God’s will above the approval of men.