Frank Viola begins his book, Pagan Christianity, by arguing, “the church in its contemporary, institutional form has neither a biblical nor a historical right to function as it does.” He has left “the institutional church to begin gathering with Christians in New Testament fashion.” That pretty much sums up the message in this manifesto against the contemporary church. Everything from having a “professional pastor” to meeting in a church building are “extra-biblical practices” adopted from “pagan culture.”

I have some serious issues with his logic as well as his scriptural exegesis. To me, the wheels come off the book with this question: “Just because it is ‘biblical,’ is it a universal command or standard for all time and places?”

Matthias was chosen as the replacement for Judas by drawing lots. Is that the “biblical” way to choose leaders? (Incidentally, we never hear about Matthias again.) Property was held communally, rather than individual ownership, in the early church. Is that the “biblical” approach for all time? Paul spent three years in the desert of Arabia as his training for ministry. Is that the “biblical” way to prepare for Christian service? The Holy Spirit struck Ananias and Sapphira dead for lying about their church giving. Is that the “biblical” way to deal with those who cheat on their giving records? And should we only use the Old Testament as scripture since the New Testament wasn’t written in “biblical” times?

Frankly, if I read Acts and the letters to Corinth correctly, I’m not sure I’d want to belong to a “New Testament” church! The life and energy of the church of Christ derives from, well, Christ. And that life and energy creatively adapts to the pagan culture it find itself in. Like Paul, it has “become all things to all people so that by all possible means [it] might save some. [It does] all this for the sake of the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9).

The Church is the living, active “Body of Christ,” and not a form or structure locked in a time or place.