Christianity IS A Religion!

G.K. Chesterton rightly observed that "A heresy is always a half-truth turned into a whole falsehood" (America, November 9, 1935).  Or elsewhere he wrote that "every heresy is a truth taught out of proportion" (Daily News, June 26, 1909).  I wrote the article below in 2012.  I keep hearing this fallacy from dear Christians over and over again.  They say, "Christianity isn't a religion, it's a relationship." This half-truth is leading the Church to disastrous results.   Here's my former article.  See my conclusions at the end. 

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I have heard (and probably said) on many occasions that Christianity isn't a religion, it's a relationship.  Unfortunately that's only a half-truth.  We better stop bashing religion because we will soon learn that the wound is self-inflicted.  Jefferson Bethke has a blog post and one of his YouTube videos went wild as he bashed religion. The huge problem for us if we decide to run down this road is that Jesus was very religious.   As Kevin DeYoung intuitively writes: 

Jesus was a Jew. He went to services at the synagogue. He observed Jewish holy days. He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Matt. 5:17). He founded the church (Matt. 16:18). He established church discipline (Matt. 18:15-20). He instituted a ritual meal (Matt. 26:26-28). He told his disciples to baptize people and to teach others to obey everything he commanded (Matt. 28:19-20). He insisted that people believe in him and believe certain things about him (John 3:16-18; 8:24). If religion is characterized by doctrine, commands, rituals, and structure, then Jesus is not your go-to guy for hating religion.

Not only was our Lord, Teacher and Savior very religious, His Word commands us to be "religious":  

"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." (James 1:26-27, ESV).

The adjective in this quote from James (religious) is the Greek word θρῆσκος [threskos]. It actually has ideas of fearing and trembling before God in worship.  The Scripture is replete with those ideas.  James is pretty clear: a managed tongue; a care for the needy in mercy and compassion; and a pursuit of holiness is God's idea of religion.

So, before we bash religion, let's define our terms.  Yes, Jesus did say hard things to the religious leaders of Judaism; and Paul did condemn self-made, man-made religion.   But Jesus was religious and His Word commands us to be religious.  We better define what we mean when we bash religion.! Religion bashing is not the kind of sport we should engage in readily.  I'm tired of hearing it.  It's simply not intellectually coherent to suggest that a Christian has a relationship with Jesus but no religion. 

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We live in a world where Christians are highly individualistic and are driven by consumerism.  WHY?  One of the causes is due to this incredibly erroneous statement that Christianity is simply a relationship with Jesus.  The popular chorus goes like this, "Me and Jesus got a good thing going."   Indeed, you come to Christ on your own.  You repent and you believe.  And yes, when you are saved your new identity is to be in union with Christ. But guess what: you share that union with every other believer. And together you express your newfound relationship through the Church -- the local church.   A scant reading of the New Testament reveals the "corporateness" of the Christian faith.  We don't even pray the Lord's Prayer without saying, "Our Father . . .."  

A Christian will shrivel and die without a connection to the means of grace, the disciplines of the Spirit, all experienced through the local Church.  If it's just "Me and Jesus" you will shipwreck your faith because your Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible.  Those that are in union with Jesus will soon find that they have an interdependent, accountable, caring relationship with others who are in union with Jesus. And all these relationships are fostered, nourished and built-up in the local church, using the ordinary means of grace. 

By definition a religion is a system of worship and faith.  Christian if you're not religious, you're in trouble.

You Cannot Compromise the Gospel

Galatians 5:7–12 (NIV),

⁷ You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? ⁸ That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹ “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” ¹⁰ I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. ¹¹ Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. ¹² As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Paul encourages them and admonishes them at the same time.  They were running well as long as they were obeying the truth. "They believed and lived rightly: but now they did not so, since they were misled by the false apostles." [1]  "Who cut in on you?"  They were running a race so well but another runner cut into their lane pushing them off course; slowing up their progress.  The appeal of the "judaizers" is not from God.  I cannot be.

Now here we come to an insightful statement: "A little yeast works through the whole batch."  How many times do we entertain alliances with those who have "just a little yeast."  Roman Catholicism, which is modern day Judaism in its priesthood and sacraments is touted as Christians as just a little wrong!  Paul gives no room for those who do not believe in justification by faith alone to be in the same camp as those who do.  Giving in on this one little area opens up multitudes of more error.

Verse 10 shows Paul's confidence that those who are truly in Christ will come to their senses and that those who are seeking to lead them astray will receive retribution from the Lord.  These people may have been accusing Paul of preaching circumcision to the Jews and otherwise to the Gentiles. But he responds to say that if he was preaching circumcision, why are the Jews persecuting him? No, there is one message, the message of the Cross.  "The Cross uproots the doctrine of salvation by human merit. Salvation is by grace alone, and justification is by faith alone; there can be no compromise." [2]

Then Paul makes this scathing condemnation: “I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves.” (Galatians 5:12, NLT). "All the ancient Greek interpreters and most modern scholars apply this to the self-mutilation practiced by the heathen priests of Cybele. Paul speaks with satire."  [2]

Again, we mustn't escape the truth that false doctrine infects our lives; those that promote false doctrine neither care for our soul or care for the Cross.  It seems unseemly for Christians to speak with such vehemence but strong words carry with it the passion of intolerance.  Intolerance is necessary when it comes to matters of the Gospel.

Father, the infiltration of culture and postmodern thought causes us to bristle at Paul's caustic and sarcastic comments. Yet it shows the response of the righteous to those who mess with Your Good News.  Grant me such an inward grace and persuasion that I will not compromise the Truth by saying what is wrong, or not saying what is wrong.  May the power of the Cross pervade my convictions.  Yet, in Paul here, I see a man who had confidence in You and in those whom You have called.  Praise God that those truly bought with Your blood are kept by Your Power.  You are the Victor.  You are the King.  You reign.  Amen!

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1. Luther, M. (1997). Commentary on Galatians (Ga 5:7). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

2. KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (2397). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Justification Through Judaism Is Paganism.

Galatians 4:8–11 (NIV),

⁸ Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? ¹⁰ You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! ¹¹ I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

This is a vicious thrust of the Apostle when you recall that the recipients of this letter are Gentiles. He is saying that to return to the practice of Judaism for righteousness is no different than pagans returning to their false gods.  Stated clearly, it is Paul's view that for a Christian to return to Old Testament worship, to gain acceptance with God, is no different than him or her returning to pagan idolatry.  Bottom line: "Whosoever is fallen from the article of justification, is ignorant of God, and an idolater . . . Therefore, as many as trust to their own strength and righteousness, do serve a god, but such a god as they themselves have devised, and not the true God indeed." [1]

But this is not the case, these people "know God" (or are "known by God").  This is a poignant slip of the pen for Paul.  He is making a point.  "Wherefore, even by these words, “ye are known of God,” he taketh away all righteousness from the law, and denieth that we attain the knowledge of God through the worthiness of our works." [1]  God by His gracious pleasure has known you. Why go back to such "weak and miserable forces."   Such a demeaning statement of the Law of Moses is nowhere stated in the Apostolic literature.  "Paul seemeth to speak very spitefully of the law, when he calleth it the rudiments (as he did also before in the beginning of this chapter), and not only rudiments, but weak and beggarly rudiments." [1]

"Paul’s question shows the absurdity of their desire to be slaves again. They were in the process of leaving the light and liberty of Christianity for the shadow and slavery of legalism. Ritualistic observances are heathenish in principle. They are a system of bondage opposed to God’s grace. How can anyone want to exchange the robe of Christ’s righteousness for the filthy rags of heathenism, Judaism, or any other “ism”?" [2]

"Therefore he saith that they, losing the grace and liberty which they had in Christ, were turned back to the serving of weak and beggarly elements. For they were persuaded by the false apostles, that these laws must needs be kept, and by keeping of them they should obtain righteousness; but if they kept them not, they should be damned." [3]

So Paul sighs, "I am afraid that all my hard work among you has gone up in a puff of smoke!" [4]

Father it almost is incredulous to think that men and women who are steeped in pagan idolatry and false worship would come into the light of the Gospel and then think it to be good to fall back into that form of bondage -- except that it is clothed with religion now -- the Jewish religion -- moral, law-keeping religion.  Justification through Judaism is nothing short of paganism.  And no wonder Luther would explain how easy it is to drift away from the Gospel. Indeed ceremonialism and legalism sure look good.  Unfortunately they will take us to Hell. Prone to wander Lord I feel it.  Prone to leave the God I love.  Father, bind my heart to the true and saving Gospel.  Help me to see through the cloak of religion to the Devil who inhabits all pagan worship.   The Gospel, Your Gospel is the only message that saves.  Thank you for it. Keep me in it, I pray.

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1. Luther, M. (1997). Commentary on Galatians (Ga 4:8). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

2. KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (2391). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

3. Luther, M. (1997). Commentary on Galatians (Ga 4:10). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

4. Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: The Bible in contemporary language (Ga 4:11). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

This Bloody Baptism of the Church

Frederick Faber wrote in that great hymn:

Faith of our fathers, living still,
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword;

That appears to be an apt description of the era that the Apostolic Fathers wrote there timeless scripts.  "Those were times of heroism, not of words; an age, not of writers, but of soldiers; not of talkers, but of sufferers." [1]

"The Apostolic Fathers are characterized by edification as they sought to build up or strengthen believers in the faith . . .." [2] The first three hundred years after the last of the Twelve died was one wave of persecution after another. "Thus this bloody baptism of the church resulted in the birth of a Christian world."[3]  The persecutions started first with the Jews and then with the Gentiles, particularly the Roman Empire.

The Jewish hatred of Christianity was not only obvious in the crucifixion of Christ, but in the systematic elimination of many of the Twelve. "They caused the death of Symeon, bishop of Jerusalem (107); they were particularly active in the burning of Polycarp of Smyrna; and they inflamed the violence of the Gentiles by eliminating the sect of the Nazarenes." [3].

As long as the Jews received privileged protection under Rome, Christians, deemed a sect of the Jews also enjoyed that liberty.  However the decline of Judaism and the rise of Christianity soon caused the Way to stand out as a new and separate religion.  "To Christianity, appearing not as a national religion, but claiming to be the only true universal one making its converts among every people and every sect, attracting Greeks and Romans in much larger numbers than Jews, refusing to compromise with any form of idolatry, and threatening in fact the very existence of the Roman state religion, even this limited toleration could not be granted."[3]

"The emperor Trajan, in 107, came to Antioch, and there threatened with persecution all who refused to sacrifice to the gods. Ignatius was tried for this offence, and proudly confessed himself a "Theophorus" ("bearer of God") because, as he said, he had Christ within his breast. Trajan condemned him to be thrown to the lions at Rome . . . It was on the 20^th day of December, 107, that he was thrown into the amphitheater: immediately the wild beasts fell upon him, and soon naught remained of his body but a few bones, which were carefully conveyed to Antioch as an inestimable treasure."[3]

These words of Jesus have an ominous ring: ““Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:16–22, ESV)


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1. A. Cleveland Coxe, D.D.,Schaff, Philip (2009-06-08). Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 1 - Enhanced Version (Early Church Fathers) (Kindle Location 28). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

2. Vos, H. F., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1996). Exploring church history. Nelson's Christian Cornerstone Series. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers

3. Schaff, P., & Schaff, D. S. (1910). History of the Christian church. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.