We focus on church buildings, but Jesus spoke of worshiping in spirit. Explore how the 'living body' shifted into a control mechanism and state power.

The church became a 'control mechanism' when it traded its revolutionary power for imperial protection, moving the temple from the spirit of the individual back into a building of power.
Let’s hear a lesson on what is called the “church” now. Is this something truly instituted by Jesus. Or was this Paul or was it the Catholic Church. Jesus says you will worship me in spirit and truth. That you will no longer say it’s over there or here. Did we really lose what Jesus spoke? Was it institutionalized, a new spiritual revolution? Satanized? Did he not tear down the temple and are we not the temple ? Seems like a control mechanism was put in place.


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Jackson: You know, I was thinking about how much we focus on the "where" of religion—the steeples, the pews, the massive cathedrals. But if we look at what Jesus actually said to the woman at the well, he basically told her the "where" was becoming irrelevant. He spoke about a time when worship wouldn't be tied to a specific mountain or even Jerusalem, but would happen in "spirit and truth." So, it makes me wonder: if the goal was this internal, spiritual revolution, how did we end up with these massive, top-down institutions?
Lena: That is the big question, isn't it? It’s fascinating because for the first 275 years, the followers of Jesus didn't even have "church buildings"—they met in private homes as a living body. The shift toward what some call a "control mechanism" really started when the church began merging with state power, eventually adopting the structure of government basilicas.
Jackson: Right, so we have to ask: was this institutionalization a natural growth, or did we actually lose the "temple" Jesus said was inside of us? Let’s dive into whether the church we see today was truly what Jesus instituted or if it became something else entirely.