Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that’s not quite as smart as it reads.
Augustine is often quoted as saying, “The church is a whore, but she is my mother.”
There are two things wrong with this statement.
First, Augustine never said it.
Second, it’s completely unscriptural.
More than once, I’ve heard this quote used by people to justify certain human-made institutions that call themselves “church.”
Dorothy Day said something similar:
“As to the Church, where else shall we go, except to the Bride of Christ, one flesh with Christ? Though she is a harlot at times, she is our Mother.”
Permit me to correct Ms. Day and the source of the misattributed Augustine quote.
Here’s my version, which is longer because reframing and redefining is necessary given how most Christians filter words like “church.”
“The ekklesia is the spotless, blameless bride of the Lord Jesus. She cannot be blamed or even indicted. However, the institution that is commonly called ‘church’ may have been the vessel that brought me to Christ and even grow in Him to a degree; therefore, I love the people who are in it. But our true mother is the New Jerusalem, the ekklesia of God, and she’s the OPPOSITE of Babylon, who is in fact labeled the Great Whore in Revelation.”
~ Frankie V. in response to Pseudo Augustine and Dorothy Day. 🙂
While we’re on the subject, this is what Augustine actually said about the church:
“Let us honor the Catholic Church, our true Mother, the true Bride of her Husband, because she is the wife of so great a Lord. And what shall I say? How great is that Husband and of singular rank, that he discovered a prostitute and made her a virgin. Because she should not deny that she was a prostitute, lest she forget the mercy of her liberator. How can it be said that she was not a prostitute when she fornicated with demons and idols?” (Augustine, Sermon 213).
Some people who have read parts of my 2008 book with Barna – Pagan Christianity – without reading the constructive sequels, have come away with the gross misconception that I’m against the church.
Not even close.
What Barna and I do in the little red book is trace the origins of the THE PRACTICES of the INSTITUTIONAL FORM of church.
The institutional form of church is NOT the ekklesia. It’s a structure. Same with “house church.” Both are non-living entities. They are forms.
In the construction sequels, particularly From Eternity to Here and Reimagining Church — I exalt the church, demonstrating that she is God’s magnificent obsession.
To wit, I’m more of an advocate of what the New Testament calls “church” than most “church leaders.” I believe she’s a part of Jesus Christ Himself, His very own body.
However, the body of Christ is very different from a structure, a service, a ritual – whether those be observed in the “institutional church” or a “house church.”
So is the church a whore?
Hardly. Not if we’re talking about how the New Testament envisions “church” – the holy ekklesia of God.
She’s a new creation, a new species, a new race, the lovely bride of our glorious Lord. His obsession and the center of His eternal purpose.
Want to delve deeper on this theme?
From Eternity to Here (book)
The Bride of Christ Unveiled (conference message)
The Eternal Purpose (conference message)
Welcome to the Third Race (conference message)
On a separate note, a friend recently introduced me to premium Bibles. And here’s my review of the first goatskin leather Bible I’ve ever owned.
It’s quite remarkable.
Until next Thursday (when we’ll discuss the plague of legalism)
fv
P.S. If someone wanted to change your life and zealously forced this blog post on you, you can appease them and subscribe here. It’s gratis and comes with a dozen Super Fire Hot Wings … the kind you can only eat after you sign a set of release forms. (No lemon suckers please. They won’t understand the humor.)
Amen! Blessed by this article. My thoughts, as well. The body of Messiah is spotless and beautiful. Thanks for putting all this content out there for us to digest. Blessings and Shalom!
“Our true mother is the New Jerusalem, the ekklesia of God, and she’s the OPPOSITE of Babylon, who is in fact labeled the Great Whore in Revelation.” I love the theme of the New Jerusalem, the City of God. We’ve already come to it in Christ (Heb. 12). I believe the “City on a Hill” that Jesus spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount is meant to be a precursor, albeit imperfect, of the fullness of that City to Come. Thanks for everything! You’re shaping perspective.
Frank, I wonder if this strange notion of the church being a whore derives from the 16th-17th centuries, when, in newly Protestant England, the Catholic Church was regularly referred to as “the whore of Babylon”. I have studied origins of English expressions a lot, and have come to see that many idioms and phrases that exist today, but don’t always make sense, can be traced back to the earliest days of printed text in the centuries mentioned above. Language has a certain amount of “stickiness”. Thanks for all you do.
Perhaps, but as far as I can tell, Dorothy Day is the originator of the idea that “the church is a whore, but she’s my mother.” Day was a Catholic.
Phenomenal! Thanks for writing this. Thursdays are my favorite days!
Awesome! Thanks Frank.
It is unfortunate that people fail to get the full message your delivering. Some will even take their misguided view and turn it into a home group that does nothing but sits around and complains about the institutional church. Very sad
You are right, regrettably. Especially and specifically those who ONLY read the first book in the series. It’s like hearing 10 minutes of a 2-hour phone conversation and hanging up. Sigh.
Good article. The Bride of Messiah is spotless in Him! Indeed she is no harlot because He has redeemed her.
I’ve been looking into Church History ever since reading Pagan Christianity, Reimagining Church and Insurgence. What a horrifying mess in many cases!
As you’ve stated, however, the Church is not an institution, but a living organism; the Body of Christ. What was done in history and presently is due to misguided (and many times, self serving) humans in a man made construct.
I appreciate your efforts to help us find our way back Home.
I’m glad you wrote this article. I have read all of your books and you’re my favorite author. What ticks me off is that I have friends who have only read Pagan Christianity. They love it but they haven’t read any of the sequels. Not even Insurgence. It shows in their views because they didn’t really understand your message. It’s just like you said, a person isn’t going to grasp the book without the sequels. I’ve also noticed something else, these people are just critical by nature. They gravitate to deconstruction, criticisms, etc. I think that’s why they have no appetite for the glorious positive books you’ve put out. I’m still going to share this article with them. Maybe a light bulb will go off and they’ll read the sequels.
Thx. Landon. Your note is very encouraging to me. You get it, bro. Yes, I’ve observed the same thing. People who only read “Pagan” not only misunderstand the arguments, but they fit your description.
Frank, those messages were amazing and I loved From Eternity to Here. Can you give scripture on the church being our mother? I know it’s in there, but would like the verses.
Sure. Galatians 4:26 and Hebrews 12:22-23. Those passages talk about the ekklesia being the spiritual Jerusalem, our mother.
Excellent article! I used to buy into the whole “church is a whore” and “whorish church” idea but then I heard some of the messages you listed and read “From Eternity to Here” and “Reimagining” and those books changed my life. Now I see her as the Lord does, including myself the same way. It’s really incredible, so much love and freedom and joy! Thank you for putting this out there for those who are still in the old thinking.
Thanks for “getting it,” Megan. I’m glad God used those books to open your eyes and heart. From Eternity is still among my most important, in my view.
In most church meetings, I am saddened to say that I have encountered more death than life. Stained glass windows cannot clothe it, loud music cannot contain it, and robust programs cannot conceal it. Lifelessness permeates the prayer groups, yet I know that the joy of the LORD is our strength. We must spur one another on into growth, for we as living stones are being built into one glorious body. The true Church is beautiful. The bride of Christ. She is without spot or blemish.
Thank you for using your gifts, talents, and time for His kingdom.
Excellent post, Frank!
I’ve read From Eternity to Here 3 times. Will listen to the conference messages again.
As to your entering the world of premium Bibles, be careful! There’s almost no turning back. It’s like opening a bag of potato chips – you can’t have just one. Lol.
Appreciate you brother.
3 times! Thanks, brother. Yea, I’m enjoying the premium Bibles.