The early church, again influenced by paganism, re-established a priesthood that added a barrier between the “ordinary” believer and God (1 Timothy 2:5 Hebrews 9:15). Jesus’ perfect sacrifice abolished the need of a formal priesthood (Hebrews 10:12-14), creating instead a “kingdom of priests” (Revelation 1:6 5:10). The early church, due to pagan influences, warped the celebration of the Lord’s Supper into a re-sacrifice / re-offering of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice. Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled God’s requirements, ending the need for any further sacrifices (Hebrews 7:27 10:10 1 Peter 3:18). Sadly, much of what Jesus Christ abolished by His death and resurrection, the early Christians re-established. Many Christians recognize that some pagan ideas and practices have infiltrated the Christian church. But is it accurate to claim that the practices of modern Christianity are pagan? Is what typically occurs in a church supported by what the Bible teaches about the church? The authors of Pagan Christianity claim that many common church practices / traditions actually have their roots in paganism (non-Christian religions), not in the Bible. In their 2008 book Pagan Christianity, authors Frank Viola and George Barna present the surprising origins of many of the practices commonly found in churches today.
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