Different Vines as different kinds of Churches
Still pursuing my now obsessive preoccupation with vines, our Lord’s emphasis of the adjective True to qualify the type of vine He represented made me wonder if false grapevines exist. And it turns out that there are indeed “false vines” in nature. These are plants that are sometimes mistakenly identified as vines due to their climbing habit or similar appearance, but are not actually closely related to vines. This result inspired me to use other adjectives like poisonous, decorative and wild in my search and to my great surprise all these also exist! This was how I came up with the idea of comparing the different types of vines with the different types of Churches that exist and have always existed in Church history.
FALSE VINES AS FALSE CHURCHES
“False vine” is the term used to describe plants that mimic the climbing or sprawling habit of true vines, but are not botanically related to them or are not true vines in the same sense. Their similarity to grapevines can easily lead to misidentification and dangerous consequences. They are often quite invasive and some are edible while others are toxic. Recognizing false grapevines is therefore crucial for safety and environmental well-being. This explains why amateurs like me are advised to consult with an expert before touching or consuming if unsure about its identity. This principle must also be applied to determine if a church is true or false… thank God for His indwelling Holy Spirit in all believers!
Drawing from the above, false churches can appear to be the real thing on the surface and this makes them extremely dangerous. Such churches will use the Bible, but because they do not have the Holy Spirit indwelling them, they interpret it with their hidden agenda in view. For example, they would use Bible verses but distort the meaning on the basis of some supernatural experience, or superior knowledge or expertise they claim to possess. I’m sure you must have heard of the saying that an outright lie is much less dangerous than a lie mixed with truth. The kind of lies children tell are usually easy to detect because in their innocence, they are often very ridiculous. But devious, contrived and premeditated lies are mixed with the truth with some devious objectives in mind. Such is the lie that the serpent told Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. It boldly repeated God’s command to Adam and Eve, but then subtly questioned its relevance and value. This has always been the device of Satan who, as a fallen angel, knows God’s commands very well. It drew attention to the only tree that God said not to eat from, and credited it with values that look and sound attractive. This is a clear proof that knowledge of God’s word is not enough to save. One must also trust and have confidence in it for it to save. Lack of confidence in it led to the first sin, and by extension, to the fall of man and his subjection to death.
Why, Satan even dared to try the same old trick on our Lord Jesus Christ during the Temptation in the wilderness! He quoted heavenly promises in the Bible, but promised satisfaction through earthly appetites, power and wealth. This is typical of false churches. False churches mention the Name of Jesus, and even use it in their identity, but the Jesus they follow is of their own making, and not God the Son, the Messiah who died for their sins. They sing the same songs as true Christians, and even have a similar order of worship, but they are merely going through the motion.
False churches deliberately interpret God’s Word incorrectly to seduce their audience and those who are only interested in earthly things fall into their trap. Such churches are often popular with people who are not interested in the truth but only in satisfying their own immediate fleshly and worldly desires. They reject the challenging and spiritually nourishing truths in God’s Word, preferring superficial, flattering and comforting messages. Such have no plans to repent from their sinful lifestyle, and to surrender their life to Jesus so they can receive Eternal Life.
Members of false churches are described in 2 Timothy 4:3 in these words: “… they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, they will heap up for themselves teachers, having itching ears.” In chapter 1, verse 12 of his letter, Apostle Jude describes false believers in strong terms as “… blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead“. And Apostle Peter, in the same vein, describes them in 2 Peter 2:17 in these words: “These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them”, while Apostle Paul puts it this way in Philippians 3: 19: Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
Our Lord Jesus resisted Satan by declaring the correct interpretation of the bible same texts Satan used and Satan had no choice but to leave. A life in which the Holy Spirit is active will not be satisfied with a false interpretation and will therefore be able to resist their trap. This serves as a vital lesson for believers to make it a practice to personally ‘study God’s word to show yourselves approved’ (2Timothy 2:15). We must also always test the spirit working in any person who claims to be teaching God’s Word (1John 4:1). This is crucial in as much as it makes the difference between the Eternal Life that Jesus promises or the Eternal Damnation of hell.
POISONOUS CHURCHES
Poisonous vines also come under the cover of false vines as they also resemble true vines, and their fruit can even sometimes be mistaken for wild grapes which are edible. However, they are highly toxic to humans.
Like poisonous vines, poisonous churches can be mistaken for true churches but a careful examination will soon spot the difference. Unlike false churches who stand out for being greedy and morally decadent, what distinguishes poisonous churches is spiritual pride. Such are unable to perceive, or accept the concept of God’s Grace, again as in the case of flashes churches, because the Holy Spirit is not yet indwelling them in spite of their claims to the contrary. They therefore have no confidence in Jesus’ declaration that ‘It is finished’ (John 19:10), which means that all sins of mankind have been fully paid for by His death. They therefore depend on their own human effort and can successfully appear to be true believers externally for a while.
But the difference, as they say, soon becomes clear. Because such groups do not worship God in spirit and in truth, they lack the spontaneity, joy and simplicity that is typical of true Churches. As a matter of fact, in complete rejection of Apostle Paul’s exhortation in chapter 4, verse 4 of his letter to the Christians in Philippi to Rejoice in the Lord always; they are usually associated with doing everything they can to remove the joy of the Spirit from within their community of faith.
Legalism is the stock in trade of this group and they tend to establish many man-made rules and traditions that are difficult to comply with. Contrary to the Good News of Salvation by Grace through faith alone as clearly stated in Ephesians 2: 8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast“, they give preeminence to the traditions of men, and by extension place men above the Holy Spirit who is the Guardian and Guide of the Church. As a result, such leaders tend to Lord it over all those they lead, become repulsively authoritarian, and insist on being be obeyed on everything and at all times! When their authority is questioned, demonic spiritual manipulation and mind-control are consciously or unconsciously used to force or frighten any dissenting voice into obedience.
Our Lord and Saviour Himself soundly condemned such in the following words in Mark 7: 6-9: “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!
Poisonous churches often display a high level of arrogance, often boasting about their historical or genetic pedigree. They pride themselves in their knowledge, spiritual and social achievements and even often have the audacity to present them even before God! Our Lord and Saviour expressed His disgust for hypocritical behavior in the scenario in Luke 18: 11 -15 where he compared two types of worshippers: The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Not surprising therefore that the Pharisees were the only group Jesus called down the seven woes upon. Here are only two captured in Matthew 23: 13- 16: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. Woe to you, blind guides!
The only way of escape for those in poisonous churches is the same as in false churches. Humility before God and surrender to the Truth in God’s Word. Otherwise their destiny is exactly the same as that of false churches… Eternal Damnation.
DECORATIVE CHURCHES
Most of us have seen artificial vines used as decorations, especially in special events. Some are such fantastic copies that you have to touch them to know that they are false. But apart from beautifying a space on a special occasion, these lifeless vines make no special impact. At the end of the event, you pack them up, box them, until another event or special occasion comes up. They either give your home a new look, if for domestic use, or they make money for those who invest in them, if for commercial use. As you must already have guessed, they can bear no fruits and also serve an external purpose.
However, there are also living vines whose only value is also for the purposes of decoration, disguise, and/or concealment. These are deliberately cultivated, and controlled with trellises (ropes) on the ‘host’ they are planted to cover. Some have flowers and others have none. But none grows fruits and their usefulness stops there. These are cannot be packed and boxed at will. Since they sometimes overwhelm their host, they have to be pruned and they hang on for years. Should they ever be peeled off, you will find that they usually degrade, deface or even destroy their host (usually cement or metal fences), in their objective to show off their own beauty.
These decorative vines remind me of churches where buildings, dressing, rituals and ceremonies carry sway. Such churches usually glory in their usually long-standing traditions and enormous church buildings to which they are very faithful. Members are usually the well-off ones and look down on other churches that do not match their status. They know many Bible verses off-head and can recite historical creed of Christianity like the back of their hand. They have and use all types of musical instruments to sing beautiful hymns which they thoroughly enjoy. They plan regular seasonal programmes of all types and have fun in each other’s company while satisfying their aesthetic desires. And while all this looks and sounds great, they are actually only half-committed to Christ as Saviour and are quite indifferent to the worship and service of God. They fail woefully when it comes to obeying God’s first and most important Commandment as quoted by our Lord in Matthew 22:37-38: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind,”
They are like the Laodicea church that our Lord spoke about in the third chapter of the book of Revelations: “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
In Revelations 3: 18 -19, our Lord urges such Decorative churches as follows: 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.
Again, such decorative churches are exhorted strongly to repent, forget who they are, their pedigree, social status, wealth, and achievements, and come in humility before our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Only by making a sincere effort to restore their relationship whom they claim to serve, will they be reconciled to Jesus who still loves them. To do otherwise means they will face the dire consequences of His discipline
WILD CHURCHES
As you can probably imagine by now, wild vines also exist. After my exhaustive research, I see these wild vines all around me now and can appreciate better what Psalm 80: 8-11 says about vines covering the land and mountains, and spreading to river and sea. They are a confusing and dreadful sight to behold in conservation areas. Should you ever find yourself in their path, you are likely to stumble and fall if you are not very careful. Some of these are, like the false and poisonous vine, not edible. It is therefore very important to be able to distinguish the edible ones from their poisonous look-alikes.
In this context, we will only focus on wild grapevines since they are merely uncultivated versions of the true vine. Most wild grapevines only often become so because they spring up alone in an unplanned and disorganized manner in a hidden or unreachable location. However, there are also others that once flourished but become wild over time because they have been abandoned or neglected for reasons unknown. Versatile plant that they are, they therefore continue to grow grapes, but not of good quantity or quality. This is because, without pruning, their access to the sun is limited at best. They also get so entangled or bruised by other nearby plants they climb or creep over on the ground. Unfortunately, their fruits can only be appreciated by birds and reptiles and insects. Worse still, they can be easily mistaken for invasive vines because of their energetic growth pattern. However, in spite of the fact that they can damage trees, in a healthy ecosystem, it is said that they can also play a role in clearing out compromised or sick trees.
I must confess that after my depressing musings on false, poisonous and decorative vines, I am quite fascinated by the thought that wild vines. Let’s be fair, you’ve got to give it to them! They start with no fighting chance, and yet survive and keep doing their thing even without being known! Their versatility and relentlessness must be admired! I like the thought of what wild grapevines could symbolize as a church.
I would compare such churches to true believers who are dispersed in distant land and have with limited knowledge but have a sincere and strong faith in Christ. The first of such wild believers that come to mind would be John the Baptist. Although the son of a priest of the establishment, he somehow ended up living in the Judean wilderness. As the Gospel according to Mark tells us in chapter 1, verse 6, “John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist”, somewhat like the Old Testament prophet Elijah, thousands of years before him!! And it would appear all he ate were locusts and honey! No doubt an ascetic lifestyle. And there is no reason to imagine that he changed this lifestyle even after Jesus came on the scene and he could relax. He was unlike most other prophets, shared the message God sent him boldly and widely, convinced many from different spheres of life about the truth of his message, was feared by even the king and other Jewish religious leaders, boldly corrected the king, yet became unsure under persecution and was eventually killed. Talk about wild! And yet our Lord this is what our Lord had to say about him: in Matthew 11:11: Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist;”
Apostle Apollos is another interesting example of a believer I would consider to be part of the wild church. Here’s what the Bible tells us about him in Acts 18: 26 – 28. 4 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue.
Here was a man who knew only about the baptism of John! Nevertheless, he boldly shared what he knew and believed. And because he was also humble in spite of his great knowledge of the scripture, he had a teachable heart. When the Lord linked him to those who would teach him the more, he gladly accepted and went on to become one of the great apostles of the Gospel in the Bible. Here’s how the account continues: When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.
Finally are the twelve disciples Apostle Paul met in Ephesus. Like Apollos, they were limited in knowledge, but were faithful to the little they had been exposed to about the Messiah Jesus Christ. The Bible account in Acts 19: 1-7 gives us the details: …Paul … found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit. 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied.
These were genuine followers of Christ. They had repented of their sins, been baptized by John the Baptist, and believed what John the Baptist declared about ‘the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.(John 1:29). Perhaps for some reason they had to leave Jerusalem after they had been baptized by John the Baptist but were not scholars like Apollos and were less exposed to the theology of the Messiah. Perhaps they ran away from Jerusalem after Prophet John was killed and had known about some of what Jesus had been doing to prove He was the expected Anointed King. Or perhaps like the twelve disciples, they ran away from Jerusalem after Jesus was crucified and did not know what followed? Or maybe they were waiting for what would happen next. All conjectures of course. But the fact is that they stayed faithful to the partial knowledge they knew. Again like Apollos, God linked them to someone who could teach them what was lacking. What followed was beautiful as verses 4 to 7 of the same text states: 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tonguesand prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.
Because they had a humble, teachable heart, they were receptive to being taught and as a result they too were lifted up from status of wild vine, to that of the true vines filled and baptized in the Holy Spirit!
Yes, I believe there is hope for wild churches. When you come to think of this, were Gentile churches in the early church not somewhat wild even after conversion? In Romans 11: 17 Apostle Paul even compares first Gentile believers to wild olive branches grafted unto the mostly Jewish early church. And it would seem that the Corinthian Church manifested this ‘wildness’ quite a lot. Apostle Paul’s constant corrections, warnings and exhortations his letters to them are proof of this!
I therefore have reason to conclude that over the centuries, Christianity has always had its version of wild but sincere believers whom All-Seeing, All-Knowing and All-Powerful God knows and prunes. In the middle ages, some of such true believers took an oath to poverty in vigorous resistance to the worldly Roman Catholic institution. They would have to beg for food in the community where they preached the Bible in local languages, in defiance of the Latin imposed in worship, which the common people did not understand. Notable among such resistant groups were courageous men of God like Jerome, who was killed for translating the Bible, Martin Luther who had to go into exile to escape persecution, Huss, Swingli and others they passed the torch to. They, in their different era and countries set the stage for the Protestants who evolved into the Reformers.
From Protestants emerged the Evangelicals, Pentecostals, and Charismatics around us today. While they may not be perfect, and some, even heretical and therefore toxic, I rest in the assurance that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church. Some among them are making a lot of impact in spreading the Gospel all over the world. Many of such churches are springing up daily and as I observe, it has not been unknown for me to gasp at their exuberant worship style and overzealous evangelistic outreaches, and even their choke at their fanatical reactions to issues. While these traits may be unpalatable to my more relatively ‘cultivated’ spiritual palate, I constantly remind myself that I must strive to bear and forebear, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). Meanwhile, I rejoice at the thought that knows those who worship Him in spirit and in truth, and are serving His Purpose. Therefore, God alone, backed by my prayers and that of other believers, will prune them in good season.
Here’s what I believe Jesus has to say to the Wild Churches in Revelations 2: 19-25: I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
FRUITFUL CHURCHES
Fruitful grapevines are well located under the watchful eyes of the vineyard keeper. They are carefully cultivated and pruned to endure they bear quality fruits in great quantity. Their fruits are reachable and accessible and they are harvested in the proper season. Their fruits are used for food and to make juice and wine, and when sold, create wealth for their owners. Their by-products promote health when consumed in moderation, and they are mostly consumed in seasons of rejoicing and celebration. The whole creation benefits from them.
However, several animals can pose a threat to grapevines. These include deer, rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons, all of which can damage leaves, stems, and young vines. Animals like foxes, bears, and wild boars, may also be attracted to their grapes. Birds like robins, catbirds, and waxwings can also eat grapes. Rodents, such as mice and voles, can gnaw on roots, potentially leading to plant death, and even certain insects, such as the spotted lanternfly, can weaken vines through feeding.
In the same way, Fruitful Churches face a lot of persecutions, attacks and challenges. But because the Holy Spirit lives within the Fruitful Church, and Jesus is always with them, and they are constantly pruned by the Father, they stick to Jesus through thick and thin. They are the ones who declare like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the book of Daniel 3: 16-18: 16 “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
They are the ones who know and have learned to declare: But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Roman 8:37).
And to bear them out, here’s what our Lord Jesus has to say to the Fruitful Church in Revelations 3: 8-12: 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.
I THINK IM FINALLY DONE WITH THE VINE. YOUR THOUGHTS WELCOME AS USUAL.
