"Changing Church" - Luke 5:35-39
by Bishop Charles Jones
In his book entitled changing church author c peter wagner states that there is a whole generation of believers in this second apostolic age who are not nearly as interested in the fine points and details of theology as past generations have been. He goes on to say that there are few people who choose their church these days because of what it believes about open theology or Calvanism or modes of baptism or church government or the pretribulation rapture or sanctififcation or predestination or the forensic theory of justification. If God is our Father and if we are saved through Jesus' blood shed on the cross and if we are daily filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit, brother wagner goes on to say that he is convinced we can find a way to work together despite our theological differences. Let's not overcrowd our inner circle of theological absolutes. If we do, the exciting new streams flowing from what the Spirit is saying to the churches may pass us by.
we must deal with what i call the old wine skin mentality or denominationalism.people even in the pentecostal/charismatic background have this mindset that i am not going to change. they would rather stick to their religious heritage or tradition. we are no longer heeding the voice of the holy spirit as he speaks to us about change i have seen so much in my past 28 years of being saved that if i didnt focus more on my realationship with christ than on a church affiliation or denomination i would be lost.i believe God is calling us not to walk according to the traditions of our elders but rather form new wineskins.in mark 7:5 the pharisees once asked Jesus, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders?" in verse 9 Jesus responded " all too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition". for a time denominations were God's new wineskins. while i understand that large numbers of people will choose to remain in the old wineskins, and for many it is a good choice and God loves them and He will bless them, but the trade off is that they won't recieve new wine.church historian elwyn smith said that one of the constitutive elements of American denominationalism is "a conservative, sometimes legalistic, determination to maintain a distinctive identity in the face of change." i.e "we aren't going to change....everything else around us can but not us"
The parables are told in response to a question about fasting:
And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink? And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
Luke 5:33-35, Authorized King James Version
Jesus' response continues with the two short parables. Luke has the more detailed version:
And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.
Luke 5:36-39, Authorized King James Version
The parables follow the recruitment of Matthew as a disciple of Jesus, and appear to be part of a discussion at a banquet held by him (Luke 5:29).
The metaphors in the two parables were drawn from contemporary culture.New cloth had not yet shrunk, so that using new cloth to patch older clothing would result in a tear as it began to shrink. Similarly, old wineskins had been "stretched to the limit" or become brittle as wine had fermented inside them; using them again therefore risked bursting them.
The two parables relate to the relationship between Jesus' teaching and traditional Judaism.
According to some interpreters, Jesus here "pits his own, new way against the old way of the Pharisees and their scribes
+ Read Psalms 45:7 ( Hebrews 1:9) - same verse ( Romans 12:3)
+ Read Psalms 92:10 Fresh Oil ; Fresh Anointing
+ Hebrews 6:1 -5 Leaving the elementary foundations ( Basic Doctrines in the Church )
Luke 5:36-39
Jesus Christ, Mission:
there was the mission of a new life and a new spiritual movement. Jesus gave three points to illustrate what He meant.
Illustration
1: a piece of new cloth is not used to patch an old garment, for it fails to match the old garment. Jesus was saying that He was not patching up the old life, but starting a new life and a new movement (cp. Luke 5:36. See note—§ Matthew 9:16; note—§ Mark 2:21 for discussion.)
Illustration 2: new wine is not put into old bottles, for the new wine would burst the old bottles. Jesus was saying that He was not putting His teaching into the old life or system and movement, but He was launching a new life and movement for God (cp. Luke 5:37. See note—§ Mark 2:22.)
Illustration 3: the new wine is difficult to accept if one has been drinking old wine. Jesus was saying that His new life and spiritual movement would be difficult to accept; it would take time. Men were slow to give up the old, for they were too content with it (their religious ways and self-righteousness). Therefore, men would often refuse to even consider the new life and movement.
