The innovation of writing, the printing press, the internet.
We certainly live in an unprecedented age. The growth of technology over the last century has created undisputable disruptions across every sphere of life over the last century.
But while computers, and clouds, and smart devices, blockchain technology, social media, and all these recent innovations are unprecedented, innovation itself, is not new. Surely there have been long stretches of time in history with little innovation. But there have been some major disruptions and the Church is always impacted for good or ill. Here are just a few big ones:
Writing – While stories were passed down through the generations, the innovation of writing allowed God’s people to record stories and laws with precision.
A Code of Laws – Hammurabi was one the first to introduce this innovation, but God used it and gave Moses the powerful code that was the Levital Law.
Moses and Jethro – Moses’ father-in-law saw that Moses could not judge the people alone, so he counseled him to train and appoint judges over various lot sizes of the people, bringing only the hardest cases before Moses.
Synagogues – Particularly after the Diaspora the Jews developed synagogues for the public reading of Scripture in their local communities.
Missionaries (Paul and Peter, etc) – The Word spread through the sending of missionaries to other countries to proclaim the gospel among the nations.
Missionary letters – Some of these missionaries wrote letters to be circulated among the faith communities they had started in the world.
The Canon of Scripture – Certain letters and narratives were canonized as Holy Scripture based on a specific set of criteria and authenticity.
Unified Church – Constantine unified the various sects of Christianity in Rome, for good or ill.
Reformation – The Reformers sought to remedy the ill effects of unification, by splitting off a “Reformed” church.
The Printing Press – The capacity to print Bibles and other Christian literature was exponentially increased by the invention and utilization of the printing press.
Separation of Church and State – In the United States, the decision to have no state sanctioned religion and freedom of religion made room for the spread of multiple denominations and churches.
Small Groups (John Wesley) – John Wesley saw the need to form smaller groups of Christians and train a leader to oversee them for the spiritual growth of the members.
Sunday School – Similarly, the Sunday School movement created massive growth in the church, particularly among children.
Radio – Churches could broadcast services and programming into people’s homes.
The Church Growth Movement – Churches utilized the methods of modern business to spread the reach of the local church with effects both good and ill.
Cable Television – Access to the airwaves caused more churches and ministries to run TV programs into people’s homes.
Satellites and Video – The Church could make use of technology to broadcast a service to multiple locations.
The Internet and social media – The reach of the Church was increased exponentially by the internet’s ability to feature churches and ministries across many platforms.
Covid-19 lockdowns – The pandemic brought online church activity into much greater prominence.
Harnessing the power of new innovation, the basics are still the main thing: A group of people who rally around the Truth of Scripture and the gospel. They band together to worship, to study the Word, and know God together. They join together to fund missions, church planting, and mercy work (help for those in need). They are inspired together, they grow together.
As a Christian, you should belong to a local congregation where you can know people personally and do life with them in the same room. But you should also love the worldwide Body of Christ. MetaBible is no substitute for the local community, but it is a wonderful supplement and connection to what God is doing in the whole world. Moreover, by the power of numbers we can resource great works around the world for the expansion of the Kingdom of God and the love of Christ.
MetaBible aspires to be a powerful force for unity and spiritual and material prosperity among God’s people. Who knows what the next disruptive innovation will be? But God has always used disruptive innovations for His glory, His purposes, and for the good of His Children.