Customer Reviews

Rethinking the Wineskin: The Practice of the New Testament Church

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After experiencing salvation late in life (48), spending five years in an evangelical church, and studying the demographics of modern-day Christianity, I began asking the following question: "If the church is truly the Body of Christ, why is the world changing the church more than the church is changing the world?" I left the institutional church in search of an answer to that question.

After studying the history of the church for two years, I found the answer in this book by Frank Viola. The answer is that so much of what we understand to be the church, today, has little or nothing to do with what Christ gave His Life to create.

I recently purchased this book by Frank Viola (who also was the 1987 World Series MVP but not the same person as this writer). The book explores the house church movement from a biblical (and somewhat historical) viewpoint.

I found that I agreed with much of what Viola stated. I am a "paid clergy" in that I'm a full-time youth pastor nevertheless, I found that I agreed with Viola that the church is not a business but is the BODY of Christ. God works through the entire body and not only through "professional" Christians. All Christians are called to share their faith (Mark 16:15) and bear fruit (John 15:8). This book will teach you how house churches effectively reach unbelievers with the gospel.

If you believe in today's modern system of "church" and you are a lazy Christian who thinks we should pay someone to do all the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11-16) than you will not like this book. This book will make you mad and will attack those who are complacent in their ministries.

In his book Rethinking the Wineskin, Frank Viola will cause you to rethink all of your religious notions of the church. Through extensive documentation and out of his own revelation of the Lord and His Bride, Viola shows us how we have been crippled and kept from knowing our Lord by the way we "do church" today.

This book will challenge you to lay down your preconceived ideas of church and pick up the purpose God called us to before the world began, His Ekklesia.

Frank Viola has done an amazing job in researching not only Scripture but history to demonstrate life in the early Church. I highly recommend his other two books:

1. Who is your Covering?
2. Pagan Christianity

His books confirmed what I have always suspected about what is wrong in the modern church. Mainstream Christendom follows traditions and practices that have no root in Scripture. And even "Bible believing" fundamentalism has followed hook, line and sinker on some things without ever reviewing them.

I highly recommend his works to all Christians though I don't agree 100% with everything that is said.

Ever hear phrases like, *believing priesthood?* or *It's the people that are the church, not the building?* This book is ground-breaking in that it talks about these things not in theory only, but in practicality. How do we serve as priests in the local assembly? How are believers to understand their individual functionings in a meeting of saints? If you are concerned with giving the Lord what HE wants, and want to honestly consider what HIS plan for the gathering of a church is, then read this book, laying aside all traditional notions. Get out your Bible and write down all your questions, then pray and read this book! Many often say it is impossible to find a *perfect* church, but this book is definitely foundation laying as to what it means to be involved in a *functioning* church. For some it will be the confirmation of convictions that were understood and obvious but somehow often neglected - for others it will be a disturbing proposition - and for others it will be a cleansing blow. But none who read will walk away unaffected. My review - "wow!" - and that's really the summation of what should be said!

I found this book with its thought provoking chapters to be extremely worthwhile reading. Frank Viola describes the church in the first century in a captivating fashion. Viola profoundly equates the New Testament church with today's organized church. This book is for those seeking "renewal" in their church life.

I feel this book is the modern match to Watchman Nee's great book THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH LIFE. Viola's book is the best I've ever read on church renewal. I highly recommend it!

This is one of the best books I have read about the church, and what it is supposed to do and be...very clear, takes every point into careful consideration and explains extremely well. I will advise anybody currently in a church (or homechurch) to read this book - I have ordered one for each of our homechurch members!

Rethinking the Wineskin is, quite simply, one of the first places anyone should begin when examining the peculiar genius of Jesus and his earliest apprentices in orienting and growing organic, indigenous church communities. Frank balances fresh biblical exegesis with a broad range of scholarship and church history.

OK, so why did I only give it four stars? Well, I think it could use an edit, reincorporating some of the style of the earlier printing of this book. Also--and this might be more my "fault" than the author's--I feel a growing need to address matters of justice and solidarity with the poor with regards to the communion of saints being Christ's hands and feet in the world. I say supplement this with Steve Chalke's "Lost Message of Jesus" or Shane Claiborne's "The Irresistible Revolution," and you're getting pretty comprehensive.

My bottom line: read "Rethinking" for what it is, not what it isn't. It is an excellent book for reimagining supple wineskins to contain the Holy Spirit's move in the twenty-first century.

This is one of the best written, air-tight books I've read in years on the subject of church renewal. It's a necessary addition to Barna's new book on the coming Revolution because it provides the necessary biblical support for it.