Vine & Fig Tree's
Anti-Church
Home Page

Vine & Fig Tree is working to create a Biblical Society. Our name comes from the prophecy of Micah, who spoke of a day when faithful obedience to God's Law would cover the globe. Such a society has been called "Patriarchy" and "Theocracy." Many people who hear this agenda are shocked at the prospect of a society ruled by Ayatollahs (or worse). But Vine & Fig Tree is actually working for the complete abolition of the institutions of church and state.

  • Most of the essays explaining our opposition to institutionalized violence (the "State") are now on the WWW. An index to those pages is found here.
  • We believe the institutional church is largely a Roman/Jewish imitation of the State.

If you have been a church-goer for many years, you will not be soon or easily convinced that we should abolish the church. It will be a long and difficult journey. We have bulldozed a path through the jungle, and we believe it will lead you to our conclusion. But this much is guaranteed: If you embark with us on that long journey, you will be challenged and provoked to study the Scriptures and increase your faith. Even if you make the entire journey and still reject our conclusion, your understanding of the Scriptures will be revitalized and matured. It will be a hard journey for some; for others it will be an "Aha!" moment: a feeling that "I knew this all along!" or "Yes! Of course! Now I see it!" If you have a Berean spirit (Acts 17:11) you'll want to begin that journey now.

The Institutional Church is Not the Kingdom

True Catholicism

False Catholicism
The Fall of Rome and the Triumph of the Gospel --
A History of Christians and Christianity Outside the Roman Ecclesiocracy

A. Constantine: A Dying Paradigm
Augustine vs. Salvian the Presbyter: Christianity Without Empire?
The World of the "Polis"
 
B. The "Pre-Reformers"
Premature Critics of Romanism

C. The "Anabaptists" -- Non-Magisterial Reformers

1. Introductions
Personal Involvement * The Major Issues * The Recent Controversy * Goals of this Examination

2. Who Were the Anabaptists?
Different Groups Distinguished * New Sources of Anabaptist History * The Medieval Church * The Medieval Reformers

3. In Praise of Humanism
The Tenets of Humanism * Humanism and the Establishment * Reformation and Accreditation

4. Anabaptists and Heresy
Anarchy * Revolution * Pacifism * Communism * Perfectionism

5. Anabaptists and Orthodoxy
Biblicism * Trinitarianism * Justification * Sanctification * Humility

6. Baptism and Statism
Mode of Baptism * Members of the Church * Infant Baptism

7. When Did Protestantism Begin?
The Great Reformation Flip-Flop * Waiting for the State (or someone like him) * Acts 5:29

8. Pagan Education and the Reformers
Calvin: Ambition * Seminary * Law School * Classics * Parallels in Zwingli:

9. The De-Education of the Anabaptists
Ambition * University * Education under Zwingli * Rejection of Paganism * Berean Mentality (Acts 17:11) * Obedience and Systems

10. Politics from Seneca to Calvin
Conversion and Humanism * State and Freedom * State and Spirit * The Organic State * The State Glorified * Parallels in Zwingli

11. Theonomy and Justification by Faith
The Church vs. The Gospel * Living Faith * Doctrine and Obedience

12. Statism and Justification by Faith
Doctrinal Diversions * Doctrine from the Outside

13. From Victory to Defeat: The Reformers and Theonomy
Natural Law * The Expansion of the Faith * Lang * Rushdoony * Nelson

14. Should We Celebrate Reformation Day?
Universal Priesthood and Reform * The Myths of Theology * Rome and Justification

15. Deformed Reform
The Early Reformers * The Threatened Reformers * The Later Reformers

16. The State as Pastor
Calvin and the "Reconstructionists" * The Ninth Commandment * Crushing the Opposition

17. Macho Theology
Verbal Pyrotechnics * Intimidation * Coercion * Politics and Put-Downs

18. Police State, Police Church
Omnipotent Regulation * Socialism as Discipline * Winning Through Intimidation

19. Plato and Calvin: Artistry in Dictatorship
Plato's Laws * Empire Medieval * Roman Law and Plato's Laws * Momentary Reform * Power vs. Reform * "Anabaptists!" * Plato Resurrected

20. A Legacy of Compulsion
Through One Man's Eyes * Luther * Calvin * The Puritans * The Pendulum Swings

21. Fascism and the Reformation
Fascism Defined * Westminster's Arguments Against God's Law * Fascism and the New "Christian Right"

Patriarchy and The End of Churchianity

A Summary of Each Essay Below is Found Here

Essay No.

1.  INTRODUCTION

PATRIARCHY, CHURCH, AND WORSHIP

2.  Life-as-worship vs. Institutional "Worship"
3.  Patriarchy and Community
4.  Revolution, Repentance, and Redemption
5.  Revolution and Church History
6.  History and the Hidden Patriarchs
7.  Who Were the True Reformers? (The Priesthood of All Believers)
9.  Objection -- Believer-Priests in the Old Testament
11.  Christian Radicalism

PATRIARCHY AND OBEDIENCE

12.  Authority, Submission, and Obedience in the New Covenant
14.  Objection -- On Being "Willing to Obey"
15.  "The Depravity of Man" and the Fear of Patriarchy
16.  Spontaneous Obedience
17.  The Promise of World-Wide Patriarchy
18.  The End of Teachers
19.  "The Pastor" vs. The Patriarch

THE DUTIES OF THE PASTOR

In this section we examine the duties of the "Elder" (Pastor) as spelled out in "The Form of Presbyterial Government," drawn up in 1645 by the writers of the Westminster Confession of Faith. We argue that every legitimate duty set forth for the "Elder" is a duty for all believers.

Duties Relating to Scripture Dissemination

20.  The Bible: Monopolies and Famines
21.  Pastors Must Pray
23.  Pastors Must Read the Bible
25.  Pastors Must Feed the Flock
27.  Pastors Must Catechize
29.  Pastors Must Comfort
31.  Pastors Must Exhort
33.  Pastors Must Convince
35.  Pastors Must Teach
37.  Are You "Apt to Teach"?

Pastors Must Preach

38.  Word Study
39.  Objection -- The delivery of Religious Lectures
40.  Lexical Observations by Craig A. Evans
41.  Biblical Styles of Preaching and Teaching
42.  Pulpits and Peripatetics - The Greek Origin of the Sermon
44.  The Primacy of the Preacher (by James B. Jordan).
45.  What is "Authoritative Preaching"?
46.  Who Should Excommunicate?

47.  Pastors Must be Mysterious

Duties Relating to Rule and Discipline [?]

48.  Pastors Must Administer the Sacraments

Traditional Considerations

50.  Objection -- "Sacerdotalism"
51.  What is Sacerdotalism?
52.  The Sacraments as "Discipline"
53.  Sacramental Retrogression?

Sacraments in the New Age

54.  Sacraments and the Sacral Society
55.  Baptism: Spirit vs. Water
56.  "Till I Come": The Parousia and the "Christian Passover"
57.  Footwashing and Shallow Sacramentalism
58.  Pastors Must Bless
59.  Pastors Must Take Care of the Poor
60.  Charity and Church Government
61.  Pastors Must Be An Example
63.  Pastors Must "Oversee"
65.  Objection -- Clergy in I Peter 5:1-6
66.  Objection -- Office or Function?
68.  Pastors Must Lord it Over the Flock
69.  Statism in the Churches
70.  Objection -- Elders in the Old and New Testaments
71.  Objection -- Spiritual vs. Appointed Elders
72.  Objection -- Pastors: Among vs. Over.
73.  Equality as a training ground for Leadership
74.  Robes in Review
75.  Pastors Are Worthy of Double Honor

ORDINATION AND PATRIARCHY

76.  Ordination
77.  Objection -- On God's Desire for Empires
79.  Ordination in the Westminster Standards
80.  The Laying on of Hands
81.  Objection -- Its True Purpose
82.  Study Questions -- Hands and Voting
83.  Are Presbyterians Democrats? 
84.  Perpetual and Ordinary Officers
85.  Ad Hoc Authority vs. Institutionalism
86.  Natural Ordination
87.  Amateurism and Professionalism

88. CONCLUSIONS

APPENDICES

151.  Gary North: "Family Authority vs. Protestant Sacerdotalism"
152.  James B. Jordan: "God's Hospitality and Holistic Evangelism"

Every man a Lawyer -- No man a lawyer
THE CHRISTIAN LAWYER AND THE LAW OF GOD
Showing the Pastoral Functions of an Attorney at Law

In their own way, every vocation has pastoral responsibilities. The Attorney is but one example.
 
189.  What is "Theonomy"?
190.  What is "Law"?
191.  Every Man a Lawyer
192.  The "Theonomic" Lawyer
193.  The "Judicial Law"
194.  Unconditional Surrender and the "Attorney"
195.  The Sacerdotal Attorney

THE DUTIES OF THE PATRIARCH/LAWYER

Now we parallel our discussion of the "Pastor's" duties by examining the same list of duties in "The Form of Presbyterial Government" and showing how those responsibilities are particularly incumbent upon any who would take upon themselves the mantle of "Christian Attorney."

Duties Relating to the Dissemination of Scripture

196.  Lawyers: Keys and Closed Doors
197.  The Shepherding Lawyer Must Pray
199.  The Pastoring Lawyer Must Read the Bible.
200.  The Pro-nomian Pastor Must Feed the Flock
202.  Pastoral Lawyers Must Catechize
204.  Christ-like Attorneys Must Comfort
206.  Shepherding Lawyers Must Exhort
208.  Pro-Nomian Patriarchs Must Convince.
210.  Shepherding Attorneys Must Teach
212.  Pastoral Lawyers Must Preach
214.  Christian Attorneys Must NOT Be Mysterious

Duties Relating to Rule and Discipline [?]

215.  Shepherding Lawyers Must Administer the Sacraments

Traditional Considerations

216.  Baptism -- The Covenant Sign of Unconditional Attorn
218.  The Lord's Supper -- Communion and Government 

Sacraments in the New Age

219.  Jeremiah 31: The End of Sacraments

220.  Theo-Nomic Pastors Must Bless 
221.  Pastoral Lawyers Must Take Care of the Poor
122.  Justice and Poverty
224.  Shepherding Attorneys Must Be an Example
226.  Patriarch/Lawyers Must "Oversee"
228.  The Servant-Lawyer Must Shepherd
230.  Doctrinally-sound Attorneys are Worthy of Double Honor
231.  Law and Doctrine
232.  Working for a Living

THE LEGAL MINISTER
PATRIARCHY AS RIVAL GOVERNMENT/LAW-SYSTEM

234.  Law, Religion, and State

The Attorney as Patriarch

235.  Government and the Patriarch
236.  Elders, Lawyers, and Judges
237.  Levites and Lawyers

The Lawyer as "Church Officer"

238.  The Myth of the "Separation of Church and State"
239.  The Lawyer as Priest
240.  The Magisterial Pastor
241.  The War of the Pastors
242.  Excommunication and the Lawyer

The Lawyer as Reconciler

243.  The Legal Pimp
244.  The Theonomic Lawyer
245.  Resolving Disputes in the Home Church

Legal Mediation and Arbitration in I Corinthians 6

246.  The Arbitrators
247.  State Enforcement of Church Arbitration
248.  Arbitration and the "Rash Vow"
249.  The "Local Church" vs. The Christian Conciliation Service
250.  Punishment, Criminal Defense, and Patriarchy 

The Prophets Predicted Victory

Reconciliation, Not Revolution
Some people, enthused about the state-less, church-less Vine & Fig Tree vision, have decided they should leave "the local church" they've been a member of for many years. "Not so fast," we say.


The Christmas Conspiracy


Virtue


Vine & Fig Tree


Paradigm Shift


Theocracy
Subscribe to Vine & Fig Tree
Enter your e-mail address:
vft archive
An e-group hosted by eGroups.com

Vine & Fig Tree
12314 Palm Dr. #107
Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
[e-mail to V&FT]
[V&FT Home Page]