According to Merriam - Webster's Dictionary the definition of Culture quote
"compasses several aspects:Human Behavior and Society: Culture is defined as the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends on the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations. It includes the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group [❞] [❞].Intellectual and Artistic Activity: Culture also refers to the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization, as well as the intellectual and artistic activity and the works". produced by such activity [❞].
The Scriptures reveals God's desires for his people to operate in a Prophetic Culture environment. Now that we have established what culture is, let's determine what prophecy is.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
31]Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
[32]Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
[33]But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
[34]And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Up until the times of the Prophet Jeremiah; God used his few choosen prophets to let the Israelites know his mind for his people. In the above Scriptures the prophet declares that sometime in the future, God would change the 'status-quo'. The prophecy announced the changes ; that instead of God reaveling his plans to just a few individual prophets. He would make his plans available for all his children. He would write them down in their hearts.
In this Scriptures the prophet Jeremiah is confirming that there is a 'prophetic church age' coming. This was fulfilled in the day of Pentecost when The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles while praying in the upper room, after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Acts 2:2-4
[2]And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
[3]And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
[4]And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The day of Pentecost was when Jeremiah' prophecy was fulfilled and the Church's Prophetic Culture commenced. Unfortunately this culture was stifled when the Roman Religious establishment highjacked the apostolic Church.
[Book Title: Beginning at Jerusalem: Five Reflections on the History of the Church; Author
Glenn Warren Olsen;
Ignatius Press, 2004]
Glenn Warren Olsen book explains the Church's almost 400yrs Journey from Jerusalem to Rome and the changes that occurred.
One of the things that the Church lost in this movement from Jerusalem to Rome ,was the Prophetic Culture Clearly Recorded in the book of the Acts of the Apostles.
Fortunately God by His grace, has been restoring what the Church lost through the Roman Church establishment.
Sadly some of the Church Fathers were anti- Semitic and anti-Jewish and must have intentions to Europeanize Christianity which was initially a Jewish sect.
Here are some of the Church fathers anti-Semitic remarks;
1)John Chrysostom:
John Chrysostom, a prominent early Church Father, is known for his series of eight sermons titled "Adversus Judaeos" ("Against the Jews"). In these sermons, he denounces Jewish practices and beliefs and calls Jews "enemies of God" and "advocates of the devil." These sermons are often cited as some of the most virulent examples of early Christian anti-Semitism.
Source: John Chrysostom, "Adversus Judaeos" (translated as "Discourses Against Judaizing Christians"), available in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers collection.
2)Saint Augustine:
Augustine of Hippo, while less virulent than Chrysostom, also expressed negative views about Jews. He referred to Jews as "carnal" and interpreted their continued existence as a testament to the truth of Christianity, suggesting their suffering served as a divine punishment.
Source: Augustine of Hippo, "Tractatus adversus Judaeos" ("Treatise Against the Jews"), found in the writings of Augustine.
3)Justin Martyr:
In his "Dialogue with Trypho," Justin Martyr argues against Jewish interpretations of the Hebrew Scriptures and accuses Jews of being spiritually blind and responsible for the death of Christ.
Source: Justin Martyr, "Dialogue with Trypho," chapters 16 and 17, available in the Ante-Nicene Fathers collection.
4)Tertullian:
Tertullian, in his work "Against the Jews" ("Adversus Judaeos"), describes Jews as having rejected God's commandments and being replaced by Christians as God's chosen people.
Source: Tertullian, "Adversus Judaeos," available in the Ante-Nicene Fathers collection.
5)Origen:
Origen, in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, accuses Jews of plotting against Jesus and asserts that their rejection of Christ led to their suffering and dispersion.
Source: Origen, "Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew," Book 10, Chapter 17.
Remember that our Lord Jesus Christ and all his initial apostles were of Jewish origin. The first apostolic Church after the day of Pentecost was actually a Jewish apostolic Church. Of course they were a minority in the Jewish society and faced fierce opposition and persecution from the own kinsmen. All the same , from the evidence above the gentile Church offered the Jewish Church little comfort if any of ages of the Church's history.
Hence many precious truths were lost ; including the church's Prophetic Culture.
God would want to reveal himself to each believer individually. Prophecy is basically the ability to here the voice of God and also to freely speak it. Evidently the established Church in Rome was threatened and insecure with individual believers hearing from God directly. That was a job reserved for 'the vicar of Christ ' and his exclusive group of Cardinals. They had a strong need to control the masses and keep them in check. The church establishment was the one assigned the duty to hear from God. Notwithstanding the fact that Prophet Joel of old had already prophesied a coming Prophetic Culture during the church age.
Joel 2:28-29
[28]And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
[29]And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
Above Scriptures describes a vivid picture of how the Prophetic Culture looks like. Every believer having the opportunity to connect with the throne room of God through prophesy; divine visions; dreams all empowered by the Holy Spirit.
All Believers freely operating in the Prophetic Realm. This is how the 'New Covenant ' Prophet Jeremiah so should look like.
