“I [Jesus] do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” – John 17:15
In Jesus’ day, there were four basic models of interaction with the world that He could have adopted, but He adopted none of them. Some of these groups are referred to in the Bible as “parties,” and others would technically be called “sects.” These are a lot like political parties in our day – groups of people with leaders and convictions that seek to reduce the influence of other parties on government, Church, and culture while converting people to their party to increase their power and influence.
- The Zealots chose to march forward and sought to overthrow the government by force if necessary.
- The Essenes sought to retreat backward, largely exiting politics and culture, to live quiet private lives.
- The Pharisees veered to the right, becoming a legalistic religious subculture marked by infighting.
- The Sadducees veered to the left, becoming cultural progressives who compromised their faith to hold positions of political and cultural influence.
The Essenes were basically off-grid ancient Hebrew preppers who probably spoke in tongues. They lost hope that the greater culture could be redeemed, and rather than fighting against it, they retreated from it. Like the Pharisees, they believed in the total corruption of the world, including politics, and rather than trying to carve out a subculture, they chose to live in smaller private rural communities with like-minded believers.
Very little is known about the Essenes because they were remote and private. The Dead Sea Scrolls are often associated with this rather secret society, and only a few historians have any reports to share because outsiders were not welcome, and insiders did not divulge details of their separate lives. One of the vows taken to become an Essene was a lifelong commitment to not divulging any details about the religious community.
There are some Scriptures that seem to point toward an Essene lifestyle:
- John 15:19 (NLT): The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.
- Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world…
- 2 Corinthians 6:17 (HCSB): Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord…
- 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12: …aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
However, if all believers take the Essene path, the problem is that there is no one left to represent God in the culture or reach the lost with the gospel. Jesus says in Matthew 5:13–16 that we are the salt and light of the world. If the world is dark, some Christians need to stay in it to bring the light of God. The world is like meat, rotting away. Believers are like salt that keeps the meat from deteriorating as quickly. The presence of God’s people in a nation helps preserve its life and keep things from rotting as quickly. If most or all of God’s people leave a society, it becomes fully dark and quickly rotten. This is why Jesus prayed in John 17:15 that His people would not be taken out of the world but be protected from Satan.
Come back tomorrow where we discuss another ancient radical group known as the Zealots.
What practical steps can you take to be salt and light in the world around you?
Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out or HELP for help. Visit https://realfaith.com/faq/ for privacy and terms info.