This material is taken from Chapter 2 of Harnack's first volume of this work. He laments the way in which the simple teachings of Jesus and the simplicity of early Christian communities became formalized into a religion about him.

At the end of the first century after Christ, there were only communities who believed in a heavenly Church, a Kingdom whose earthly image they were. In their lives they endeavored to give their spiritual vision expression with the simplest means, living as pilgrims on the earth, hastening to meet the Kingdom of whose existence they had the surest guarantee.

But by the end of the third century we find a new commonwealth, politically formed and equipped with fixed forms of all kinds. We find a Church as a political union and worship institution, a formulated faith and a sacred learning; but one thing we no longer find is the original enthusiasm and individualism which had not felt itself fetered by subjection to the authority of the Old Testament.

Instead of enthusiastic independent Christians, we find a new literature of revelation, the New Testament, and Christian priests. When did these formulations begin? How and by what influence was living faith transformed into a creed to be believed? The surrender to Christ into a philosophic Christology? The glowing hope of the Kingdom of heaven into a doctrine of immortality and deification? Prophecy into learned exegesis and theological science? The bearers of the spirit into clerics? The brethren into laity held in tutelage? Miracles and healing into priestcraft? Fervent prayers into solemn ritual? The "spirit" into constraint and law? And renunciation of the world into a jealous effort to seek dominion?

My comment:

We are setting in motion approaches to dissemination and community formation which may have long term repercussions. Are we giving this process sufficient thought? Is our perspective deep enough? How well do we understand the context within which we're undertaking our efforts? Are we learning from history—or are we repeating the process by which the enthusiasm and vision of early Christianity became absorbed into the institutional structures and ecclesiastical forms of its time? How are we doing with the privileges and responsiblities which are uniquely ours in these early years of a new age of religion on our troubled planet?

I believe these are questions which should be of concern to every serious reader of The Urantia Book involved in issues related to evolving worldwide reader communities. They trouble my mind every time I hear talk about forming a Urantia church, or creating formal communities. They trouble my mind when I observe Urantia organizations subordinating the noble purposes related to mission expressed in their constitutions to internal political processes of institutionalization--perhaps the first step in the direction of exigencies Harnack bemoans.

We should be praying for wisdom and insight.