Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Institutionalism

"The second characteristic of false religion is that it is always very keen on what we must call "institutionalism". I mean something like this: these people in the Sanhedrin actually worship the temple ... they are putting temple worship against Christianity ... to these leaders the temple is everything, that is their whole trouble. The temple has become an idol. And that is always a characteristic of false religion.

God had allowed the people to build the temple - but as the record tells us - He had never asked them to do so ...

Men and women always want to institutionalize everything, they are never happier than when they are organizing and they do so supremely in the church by turning it into an institution. They harden, they petrify everything; they turn the spirit into stone and into buildings. They think this is marvellous and they tend to worship what they have made".

Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones - "Authentic Christianity - Volume 5" - Banner of Truth, Edinburgh (2006) - p251.