As we survey the terrain stretched before us, looking carefully for the best route to the Promised Land (one that avoids the dreaded swamps of extremism as well as the life-threatening bogs of mediocrity), we first examine the courses plotted by the pilgrims who have preceded us. Why stray off the beaten path?
We return to the New Testament to review the ways and means (doctrine and practices) of the apostolic churches, hoping to discover a model we can employ today. If we can do like the early church did, perhaps we can reconstitute the power and passion of our brethren who “turned the world upside down” with a compelling message and a radical hope. We search for what Robert Webber labels, “Ancient/Future Faith.”
We desire old wine. We neglect to note, however, that the only vessels we possess are new wineskins. It doesn’t feel like a match made in heaven.
It doesn’t take a student long to discover that the early church possessed a vast number of different expressions, depending on congregational geography, demography, and theography. Considering these primitive disciples shared a common faith, hope, and love, they clearly maintained a vast litany of ways to propagate their differences. It’s difficult to determine if their Christian identity was distinguished by their similarities or their willingness to accept one another in spite of their disparities. It might be the latter.
In order to lay claim to being a reincarnation of the first-century church, we face a number of obstacles: like which congregation would that be?
Would it be the church in Rome that met in homes (Romans 16:5), relied on the personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit (chapter 8), practiced something of an predefined Calvinistic theology that highlighted God’s sovereignty and Israel’s chosen status (chapters 9-11), refused to conform to the magnetic seductions of the world (12:1,2), exercised the gift of prophecy (12:6), gave liberally and sacrificially (12:8), extended mercy with cheerfulness (12:8), demonstrated their commitment to divine principles by practicing a style of love wholly devoted to one another (12:10), refused to be haughty in mind, but instead associated with the lowly (12:16), never paid back ugly for ugly to anyone (12:17), worked hard to be at peace with all men (12:18), owed nothing to anyone (13:8), employed women as deacons (Phoebe in 16:1), and greeted one another with a holy kiss (16:16 – clearly an identifying practice of the church of Christ)?
If not the Roman church, perhaps we could duplicate the Corinthian church in a growing suburb near you. After all, we live in an idolatrous and narcissistic culture similar to the one fostered by Hellenistic greatness.
We, too, are a population fueled by the prospects of pleasing the flesh.
Restoring the flavor of Corinth means preaching the power of the cross over baptism (1 Cor. 1:10-31), building a church of ragamuffins composed of those from poor, powerless, poverty-stricken backgrounds (1:26), depending not on human cleverness or exegetical prowess, but instead on direct revelation from the Holy Spirit (2:10-16), prizing weakness above strength and foolishness (by the world’s standards) over wisdom (4:10), dumping immoral church members into the lap of their true father Satan for destruction of their flesh (5:5), advocating a willingness to be wronged rather than take a fellow believer to court (6:1-11), acknowledging uncertainty about all the complexities related to marriage, divorce, and remarriage (chapter 7), struggling with our tender consciences on how to eat meat sacrificed to idols (chapter 8), demonstrating a consistent willingness “to do all things for the sake of the gospel” and subject our personal whims, tastes, and desires to a higher cause (chapter 9), eat the Lord’s Supper in the midst of a large “Agape Feast” meal (chapters 10,11) that promoted divine unity in the midst of great human diversity, convince all our women folks to keep their long hair and cover their head in the assembly as a sign of submission (11:1-16), promote speaking in strange tongues and rallying gifted interpreters to attend all assemblies to verify prophesy (chapters 12-14), insure that miracle workers and rogue female prophets performed their gifts in a decent and orderly fashion (14:48), and live in the constant awareness that Jesus might return at any moment (16:22).
Maybe the Corinthian experience is a little more varied than we had in mind. Let’s do Philippi instead.
To appreciate the Philippians’ congregation, we need to begin by inducing hatred and persecution from our pagan neighbors. This means we must live such a counterculture world-view that we invite hostilities from those pursuing secular and materialistic advantages. We must antagonize our profane peers with holy living. You ready? Get set. Go!
The brethren in first-century Philippi laid everything on the line for Jesus. They moved their citizenship from “here and now” to heaven. They trusted Jesus alone. They valued the deep joy associated with the power of the resurrection over and above the occasional sensation of physical pleasure. They were by all earthly definitions: weird.
It might be tough for a twenty-first century church to surrender its power, influence, acceptance, and position. We’re used to having it our way.
More interesting yet, we could strive to duplicate the early church at Colossae, where masters and slaves struggled to Christianize their relationships and roles, and where ascetics and New Age philosophers competed for equality with sound doctrine and practical application (sound familiar?).
And besides, do we really want to establish a church “where everything we do in word and deed is done for the glory of Jesus?”
What about what I want and what I like and what I think and what I say and what I feel?
Well, what about it, humble pilgrim?
Space won’t allow a continued review of the unique circumstances and personalities of other original churches, but the point is clear. We obviously are not and cannot be the first-century church. We are more than years, miles, and cultures apart. Real world dynamics dictate we be twenty-first century Christian churches.
Any notion that we can reinstall first-century forms on a twenty-first century hard drives needs to be dismissed. Can’t and won’t happen.
What we can do is implement primitive functions and principles in the contemporary church. The essence of Biblical truth never goes out of style.
Life-changing faith, hope and love always find an audience. Any rumor that the Everlasting, Everliving Holy Spirit has retired to a celestial rocking chair is bunk. He is alive and well and anxious to bring God’s Word to work on the hearts of all mankind. He, however, depends on us to do our part.
God continues to call His church to relevance for His sake and His glory.
What will it take for us to respond?