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The First Christian Church
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Written by P.Phillip, 2007
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In the 100-year history of the New Testament no name was given to the church by its followers. In fact, there was no name given to what is called "Judaism" in its previous 2,000 year history. This was simply because Christianity, like Judaism, was meant to be a way of living. A received name would be appropriated by every religion. Some of the Old Testament prophets even rejected being labeled "prophets" because everybody who wanted religious authority now called themselves "prophets."
Jesus, John
the Baptist and the Apostles did not offer any church name to those
who asked. This leads to the danger of being labeled by your foes - Jesus’ followers
for instance were called the “Sect
of the Nazarenes.” The word "sect"
implies
radical, fringe and dangerous, and "Nazarene" symbolized much of what was
considered vulgar, apostate and pagan in Israel. From time to time names were imposed upon these congregations by governments or communities. For instance at Antioch, twenty years after Jesus, the followers of Jesus were first called “Christian.” The term was derogatory (ie King Agrippa in Acts 26:28, and the historians Tacitus and Suetonius.) Later the term was used by the Romans for administration purposes. The followers of Jesus did not call themselves Christian, but accepted what the term meant – one who worships Jesus.
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“… freely you have received, freely give… Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, … into whatsoever city or town you shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there stay till you go again." Mathew 10:8.
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Jesus established an itinerant ministry. He sent His disciples into every village he himself would enter. This ministry was essentially directed towards the Jews, but in his dealings with Samaritans, Romans, Greeks etc he was anticipating the greater gentile mission that would go out into all the world. They were called "Apostles" or "Workers." James was the leader of the Palestine mission. Paul was the most prominent gentile preacher. Peter was credited with the first gentile conversion, that of the Roman officer Cornelius. Until they were established, VOT’s carried out similar missions. In Mark 10:28 Peter declared that he had left all for the ministry. Jesus stated "... there is no one who left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, for my sake, and for the good news, who may not receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and fields.." (YLT) Peter experienced this when he became a part of many families. Generally, two preachers was the standard, such as Paul and Timothy – the younger and elder helping each other. There were apparently women preachers such as Junia and Phoebe. This would have been considered unusual at the time. Occasionally some of these preachers were married; we know this because Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law, and Phillip had two daughters. However, the rigors of the Work would have made marriage and children difficult. This ministry had the care for the church. The apostles and workers had authority over the church, as was shown when the author of Hebrews exhorted his people to "remember them which have the rule over you." The ministry was also to serve, as Peter was admonished to do when Jesus said, "feed my sheep." These men and women were human: those who abandoned or denied Jesus in his last hour were the same people who had preached the Gospel. Some fell from grace - the worker Demos left the Work because he "loved this present world." But, as was seen with Jonah and the whale, and the prophet and the lion, the failing of the preacher did not change the message preached. There were times when unity was tested, such as when Paul confronted James and the Palestinian church. But the ability of men and women to go into the work together, owning and earning nothing, and being cared for by the fellowship for the rest of their lives, set this church apart. No other ministry was authorized.
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"… and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" Act 4:13
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The gospel, with its simplicity, does not lend itself easily to traditional ideas about study. The notion of an in-dwelling spirit which guides and teaches is simply too much for most people. It is not thought that Jesus had a formal religious education - he did not require it of his followers, nor did he engage in religious studies. This isn't to say that all who followed him were simple carpenters or fishermen. Mathew was a government official; Luke was the "physician" who wrote the powerful Greek in his gospel of Luke and The Acts; and the Ethiopian eunuch was the Treasurer to Queen Candace. A good example of the irrelevancy of higher education was shown in Paul. Paul was a chief Pharisee who learned from the great rabbi Gamaliel, and most likely he was a member of Israel's supreme judicial and administrative council, the Sanhedrin. But Paul's formidable religious education proved a hindrance to him. It is likely that his education went no further than helping him to reach out to Jews who only knew the Law. Paul warned his people about academic pretensions and the distractions of study. Genealogies; legalisms or history have no relevance to the relationship which God seeks to engender with His people. People engaging in theological/philosophical debates demonstrate little appreciation or love of the simplicity of the Gospel, and usually are making statements about themselves.
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What was their standard of dress?
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“… the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works" (1 Timothy 2:8-10). "Do not let your adornment be merely outward-arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God" (1 Peter 3:3-4).
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The biblical period spanned Sumerian, Hebrew, Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek and Roman cultures. The dress code for people “professing Godliness” was neither archaic nor fashionable, but dignified, modest and moderate - irrespective of how this was expressed. Thus people could dress in varying ways, yet maintain the same standard. For instance, the veil was a symbol of modesty in the days of Rebecca, but there was no mention of it being worn by devout and modest women in later biblical periods. A shaved head was a sign of respect in the days of Elisha, at other times it symbolized shame. Both Christians and their detractors often misunderstand this. Dress was to be without sexual competition; ostentatious display or “costly array.” For instance, a Jewish woman’s symbol of moderation was a plain single-piece dress called a kuttónet; sometimes with a simlâ (mantle) covering her shoulders. In Ephesus, a Greco Roman city, moderate dress was most likely a plain tunic or toga. Married women usually wore a long dress called a stola. Appearance is considered important because it provides social meaning. Two examples suffice: Women: In biblical times bright colors symbolized wealth or status. Dyes were expensive and limited in range. In the 20th century synthetic dyes gave rise to an abundance of bright and colorful clothing. Thus colors now carry considerably less social meaning. Men: Beards were worn in the 19th century as a mark of respect, just as it had been in many biblical times. After the American Civil War many young rebels removed their beards. By the early 20th century a clean-shaven face became the new respectability. During the 1960’s beards again became fashionable as a counter-culture symbol. Today beards have little social significance.
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The moral code was implicit in the example of Jesus. The New Testament writers both lived and specified examples of what the moral standard of God's people must become. These include:
Those who followed Jesus, in due course, became partakers of his divine nature through growth of character. They were no longer living under the Law, but they understood that a specific moral standard was required of them. These things did not come through making vows or external disciplines, for that would be works of Law. Rather these were things which had to be learned through experience. God's will was their joy. This change was seen in Moses: He began his journey as the impetuous youth who killed an Egyptian, but after 40 years in the wilderness he had become the "meekest man in all the world," feeling he was not worthy of the task God set before him. Paul's experience was quite similar. To have acted meek in their youths, these men would have engaged in false modesty. This is one of the important themes of the bible - the process of growing in God's way.
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“Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Mathew 18:20
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Jesus preached in the Jewish Synagogues and the Temple in Jerusalem, just as he did on hills, plains and streets. At the end of His ministry Jesus held a home service where he met with His disciples. The liturgy was a talk followed by prayer and hymns. The disciples continued to meet on the Sunday, as opposed to the Sabbath (Saturday.) The venue was their homes. There was no longer any "worldly sanctuary." The reference to buildings "not made with hands" did not exclude homes, it referred to buildings dedicated for worship. According to the Roman historian Pliny, some Christians met before dawn, and had a fellowship meal afterwards. The prevailing wisdom is that Christians met in private dwellings because of Roman persecution. But Christianity was not usually an underground movement - Rome was multi-cultural, largely tolerant of other religions and accepted all sorts of religious buildings across its far flung empire. Roman harassment was sporadic, and strife against Christians in some provinces largely related to Jewish sectarianism or idol manufacturers. Systematic Roman attacks upon Christians did not occur until about 250 AD, and apparently was directed towards the political and cultural ambitions of the early Catholic church.
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Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a
place which is on the north side of Bethel. Judges 21:19
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Convening together for worship was common in both the Old and New Testaments. Early Jewish worshippers, such as Hannah, went yearly to the cultic centre in Shiloh in central Israel. Shiloh was replaced by the pilgrimage to Jerusalem during King David’s reign. In the Old Testament Nehemiah provides a picture of that convocation. The priests and the people were to purify and separate themselves from all strangers. They met for eight days - one quarter to one half of each day was spent in hearing the scriptures, and quarter in confessions and testimony. In the New Testament at least ten thousand people came from all Israel to spend three days with Jesus in the "feeding of the five thousand" (men only were counted.) And in the resurrection Jesus appeared to an assembly of five hundred people.
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But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. Galatians 4: 9
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Christians, particularly Gentile Christians, did not observe religious festivities. This is because such festivals are symbols, "types" and "shadows" of what Christ made a reality. Easter has strong significant because of the Jewish Passover. The Passover was also the time of the resurrection of Jesus, as Jesus represented the sacrificial lamb. However, there is no record of any specific Christian observance of the event. In fact, Paul's warning about people who “observed days and months” was most likely a reference to VOT’s who argued over the date for Jewish events like Easter. The churches of Rome were more inclined towards Paul’s gentile mission, and did not have much exposure to the Passover as Palestinian Christians did. Easter became an observance to Catholics two hundred years later. Christmas did not exist for the early church. Christmas was a later invention of the Catholic Church. Jesus was born between 4 and 12 BC, probably during the Palestinian winter.
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How many Christians were there?
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"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7:13
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God's people were not named, and as King David learnt, they were not to be numbered either. Early Christians believed they were the only ones saved; this would have rankled pagan and Jew alike. But one of the biblical themes is the Remnant People, symbolized by tiny Israel in the midst of the nations. Even amongst the Jews God preserved only two tribes. In Israel itself there were times where only a few people served God (sometimes down to one family or a single individual.) Sometimes there was no faith at all. Mass religious movements, such as the wilderness journey, were marked by large scale disobedience. The churches of Revelation show that sometimes God's people could be minorities within their own congregations. Both Moses and Joshua were convinced few of their people were sincere. During Samuel's childhood there was “no open vision.” Perhaps meaning there wasn’t any institutional service recognized by God. Isaiah said that although Israel was as numerous as the sand of the sea, only a remnant would be saved. Jeremiah believed he was God’s only servant in Israel, but God said, "I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal." Jesus enraged his countrymen by reminding them that only two of these people, a Syrian general and a Lebanese widow were recorded as being visited by Elisha during a famine.
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Judas Iscariot was a thief who carried a bag. It stands to reason he stole from people who would have shown hospitality to Jesus and his disciples. This most likely would have been picked up by some to justify their feelings against these wandering preachers. Many wonder why Judas was with Jesus in the first place - the common explanation was that Judas believed that God was about to restore the kingdom of Israel, and he betrayed Jesus when it was clear this wasn't going to happen. This is conjecture, but it does highlight the fact that people can find themselves in the truth for the wrong reasons. Some people married into the truth; some were born into it and some wanted social connections. But many people found themselves in the truth because they had heart felt feelings for it. Some gave ten fold, some five and some gave nothing. Some had oil for their lamps and some did not.
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... you were
redeemed ... with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or
defect. 1 Peter 1: 18 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16-18
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The early Apostles and Workers brought the good news (Middle English "Godspel") about Jesus. Their message could not be any more, and would never be anything less. The Apostles wouldn't have understood doctrines of modalism; binitarianism; tritheism; henotheism or trinitarianism. They did not nail 95 thesis to the temple or synagogue wall. There was no Catholic style Catechism or Protestant Solas. There were no Nicene, Apostles or Athanasian creeds, nor any "Thirty-Nine articles of Religion." They did not concern themselves with the burning issue of Jewish Independence. They liberated no slaves, nor did they save the environment or fight poverty and injustice. These preachers did not speak about the world, and as the Apostle John observed, the world did not want to hear them. The first Christians believed that Jesus was the Messiah who's coming was prophesised in the Old Testament. They accepted that the Messiah did not come as a reigning king, but as the "Lamb of God" who would shed his blood to atone for their sins. Genesis states that man is alienated from God because of sin. When the Hebrews were in bondage they were commanded to take in a male lamb "without blemish" and after three days kill and consume it. The lamb's blood was to be daubed upon the lintel of their home. When God sent the angel of death over the land he spared these households.
But Genesis made it clear that the people must stay in their place, and
the lamb must be consumed whole, including
those portions people felt were unpalatable. This signifies not only
those aspects of Jesus acceptable to the general public are for
consumption, but also his shame and rejection, his commandments and his example.
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"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" John 10:16
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On his death bed in 1324 a priest urged Marco Polo to refute his claim of having visited the country we now call China. China does not appear in the bible, and the notion that the bible was not fully authoritative about the earth was heretical. And just as vexing: could an entire civilization be condemned, through no fault of its own, for not knowing the bible? Church people were assuming too much. The bible says that God knows those who love Him; and He may well have put His own people into families, nations and times when their interaction or presence was important. This is seen with John the Baptist who was to prepare the way for the coming Christ - John was born in Judea, six months prior to Jesus' birth, and born into a priestly family. God's people have always believed that God provides for those who don't have opportunity to hear His word. Most likely these are people who did what they believed was their best within their society, but who sought relationship that went beyond what their religion provided.
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"I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. " Matthew 11:12 "... the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." 2 Corinthians 4:4
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Jesus began his ministry as a famous man, but by the time of his last ascent to Jerusalem he was largely unknown. Jerusalem was moved to ask “Who is this?” Jesus wept for the city, saying, ""If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes." (NIV Luke 19:42) Jesus did many things in public. His miracles, such as his healings and the "feeding of the five thousand," helped spread his fame throughout Israel and the Middle East. But often Jesus removed himself from the people, refused to give any sign and asked those he healed to tell no-one. In his resurrection Jesus appeared only to his own people. Jesus' own brothers and sisters urged him to reveal himself, saying, "No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." Even Jesus' own disciples struggled with this: Judas (not Iscariot) asked "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" (John 7:4 and 14:22 NIV) Bible commentators have long puzzled over what they see as the inconsistency of these stories - Jesus is seen as simultaneously bringing the Gospel, and hiding it. But God's kingdom is manifest at either public or private levels. Elija, for instance, showed king Ahab and his people how the True God consumed the bullock on the altar. His successor, Elisha, conducted himself before the kings of Israel, Judah and Edom. But this cycle of stories also includes the private dealings of God with His people, such as when Elisha restored the Shunammite's son, and asked a widow to close her windows so that the world would not see the miracle of the oil which God gave her. Jesus used words like “hid” and “hidden” to describe how the new covenant was removed from the eyes of those who were not moved by the Gospel, nor prepared for commitment. Jesus was underpinning the concept of Revelation, which is to say the Truth is revealed only to those who respond. In like manner the early church conducted itself with discretion: It sought no publicity outside of preaching the gospel; engaged in no official civic duties; had no name and kept no records outside the books of the New Testament. Historians who documented early church history were only looking at apostates. This is evident in ecumenical council discourses on liturgy, politics, sectarian strife, finances and bureaucracy (ie Council of Nicea.) These issues did not interest the foundation church.
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Myth has it that Christians were often thrown into Roman arenas. In truth the Romans found the Christians to be poor sport because they did not defend themselves. Moses did not defend himself when the rebels Korah, Dathan and Abiram, along with 250 "princes" came against Moses in the wilderness in Numbers 16 . It says that Moses "fell upon his face" and said, "the Lord will show who are his." Jesus did not defend himself against Judas or the Jews. Neither did Steven, Peter or Paul when they were attacked. But Jesus did defend his own people from criticism. When the disciples criticized Mary for "wasting" the alabaster ointment the woman would have felt no desire to defend herself, because Jesus spoke for her. In Matthew 11:18 Jesus warned his people about those who criticize. He referred to John the Baptist fasting and being called a demon. Jesus however, in eating and drinking, was called a glutton and a drinker by the same people. Jesus said his people would be justified by the wisdom of their lives, and by implication, no answer will satisfy the critic - the particular argument was never the real issue.
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Written by P.Phillip, 2007
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