Home

Vertical Divider

The modern religious church generally gathers in a formal, large group to perform a predetermined liturgy or “service.” When asked for the reason, the most common response from leadership is, “We have always done it this way before.” Thus, modern church practice is not based on the apostolic teaching and tradition of the New Testament but civic, religious, and historical precedent.

Much to the surprise of modern religious church leadership, the New Testament does indeed unveil the distinct practice of the early church. However, the discernment of its practice requires that the New Testament be viewed faithfully and prayerfully apart from the bias of civic, religious, and historical precedent.

Vertical Divider

The New Testament reveals that the church was carefully conceived before the foundation of the world to accommodate the presence of the living God on earth (Ephesians 1:4; Hebrews 4:3b). It is a “dwelling of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).

To serve as a habitation for God, He created the New Testament church in the form of a spiritual body. It is the “body of Christ,” comprised of many individual members in one body (1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:4; 16; 5:30).

The spiritual body of the New Testament church body was suited for animation by the indwelling Spirit of God. Thus, the early church community understood that it was not their responsibility to build the church for God but to faithfully depend on Him to produce the church in them.

Animated by the living Christ, the early church gatherings were Spirit-ordered, manifested on earth in the intimacy of a small group environment that was interactive, intergenerational, moved from house to house. The life-based practice was recognized by the interactive ministry of eternal life by the Spirit through the involvement of every member of the body.

The New Testament clarifies that early church gatherings were a celebration of life shared with God in Christ. They intentionally emphasized the preeminence and presence of the victorious Savior in the midst of His church body.

Vertical Divider

The divinely animated, intimate gatherings of the early church were more specifically evidenced by the observance of the Lord’s Supper as a full, celebratory meal; purposeful prayer; intentional community interaction; participatory worship in song; and loving, spiritually gifted ministry. The gatherings were further characterized by joyful giving, corrective spiritual discipline, cooperative discipleship, and a team-oriented approach to outreach and spiritual warfare.

The distinct quality and abundant quantity of spiritual fruit produced by the early New Testament church provided evidence of its divine animation. In addition, it served to reveal the manifold wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:10).

Vertical Divider

If you want to learn more about reforming church practice to New Testament standard, please follow this link to “The Distinct Church of the New Testament in the Last Days”. It provides a comprehensive, systematic view of early church doctrine and practice.