Efforts to Replicate the Early Church in the Modern Day

[Marathoner]

In light of my experience with a fellowship that, in many ways, was curiously similar to what we read about the early Church as recorded in the book of Acts, I wanted to share how and why early Church restoration efforts don't last for long in this modern world.

First, I'll summarize my testimony with the fellowship as briefly as possible. This fellowship was where I went after the Spirit of the Lord called me out of the world to Jesus Christ. This fellowship (for lack of a better term) was large --- 200 adults with children of all ages --- situated in sparsely populated farmlands and forests on the Eastern seaboard of the United States. In truth, a "community of saints" is a more appropriate description... but a fellowship is good enough for the purposes of shorthand.

Everyone lived in close proximity to each other, with some families living together. As for myself, being unmarried with no children, I was welcomed to stay with a brother and his family in their home. This was the brother who introduced me to the scriptures, and taught me what I needed to know about our Savior and His Gospel. Learning about the Body of Christ, and how we are His temple raised without human hands (living stones), was central to my education under his care. 

In essence, my introduction to our faith was practical, for our faith was meant to be lived in fellowship and unity with brethren. This is how we lived, then: we shared most things in common. I worked with my brother in his warehouse and, after an elder taught me a thing or two about carpentry and working with my hands, joined some brothers who operated a construction business. Construction was the most fun on a job I ever had the pleasure of experiencing. I miss it!

How much better was that wonderful hard work, then, when I labored together with my brothers in the Lord? It was a dream come true, my friends. The Lord moved mightily among us.

For us, work and our daily life was all about discipleship and the communion of the saints. We ate meals together and, when some in the assembly desired to feed everyone at once, we descended upon an elder's farm and labored in a few of his kitchens to make it happen. 

(That was the first time I waited tables and scrubbed pots and pans )

When I wasn't framing houses with my brothers (or waiting tables), I joined with the musicians at gatherings. After my first year in the fellowship, I turned my heart toward serving my elderly brothers and sisters. If they needed a strong back, then my back was theirs; if they needed help around the house, then I was there for them; or, if they needed someone to play Scrabble with, then I'd draw upon those obscure (but allowed!) words filed away between these ears. More than anything else I did during my time with them all, serving our elders brought the greatest joy. It was an honor!

That is indeed very similar to how things were a terribly long time ago among the saints. However, let it be known that not one whit of how we lived was intentional on our part. That distinction is crucial to understanding how and why restoration efforts don't fare well in this world.  

If the early Church in Jerusalem and the churches of Asia Minor were intended by our Lord to persist in their ancient composition --- as they were while the New Testament was being written --- then they would surely be with us in the same form today. That, my friends, is the long and short of the matter. 

His Church will always endure on this earth for as long as our Lord sees fit but, seeing as how we are people from different backgrounds, cultures --- and even languages --- how His Body appears at any given time will not always be the same. 

Cultures change, and so do the times. There is a time for every matter under the sun.

I learned about the folly of intentionally seeking to replicate how the early Church appears in the book of Acts and how those efforts eventually change into forms we are familiar with today. That's what happened to the community of saints I was a part of a long time ago. So, what exactly happened? Was this work of the Lord somehow ruined by man?

No. The community of brethren as it was when I came to them was the simply the work of the Lord at that point in time. When I departed from that place, I wasn't aware that the community was in the process of changing... and this wasn't a bad thing at all. On the contrary, the Lord did a new thing among them after I left, but it wasn't my place to be a part of it. Some of my brothers and sisters left for Africa, where a few continue to preach the Gospel in Muslim-majority regions to this day. 

The Lord endures forever but while we dwell upon this earth, we are subject to change. There was a time when I didn't grasp what I'm writing about in this OP, but I do now after years spent learning and growing in Him. 

There's nothing inherently wrong with the churches of today! It's a grave mistake to fall into the trap of idealism believing that, if an assembly doesn't mirror the Church in ancient Jerusalem, then its somehow corrupt or falls short. Not so. I've witnessed the Lord work in sanctuaries and also on the street. His Church doesn't fit neatly into a box. 

There, it was good to put that out there! 

[Michael37]

21 minutes ago, Marathoner said:

In light of my experience with a fellowship that, in many ways, was curiously similar to what we read about the early Church as recorded in the book of Acts, I wanted to share how and why early Church restoration efforts don't last for long in this modern world.

First, I'll summarize my testimony with the fellowship as briefly as possible. This fellowship was where I went after the Spirit of the Lord called me out of the world to Jesus Christ. This fellowship (for lack of a better term) was large --- 200 adults with children of all ages --- situated in sparsely populated farmlands and forests on the Eastern seaboard of the United States. In truth, a "community of saints" is a more appropriate description... but a fellowship is good enough for the purposes of shorthand.

Everyone lived in close proximity to each other, with some families living together. As for myself, being unmarried with no children, I was welcomed to stay with a brother and his family in their home. This was the brother who introduced me to the scriptures, and taught me what I needed to know about our Savior and His Gospel. Learning about the Body of Christ, and how we are His temple raised without human hands (living stones), was central to my education under his care. 

In essence, my introduction to our faith was practical, for our faith was meant to be lived in fellowship and unity with brethren. This is how we lived, then: we shared most things in common. I worked with my brother in his warehouse and, after an elder taught me a thing or two about carpentry and working with my hands, joined some brothers who operated a construction business. Construction was the most fun and satisfying job I ever had the pleasure of working. I miss it!

How much better was that wonderful hard work, then, when I labored together with my brothers in the Lord? It was a dream come true, my friends. The Lord moved mightily among us.

For us, work and our daily life was all about discipleship and the communion of the saints. We ate meals together and, when some in the assembly desired to feed everyone at once, we descended upon an elder's farm and labored in a few of his kitchens to make it happen. 

(That was the first time I waited tables and scrubbed pots and pans )

When I wasn't framing houses with my brothers (or waiting tables), I joined with the musicians at gatherings. After my first year in the fellowship, I turned my heart toward serving my elderly brothers and sisters. If they needed a strong back, then my back was theirs; if they needed help around the house, then I was there for them; or, if they needed someone to play Scrabble with, then I'd draw upon those obscure (but allowed!) words filed away between these ears. More than anything else I did during my time with them all, serving our elders brought the greatest joy. It was an honor!

That is indeed very similar to how things were a terribly long time ago among the saints. However, let it be known that not one whit of how we lived was intentional on our part. That distinction is crucial to understanding how and why restoration efforts don't fare well in this world.  

If the early Church in Jerusalem and the churches of Asia Minor were intended by our Lord to persist in their ancient composition --- as they were while the New Testament was being written --- then they would surely be with us in the same form today. That, my friends, is the long and short of the matter. 

His Church will always endure on this earth for as long as our Lord sees fit but, seeing as how we are people from different backgrounds, cultures --- and even languages --- how His Body appears at any given time will not always be the same. 

Cultures change, and so do the times. There is a time for every matter under the sun.

I learned about the folly of intentionally seeking to replicate how the early Church appears in the book of Acts and how those efforts eventually change into forms we are familiar with today. That's what happened to the community of saints I was a part of a long time ago. So, what exactly happened? Was this work of the Lord somehow ruined by man?

No. The community of brethren as it was when I came to them was the simply the work of the Lord at that point in time. When I departed from that place, I wasn't aware that the community was in the process of changing... and this wasn't a bad thing at all. On the contrary, the Lord did a new thing among them after I left, but it wasn't my place to be a part of it. Some of my brothers and sisters left for Africa, where a few continue to preach the Gospel in Muslim-majority regions to this day. 

The Lord endures forever but while we dwell upon this earth, we are subject to change. There was a time when I didn't grasp what I'm writing about in this OP, but I do now after years spent learning and growing in Him. 

There's nothing inherently wrong with the churches of today! It's a grave mistake to fall into the trap of idealism believing that, if an assembly doesn't mirror the Church in ancient Jerusalem, then its somehow corrupt or falls short. Not so. I've witnessed the Lord work in sanctuaries and also on the street. His Church doesn't fit neatly into a box. 

There, it was good to put that out there! 

Many a cult has claimed to be following the early church model. We have a prime example in NZ. Big trouble.

Gloriavale Christian Community - Wikipedia
 Members of the community live a fundamentalist Christian life in accordance with their interpretation of the teachings of the New Testament. The community attempts to uphold the example of the first Christian church in Jerusalem (Acts 2:41–47) for its principles of sharing and holding all things in common.

[Marathoner]

Just now, Michael37 said:

Many a cult has claimed to be following the early church model. We have a prime example in NZ. Big trouble.

Gloriavale Christian Community - Wikipedia
 Members of the community live a fundamentalist Christian life in accordance with their interpretation of the teachings of the New Testament. The community attempts to uphold the example of the first Christian church in Jerusalem (Acts 2:41–47) for its principles of sharing and holding all things in common.

Quite right --- I'm familiar with some "intentional communities" which morphed into cults, or brethren who were preyed upon by cults. Most exist under the radar, at times under our proverbial noses.

Others are "out there" and aggressive in their efforts at snaring the unwary. One that stands out in my mind is the "Twelve Tribes" cult. I met a brother and his wife who managed to escape the Twelve Tribes. 

[teddyv]

Yeah, I brought this up recently in another thread. The Boston Movement splinter off of the Church of Christ members all stated they were following the Acts model, but it descended into abuse.

[Marathoner]

I do my best to avoid generalizing, or painting with a broad brush. 

Because that fellowship was orthodox in teaching and doctrine, no one was "required" to share most things in common with others. The majority of us did (we wanted to do that) but, as I should point out, the fellowship was new when I joined them. 4 years isn't that long of a stretch for change to occur.

Some incorporated into a church. They built a sanctuary and bought the surrounding land. Others moved on; I was among the first who did. I didn't keep in touch because of the lifestyle I was leading (never staying long in any particular place) but after 20 years, I reconnected with several. My old friend who introduced me to our faith was the first. That's when I learned about what happened after I left.

I had mixed feelings about that for a while, but I didn't quite grasp that the only constant for us all under the sun is change. I finally came to realize that so-called "early Church restoration" efforts aren't suited for the times and cultures we live in today. They can seemingly pop up for a little while but even then, it's definitely not the idealized Church from the book of Acts.

This doesn't stop some from trying to do just that, of course. As Michael points out, some of these movements become cults. Idealism sounds great and might be appealing to some, but what's idealized doesn't pan out the way it was originally intended.

[AnOrangeCat]

1 hour ago, Marathoner said:

His Church will always endure on this earth for as long as our Lord sees fit but, seeing as how we are people from different backgrounds, cultures --- and even languages --- how His Body appears at any given time will not always be the same. 

I completely agree with this. Surely God intended for His people to adapt to changing socioeconomic systems and forms of government, so long as their faith isn't compromised.

1 hour ago, Marathoner said:

There's nothing inherently wrong with the churches of today! It's a grave mistake to fall into the trap of idealism believing that, if an assembly doesn't mirror the Church in ancient Jerusalem, then its somehow corrupt or falls short. Not so. I've witnessed the Lord work in sanctuaries and also on the street. His Church doesn't fit neatly into a box. 

This I somewhat agree, somewhat disagree with. Changing structure and format and aesthetics? Absolutely okay. For me the important thing, and something that we SHOULD hold up as an ideal, is why the early church behaved as they did. My understanding is that it was because they were a community of love and support united by the common cause of serving and praising God. That's something worth striving for, but the NT seems to indicate that the early church fell short of the mark at times too.

My experience, which certainly isn't everyone's experience, has been that the modern church is somewhat lacking in that area. But Jesus did say in Matthew 24:12 that because of increasing iniquity the love of many would wax cold. This is really unfortunate but it was also foretold, and IMO it serves a purpose. In this day and age I feel like a lot of people would try to take advantage of it and the church's generosity would end up exploited constantly. It's not perfect, but again, it never was. It can just look that way until we take into account things like legalism, dubious doctrines, and so on that we see various branches of the early church rebuked over in NT.

[Solus Christus]

I mentioned elsewhere I was obessed with Acts purity, to be like the early church. But the truth is the Acts church did not choose to “have all things in common,” they were forced to because of the times, persecution and the civilization of Rome ready to bear down on them.

I agree that “to everything a season under heaven,” that there was even a time for iron churches of the Middle Ages fighting heretics and new enemies at the time. 

I am thankful The Reformation got us back to the true gospel, sound theology, and sound doctrine. But even its pulpit and teaching method we use today is outdated as newer gens flock to blogs, and more interactive models.

I think we can enjoy the fruits of all Church history, even our own, and spit out the bones. 
 

@Marathoner I envy your experience with that community. Sounds like such a blessing! 

Edited August 4, 2023 by Solus Christus

[Marathoner]

49 minutes ago, AnOrangeCat said:

I completely agree with this. Surely God intended for His people to adapt to changing socioeconomic systems and forms of government, so long as their faith isn't compromised.

This I somewhat agree, somewhat disagree with. Changing structure and format and aesthetics? Absolutely okay. For me the important thing, and something that we SHOULD hold up as an ideal, is why the early church behaved as they did. My understanding is that it was because they were a community of love and support united by the common cause of serving and praising God. That's something worth striving for, but the NT seems to indicate that the early church fell short of the mark at times too.

My experience, which certainly isn't everyone's experience, has been that the modern church is somewhat lacking in that area. But Jesus did say in Matthew 24:12 that because of increasing iniquity the love of many would wax cold. This is really unfortunate but it was also foretold, and IMO it serves a purpose. In this day and age I feel like a lot of people would try to take advantage of it and the church's generosity would end up exploited constantly. It's not perfect, but again, it never was. It can just look that way until we take into account things like legalism, dubious doctrines, and so on that we see various branches of the early church rebuked over in NT.

Bear in mind that I'm covering the basics only, my friend. Sound doctrine and teaching are what distinguishes assemblies of the saints, not whether we meet in buildings or don't. What I believe we all ought to wary of is idealism, which is the point I've been trying to make (you are the judge of whether I'm successful or not!).

"There is nothing inherently wrong with organized churches" is my effort to drive home that point. Just because brothers and sisters gather in a building with attendant structures of organization does not make it abhorrent. Some of us (like me) have been careless with criticism in the past, so I need to avoid judging that which I'm not familiar with.

There are caveats, of course. Always!

[Solus Christus]

The forests that this fellowship lived near reminds me of the Moravian Brethren hiding in the woods during persecution.  Forests have been havens for the saints.  

[Marathoner]

Here's one of my criticisms of some organized churches: passiveness. An inordinate focus upon growth, and an obsession with committees (the committee committee convened a meeting to discuss committees).

Passiveness = a lack of engagement with this world that is perishing. Camelot syndrome: just us and only us or worse, it's us against them. We do not struggle against flesh and blood!

If we aren't willing to reach the lost ( there are many different ways to do that), then what are we doing? No, I'm not talking about staging rock concerts. 

Ah, and then there is the matter of discipleship. Discipleship is a 24/7 endeavor, not something that is limited to the confines of a building or campus.