The first churches after Christ vs. today’s church

And that's my point exactly. What is the church suppose to do??????? Wow are we that far from the father's heart?

Their Roman neighbors wrote this about the first Christians. I paraphrase.

The Christians when persecuted rejoice for the opportunity to forgive, knowing forgiveness adds power to their prayers.

From my study of the first churches, what your post tells us is what they say is the main difference in our churches. They held fast to the central theme of Christ and that theme is love. The fine points of doctrine didn't matter to them. They were more interested in living the way of Christ.

We know the first churches had so much power that Christianity grew even in the face of the severe persecution of the church. We are going to be facing the same kind of persecution. Do we have the strength to face death for our faith?

How can we make our church stronger so we have this much power again?

they held fast to the doctrine of Christ which teaches Gods love to those who believe his word of salvation .

see we can say love , but mans love is selfish we all see it differently . Jesus taught godly true love like the Good Samaritan goes out of his own way to help Another . He taught to forgive that’s love he taught to care for the needy that’s love , he taught to repent and believe the gospel he taught that’s the truth of Gods love and why we must believe To be saved .

I agree that Jesus taught to love but there’s a difference in how man loves and how Jesus taught believers to love as Gods children .

even the Ten Commandments are about love it’s not love to God to have a false God before him , it’s not love to commit
Murder , adultery, to lie , cheat and steal ect

we can say I love everyone or we can serve Gods love in this world

That sorta power is the difference between Peters 3x denial of Jesus vs the moment after they receive the Spirit. The Church will need the Holy Spirit to move. And as always when hard times hit, they separate the sheep from the goats. The followers of Christ will only seek God more earnestly and compassionately. This obedience brings forth the willing vessels for the Spirit to move. You will see more of these in the coming times who boldly resist the government, tyrannical leaders, and who use their platform to boldly proclaim the Words of God. People will either take heed of the times and the Word to repent or will increasingly rebel until judgment comes.

To face death we must decide is it worth it. A soldier who defends both country and security for their family on the home front. A police officer who defends civilians and takes criminals off the street. A coal miner who wants to support their family. Or the risk of car accidents when we drive. What is the risk/reward? Are the stakes important enough? The right to religion and conscience? Are those worth dying over? Liberty?

Is the destination of your eternal home worth living and dying for? True love for something could never mentally abandon that individual. Emotionally some may respond as Peter in denial out of fear, but God also understands how weak we can be. Peter was forgiven and Jesus already knew he would deny Him except Jesus still prepared Peter to be the rock/foundation of the Church and the cornerstone as Christ Jesus. Basically, God knows the heart of the believer.

In my study of the first churches and how they differ from us, you have summed up the difference. They allowed differences in dogma, but they held fast to the essence of Christ and that was love for God and each other as God defined it.

What seems strange is how so many added to scripture and created cults. The Gnostics were a constant pain, Colossians speaks of them as false. The people who followed Arian prompted the Council of Nicea.

Scholars agree that this council changed the church, but not on why the church changed. It seems to be the major change was that problems in the church were worked out by government and councils who felt they had authority from God to dictate doctrine. Before, they looked to men who were closest to Christ like the apostles who knew him and then the ones taught by them. They were against adding anything to scripture.

In my search for truth of the Lord I find that our church today has accepted doctrine that originated in councils, not in scripture. They only Christianized pagan beliefs. As an example, they made their spring festivals Colossians speaks against and fertility cults into Easter that took the place of Passover. Now, churches have Easter Egg Hunts and serve ham that was a symbol, before the new covenant, of feeding the mind garbage as pigs ate garbage.

In my study of the first churches and how they differ from us, you have summed up the difference. They allowed differences in dogma, but they held fast to the essence of Christ and that was love for God and each other as God defined it.

What seems strange is how so many added to scripture and created cults. The Gnostics were a constant pain, Colossians speaks of them as false. The people who followed Arian prompted the Council of Nicea.

Scholars agree that this council changed the church, but not on why the church changed. It seems to be the major change was that problems in the church were worked out by government and councils who felt they had authority from God to dictate doctrine. Before, they looked to men who were closest to Christ like the apostles who knew him and then the ones taught by them. They were against adding anything to scripture.

In my search for truth of the Lord I find that our church today has accepted doctrine that originated in councils, not in scripture. They only Christianized pagan beliefs. As an example, they made their spring festivals Colossians speaks against and fertility cults into Easter that took the place of Passover. Now, churches have Easter Egg Hunts and serve ham that was a symbol, before the new covenant, of feeding the mind garbage as pigs ate garbage.

We know the law is only fit for evil men.
A tutor for those who did not have the reality of the Spirit of truth and life.
The covenant of law was set aside having been satisfied in Christ fulfilled by Him.

But when you talk about obedience many only see the OT law as something to obey and fear you are saying return to what was death and a curse as the source of your righteousness and die in it as one separated from Christ.

But A new covenant was established a new priesthood. A greater and preexisting one according to the order of the indestructible life of God in us who are His in Christ Jesus through our giving ourselves to Jesus Lordship over our lives by faith in the love of God poured out for us.
Some think being right is about keeping laws, but that makes no one right.
The old testament law is too little for us, unlawful to apply to us.
it is Christ in you that is the hope of our glory.
You living out his life and walking according to His word and His Spirit as we are commanded.
In doing so we become law to the lawless and light to those in darkness.

My sheep hear my voice and follow me.

Psalm 19:7-11
The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

Their Roman neighbors wrote this about the first Christians. I paraphrase.

The Christians when persecuted rejoice for the opportunity to forgive, knowing forgiveness adds power to their prayers.

All of these things preceded the written law, the letter that kills. the law of sin and death.


It is the law keepers that have failed.
For to fail at one part is to fail at all.
Cause a woman to loose their unborn child "Death"
Strike your father "death"
Make a fire on the sabbath "death"

If righteousness could
come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!

But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the law, sin is dead.

Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?

So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another.

Belong to another? Another what? Another law? Or to Christ and the law of his Spirit in us.


Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh.

Not that the old law that was against us was put aside but rather satisfied in Christs life and death so the new can come.
It is still a useful tutor, and still good for increasing sin and exposing the need for Christ.
The law is not subject to the Spirit of Christ just as the sabbath is subject to the lord of the sabbath.
It is lawful to work and do good on the sabbath?

We are dead to the laws judgments against us. Can we still learn about God and Christ and ourselves from it, yes, it was and still is good.
But it is totally unlawful to apply it to those who have died and now live by the Spirit of God in Christ Jesus.

We ourselves are now a law unto ourselves, like the law to the world, living as ones who shine the light in the darkness and exposing sin and the need for Christ. If we are what we say and live according to the Spirit that is the effect of our lives.

Beloved let us love one another, for Love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

If you love me you will keep my commandments and my father will love you and will come and make His home with you.

Everyone who sin has not seen or known God.
John warns us to be be deceived regarding righteousness. That the ones who are righteous by faith are actually righteous. It is not just some attributed righteousness but a deposited one that you are expected to live from if you have it as the power of God to do so.

The Church will need the Holy Spirit to move.

Is the destination of your eternal home worth living and dying for?

people have (well some people) have this idea the first church of believers was heaven on earth and it really was not

Because there is a direct connection between power and taking up your cross in faith and following Christs example and Spirit wherever he leads you.

I think the underlying theme of most of the responses here is that the Holy Spirit will carry us through.

In Pastor Phillip DeCoursey's wonderful study of the Holy Spirit, You Have the Advantage, he gives us a very compelling reason for studying the Holy Spirit. He says:

It is truly a privilege to live on this side of Pentecost.

I tend to believe him.

Thats true. Jesus shares His life with us. Forgiving enemies is what we can do that makes us more like Him.
To those we forgive that is. Then He unites our suffering to His and the redemptive power of the cross converts the hearts that persecuted and others who witnesses.

An example is St Stephen's prayer for his enemies. I believe Saul received Christ's redemption through Stephen's suffering and prayer because Christ united Stephen's suffering to His own and the redeeming power of the cross works through Stephen to save his enemies. Saul was saved here and became Paul.

That was a bit long winded. It's because I liked what you wrote.☺
Grace and Peace.

No, but they were much closer to each other than we are now. . Unlike today where the church establishment is more interested in expansion, the early church was more interested in making individual disciples. The irony is that their numbers grew while our numbers today are dwindling.


And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47