Early Christianity, also known as the Early Church or Paleo-Christianity, was a religious movement that emerged from the Jewish community of Roman Palestine. Its roots can be traced back to the conversion of Constantine I and the convocation of the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Early Christian rituals included baptism, the Eucharist, anointing the sick, confession, and the liturgical year. These rituals formed the foundation of Christian worship.
The earliest Christian baptisms were similar to many ancient cultures, such as bathing rituals for important occasions like entrance to holy places or wedding ceremonies. The forms of Christian worship changed significantly during the first four centuries of its existence, from distinctive local or regional diversity to an integrated approach.
During the first three centuries of Christianity, the liturgical ritual was rooted in the Jewish Passover, Siddur, Seder, and synagogue services. These ritual acts included the holy kiss, the ordination of office holders, laying on of hands, anointing with oil, liturgical acts, marriage or engagement by proxy, works similar to those performed by penitents, and ascetic practices.
The central ritual act of early Christianity was the Eucharist, which was celebrated through Baptism and Chrismation (holy unction). Christians initially kept the Jewish custom of fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, but later shifted to Wednesdays and Fridays. This multidisciplinary volume presents a collection of case studies on rituals in the early Christian world, providing a comprehensive account of the ritual world of early Christianity from the beginning of the movement up to the fifth century.
📹 Evidence of Early Christian Psychedelic Rituals in Ancient Rome
Taken from JRE #2047 w/Brian Muraresku: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4xf8VR9qIaqrxzrktS8dZ9?si=d9b46f2a05cd492b.
Did paganism exist before Christianity?
Paganism is regarded as one of the earliest known religious ideologies, with the worship of multiple deities being a common and expected practice in Mesopotamia around 3500 BCE.
What are the rituals of the Christians?
The two most widely accepted sacraments in Christianity are Baptism and the Eucharist, but many also recognize five additional sacraments: Confirmation, Holy Orders, Confession, Anointing of the Sick, and Matrimony. The cross, a widely recognized symbol, was used by early Christians, with the crucifix appearing in the 5th century. The fish, a symbol of the fish, was also used by primitive Christians, with its depiction in tombs dating back to the 2nd century.
Christianity, like other religions, has adherents with varying beliefs and biblical interpretations. The Old and New Testaments are considered the inspired word of God by Christianity. The fish was depicted as a Christian symbol in the first decades of the 2nd century.
What were the central rituals of the early church?
The early church’s basic acts of worship included the reading and exposition of Scripture, prayer, singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and observance of sacraments. These practices were derived from the Synagogue worship of the Jews, which accepted the Old Testament as the Word of God. Early Christians continued celebrating in the Synagogue alongside the Jews on the Sabbath for several years in some places. However, they distinguished themselves from their Jewish counterparts by believing that Jesus was the promised Messiah and that salvation was found only in Him.
The “Synagogue” likely dates back to the 6th century BC during the Babylonian Exile, when the Jews gathered in local “meeting houses” (synagogues) for public worship. The longer their exile from the national altar of sacrifice, the greater their need for “houses of prayer” became, leading to the building of an ever-increasing number of synagogues throughout the land of exile. Upon returning from captivity in Babylon, this national system of synagogue worship was brought back to Jerusalem.
The primary purpose of the synagogue is as a “house of prayer”, replacing Jewish “Temple ritual sacrifice” with Torah readings, prayer, and teaching. It also functions as a “house of study”, where Jewish children receive their religious education and adults study the sacred Hebrew texts housed in the synagogue. Additionally, the synagogue functions as a “social gathering place”, serving as a town hall for community events and a headquarters for social and charity work.
From the outset of Christianity, the synagogue was in full power of its various functions. The New Testament refers to it fifty-five times, with the Lord teaching in the synagogues of Nazareth and Capernaum, Paul preaching in the synagogues of Damascas, Salamis of Cyprus, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus. Both the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmud mention numerous Galilean synagogues, which were centers of rabbinical literary, religious, and political influence.
The city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, was the largest city in the Mediterranean basin, the greatest center of both Hellenistic and Jewish culture, and the greatest Roman provincial capital. It was home to a world-renowned museum, university, and two royal Greek libraries that contained over 700, 000 scrolls, attracting scholars from all over the world. Ultimately, Alexandria became a center of Christian learning that rivaled Rome and Constantinople, and was the seat of a patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the region of Galilee, there are also ancient ruins dating back to the first century, including a synagogue at Capernaum, likely the one in which Jesus taught.
What are the rituals of early Christianity?
Early Christian rituals included communal meals, such as the Eucharist, which became separate from the Lovefeast between the 1st century AD and 250 AD. Today, the Lovefeast is a distinct Christian ritual meal from the Lord’s Supper. The liturgical rituals during the first three centuries of Christianity were rooted in Jewish Passover, Siddur, Seder, and synagogue services, including hymn singing and scripture reading. Most early Christians did not own copies of the works that later became the Christian Bible or other church works, such as the Apostolic Fathers’ writings or New Testament apocrypha.
Much of the original church liturgical services functioned as a means of learning these scriptures, initially centered around the Septuagint and the Targums. Initially, Christians worshipped alongside Jewish believers, but within twenty years of Jesus’ death, Sunday became the primary day of worship.
How was early Christianity practiced?
Christianity in Jerusalem was initially a Jewish sect, with Christians adhering to the Jewish Sabbath and worshipping at the Temple. They held communion meals on Sundays in commemoration of Jesus’ resurrection. The fasting days shifted to Wednesdays and Fridays in remembrance of Judas’ betrayal and the crucifixion. James, a relative of Jesus, was killed in AD 62 and succeeded Simeon as leader. The Jerusalem church was destroyed during the First Jewish-Roman War in AD 70.
Prophecies of the Second Temple’s destruction can be found in the synoptic gospels. The Jerusalem church fled to Pella during the First Jewish Revolt and returned to Jerusalem by AD 135, but the disruptions severely weakened its influence over the wider Christian church.
What was Christianity in the early days?
The religion of Christianity originated in Judea during the mid-first century CE, with its foundation resting upon the teachings of Jesus and the missionary work and writings of Paul of Tarsus. In its nascent stages, the nascent religion was a small, unorganized sect that promised personal salvation after death.
What was practiced before Christianity?
Prior to the advent of Christianity, historical polytheism and paganism were the prevailing forms of religious belief, encompassing a range of non-Abrahamic traditions and the worship of diverse deities.
What are the rituals of the Bible?
In the New Testament, daily prayer in Jerusalem occurred at regular intervals associated with both home and temple. In the book of Acts, prayer occurred at the third, sixth, and ninth hour, which corresponded to temple sacrifices in the morning, main meal of the day, and evening sacrifice. Worshipers would stand outside the sanctuary praying as the priest offered incense upon the altar.
The repetitive hourly aspects of prayer may have been an opportunity and a challenge. Jesus warned against vain or empty repetitions but encouraged his followers to persist in prayer until their request was granted. He also told a parable of a neighbor who finally answered his acquaintance’s request due to the petitioner’s “importunity” or shameless persistence. This emphasis on persistent prayer fits within the Jerusalem culture of habitual prayers repeated three times a day.
In addition to the metaphorical direction of the petitioner’s prayer, ancient prayer practices were often directed toward a physical location or object. For example, Jews would pray toward Jerusalem or its temple, while worshippers would direct eyes and voice upward toward heaven. The body could also be situated so as to “elevate” its posture, as the petitioner would stand up and uplift the hands in prayer.
What are the examples of rituals?
A ritual is defined as a specific sequence of words, gestures, and actions that adhere to established norms and order. These actions may be observed in a variety of contexts, including religious ceremonies, rites of passage, and purification rituals. Additionally, rituals are performed during significant life events such as births, marriages, and funerals.
How did the early Christians worship?
Early Christian worship was a more positive form of devotion, characterized by thanksgiving, adoration, subordination, and dependence on the object of worship. It was typically sited in the gathered ekklēsia (congregation/church), unlike magical rituals that were intended to ward off malevolent beings or coerce spirits. Early Christian texts, such as the New Testament, presuppose early Christian worship but do not reflect any common order of worship. The earliest examples of any set liturgical order come from the 3rd century CE and later.
New Testament scholars have tended to focus on other matters, such as early Christian beliefs, social setting, and questions about specific texts. However, recent studies have shown a small renewal of interest in worship as an important topic. Some features distinguish early Christian worship from ancient Judaism, including worshiping only the one God of biblical tradition and refusing to worship various Roman deities.
Early Christians also treated the risen Jesus as the rightful recipient of corporate and private devotion with God, distinguishing themselves from the Jewish tradition. Sunday became the particular and distinguishing day for corporate worship.
The specific phenomena of early Christian worship also form a scholarly focus, with practices likely varied among churches of the time. Verbal expressions of praise, thanksgiving, and adoration, including hymnic ones, were common. Spiritual gifts, such as prophecy and tongues speaking, were also featured. Corporate worship was considered an occasion of transcendent significance and character, with angels thought to be present as earthly worship joined with that of heaven.
What were the practices of the early church?
The early Church was a dedicated community of Christ’s followers who devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. They were committed to the Word of God, as seen in Acts and the epistles. Their fellowship was strong, as demonstrated in verses 44-45, where no one was in need because they cared for each other. This fellowship was based on Jesus’ command to love one another, which was further developed in Paul’s teachings about the body and spiritual gifts. The breaking of bread was a core practice of the early Church, and the Lord’s supper, instituted by Jesus before his death on the cross, was central to their life and worship.
📹 Modern Day “Christian” Meets Early Church Christian (GONE WRONG)
Music rights: GTBM3CIRE7MKCLMX Business Inquiries – [email protected].
My mom, my husband and myself are converting to Orthodoxy from Protestantism, and she made a comment the other day that really stuck with me. She said that in all her years as a Protestant nothing was ever asked of her, all she had to do was say she believed and she was good. Whereas with orthodoxy we are constantly asked to improve our aesetic endeavors and grow in prayer and care for others. It’s not that we need works to be saved, it’s that the actions we take are reflective of our salvation.
A lot of these mega churches don’t focus on what needs to be focused on, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t churches who do. There’s one church I know of where every single Saturday they go and hand out food, water, and clothes to the poor and needy, and preach them the gospel. But the churches with the most money fail to do this, and it’s a shame.
Makes me think of these verses: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 2 Timothy 4:2-4
I was in the prosperity gospel stuff for 12 years. It didn’t feel right for me at the beginning but it took me so long to finally admit it. lol The songs and the “worship experience” really caught me. And the falling from touching stuff. But the Covid-19 and how the church handled it was my reality check.
I agree with this. Early Christians would have been confused by protestantism. I mean, rock band concerts as a form of worship? No liturgy? No Eucharist? Along with sola scriptura, salvation through (dead) faith and disrespect for sacred traditions. Personal interpretations of the scriptures without the guidance of the Holy Spirit via the magisterium. The list goes on and on. Early church fathers like St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Iranaeus, St. Agustine of Hippo etc. would have been confused about these practices or lack thereof unheard during their time.
The senor pastor at a Foursquare church where I was ministering once told me that the New Testament was written for that time and culture and doesn’t necessarily apply today. When I asked him then what was the standard for Christian living, he answered that he (and all other pastors) determined which scriptures were applicable and which were not. James referred to that as “being a judge of the law and not a doer of the law.” So sad.
I’m so grateful for my church for busting through this modern mindset and did a deep study of the early church in the book of Acts. I want to be pushed hard to see things as I should as a new christian. I am a servant first, all things are given to me through him, all things are possible are through Him. The fact you are able to read this is because of His blessings in your life and mine.
Oh my, oh my – this MUST be a series, bro’! ✅✅✅ Unfortunately there seems to be NO end to unbiblical/unfruitful doctrine & practices in our church gatherings. As we know that God can work for good, for those that love Him & are called according to His purposes, I can see that presenting the dichotomy & disparity of the two church ages in such a way, can give God honouring pause for thought that could be ver fruitful. 🤔😲😬 This format, as a God honouring way to engage modern culture, aids to point out our need for God’s Word & the truth of all humankind’s desperate need for salvation in Christ alone. Even for someone like myself, who is aware of & abhors much of churchianity’s call to carnality, skits like these can be nudge in the right direction, back towards the cross, as from time to time, NONE of us are immune from stepping over lines in the sand, that don’t stack up against the moderator & benchmark of God’s word. 📖☝️📖 Thank you Lord for your ever present Grace & Forgiveness. 🙏
I walked out of an Assembly of God church in Alabaster, AL when they had the matching band from their Christian School in the service on the altar on a Sunday morning. Okay, they were trying to drum up interest in their school but having the DANCE TEAM on the altar was the last straw! Scantily clad teenagers have no place on the altar on a Sunday jumping and gyrating!
My denomination spends over a billion hours in ministry each year, we fund and volunteer our service in disaster relief around the world . Our individual congregations are typically housed in very simple well engineered buildings . We have an ongoing effort to build environmentally suitable similar meeting houses in every land . Where this is not yet feasible we meet in private homes. Sound familiar?
Love your content bro, you’re a true man of the living God. If I could suggest that you consider the Catholic church (meaning, Universal in Latin), because it was the church founded by Christ himself. (Matthew 16:18) “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” At the core of protestantism is the idea of “solo scriptura”, but I would ask my protestant brothers and sisters, where does it say that in scripture? The oral tradition preceded the holy scriptures, which were arranged and canonised by the Church fathers. Therefore we need the combination of authoritative tradition (the one true Church) and the holy scriptures to be in the fullness of God’s truth. Either way, may God bless you and continue to work through you to spread his will to the masses 🙏🕊
This is a perfect example of Pope Pius X encyclical On Modernism, the mother of all heresies(which can be viewed online for free!)Good job putting this article up! And yes, everybody is “preaching the Gospel” in whatever way they choose to interpret it in their 300,000 plus denominations, when the Bible clearly states that no scripture is to be interpreted through private interpretation. Better to attend a church that can trace their bishops all the way back to the apostles themselves through the laying on of hands in ordination. Otherwise we are all saying that we know Christianity better than Christ and his Apostles
I asked the same kind of questions you’re asking this article. Like you I was truly looking for a good church rooted in scripture and in the History of Christianity. There are two books that do really good examination of scripture and history they are “Crossing the Tiber”: Evangelical Protestants Discover the Historical Church. Book by Stephen K. Ray. Also, you could read “Rome sweet home” by Dr. Scott Hahn a former Presbyterian Minister that after doing research about scripture in its proper historical context as well as diving deep into the history of Christianity. He discovered that the Catholic church is the one true Church established by Jesus Christ Himself. God bless you and I hope you find these books helpful.
Ignatius of Antioch disciple of John: “I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the fl3sh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for drink I desire his bl0od, which is love incorruptible” (Letter to the Romans 7:3 (A.D. 110)). “Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of God. . . They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the fl3sh of our Savior Jesus Christ, fl3sh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in his goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes” (Letter to the Smyrnaeans 6:2–7:1 (A.D. 110)). Also: “Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be; as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.”
Modern “Christian” to ancient Christian: “What was it like to NOT have the Bible to read in your homes? Ancient Christian: “What do you mean? We had the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We had the literal Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our dearly beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, in the mere appearance of bread and wine every day. You don’t?!?!
This is why im so drawn towards the ‘old’ Southern Baptist church. Part of it is nostalgia (grew up in one and attende until I was 21), but i like hymns rather than this full on concert experience w/dimmed lights, internal lighting, full size band, the volume, etc. I like some of the songs, but I’d much rather sing Blessed Assurance or He Walks with me. And the pastor always ties his message to The Gospel, sin, and why we need a Savior. You’ll be hard pressed to hear The Gospel in modern day churches (regardless pf denomination) mentioned one out of the four Sunday services. So this skit is completely apropos for our modern church and those that attend for sure
Early Christian: oh so you worship too? What verses do you say in the liturgy? Modern Protestant: liturgy? Oh our worship we sing modern Christian music Early Christian: uh…but you have a priesthood right? I’m sure they aren’t being persecuted Modern Protestant: oh we don’t have a priesthood, we actually have pastors now
The Questions he would’ve actually asked would’ve been “Why do you reject the Eucharist” “Why have you abandoned the Sacred Liturgy or the Sacrifice of the Mass” “Why do you not have any priests, how do you receive your sacraments?” “Why do you no longer respect nor venerate the Virgin Mary, Mother of God” “Why did you abandon the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church” “Why do you not pray for the intercession of Christ’s Saints?”
Watching this makes me think of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It has a missionary program to preach the word to all the world. It has a ministering program to help the members meet each others’ specific needs. It has a humanitarian organization to assist the larger community. It has General Conference twice a year in which prophets and apostles preach the word of God, teach biblical principles, and testify of Jesus Christ. I’m grateful for it because with our modern, far-reaching challenges, and everything moving so quickly, we need all the help we can get.
The early church guy should have been confused by what a pastor is: Matthew 23 8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Unfortunately I alot of churches in my area are like this. 4 or 5 worship songs, telling about all the trips, get togethers, game nights for the jr high and high schoolers, then a 25 to 30 minute message that seems to pull its punches and then one more song to close. It sees more and more churches are afraid to make people uncomfortable or offend others. Talking about God’s love and grace is great, but not shining a light on the fact that we are sinners and that the world hates what Christ truely stands for is not doing his sacrifice any honor. I see alot of people at church that would drop away if their life or lifestyle was threatened.
Pastor, Deacon, Bishop, etc. None of these terms were recognized in the early assemblies of believers who met in homes and “Sunday church?” “Christmas?” They all honored the Biblical Feast days, such as Passover, Pentecost, Sukkoth, etc. Today’s religion of Lawless Christianity is unrecognizable by Biblical definitions!
I’m a senior. I enjoy the big screens behind the pastor, and worship team. But, It’s getting a little crazy on focusing on kids. They showed us a new entry on the church they’re planning that is all painted up on the outside for the kids. I’m all for encouraging families and kids,. But, our church seems to be over doing it. It’s like the older adults are sort of left out.
This is in humor, but it is also so sad it’s true. We’ve become lukewarm. Christians today have gotten so used to the convenience of this world that we have actually not realized much of what the gospel said. We’ve become a part of the world, rather than the warriors of light we should be. And I’m ashamed to admit I was one of them. If not, still am. We aren’t suppose to stand in this world, we were born again to stand out.
I really like the idea behind the article, but I saw some comments and I think that some folks around here are missing the point. Modern worship can be really great! You see, we just need to seek for Jesus in all of it. The article shows a perspective in which modern Christians pursue everything around the faith, except Jesus. That sadly can be the reality for many, but that doesn’t mean we have to end every practice listed in the article! Take the band for example. I played the electric guitar on many worships and adorations and I have seen that, if done right, it could bring people closer to God, including me.
The Bible calls for the worship of God on the first day of every week which is Sunday. It calls for worship which means “worth-ship” in the original Koine Greek of the New Testament, meaning God is worthy of all praise and adoration and showing that. It’s not about your entertainment value quotient, it’s about Almighty God and His Son receiving the exaltation and adoration They deserve. God has asked that we pray, sing (not play instruments), teach from the scriptures, participate in the Lord’s Supper, and give of our means on the first day of every week. That was worship in the first century… we need to return to that
Two different religions. You’re not even supposed to have instrumental accompaniment in the church service, just a capella singing. Not by commandment but by example. The church has only a capella singing until the very late Renaissance. Paul would send a letter and “The Man” himself would be flipping tables over again.
if i could find a church where i could stay. i would serve. i have no true materials. i have a phone. i have clothes. i have my Bible. thats it. i had a car. had my own place. had tons of materialistic things. but they gave me no joy so i ended up just giving them away. im my happiest when im serving someone. it gives me joy.
Well, the dude from the past would not refer to the new testament texts as “it’s written”, because the books of the new testament were not widely spread until 4th century, and the Canon of the new testament was finalized only in 7th century. A Christian from the 1-2d century would refer to the teachings of Christ and the apostles as oral tradition and testimonies from the eye witnesses, like apostles did in their Epistles.(1John 1:1)
If the makers of this article actually studied early church history, they could have gone SOO much deeper! I’m certain their biggest gripe with us would be our collective worship of the state. Celebrating when a young person joins the military, or lining up to support an unrepentant womanizer for leadership, or Independence day celebration at church would NEVER have occurred the first 4 centuries after Jesus resurrection.
The spirit ( small s) would be completely different. The maturity level, just humanly, would reveal just how unreal our approach to life, let alone spiritual life, is. We would appear like psychological and moral pygmies compared to them. We would appear as immature children to them. They would weep at what takes place in the average church and wonder why we all lived disconnected from each other, only seeing each other perhaps on Sunday morning. This would be an interesting topic to explore more deeply.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 NIV This verse might be the best test for whether a church is any good or not. I’ve joked before that the difference between United Methodists and Global Methodists is that United Methodists forgot about this verse; it applies pretty well to this article too. Also, I would love to see a article in this style where the Apostle Paul debates Muhammad (founder of Islam) and absolutely destroys him.
There are 4 ways to encounter God and they are all necessary and complementary : 1) reading the Bible, 2) going to church, 3) giving your time to help the most vulnerable and 4) praying. This is how we immitate Christ, this is how we get closer to God. It seems to me that the « mega church » evangelical culture has become a spectacle and quite « me-centered ». Of course, this is what is to be expected when one takes Christ out of the center of the worship and instead put a man in competition with all the other churches. It is faith-capitalism. And indeed, they are looking to cater the best they can to their clients… Hence the rock bands, the comfortable armchairs with coffee mug holders, the feel-good moments and not demanding too much out of the clients, only satisfied clients pay. Offended clients walk away.
The next article: the guy who thinks he portrays early Christians to modern Christians meets real early Christians. My point is you never really know what they were thinking about until you meet a one which is sadly impossible. The only thing you can do is try to guess their thoughts based on their works and evidence, though you still have to remember that regular folks couldn’t write and their experience could be very different. They were still most likely a lot more faithful than todays society though
this is hilarious, the way the saint from Christ’s time reacts is similar how a lot of us from Christ Church of LDS see the evangelical and other over modern interpretations of christianity: as a lot of hope in Christ but not much faith in Christ. Or in other words: to talk to the talk but not walk the walk. And to be clear faith is action based on belief or belief to the point of action. Dead works are belief-less (james 2:14-20) but dead faith is action-less. and how could one hope to claim grace through faith (ephesians 2: 8-10) except to walk the walk after believing the talk.
Early Christian: “oh your sound system stopped working and so you can’t do church this Sunday? Wow I’m sorry, that’s horrible. Anyways, my brother just got ripped apart by lions in a Roman colosseum, and the same is about to happen to me. Have a good day. Oh! Btw, where’s the Eucharist? And why don’t you baptize babies?🤨🤨🤨
The worst thing that happened to the church of Christ was the acceptance of Christianity as the official religion of the dominant earthly power. Prior to that Christians were few but their faith was legendary. After that, the numbers grew but their faith became so diluted it is almost powerless in most Christians.
OK, we’ll accept that by some providential miracle the early Christian can speak English, a language that didn’t exist for over a thousand years after his time. His worship service could well have been a Eucharistic celebration in Greek, which was either his first language or one he knew. (The Jerusalem community probably used Aramaic.) He probably had some access to the Septuagint (Greek) version of the Hebrew scriptures, which was the settled and widely accepted text. It’s probably right that in the first and second centuries, the epistles and gospels were not easily available. Also, there were still many and varied versions of Christianity around, most of which are not well known today. So is this guy a 4th century Nicene Creed Christian, or someone from the earlier and more chaotic centuries?
So many want Jesus as their Savior and reject Him as their Lord. If Jesus Christ truly is your Lord that means you belong to Him. It means you live for Him and not for yourself. Christianity is not a democracy, it is a kingdom and Jesus Christ is the only King. To become a believer in Christ is free, but to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him will cost you everything. We will all stand before Him at the judgment seat of Christ one day to give a personal account of how we served Him with our lives. Romans 14:10-12. The shocking thing is the number of “Christians” who don’t know about this and have never heard it preached. Jesus Christ is awesome in power and great glory! Hallelujah! Amen! 🙏🏼🔥🙏🏼
Makes me wonder how many professing followers of Christ are in complete agreement with all that is conveyed here. One of the verses I think about often is: Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. All the leaven, bizarre practices, shaking booty music, idolizing CCM bands then worship leaders doing more to bring attention to themselves than true worship, it is all things apart from faith. I think of the first time I read through Kings in the Old T, being elated when a king disallowed things that grieved God, and then sad when a king pretty much said, “Anything goes … whether it grieves the heart of God or not.” I am now 72, have been a follower of Christ most of my life, and I have rarely been to a church that is anything like the early church. In the 80s Christianity Today had an article that stated 30% of all professing Christians in the US no longer attend church. In our times the estimation is twice that, even prior to Covid. I am not a Catholic, but going to mass with my son for a few months prior to Covid after having been in a progressive style church where next to no one sang during the worship service …. just in awe of the kick-ass praise band …. I was so impressed how the Catholic church has nothing but sacred hymns, sing the psalms, and most if not all people in attendance were singing. The worship leader has the voice of an angel, but did not bring any special attention to herself. If it were not for the overabundance of leaven in Catholicism, I would be far more inclined to go to mass than to a progressive style church.
The collection is for the needs of the church aka cost of the building, missionary work, upkeep etc and needy saints aka Christians in need. It’s not for giving to the por. That is the job of the individual. That is what a Christian from the era would also say. I stopped at that point. Figured this would be the first thing pushed.
The Early Christian wouldn’t have been able to read the Bible even if he had one. Only the elite 1% of the Roman Empire could read, even less could understand Greek. Also, the Bible wasn’t what it is today until the 390’s AD when the Catholic Church canonised 27 books of the NT. Printed books weren’t around until the 1500’s. The point is that average Christians didn’t start reading the Bible for themselves until after the 1700’s. The ‘Three Great Awakenings’ were in the 1800’s, spawning high-control religious cults and over 45,000 denominations worldwide. That’s what ‘reading the Bible’ (sadly) has achieved.