The following is an edited summary of the Introduction and Preface to my newly published small book which contrasts the life and witness of the early churches with that of its modern counterparts entitled: 'When the church was very young it looked nothing like it does today'.
There are literally millions of people in the once Christian West who are completely disillusioned, not only with their increasingly authoritarian ‘woke’ governments, but also with their church leaders who often fail to give a clear spiritual lead in times of widespread moral and spiritual confusion. Most of the institutional churches of the West have remained largely silent in response to the Marxist revolution taking place inexorably in most societies today.
Such people are crying out for a renewed vision of what the collective church should stand for, and looking for a clear voice to articulate their sense of loss and concerns. Such questions as: why does the church appear to be silent at this critical time in world affairs, or at least its voice appears muted? Where is a clear prophetic message of hope and salvation to be heard as it once was?
The Bible tells us that the professing church is the “pillar and ground of the truth”, and yet so little by way of truth seems evident in the public domain. It is not as if there are no Christian men and women unaware of this sad situation, but these are a tiny minority and akin to something of a relatively muffled voice within what may be called the religious establishments, of state churches, and of denominations. Many of these have become encrusted with age, and deeply entrenched in either social/political issues, or simply immersed in their own hierarchical traditions as institutional and largely ineffective, and sadly rejected by masses of people, Christian and non-Christian alike.
What, if any, is the answer to such a situation? A new Reformation of doctrine and practice perhaps? Certainly, that is the need of the hour and desirable and urgent as that would be, there is little prospect of it happening without a new God-sent revival for there appears to be little appetite by church leaders in the main denominations to begin a ‘root and branch’ appraisal of a biblical doctrine of the church and its practices at present.
How often in the past we have heard calls for ‘back to the Bible’ but little by way of real reform emerging from the professing church. But there, as always in the New Testament, lies the key, and with it potential possibilities of a new look at the churches portrayed there and what they can still teach us, with their radically different structures, vibrant life and practices so markedly different to those of modern western traditional institutional churches.
This book has as its subtitle: ‘It looked nothing like it does today’ revealing the sharp contrast between now and then, between a deep institutionalism and a simpler pattern of earlier church practice, between a moribund lack of life, and a dynamic powerful Spirit-filled witness to Christ and his Gospel of the Kingdom.
But the potential for such a sorely needed change is always present if there are those with sufficient vision to see and grasp the opportunity!
In the words of the famed John Robinson, one of the first of the many Pilgrim Fathers sailing to the New World in the Mayflower: “I am verily persuaded the Lord has more truth and light yet to break forth from His holy word.”
The origins and practice of the early church should be of great interest to following generations of Christians, as the New Testament record of their meetings sets out a number of first principles governing the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of their meeting together established by apostolic authority.
Unfortunately such questions are rarely asked, at least publicly by contemporary Christians, as the overwhelming force of long established tradition has become the accepted norm, and biblical truth is thereby obscured or simply overridden. It may be asked: why is it important today to draw comparisons between the contemporary church and its earlier life and teaching as portrayed through the New Testament pages? Several reasons can be given.
Firstly and generally, in terms of church order, doctrine and practice the differences are so stark as to render the present institutional/hierarchical model of today almost unrecognisable as Christian. That there are some welcome exceptions to this general rule is of course recognised.
Secondly, it raises the further question as to whether the pattern set by the early church as seen in the New Testament is merely descriptive or prescriptive? If the answer must be both, and I believe in principle the pattern certainly is, then it is clear that much of what passes in practice in today’s churches seen as normal and established has much to do with entrenched centuries old traditions, but which remain alien to the spirit and letter of New Testament Christianity.
As one church historian observed on the many ‘non essentials’ which have crept into church life — “Something even more serious than this has happened: A profound alteration has taken place in the character of the religion of Jesus. This difference is not merely one of externals, nor is it inherent in the necessity of growing older. The evidence demonstrates that fundamental changes have taken place in the inner life of the church, in its relationship to Christ and to God” (C.H Raven).
In this book these major ‘non-essentials’ are identified, explored, and shown to be more of a hindrance to the progress of the Gospel of Christ, and what should be the true function of the church set out in Scripture.
The general theme can be summarised: “When the church was young it carried a minimum of 'baggage' and did its work the more effectively because it travelled light.”
Consider for example the fact that the early church during the first century and progressively afterwards had spread its message throughout most of the atheistic mighty Roman empire, and yet it possessed no buildings, no denominations, no resident pastor's office, and no weekly sermon. But the transforming message of the Gospel still went out with extraordinary power!
All this raises questions currently being debated here at FSB, and elsewhere in the UK by political commentators with some urgency, as to how the West, and even what is deemed to be civilisation itself can be saved in the light of so many hostile enemies. To name but a few of the leading forces ranged against our “values” and democracy these are militant Islam, totalitarian governments steeped in cultural Marxism, craven liberal leaders in the professing church who remain largely silent, the supine complacency of large majorities of Western electorates, and not least by the powerful well financed globalist internationalists of the UN and the WEF, among others, with their many tentacles reaching deep into national governments and institutions.
All of this raises a host of questions which Christian believers and unbelievers alike are struggling to answer. (Too many to begin to address here! ).
In the UK the hopes of a great swathe of disillusioned conservative thinkers and activists are pinned on political solutions, largely based on the rise of the new Reform party. Many others are voicing support for a return to traditional cultural and long-established norms in the form of what is called the “Judeo-Christian” values. Such is the view of the leading and influential journalist and writer Melanie Phillips in her new book 'The Builder's Stone', but she offers no real or workable solutions.
Perhaps the one greater question that emerges from the political, moral, and spiritual chaos of the past five years and more is the Christian one: Can we create a better society without the Gospel of Christ's transforming power?
Perhaps that is a question for another time on this forum, but it is significant that the early churches of the first century and later never sought to 'change society' by either social or political campaigns or even by an appeal to a morality of the 'Ten Commandments'. But, they still effected dramatically powerful changes through the preaching and teaching of the Christian Gospel alone, which Scripture reminds us is 'the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes’ (Roman 1:16)
Finally, the professing church is supposed to be 'the pillar and ground of the truth' but its silence over the Marxist takeover is both shameful and significant.
'If gold rusts, what shall iron do?'
(http://www.JonZens.com - a book quoted extensively above.)