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Early Christians Today
www.earlychristianstoday.com
Have you ever played the game Chinese Whispers? That's where you whisper a simple message into someone's ear, and then they pass it on to another, and another, and so on. What happens to the story? Inevitably it gets changed and altered, and often in the end doesn't even resemble the original.
Jesus taught a simple message to simple people, mostly fisherman and farmers. He "whispered" the original message to his Apostles, delivering to them the "faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints"(Jude 3). They then passed it on to that next generation, who "devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching..." (Acts 2:42). These were to "entrust it to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others"(2 Tim 2:2). And so it was to continue, down to us today.
But our Lord knew men's hearts, that no matter how good our intentions, his message would eventually be changed as it was passed down. So the message was written down, and is found in our New Testaments today. But the Spirit also knew that "the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."(2 Tim 4:3). So while the teachings of our Savior and his Apostles remain unchanged in our Bibles, men have come up with elaborate systems of theology to alter them. The truth is, you don't need theology to understand what the bible says- but you need it to explain away what the bible does say or to make it say things that it doesn't!
So what about us? It's pretty clear that 2000 years and 500 denominations later, the original message has been changed or lost for many. Where can we go, to try and cut through all of the modern interpretations of the New Testament, and understand it as it was originally intended? Fortunately for us, the early Christians left a written record of their doctrines and practices. They provide us with a first hand account of how the Christian faith was lived out by the first generations of disciples. While their writings may not be inspired, they are a valuable resource revealing to us the "message" as it was in the beginning. The early Christian writings are the records of "reliable men", who are "qualified" to teach us today because they were taught personally by the Apostles and their first disciples, and appointed by them as leaders and Elders over the churches. Not only were they eyewitnesses, but also spoke the Greek language that the message was first passed down in.
In around 180AD, Irenaus, who had been taught by Polycarp, who had himself been taught by the John the Apostle, said "Suppose there arises a dispute relative to some important question among us? Should we not have recourse to the most ancient churches with which the apostles had constant communication? Should we not learn from them what is certain and clear in regard to the question at hand? For how would it be if the apostles themselves had not left us writings? Would it not be necessary to follow the course of tradition that they had handed down to those to whom they had committed the churches?" If a man only one human link away from an Apostle should consult the early church on a questionable matter, how much more should we today! The early Christians spoke to virtually every area of doctrine and practice that separates and divides Christians today, and it is time for their voices to speak again!
We invite you to join us as we seek to return to historic and apostolic Christianity. Visit our Yahoo Group below, and join the discussion. Please use the resources to help you in your spiritual journey, and share with us to help us in ours. Please understand that we don't seek to replicate the early church for its own sake, but look to them as the best and primary interpreter of the Apostles' teaching. Following their example, we hope to become EARLY CHRISTIANS TODAY!
Email us at: info@earlychristianstoday.com
Visit us at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/earlychristianstoday |
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