Introduction

Vertical Divider

The modern religious church typically gathers in a formal, large group to perform a predetermined liturgy or “service”. When asked why, the most common response from leadership is, “We’ve always done it this way before”. Thus, modern church practice is not typically based on Scriptural teaching, but civic, religious and historic precedent.

Church leadership often expresses dissatisfaction with the quality and fruitfulness of modern church practice. As a result, it is not uncommon for church pastors and elders to contemplate a shift toward New Testament practice. Unfortunately, the contemplation is generally short-lived. It typically ends with ignorance about how to proceed. Consequently, the leadership of the modern religious church simply allows the traditions of men to continue to dictate their manner of church practice.

Much to the surprise of modern religious church leadership, the practice of the early church is plainly evidenced in the New Testament. However, discernment requires that it must be viewed dependently and prayerfully apart from the bias of religious church history.

Unlike the modern religious church, the New Testament church was distinct. Moreover, its distinctiveness was not by accident.
The New Testament church was carefully conceived before the foundation of the world to accommodate the living God on earth. It was created to be a “dwelling of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).

Vertical Divider

In order to become a habitation for God, the New Testament church was provided with the form of a spiritual body. It is the “body of Christ” comprised of many individual members in one body (1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:4; 16; 5:30).

The New Testament church was designed to be animated by the indwelling Spirit of God rather than human effort. Thus, the early church community understood that it was not their responsibility to build the church for God, but to faithfully depend on Him to produce the church in them.

The New Testament clarifies that early church gatherings were a celebration of life shared with God in Christ. Emphasizing the preeminence and presence of Christ, they were Spirit-ordered, characterized by the interactive ministry of eternal life by the Spirit through the spiritually gifted involvement of every member of the body.

Conducive for divine animation, the living church of the New Testament was manifested on earth in the intimacy of a small group environment that was interactive, intergenerational and moved from house to house. Its life-based practice was specifically evidenced by the small group observance of the Lord’s Supper as a full, celebratory meal; purposeful prayer; intentional community interaction; participatory worship in song; loving, spiritually gifted ministry; joyful giving; corrective spiritual discipline; cooperative discipleship; and team-oriented outreach. The distinct quality and quantity of fruit produced by the early New Testament church provided evidence of its divine animation.

Vertical Divider

Relative to its life-based practice, the practice of the early New Testament church produced spiritual fruit that was profoundly abundant. It revealed the manifold wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:10).

Congruent with eternal plan, it is the will of God to reform His church to its original New Testament design; the means by which it can return to bearing abundant spiritual fruit. It is a gracious act that He alone is capable of fulfilling. Thus, human cooperation occurs by faith alone.

Both the New Testament and church history indicate that the divine reformation of the church would not transpire immediately. Instead, it was predetermined to occur progressively throughout the Church Age. The utilization of time and space would allow for an indisputable testimony of the attributes of the nature of God, including selfless love, unfailing mercy and absolute justice. As a consequence, the nature of God would be vindicated from angelic challenge and accusation for the benefit of His creation.