Introduction

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Introduction

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The modern religious church generally 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.

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

The New Testament reveals that the church was carefully conceived before the foundation of the world to accommodate the living God on earth. It was designed to be a “dwelling of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).

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In order to serve as a habitation for God, the New Testament church was created in 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 spiritual body of the New Testament church was suitable for animation by the indwelling Spirit of God. 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. They emphasized the preeminence and immediate presence of the victorious Savior.

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Early church gatherings were conducive for divine animation. Spirit-ordered, the living church of the New Testament was manifested on earth in the intimacy of a small group environment that was interactive, intergenerational, moved from house to house. Generally speaking, it was characterized by the interactive ministry of eternal life by the Spirit through the spiritually gifted involvement of every member of the body. The divinely animated, life-based practice of the early church was more specifically evidenced by the 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 abundant quantity of spiritual fruit produced by the early New Testament church provided evidence of its divine animation. In addition, it served to reveal the manifold wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:10).

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Congruent with eternal plan, it is the will of God to reform the church to its original, fruitful design. However, the New Testament and church history indicate that the divine reformation of the church was not intended to transpire at a single point in time. Instead, it was predetermined to occur gradually throughout the Church Age. The utilization of time and space allows for a progressive, indisputable testimony of the attributes of the nature of God, including selfless love, unfailing mercy and absolute justice. According to plan, the reformation will soon be finished and consequently, the vindication of the divine nature from angelic challenge and accusation is nearing completion.