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 the apostolic teaching and tradition of the New Testament, 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.

In stark contrast, 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 body was suited 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.

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Animated by the living Christ, the gatherings of the early church were Spirit-ordered, manifested on earth in the intimacy of a small group environment that was interactive, intergenerational, moved from house to house. The life-based practice was recognized by the interactive ministry of eternal life by the Spirit through the involvement of every member of the body.

The New Testament clarifies that early church gatherings were a celebration of life shared with God in Christ. They intentionally emphasized the preeminence and presence of the victorious Savior in the midst of His church body.

The divinely animated, intimate gatherings of the early church were 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; and loving, spiritually gifted ministry. They were also characterized by joyful giving; corrective spiritual discipline; cooperative discipleship; and a team-oriented approach to outreach and spiritual warfare.

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).