23. The Early Christian Church
January 2007
Topics:
The Holy Spirit
Early Understandings
The Judaizers
The Old Testament
Jesus and the Ceremonies
Paul
During His ministry on earth, Jesus laid plans to build the church that He was establishing. It may come as a surprise to realize that Jesus did not welcome everyone as disciples. He had real requirements. Being a Christian was not a "free ride." In the everlasting covenant God says, "I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people" (Hebrews 8:10). God is committed to be to us a God. This is His promise and His covenant. We must respond and make ourselves available to His love and grace. Then He can do marvels for us and make of us "an holy nation."
At Sinai, God gave to Israel the ten commandments to make of them an holy nation. When Jesus came to this earth, these commandments were well known. Many were overzealous in their "keeping" of the commandments, and many kept them in a legalistic manner—expecting that their salvation depended on rigorous keeping of the commandments. Jesus came to show, by His life, what it meant to keep the commandments. He emphasized keeping the law from the heart. His people, the Christian church would be "an holy nation."
• Take up your cross
To follow Jesus required a commitment. He said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23). To follow Jesus meant to give up personal plans and do the will of God, to face hostility and opposition, and even death itself. Moses gave an example of this, "choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season" (Hebrews 11:25). Christians today still follow in the footsteps of Jesus who, "endured the cross, despising the shame" (Hebrews 12:2), for the sake of doing the will of God.
• Follow Me—leave all
Jesus called on men to follow Him. This required them to give up what they were doing, even to leave all. They were to take on an unpopular cause, even to accept poverty (Matthew 4:19; 9:9; 19:21). Jesus had "not where to lay his head" (Matthew 8:20). The disciples had expectations of having high positions in a glorious new kingdom. Jesus never supported this concept. He did promise that they would be fishers of men, would be approved of God, and would have treasure in heaven.
• Keep my commandments
Jesus emphasized the primacy of love in keeping the commandments (John 13:34; 2 John 1:5; Matthew 5:44). How does a person show love? How does a person love God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself? With the love of God in his heart, he will keep the law of God in all its aspects (John 14:15; John 15:10). In the sermon on the mount Jesus states, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" (Matthew 5:17, 18). Some have concluded from this that the law was done away when Jesus came and "fulfilled the law." However, Jesus fulfilled the law by keeping the commandments. He lived a sinless life. He also stated that the moral law was eternal, lasting until "heaven and earth pass."
• Born again, new creature, the divine nature
When Nicodemus came at night, "Jesus answered and said . . . except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). In the same line, Paul said, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17). To be a Christian involved living a completely new life. Following this change, there was still a process of growth, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). To live as a Christian was not a passive experience.
• Suffering, persecution, even death
Even as Jesus faced persecution and opposition, those who followed Him would face the same. (Matthew 5:10,11; 10:18; Mark 13:9; Acts 5:41; 9:15-16; Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 4:9; 2 Corinthians 1:7; Philippians 1:29; 3:10; 2 Timothy 2:12; 1 Peter 3:14; 4:13). Christians are in a world in rebellion. The war begun in heaven is continuing still on this earth. The devil "as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Even John the Baptist, cousin and forerunner of Jesus, was not spared persecution, imprisonment, and death. The fellowship of suffering is a special gift.
Jesus knew that the church faced long years of opposition, persecution, and death. Why would a God who is all powerful permit His people to suffer and die? Here are some thoughts:
1. We live in a world temporarily ruled by Satan
2. Our very natures have been depraved by the fall, and even the good things we do are for selfish reasons.
3. Character is sometimes made most beautiful in the fires of affliction.
It required courage to be a Christian. But Jesus left us with this covenant promise: "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20).
• Lay up treasure in heaven
To follow Jesus required self-denial. The rich young ruler was told to "go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me" (Matthew 19:21). To follow Jesus means to put Him above all material considerations. Jesus even asks us to commit goals and purposes to Him, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Matthew 16:25).
While a man must be attentive to and support his family, he must not let even his family come between himself and Jesus. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26). Is this a reasonable requirement? Another question must be: Can a man love his family unless he loves God? If a man loves God first, he will love his family more. His example of faithfulness to God, even under opposition, will be a great help to his family, too.
• But what about love?
Doesn’t love accept everyone? Care for everyone? Help everyone to be happy? Offend no one? The answer to these questions is "yes, yes, yes, yes" and "No, no, no, no". We accept everyone for who he is, but we do not accept any sins he may still commit. We care for the needy whenever we can, but we also expect them to work and to help wherever they can. We want everyone to be happy and joyful in the Lord, yet we must all mourn for the sins we commit. And finally, a Christian will never purposely offend anyone, but he may be called upon to help a brother see his wrongdoing and thus save his soul.
Love is central to Christianity and must be strong. The belief, faith, and love of the early church led them to face persecution and death, to preach the word everywhere, and to sell all they had to help support and establish the church. Does God expect less of us today?
The basic promise of the everlasting covenant is "I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people" (Heb 8:10). Before Jesus ascended, He met with the disciples in Galilee. There He gave them the "Great Commission" to spread the gospel to all the world. He concluded with this promise, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20). These were covenant promises. God’s people would yet be "a kingdom of priests."
In His promise "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world," Jesus made a personal commitment. But how can He do this, limited as He is by humanity? In this special way, Jesus is now represented by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, is not limited by humanity. It is through the ministration of the Holy Spirit that the benefits of the sacrifice on Calvary are made effective. The power of grace, the direct influence on human hearts is through the Holy Spirit. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure, and the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Read John chapters 14 to 16 for a more complete picture of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Why is the Holy Spirit needed? There were many things that Jesus did not tell the disciples, and they needed further instruction through the Holy Spirit. Even after three and a half years, they still did not understand His mission. Here are some of the things the disciples could not understand:
• They did not understand that the Jewish nation would be rejected as the Chosen People of God.
• Restoring the throne of David was a future event, and depended on the success of the Kingdom of Grace.
• It was difficult for some to put aside the sacrifices and ceremonies as no longer needed.
• The Gospel was to go to the Gentiles too.
These were things which were critical and needed for salvation. The Holy Spirit was more than a subjective emotional experience. The gifts of the Spirit were varied and practical (1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4). He was given as a teacher to bring the disciples into the full light of truth. See John 14:26 and 16:1-16. The apostles needed time to integrate the teachings of Jesus into their thinking. The concepts must be understood and believed, tested by experience and become part of their lives. The Holy Spirit guided them in this process. Maybe most important was that the Jews needed to recognize that Jesus fulfilled the purpose of the sanctuary services, and now Christians must have faith in Him, not looking to ceremony and ritual.
After the resurrection, Jesus, unknown to them, walked with two disciples from Jerusalem to Emmaus. During the time that Jesus lived on earth, there was poor understanding of the meaning of the sacrifices. Even the disciples did not know that Jesus came to die as a sacrifice for our sins. The prophecies of the Messiah in the Old Testament were mixed. Some pointed forward to "Rabbi ben Joseph, the Suffering Servant" while others pointed to "Rabbi ben David, the Conquering King." See article #17. Naturally, under the Roman yoke, they desired the latter.
Matthew 24 is another mixed prophecy. Are there more prophecies that we do not really understand? Is there a risk of error in reading a prophecy and laying out exactly what will happen in the future? The best course to follow is to read the prophecies, make application where it is plain and then as events unfold, we will recognize fulfillment. "And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe" (John 14:29).
Generally the Jews did not think they were "sinful". Most based their assurance of salvation on their lineage from Abraham and from meticulous keeping of the ceremonies and sacrifices written in the "book of Moses" (Deuteronomy 31:24-26). It was new then for Israel to be called to repentance by John the Baptist. Similarly, Jesus coupled His healing with assurance of sins forgiven. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called for a change of heart, not a mere repetition of forms and ceremonies. Even a strict keeping of the moral law falls short if the heart is not changed. The Kingdom of Grace must be established before the Kingdom of Glory can come in.
Before the crucifixion even the disciples did not understand that Jesus did not come just to live among men but also to die for them. After Peter's confession that "thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God", recognizing who Jesus was, we find that Peter still misunderstood His mission:
22 "Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 "But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men" (Matthew 16:21-23).
There was competition among the disciples for a high place in the expected kingdom that Jesus would establish. The disciples were discussing this even at the Last Supper! They were expecting the restoration of the throne of David and of the past glories of Israel. "And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest" (Luke 22:24).
The story of the walk to Emmaus illustrated the feelings of the disciples immediately after the crucifixion. They were crushed. Their expectations of a glorious earthly kingdom were gone. All was lost. Jesus had failed. "But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done" (Luke 24:21). On that famous walk, Jesus explained these things to the wondering disciples.
For forty days Jesus appeared to the disciples before He ascended to Heaven. It was only after another ten days of intense and united prayer, followed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, that the disciples finally came to an understanding of the purpose of Jesus’ life on earth. His sacrificial death on Calvary was now seen as the culmination and purpose of the entire sacrificial system. It was a major change in the thinking of the apostles. Peter now realized that through His death and resurrection, power to heal and grace to forgive sins were given to man. The crucifixion was not a failure, it was the victory of Jesus, the Messiah, over Satan. In the following passages Peter could now say that the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ was a fulfillment of prophecy.
"Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days" (Acts 3:24).
"For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
"For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done" (Acts 4:27-28).
Stephen, in his last sermon before the Sanhedrin, began to touch on the fact that the ceremonial system and even the temple itself was a type, not the reality. His sermon was cut short when he made this statement: "Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things" (Acts 7:49, 50)?
Why did it take so long for the disciples to believe? Why did Jesus not tell them these things? The fact is, Jesus did tell them at least four times that He would die. They did not believe Him. Until they believed that He came to die, they could not understand if He tried to tell them why. In speaking of the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now" (John 16:12).
The message to us today is that we must hear and believe what God is really saying to us, and not hear just what we want to hear.
It was difficult for the Jews to give up their belief in the law of Moses, the ceremonies and sacrifices. It was difficult even for the apostles. The early church was made up of many Jews, including Pharisees and a large company of the priests. As the gospel reached more and more gentiles, the question arose as to the place of the ceremonial law. This was discussed at the Jerusalem council where gentiles were asked to follow only four minimal requirements (Acts 15).
Some people could not accept this. There was a class of Jewish Christians who held onto the ceremonial law. Some followed Paul to churches he had founded and confused the members with their teaching. The books of 1 Corinthians, Galatians, and Hebrews largely deal with the problem of the Judaizers.
The focus on rote keeping of the ten commandments and the ceremonial law are a carry-over of the legalistic promises of the people in the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant shortly came to an end, but the mindset of seeking the approval of God through works continued and strengthened until it was dominant at the time of Christ. This verse illustrates this attitude:
13 "The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men" (Isaiah 29:13 NIV).
Jesus had little sympathy for the value of empty ceremonies. "In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Mark 7:7). The Jews also accused the disciples of eating without the ceremonial washing of their hands.
11 (Jesus replied) "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
18 "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 "These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man" (Matthew 15:2, 11, 18-20).
Paul was very strongly grace oriented, and it was largely through his influence that the Christian church was able to transition from keeping the law to accepting Jesus sacrifice and His grace as the means of salvation.
18 "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers" (1 Peter 1:18 NIV).
20 "Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules:
21 "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"
22 "These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.
23 "Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence" (Col 2:20-23 NIV).
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