Christianity at the beginning

 

How the Christian movement managed to survive and thrive in the first hundred years?  How did it inspire the believers long term and how did the children not abandon it?  Other than the gospels and epistles, there is almost nothing written about the people.  They were tiny in number, maybe 10,000 people by 100AD. What did those early churches have?

There were no sermons, a later invention.  A big speech given like Peter at Pentecost to a crowd was unusual. It is thought early church spread by quiet networking. Music was not a big thing in ancient Rome.  The early Christians met in their homes built around a central courtyard.  Worships would remind one more of home devotions than church today.

Nobody went around saying, “Come hear our great preacher, our wonderful music, this Sunday.”

            Jesus died in about 33 AD and the first gospel, Mark, wasn’t written until at least 56AD.  For a generation, there was no written New Testament scripture. Even 100 years after that, a church might have only a partial hand-copied gospel and a couple of epistles.  How did these people not wander off the reservation with their beliefs? Secular historians think their beliefs evolved or there was a secret text somewhere. That’s unlikely.  We know they had confirmed beliefs from the earliest days and a confused person who doesn’t know what to believe will hardly bring about persecution of the authorites. Moreover, a religion won’t last if it doesn’t remind people constantly of what they are to do. The kids will walk away if it doesn’t solve or put in perspective life’s problems.

An answer is buried in Acts 2:23ff. Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified…But God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. (vs. 24)…And they devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread, and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. (vs. 42-43), praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number…(vs. 47)

            From the earliest days, Romans said they had the Resurrection.  This was attested to by Julio, the prefect that succeeded Pontius Pilate.  He wrote home to Rome about a new group of Jews, harmless but weird.  They believed that their leader had risen 3 days after he died.  Romans snickered at this.  In 3 days a dead body will start to stink badly.  Roman soldiers knew death! But if Jesus was raised, why? Did they simply say he was sinless? Then he would just save  himself from God’s eternal wrath and find a place in heaven The grave, Peter and the Christians insisted, “could not hold him.” Hence Jesus must be God. And  so we have just answered the first of the two fundamental questions of Christianity —Who was Jesus of Nazareth? And why did He die and rise again? 5 simple words even a child can memorize, Jesus Died For My Sins” That answers the other fundamental question, “What does this mean for me?” As soon as you say that you have also said that Jesus is God.  A 3^rd party person can’t forgive anybody. They aren’t part of what happened.  But the Jews held that God could forgive; all sins offend God.  He alone can forgive all sin.

So the Christians had some apostles right there teaching them (if one lived in Jerusalem), the 5 functions of the church just like we do today (Acts 2:42ff), and the Holy Spirit doing power and wonders that were visible (Magic to an unbeliever.  It wouldn’t convert but grabs the attention.)

            But they really did have the New Testament.  Not written, but “This is the New Testament in My blood.”  Jesus established a New Testament or Covenant that superseded the Old Covenant of Moses, which had sacrifices to atone/forgive transgressions of the Law. Sacrifices were the atonement--a sacred act, ordained and commanded by God, physical elements, required the believers faith, worked forgiveness and sometimes brought other things inexplicable from God.  Forgiveness makes one close to God. A covenant is required for a relationship.

  Jesus came forward with this New Covenant in the Lord’s supper, a sacrament like the OT sacrifices to remind that every day, every second God saved them. Was it really blood and body they believed they ate and drank? They must have—the Romans were horrified by what they heard. Cannibals! Perhaps a Roman asked, what are you doing in there?” Christian: “we are eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ!” Cannibalism, the Roman concluded—the worst form of barbarianism! But what if the Christian had replied “well, we kind of figuratively think this.” The Romans would have just rolled their eyes and laughed. In the Lord’s Supper, Christians became forgiven and then amazingly, bonded with God’s family of believers.  Jesus picked up the bread at Passover and announced flatly that it was His body, given for them.  When you invited someone to share bread in that society, it was to say, “you will be part of my family for the night.”  When we line up to eat his body and we are pledging to be part of His family.  And then Jesus took the Passover cup of blessing and pronounced, “This is the New Covenant in my blood.”  He must have shocked his disciples. Asking someone to share the cup with you was what grooms did to ask a bride if she agreed to a marriage.  In communion, you are saying, Yes, I’ll share your life.  Week after week, the Christians did this, cementing themselves to each other and their Savior. 

The Christians were reminded of forgiveness, but how does one progress in faith & draw near to God? Baptism and the Spirit.  Once again, a Sacred Act requiring faith, forgiving sins—a sacrament. To be baptized one has to confess and turn away from sins. And so, years later, Paul would tell the Roman Christians (Rom. 6:3-4)  “we are buried with him in Baptism. and. “just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life.” Dead to sin, alive to God. Our sins forgiven, we are again bonded to Jesus and to God’s family as in Communion. The Holy Spirit, given as God’s sealing gift through repentance at Baptism, will raise one to walk with Him. Early church fathers wrote that people were sealed by baptism. ‘Sealed’- you aren’t getting away, now a child of God.  God comes after you in your troubles, whether they are your own fault or not. Nothing in the known universe beats such certitude.

This established what is called orthodox Christianity.  If all they had had was the memory of their leader rising from the dead, within a generation that would have become distant. If sacraments had no real power, they would become dull rituals over time.  The movement would have died out. Later, books were written by the apostles but then other fraudulent books came along too.  Which was right? The Christians measured everything that was said against the fundamentals they knew.  That was Orthodox Christianity—orthodox “square in measure”.

But how did Christianity spread? Knowing God loved you and saw you from the very beginning, saved you, gave you faith to respond, and now puts His Spirit inside you, changes everything  All the world was then and is now searching for God.  The Christians weren’t.  “God found me! Sealed me forever.” Did they have troubles? Consider what’s been unearthed.  There are about 30 house churches discovered and some plaques and stones with names on them—church members.  2/3 of the names were women who in those days were treated like sub-humans. Half the names were just a single name, likely slaves. There were enormous struggles.  The Hebrew word for struggle means also to wrestle.  When  life is a struggle, one wrestles with God in prayers. “Why, God, did you do this?  Why did you make me this way? Help me, please.” Jesus wrestled with God as well, in Gethsemane.  Did God take away his death? No but Jesus became closer to God because of his struggle.  God often does not heal a situation but brings one closer in relationship. A new door is opened or a new way of knowing God to be close arises.  Through our struggles we learn empathy for others, we become experienced in the difficulties of others, we become a wonderful witness with love and joy, seeing God’s love for us behind us all. That is how the early church grew and how modern churches can grow.  Share your life with others.  Listen to their situations. Share the Good News with Love and Joy. This is a kind of compassion that supersedes the worldly politics of giving handouts and favors.

            Think of their prayers. Maybe they went like this.

Lord, it’s me again, your faithless friend. Don’t you ever get tired of hearing all the dumb and evil stuff I’ve done? Without You, I’m lost.  I’ll never get through this life. And why did you make me the way I am?  Do You really have use for me?

Now Lord, I’m scared.  It’s worse than a pandemic.  They are coming after us and killing us in sadistic ways just to watch us die. I don’t know what’s coming next.Yet, I didn’t start this, You did, dear Lord. Your Spirit found me, I didn’t find you. You called me and saved me. You paid for me with Your body and blood. And I’m so messed up with my situation here, but You hold the plan. You care for me.  You Did It All. You won’t let me go. Dear Lord, I’d rather walk through the valley of death with You than dance on my own mountain. Lead me through this mess. Baptize me with the fire of your Spirit so that I can’t shut up telling Your story. And in the end, I know you’ll weave my little life into Your story and you’ll take me home with You. Amen.

And then came the Word, writings so beautiful and profound it makes one memorize it. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among men, full of grace and truth. No one has ever seen God; the only God who is at the Father’s side has made Him known. Come unto Me all you who are labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. The Spirit and the Bride says, “come.” And let anyone who hears say “come.”He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come Lord Jesus.  There, for Christians was the story again. He wins.  We win. Amen.