LESSON FROM THE

PAST FOR TODAY’S

CHURCH:

“How the EARLY

CHURCH become a
Catalyst in Changing
their Society”
Acts 2:1-2, When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together
in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind
came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were
sitting.
Acts 2:41, Those who accepted his
message were baptized, and about three
thousand were added to their number that
day.
Acts 2:42-47, They devoted themselves to
the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone was filled with awe at the
many wonders and signs performed by the
apostles. 44 All the believers were
together and had everything in common.
45 They sold property and possessions to
give to anyone who had need. 46 Every
day they continued to meet together in the
temple courts. They broke bread in their
homes and ate together with glad and
sincere hearts, 47 praising God and
Acts 17:6, “These men who have
enjoying the turned
favor oftheallworld upside And
the people. down
have come here too; the Lord added to their number daily those
The first Christian Churches were revolutionaries.

 The group they formed was, in many ways, very different from what we
know as the Church today.
 According to the Book of Acts, they met in their homes and devoted themselves
to God’s Word. As a result, these early Christians brought about the most amazing
and powerful transformation the world has ever known.

 Christians emerged in the midst of a tremendously diverse Roman melting

pot of social and religious ideas, and through purely peaceful means
completely changed the Empire and united it under the banner of
Christianity.
 They simply opened their homes, spoke the truth fearlessly and trusted God for
the results.

 And they did it without a single mega-church, television program or website.

Matthew 16:18

And I say also unto

thee, that thou art
Peter, and upon this
rock I will build My
church; and the
gates of hell shall
not prevail against
it.
What is Church?

The basic meaning of the Greek ekklēsia is assembly or

gathering. In ordinary Greek it most often refers to the
citizens of a city gathering to decide political issues and less
frequently to an assembly of the devotees of a god.

In the context of early Christianity, it began to be translated as

"church" in the Latin Vulgate, which was completed in the late 4th
century AD.

 In Old English, the word "cirice" (or "cyrice") means

"church." It is derived from the Greek "kyriakon," which
means "of the Lord" (from "Kyrios," meaning "Lord"). The
term reflects the Christian concept of a place of worship
dedicated to God or a building used for Christian worship
services and other Christian religious activities.
The terms "kyriakon" and "ekklesia" have distinct meanings and contexts within
early Christian language and practice:

Ekklesia
 Origin: Greek word (ἐκκλησία).
 Meaning: In ordinary Greek it most often refers to the citizens of a city
gathering to decide political issues and less frequently to an assembly of
the devotees of a god. Usage: Used in the New Testament to describe
the community of Christians as well as specific gatherings for worship
and teaching.

Kyriakon
 Origin: Greek word (κυριακόν), derived from "Kyrios" (Κύριος),
meaning "Lord."
 Meaning: Translates to "of the Lord" or "belonging to the Lord." In
early Christian contexts, it referred to a place associated with the Lord,
specifically a church building.
 Usage: Used in the context of church buildings and worship, especially
as Christianity became institutionalized.
Acts 2:42-47, They devoted themselves to
the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone was filled with awe at the
many wonders and signs performed by the
apostles. 44 All the believers were
together and had everything in common.
45 They sold property and possessions to
give to anyone who had need. 46 Every
day they continued to meet together in the
temple courts. They broke bread in their
homes and ate together with glad and
sincere hearts, 47 praising God and
enjoying the favor of all the people. And
the Lord added to their number daily those
who were being saved.
APOSTOLIC
TEACHING:
“The teaching of Jesus that He
wants as to obey and follow.”
•Matt. 28:19-20, Therefore go
and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20
and teaching them to obey
everything I have
commanded you. And surely, I
am with you always, to the
very end of the age
Luke 24:44-49, He said to them, “This is
what I told you while I was still with you:
Everything must be fulfilled that is written
about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets
and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their
minds so they could understand the
Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is
written: The Messiah will suffer and rise
from the dead on the third day, 47 and
repentance for the forgiveness of sins
will be preached in his name to all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are
witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to
send you what my Father has promised; but
stay in the city until you have been clothed
2 Pet. 1:12-21, So I will always remind you of these
things, even though you know them and are firmly
established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is
right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent
of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it
aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15
And I will make every effort to see that after my
departure you will always be able to remember these
things.16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories
when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his
majesty. 17 He received honor and glory from God the
Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic
Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I
am well pleased.”[b] 18 We ourselves heard this voice
that came from heaven when we were with him on the
sacred mountain. 19 We also have the prophetic
message as something completely reliable, and you will
do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a
dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star
rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand
2 Timothy 3:3:15-17, and how from
infancy you have known the Holy
Scriptures, which are able to make
you wise for salvation through faith in
Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-
breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, 17 so that the servant
of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work.
How to be Devoted to
Apostolic Teaching:

Read the Bible Daily.

Learn it with others. (Weekly

Bible Study)

Must have somebody to follow

or a discipler.
THE KOINONIA: The Church is design to be as a community (FELLOWSHIP) of
believers.

 Koinonia is a Greek word that occurs 20 times in the

Bible. Koinonia’s primary meaning is “fellowship,
sharing in common, communion.”

 The first occurrence of koinonia is Acts 2:42, “They

devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to
the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to
prayer.” Christian fellowship is a key aspect of the
Christian life. Believers in Christ are to come
together in love, faith, and encouragement.
 Koinonia is being in agreement with one another,
being united in purpose, and serving alongside each
other.
A powerful example of what koinonia should look like can
be found in a study of the phrase “one another” in the
Bible. Scripture commands us to be devoted to one
another (Romans 12:10), honor one another (Romans
12:10), live in harmony with one another (Romans
12:16; 1 Peter 3:8), accept one another (Romans 15:7),
serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13), be kind
and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32),
admonish one another (Colossians 3:16), encourage
one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13), spur
one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews
10:24), offer hospitality (1 Peter 4:9), and love one
The Power of
Shared Meals.
The Bible begins and ends with meals.

The first words of God to humans are

an invitation to eat; Gen 2:16, And the
Lord God commanded the man, “You
are free to eat from any tree in the
garden;
The first conflict in the Bible is over a
forbidden meal. Gen, 3:6, When the
woman saw that the fruit of the tree
was good for food and pleasing to the
eye, and also desirable for gaining
wisdom, she took some and ate it. She
also gave some to her husband, who
was with her, and he ate it.
The Power of
Shared Meals.
The Bible begins and ends with meals.

The last act of Jesus before his death is

to share a meaning-laden feast with his
disciples. Matt. 26:26-28, While they
were eating, Jesus took bread, and when
he had given thanks, he broke it and
gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take
and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he
took a cup, and when he had given
thanks, he gave it to them, saying,
The final
“Drink vision
from ofofthe
it, all new world is of a
you.
massive, joyful banquet. Rev. 19: 9,
Then the angel said to me, “Write,
Blessed are those who are invited to
the marriage supper of the Lamb.’”
The Power of
Shared Meals.
The Bible begins and ends with meals.

Jesus Ministry and Miracles are in the

context of meals. (a) Wedding at Cana
(2) The feeding of 5,000 (five loaves
and 2 fishes) (3) The feeding of 4,000
(seven loaves and unspecified number
of fishes)
Fellowship in the Early church happens
in a home around a meal.
The Power of
Shared Meals.
The Bible begins and ends with meals.

Roman meals expressed the social

order Jewish meals were similar (think
of the jockeying for position in Luke 14)
with the added twist that Levitical food
laws made it all but impossible for Jews
to eat with Gentiles. So meals
expressed who were the insiders and
who were the outsiders.
Jesus ate with tax collectors. Tax
collectors were collaborators with the
Romans, the people who were
occupying God’s promised land. This
meant they were not only betraying
the nation, but they were enemies of
God. God sits and eats with his
enemies. That’s what happening in the
meals of Jesus. It’s an amazing
The Power of
Shared Meals.
The Bible begins and ends with meals.

Paul’s great exposition of the doctrine

of justification in the letter to the
Galatians is sparked by a meal, by
Peter’s refusal to eat with Gentiles. This
is where a false doctrine of justification
led: to broken table fellowship. Why?
Because meals are such a central and
powerful expression of community (and
the withdrawal of community).
The great thing about using meals to do
community and mission is that it doesn’t
add anything to your busy schedule. We
already have 21 ready-made
opportunities each week. Nor do you
have some kind to special missiological
training. You just need to love Jesus, love
people and enjoy eating!
WORSHIP: “True worship is a valuing or a

The Church treasuring

things.”
of God above all

is design to
bring GLORY,
HONOR AND The inner essence of worship
PRAISES to is to know God truly and then
respond from the heart to
the MASTER. that knowledge by valuing
God, treasuring God, prizing
God, enjoying God, being
Romans 12:1: “I appeal satisfied with God above all
to you, therefore,
earthly things. And then that
brothers, by the mercies
of God, present your deep, restful, joyful
bodies as a living satisfaction in God overflows
sacrifice, holy and in demonstrable acts of praise
acceptable, which is from the lips and
Christians Were Characterized by Uncommon Joy

In the midst of terrible persecution and hardship, these early

believers were able to stay focused on God instead of their own
situation. As a result, regardless of their personal circumstances,
they were able to live with joy. Read these words from unknown
author of the Epistle to Diognetes (written c. 130AD): “They love all
men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned;
they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make
many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they
are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They
are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless;
they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good,
yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if
quickened
Aristides into life;
presented they
a letter areEmperor
to the assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and
Hadrian
(c.
are117-138AD)
persecutedand by
described the uncommon
the Greeks; joy ofwho hate them are unable
yet those
early believers: “Every morning and all hours on
to assign any reason for their hatred.”
account of the goodness of God toward them, they
render praise and laud Him over their food and their
drink; they render Him thanks. And if any righteous
person of their number passes away from this world,
they rejoice and give thanks to God and they follow
his body as though he were moving from one place to
another. And when a child is born to them, they
praise God, and if again it chances to die in its
infancy, they praise God mightily, as for one who has
Christians Were a Fearless and Animated People,
Not a Passive Church

Early Christians did not go to church, they were the

church; they did not just attend church services, they
impacted their culture as the people of God. They
assembled not as the end goal, but as a way to equip
themselves to be the people God intended them to be
and do the work God intended them to do.

Listen again to Tertullian (Christian Author in 2nd

Century:

“We assemble to read our sacred writings . . . and with

the sacred words we nourish our faith, we animate our
hope, we make our confidence more steadfast; and no
less by inculcations of God’s precepts we confirm good
habits…
Christians Were Known By Their Love

Because they had surrendered so completely to God’s call on

their lives, they began to live as the children of God. The world took
notice. Again from Tertullian: “But it is mainly the deeds of a love so
noble that lead many to put a brand upon us. ‘See’, they say, ‘how
they love one another’, for they themselves are animated by mutual
hatred. ‘See’, they say about us, ‘how they are ready even to die for
one another’, for they themselves would sooner kill.”

And again from the Apology of Aristides (Christian Greek Author)

“They abstain from all impurity in the hope of the

recompense that is to come in another world. As for their servants
or handmaids or children, they persuade them to become
Christians by the love they have for them; and when they become so,
they call them without distinction, brothers. They do not worship
strange gods; and they walk in all humility and kindness, and
falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another.
When they see the stranger they bring him to their homes and
rejoice over him as over a true brother; for they do not call
those who are after the flesh, but those who are in the Spirit
and in God.”
Christians Gave Sacrificially to the Needy

These early believers understood why God had given them

the limited wealth they had. They did not have the burden of
having to support programs or pay for a church building. Meeting
in homes, and led by regular men of character, these first
believers were able to pour all of their financial gifts into the care
of the needy. In fact, over and over again in scripture, this is the
only thing offerings were used for. Listen to Tertullian: “Though
we have our treasure-chest, it is not made up of purchase-money,
as of a religion that has its price. On the monthly day, if he likes,
each puts in a small donation; but only if it be his pleasure, and
only if he be able: for there is no compulsion; all is voluntary.
These gifts are . . . not spent on feasts, and drinking-bouts, and
eating-houses, but to support and bury poor people, to supply the
wants of boys and girls destitute of means and parents, and of old
persons confined now to the house; such, too, as have suffered
shipwreck; and if there happen to be any in the mines or banished
to the islands or shut up in the prisons, for nothing but their
fidelity to the cause of God’s Church, they become the nurslings of
their confession.”
7. Christians Were God’s Holy Ambassadors in a Dying World
The world also quickly recognized there was something very different about these Christians. They represented something noble
and pure, and were influential in their communities. Read these words from the Epistle to Diognetes (c. 130AD) as this ancient
letter describes how powerfully Christians reflected God’s nature in the world:

“For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For
they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity.
The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they,
like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities,
according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the
rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life…” “…They dwell in their
own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners.
Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all
[others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are
in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the
prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives.” “…To sum up all in one word–what the soul is in the body,
that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all
the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the
world. The invisible soul is guarded by the visible body, and Christians are known indeed to be in the world, but their godliness
remains invisible. The flesh hates the soul, and wars against it, though itself suffering no injury, because it is prevented from
enjoying pleasures; the world also hates the Christians, though in nowise injured, because they abjure pleasures. The soul loves the
flesh that hates it, and [loves also] the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them. The soul is imprisoned in the body,
yet preserves that very body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison, and yet they are the preservers of the world.
The immortal soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle; and Christians dwell as sojourners in corruptible [bodies], looking for an
incorruptible dwelling in the heavens. The soul, when but ill-provided with food and drink, becomes better; in like manner, the
Christians, though subjected day by day to punishment, increase the more in number. God has assigned them this illustrious
position, which it were unlawful for them to forsake.”

Early Christians stood apart from the world because they had been transformed by the power of God and had surrendered
themselves to their Lord in both word and deed. From the Apology of Aristides:

“They observe scrupulously the commandment of their Messiah; they live honestly and soberly as the Lord their God commanded
them.
Clearly the early believers were living their faith, and not merely going to church. In fact, there was no
institutional church to go to, even if they wanted to. Yet the movement was impossible to stop, and it
eventually encompassed the known world. Where did these early believers come up with this notion of
the Christian life that is not dependent on buildings, paid staff, or programs? They got the model from
their predecessors as described in the scriptures:

Acts 2:42-47
And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to prayer. And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and
signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together, and had
all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them
with all, as anyone might have need. And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and
breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity
of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number
day by day those who were being saved.
The early Christians didn’t attend church, they WERE the Church; an active, energized body of believers
equipped to change the world.Share on X
The first community of saints reflected the power and design of God in their lives as a family of
believers. This early history of the church simply reflected the teaching of the Bible as it recorded the
nature and essence of the very first community of saints in this passage in the Book of Acts. The early
Christians didn’t attend church, they were the Church; an active, energized body of believers equipped
to change the world. Today’s Church can learn something from the Early Church.
How was the Early Church Organized?
As Christianity spread the Apostles had to come up with a way to administer the Churches.
The natural organization was to follow the political division then in place as part of the
Roman government. This was by cities. They appointed bishops in each city to be the head of
the Church. Then the bishops would have presbyters, or priests as we call them today, to help
them. We know that from the earliest days of the Church that the Bishop had the ultimate
authority in administrative matters. We have already mentioned deacons who were also
ordained to help in the administration of Church affairs.

There were also strict qualifications of those who were to be ordained as ministers of the
church. They had to be temperate, have only one wife, be sensible, dignified in their
behavior, hospitable, able to teach, not heavy drinkers, gentle, not greedy, not quarrelsome,
able to run his own household well and well thought of by outsiders. He was not to be quick
tempered, self-controlled, seen as God’s steward and have a firm hold on God’s word. They
were instructed to watch over the flock as good shepherds acting as caretakers of souls being
impartial to teach the and show all the way of sound doctrine.

The Church was seen as a local community. A community of believers who had to work
together and learn to love one anther. They were close knit groups who regularly came
together to participate in the eucharist. Their purpose was worship and to support each
other in living in the example of Christ. It was a local church, yet it was always the fulness of
the Church. Each gathering was a gathering of the whole Church.