The Example
The book of acts gives this few word snapshot of how the early church believed. It reads,
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
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, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47
The early church set an example for all believer in the years and centuries to come.
They were in one accord.
The followed the teachings of the Apostles.
They had fellowship with one another.
They broke bread together.
They worshipped openly in the temple courts.
They lived such good lives that they enjoyed favour of all the people.
It’s interesting to note that Piliny the Younger writing to the Trajan around 112 AD wrote this about Christian,
"They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food--but food of an ordinary and innocent kind...”Piliny the younger.
Piliny was looking for something negative to say about Christians in order to have them executed. There is no record of him finding anything. That however did not stop him from executing known Christians. Being a Christian in the first century AD was enough to get someone executed.
From this account of Piliny, and the account in the book of Acts, we can assume that those first century Christians followed the teachings of Peter who wrote,
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12.
As Christians living in the twenty-first century this is how we should be living.
Please think about it.
The book of acts gives this few word snapshot of how the early church believed. It reads,
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
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, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47
The early church set an example for all believer in the years and centuries to come.
They were in one accord.
The followed the teachings of the Apostles.
They had fellowship with one another.
They broke bread together.
They worshipped openly in the temple courts.
They lived such good lives that they enjoyed favour of all the people.
It’s interesting to note that Piliny the Younger writing to the Trajan around 112 AD wrote this about Christian,
"They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food--but food of an ordinary and innocent kind...”Piliny the younger.
Piliny was looking for something negative to say about Christians in order to have them executed. There is no record of him finding anything. That however did not stop him from executing known Christians. Being a Christian in the first century AD was enough to get someone executed.
From this account of Piliny, and the account in the book of Acts, we can assume that those first century Christians followed the teachings of Peter who wrote,
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12.
As Christians living in the twenty-first century this is how we should be living.
Please think about it.
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