The Marks of the Early Church: Part 1

The Divine quest is what gave birth to the church. The church, or ekklesia, is a spiritual organism. Conceived in eternity past, the church was born on the day of Pentecost in the city of Jerusalem. From there it spread to Rome and beyond. If you read the book of Acts and the Epistles, you will see the church’s DNA at work. Let’s take a look at some of the outstanding characteristics of that DNA:

* The early Christians had an incredible vocabulary that reflected a unique experience. Ephesians Chapters 1-3 and Colossians Chapters 1-2 are littered with this vocabulary. That vocabulary emanated from a mind—the mind of the primitive church. That mind was characterized by the capacity to see the unseen and to declare as present fact heavenly realities that exist outside the constraints of created time.

The early Christian vocabulary has largely been lost to us today. In fact, it’s been lost since the fourth century when Constantine emerged on the scene. His era marked a steady devolution when organism was replaced by organization, heavenliness was co-opted by earthliness, spirituality was replaced by worldliness, and the primitive Christian mind was lost. The net effect was that the language to describe it also vanished.

* The early Christians had a genuine revelation of an indwelling Lord. They knew a God who dwelt inside of them, and He was everything to them. The early Christians had a walking, living, breathing relationship with Jesus Christ that was vital, vibrant, and contagious. The purpose of their lives was toward the outliving of the in living Christ.

* The early Christians met together regularly for a very high and noble purpose. That purpose was to display the living Christ who indwelt them. They met to give the most glorious Person in the universe visible expression. They understood that they were His literal Body on the earth, and as such, they existed to manifest Him through His every-membered, functioning Body.

* The early Christians had an incredible Christ-centeredness in their thinking. They made Jesus Christ central, supreme, and pre-eminent in their lives individually and corporately. Their Christ-centeredness was reflected in their conversation. That’s how they got the name “Christian,” by the way. They were always speaking about Christ.

Their Christ-centeredness was reflected in their songs. Some of the early Christian hymns appear in the New Testament. And they are intensely Christocentric. En. Colossians 1:15-20; Philippians 2:6-11.

Their Christ-centeredness was reflected in their ministry. All of the passages in the book of Acts that depict the early preaching of the apostles tell us this one thing: Their message was Christ.

Here’s a simple exercise. Read the New Testament epistles sometime beginning with Romans and count the number of times Jesus Christ is mentioned or referred to. It will astound you. The New Testament authors were spilling over with references to their Lord. He was their point of reference for all things.

I believe that we have lost the centrality of Jesus Christ. Religious, spiritual, and theological pursuits have replaced it. Doctrines will evolve, theologies will change, interpretations will be adjusted, and religious fads will come and go. The only reality that will never wear out is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is a Person—not a doctrine, a theology, nor a religion. He is a real and living Person who can be known, experienced, enjoyed, worshiped, loved, served, and adored.