Lesson 1: The Early Church 23 Lesson 1: The Early Church Primary Goal of Lesson: Identify the practices that were routine in the early Church, as established in the New Testament.
24 Passing the Standard Table of Contents for Lesson 1: The Early Church Background Text Primary Goal of the Lesson General Process Key Verse Lesson Components Scripture Warm-up Review NONE Preliminary Object Lesson: Who Leads the Church? Share Information about Acts 2:42 Object Lesson: Understanding Communion Share Other Information about Church Practices Object Lesson: Understanding Autonomy Illustration: Baptism by Immersion Activity: It s in the Egg! Activity: Building a Church Distribution of Newsletter Worthy Time-fillers Race for the Verse (Acts 2:42) Supplementary Materials Newsletter
Lesson 1: The Early Church 25 1. THE EARLY CHURCH Before we can look at the Movement to restore the practices of the New Testament Church, we must first determine what specific practices were considered to be a routine part of the life of the Church. For that reason, in Passing the Standard we will first look backward to the dawn of the Church to see just what practices the apostles set in place. Acts 2:42 is generally considered the primary verse of instruction for the Church. In the book of Acts we are given a description of most of the practices of the early Church and an insight into why the early Christians considered them important. Acts 2:42 is generally used as the primary verse of instruction for the life of the Church. And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. According to the Bible and other first century records, early Christians gathered for particular purposes. Acts 2:42 specifically mentions several purposes. The Church gathered to: Listen to preaching Take communion Fellowship Pray The Church met on the first day of the week. 1. Preaching / teaching The Apostles were led by the Holy Spirit to share the instructions that Jesus left with them. The words of the Apostles were like food to the hungry souls of the new Christians. They listened intently, often for very long sessions; to hear the words of Christ proclaimed. Acts 20:7 gives us evidence not only of the intensity of the desire to hear God s Word, but of the custom to meet on the first day of each week. And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread; Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. 2. Communion Communion is the Lord s Table not ours. He decides who is invited. When they met together on the first day of the week the early Christians made a point of gathering around the Lord s Table. They wanted to remember Christ. They wanted to remember the sacrifice that was made. They wanted to identify with the sacrifice that He made for them.
26 Passing the Standard According to early Christian writings through the third century, the churches broke bread once a week. Early in their involvement with the new Movement, the leaders realized that the best way to communicate the message of the New Testament Church was to systematically present the ideals and their supporting arguments in print. Alexander Campbell s series of articles regarding The Restoration of the Ancient Order of Things was particularly helpful in identifying particular practices that were routine to the early Church. Campbell justified his positions by use of Scripture and historical documents of the first several centuries of the Church. In The Restoration of the Ancient Order of Things No. IX. On the Breaking of Bread No. IV, Alexander Campbell wrote that Pliny (in his Epistles, book 10 th ), Justin Martyr (in his Second Apology for the Christians), and Tertullian (De Ora. p. 135) all testified that communion was a universal practice in all the weekly assemblies of the brethren. The practice was apparently common until sometime during the fourth century. 3. Fellowship Based on our definition of the word fellowship, we believe that the Christians met regularly to encourage one another, to care for one another, and to be assured that the physical and emotional needs of the body were being met. The Church met to encourage and to provide for one another. Alexander Campbell offered another definition as well. Again in one of the lessons of his The Restoration of the Ancient Order of Things series, he explained that the same Greek word, koinonia, was in some instances translated as fellowship and in others as contribution. In Acts 2:42, I Cor. 1:9, II Cor. 6:14, Gal. 2:9, Phil. 3:10, I John 1:3, and II Cor. 8:4 koinonia is translated as fellowship. When the verse obviously meant alms giving, as in II Cor. 9:13, the word koinonia was translated as distribution and in Rom. 15:26 the same word koinonia was translated as contribution. Campbell reasoned that the same justification that rendered koinonia as contribution in Rom. 15:26 would permit its translation as contribution in Acts 2:42. Whether the verse itself was intended to indicate
Lesson 1: The Early Church 27 that offerings or contributions were made, the recorded practices of the early church supported Campbell s view. Quoting from the written testimony of Justin Martyr that was recorded not more than fifty years after the death of John the apostle (Second Apology, page 96) Campbell included the following words in The Restoration of the Ancient Order of Things No. X. The Fellowship. On Sunday all Christians in the city or country meet together, because this is the day of our Lord s resurrection, and then we read the writings of the prophets and apostles. This being done, the president makes an oration to the assembly, to exhort them to imitate, and do the things they heard. Then we all join in prayer, and after that we celebrate the Supper. Then they that are able and willing give what they think fit; and what is thus collected is laid up in the hands of the president, who distributes it to orphans and widows, and other Christians as their wants require. [Restoration of the Ancient Order of Things No. X. The Fellowship] It is interesting to note that if we use Alexander Campbell s preferred translation of koinonia, we would effectively, in a single verse, have all that is necessary to maintain the organizational structure of the church as an instrument of service to the world. The spiritual reliance on God is provided through prayer and communion; the assignment of the Church is given through the preaching of His word; and, if Campbell was correct, the physical needs of the body are satisfied through the practical element of contributions. The most important thing to note, of course, is that both fellowship and contribution were important practices of the early believers. 4. Prayer It is evident that prayer was a large part of the Christian s life. This was the time that he communicated with God. Nothing is written to give instruction as to the
28 Passing the Standard position of the person doing the praying. Thus, we may reasonably assume that the important idea is not whether we stand, sit, or bow down or whether we speak aloud or silently, or whether we have our eyes open or closed. The important factor is that we are given to understand that prayer is an active part of our time with God and is not to be reduced to merely two or three sentences once or twice a day. Nothing is said about the required position for prayer. It is the attitude and the relationship with Jesus that is important. Other practices that can be seen in the writing of the Apostles and the first and second-generation religious leaders deal with the autonomy of the congregation, baptism, and the absolute authority of the Scriptures. These concepts, which were apparently understood in the framework of the New Testament Church, have often been the critical wedge that divided the Church in later centuries. 1. Autonomy: When new congregations were established, leaders were needed to carry on with the daily details of the Church, meeting the needs of the Christians. Acts 14:23 describes how the process was arranged. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Elders and deacons were appointed for the specific church of which they were a part. They were selected with care and then left in the hands of God to wisely exercise the task before them. In The Restoration of the Ancient Order of Things, No. XIII, the Bishop s Office, No. II Alexander Campbell pointed out that the New Testament never refers to a bishop of more than one congregation. If the need arises, there could be more than one elder for a congregation, but never more than one congregation under a single bishop. Autonomy means that the specific congregation makes decision for its own body of believers. Elders and deacons were selected from a body of believers for that particular congregation. Also, the elder or deacon does not call himself ; rather, because of his character and knowledge, the other members of the congregation select him to lead them. This is the benchmark of an autonomous church only its members can make the decisions for their congregation. 2. Baptism (immersion): The Scripture frequently deals with the subject
Lesson 1: The Early Church 29 Baptism was done by immersion! Alternatives were not even considered until much later. of baptism. In the early Church people did not question the manner of baptism because the practice of baptism by immersion was automatically accepted. In the later centuries of the Church, alternative methods and practices were introduced, thereby presenting later generations with the need to decide which of the choices to follow. The first aspect of baptism that is sometimes questioned is the method of conducting the baptism immersion versus sprinkling. The Bible mentions sprinkling on a number of occasions, but never in the context of baptism. When referring to the process that we term as baptism, the Greek term that is used always refers to an act that involves dipping completely or submerging. Instead of translating the word as immerse the translators, in particular those translating the King James Bible, chose to use the terms baptize or baptism. This eventually opened the door to conflict regarding the method used for this ordinance. The alternative for immersion, sprinkling, was introduced several centuries after the Church began. Campbell, in an argument of his debate against John Walker, pointed out that even at the time it first began, some of the Latin Church fathers considered sprinkling to be unworthy as a form of baptism. Infants were not baptized because infants cannot make the personal choice to accept Jesus atonement for their sins. The second question that is sometimes raised regards the practice of infant baptism. The text of the Bible never mentions an instance of infant baptism. The closest argument that can be given refers to the case of household baptisms. In debating the acceptable method of baptism, Alexander Campbell pointed out that the references in the New Testament that indirectly mentioned infant baptism included some concept which could be easily understood to exclude infants. For example, in Acts 10:2, the family is called Godfearing, which is a concept beyond the understanding of an infant. In Acts 16:34, the jailer s household believed, again a concept an infant cannot grasp. The reference in I Cor. 16:15 tells us that the household was addicted to ministry again a concept unable to be applied to an infant. Thus, Alexander concluded, the references to a household believing and being baptized could not have been intended to mean that infants were baptized. 3. Biblical authority:
30 Passing the Standard Jesus established the Church. He sent the Holy Spirit to empower the Church and He left behind several specific leaders to guide it and prepare it for the centuries ahead. Therefore, the Church has no alternative but to grow and develop in the manner that Jesus directed. But, the question remains, how do we know what His plan is for the Church? The obvious answer lies in the men he left behind. The Bible is the absolute authority for all decisions regarding the life and practices of the Church. The first century Church took those first hope-filled steps under the guidance of the men who learned at the feet of the Master. The construction of the patterns of the church is documented in the writings that became the New Testament. When a congregation of early believers deviated from the accepted plan, the Apostolic Fathers (the leaders of church after the Apostles) corrected them and returned the congregation to Christ s plan and they left the documentation for us to follow. Just as those early congregations looked to the Apostles to guide them in forming their practical order of operation, so should we. We have the greater advantage the documentation is written down for us to continually study. Beyond the accepted practice of the early churches to follow the blueprint laid down by the Apostles, we have the Bible s own words. Repeatedly the inspiration of the Word of God assures us that all Scripture is given by God and is worthy to be used. John tells us his words are written so we can believe and have eternal life. The first century Church gathered on a weekly basis to share in communion and to hear the Word of God, as given through the Apostles. They held the Scripture as absolute authority, and adjusted their lives accordingly.
Lesson 1: The Early Church 31 Primary Goal of the Lesson Identify the practices that were routine in the early Church, as established in the New Testament. General Process Identify the key elements of a New Testament Church. Explain or illustrate each. Do activities to help students remember the key information. Emphasize that Jesus created ONE Church and that He wants Unity of all believers. Emphasize that the Bible was the sole authority for the life of the Church. Key Verse Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Lesson Components Scripture Warm-up Conduct a Bible Book Drill, looking for 5-8 books, followed by standard Bible Drill (Sword Drill) to find several specific verses. Bible Drill (Sword Drill) Have students hold closed Bibles above their heads. Call out a verse that relates to your lesson. Repeat the verse. When you say Go the students lower their Bibles and begin to search for the verse. The first to find it stands and reads the verse. Bible Book Drill The Bible Book Drill is conducted in the same manner as the Bible Drill (Sword Drill), except that the student must locate any page of the Bible Book, rather than a particular verse. This variation of the Bible Drill (Sword Drill), allows you to conduct more rounds in your allotted time and gives the students more practice in learning the location of the Books of the Bible. Bible Book Drill: Genesis, Ecclesiastes, Joshua, Proverbs, Malachi, Philippians, III John
32 Passing the Standard Bible Drill: Acts 2:42, 11 Corinthians 11:26, Eph. 2: 8 Review NONE Preliminary Object Lesson: Who Leads the Church? Play a short game of Simon Says. [If you are conducting an overall points contest for the entire course, you can give the winner / winners 25 points.] After playing the game, ask the students why they had to do what Simon said. Help direct their answers to lead them to an understanding that Simon gets to decide what they must do, simply because that is the way the game was created. From that point, explain that the Church was created, instituted, started, and designed by God. Jesus went to Heaven, but He sent the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) to direct the apostles in leading the Church. Since it is His Church He is the only one who has the right to determine how it is conducted. Emphasize that the Church is the collection of believers in Christ, not the location where they met. Explain to the students that the Bible describes the practices and operations of the Church. Then, explain that the purpose of this lesson is to learn what practices were common in the Church of the first century. Share Information about Acts 2:42 Have someone read Acts 2:42. Ask the children to pick out the practices that are found in this verse. Write them on the board as they are mentioned. [Listen to preaching, communion, fellowship, and prayer]. Have the students recite them several times. Discuss each of practices, sharing the information found in the Background for Lesson 1. Give the students the opportunity to share their ideas about these practices too. Explain that listening to the words of the apostles would be like listening to the preacher, or our Sunday School teacher, or studying our Bibles. Explain that fellowship includes encouraging one another and working together. Explain that the Bible makes no requirement about how or when to pray, but does tell us to do it continually.
Lesson 1: The Early Church 33 Explain that breaking of bread means communion. Object Lesson: Understanding Communion Advance Preparation Obtain a jar of grape juice, enough small cups for everyone to have one and some matzo crackers. Tell the students that you are all going to act out the communion service to help them understand it better. Place the bread and the juice on a table and have the students gather around. Discuss the fact that the bread represents Jesus body and that the juice represents His blood. Explain that the early Church celebrated communion on the first day of the week every week because they wanted to remember Jesus and identify with Him. Have one of the students read Luke 22:19-20. Explain that Jesus told us to do this. Explain too that it is His table, not ours. Point out that as long as a person has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, he is invited to the Lord s Table. Share Other Information about Church Practices Explain that there were other practices of the early Church three that they need to understand in order to better understand later lessons in this series. Define and explain the significance of autonomy the self-governing of the local body of believers. Explain that each church chose elders and deacons to lead them. Explain that the New Testament Church baptized new converts by immersion. Emphasize that only people who were able to make a personal choice to accept Jesus as Lord were allowed to be baptized. Explain that the words of the apostles that directed the New Testament Church were given to them by God. These words became the written New Testament. Emphasize that the whole Bible is the inspired Word of God. For that reason the Bible is the absolute authority regarding how the Church is to live and grow. Object Lesson: Understanding Autonomy Advance Preparation
34 Passing the Standard Obtain enough small candies to have a small handful for each student and napkins to put them on. Have the students gather around a table. Place a napkin with a small amount of candies on it in front of each student and in front of yourself. Tell them to quickly arrange the candies on the napkin in one row, two rows, or three rows. Explain autonomy in the following manner: Suppose each of these clusters of candies is a church congregation. Suppose this cluster (point to your own which is in one single row) believes that the only correct way to be arranged is to form one row of candies. If this collection of local congregations were united under some kind of association and this particular cluster held the highest position in the association, then it could command that all the clusters be arranged in a single row. (Have the students rearrange their candies into a single row.) Explain that this would be an example of a group of churches organized into an association. But, if all of the local congregations are autonomous, each one of them could decide for itself how to arrange its candies. (Have the students arrange their candies back the way they first chose to arrange them.) Explain that this would be an example of the self-governing practice of an autonomous local body of believers. Illustration: Baptism by Immersion Supplies A saucepan about ¾ filled with water; a small balloon that has been filled with air and tied off Let the students gather around the pan of water. Place the balloon on the surface of the water. Take a few drops of the water and sprinkle it over the top of the balloon. Explain to the students that some parts of the Church, several centuries after it began, started baptizing in that manner. Then, explain that the word for baptism that was used in the Greek texts literally mean to submerge.
Lesson 1: The Early Church 35 As you discuss immersion, slowly push the balloon deeper and deeper into the water. Explain that the Bible tells us that our baptism is a picture of what is happening in the life of the one being baptized. It says that we are buried with Christ in baptism to rise as a new creation in other words the baptism pictorially shows that the person has made a choice to let his or her old Self die and be buried (thus the submerging of the body) so he or she can rise as a person now wholly living in Christ (thus the rising out of the water). Then, explain to the students that all documented references of the Church in the first couple of centuries suggest that the only method used to baptize new believers was by immersion. The use of other methods was not introduced until hundreds of years after the Apostles set up the Church according to the directions of Christ. Activity: It s in the Egg! Advance Preparation Print out the list of common practices or objects in a church, found in Supplement S1.1- Egg Inserts. Cut the list apart and place each strip of paper in a plastic colored egg. Before class, hide the eggs around the room. Tell the students to hunt for the eggs, but explain that they are not to open them until they are told to do so. When all the eggs have been found, sit in a circle on the floor. Have the students take turns opening the eggs they found. As each egg is opened, tell the student to read the paper that is inside. Ask the students if the activity that is written on the paper was definitely done (or used), possibly done (or used), or not done (or used) in the very first churches. Activity: Building a Church (This church will be needed for later lessons, starting with Lesson 3. If you don t have time to put the church together in class, then prepare it later.) Supplies ¼ Foam Core Board (Pieces to be cut before class); Strong, clear packing tape to tape the pieces together; Markers to label the pieces Advance Preparation Cut out the pieces for the church, as described below.
36 Passing the Standard 6 Side Cut 2 of each of the Side, the End, and the Roof piece. Cut one Cross and one Bottom 11 5.75 8.5 Bottom End 6 5 Roof 11 8 11 On the four sides of the church (one on each side) let the students write: Preaching, Prayer, Communion, and Fellowship On the two sides of the roof (one on each side) let them write: Autonomous and Baptism by Immersion On the two small pieces of the roof (which are actually included in the side piece of the church) let them write: Elders and Deacons Cut two lengths of foam core about ½ wide, one about 6 long, the other about 2 ½ long. Form the two pieces into a cross. Then let one of the students write on the crosspiece of the cross: Biblical Authority To construct the church First tape the Cross to the inside of one of the End pieces so it extends about 2 ½ above the point. Tape the 2 Sides and the 2 Ends together to create an open-bottomed-box that is 11 long and 8.5 wide. For each of 4 connections, lap the Side piece over the End piece, taping the pieces together using strong, clear packing tape. Then lap the bottom piece over Side and End pieces and tape in place. Then tape the long side of the Roof pieces to the tope of the Side pieces.
Lesson 1: The Early Church 37 Since the side of the Roof pieces is shorter than the length of the slant of the End pieces, this will leave a gap of about ¾ in the top of the church. (The gap will allow the balloon weights to be slid inside the church.) Distribution of Newsletter Distribute Newsletter #1. Take a few minutes to point out the features, including 2 activity sheets that the students can do at home. [The newsletters can also be incorporated into the class time instead of being sent home.] Worthy Time-fillers Race for the Verse (Acts 2:42) Advance Preparation In Supplement S1.2- Acts Verse the words of Acts 2:42 have been arranged into strips, each containing one or more words of the verse. Print several copies of this file, each on a different color of paper. Cut the verse into strips. Just before Class Randomly tape all the colored strips for this verse on a conveniently located surface table edge or wall. As a class, read through Acts 2:42 several times so it will be familiar. Divide the class into teams and assign each team one of the colors you used when printing the verse strips. Run a relay race each team collecting only its color of strips. Once all the strips have been collected, have the team assemble the verse. The first team to correctly assemble the verse is the winner. [If you are conducting an overall points contest for the entire course, you can assign a reasonable number of points for 1 st place, 2 nd, etc. If not, a small prize can be offered to the winning team.]
38 Passing the Standard Supplements for Lesson 1: The Early Church Table of Contents Supplement S1.1- Egg Inserts Pages include words or phrases of items or actions that may be included in the life of the Church. Items must be cut apart and each placed into a plastic egg to be used in the It s in the Egg activity, as directed in the Lesson material. Supplement S1.2- Acts Verse Page includes strips on which phrases from Acts 2:42 are written. Strips need to be cut apart to use in the Race for the Verse activity, as directed in the Lesson material. * This is an activity from the Worthy Time-fillers section, not from the general lesson material.
S1.1- Egg Inserts. Baptism by Immersion Confession to Priest Prayer Books Communion Bread Announcements Flowers Elders Pope s decisions Pledge to Church Baptistery Stained glass Windows Special Robes for the Preacher Baptism by Sprinkling
S1.1- Egg Inserts (cont.) Van Ministry Air Conditioning Pardons Hymnals Unity of Believers Candles Deacons Sunday school Autonomy Church Bells Pledge to Church Choir Preaching Prayer Bible as the Authority Fellowship
S1.2- Acts Verse Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Volume 1, Page 1 The Christian Voice Special points of interest: To understand the need to restore the pattern of the early church, we must know what practices were routine. Acts 2:42 tells us most of the primary practices. The church met to listen to preaching, to take communion, to fellowship and to pray. Inside this issue: Memory Verse The Early Church... cont Word for the Week Activity Sheet 1A: Let Us Break Bread Together Doers of the Word Think about what you have learned Activity Sheet 1B: What Did the Church Do? 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 The Early Church The goal of the Restoration Movement was, to restore the pattern of the New Testament church. So, we must first see what practices were routine in the life of the Church. Acts 2:42 gives us most of the answer. 1. P r e a c h i n g / teaching- The words of the Apostles were spiritual food to the new Christians. They listened intently, often for very long sessions, to hear the words of Peter was one of Jesus disciples. He had been a fisherman, but Jesus called him to become a fisher of men. He often rushed ahead without thinking. He made a lot of mistakes he even denied that he knew Jesus. But, when the Holy Spirit filled him on Christ proclaimed. Acts 20:7 tells us that they met on the first day of each week. 2. Communion- Justin Martyr, a Christian writer of the third century, said that every week, when they met together, they broke bread together to remember Jesus. 3. Fellowship- The new Christians encouraged one another and cared for one another. Both (cont. on pg. 2) Hall of Fame: Apostle Peter the day of Pentecost he became the first preacher of the new Church of Jesus Christ. Peter preached about Jesus who He was and what He had done for all men. Three thousand people believed in Jesus on that first day. They repented The goal of the Restoration Movement is to return to the original patterns of the church that Jesus left for His followers. and were baptized. That was the beginning of the Church. Afterward they continued to meet to worship and learn more of Jesus.
Volume 1, Page 2 Memory Verse: Acts 2:42 Ps. 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart; that I might not sin against you. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. We also need to continue to study God s Word, pray, and gather for fellowship and communion. The Early Church, cont. from page 1 Baptism by immersion, Biblical Authority, and Autonomy of the local congregation were important practices of the early church. the physical and the spiritual needs of the church were important to the new believers. 4.Prayer Whenever they met, Christians prayed. They thanked God for His goodness and they prayed for more faith for the days ahead. We ve learned some other common practices of the early church by studying the writings of the Apostles and in the writings of the first and secondgeneration church leaders. Baptism The early Christians baptized new converts by immersion, for the forgiveness of their sins. Biblical Authority Jesus Christ established the church. Guided by the Holy Spirit, His followers used His teaching to organize the church; then they continued the teachings of Jesus. New Testament-style churches believe that the Bible is the complete, absolute authority, because it is the Word of God. Autonomy of the local congregation This means that local congregations, not higher councils, make decision for the church. Elders and deacons are selected from each congregation to guide its operation. The New Testament was originally written in Greek. Word for the Week Unity of Believers: Jesus prayed that all Christians would be One, as He and the Father are One. In the early church, believers came together and acted as one unit, worshipping and serving Jesus, their Lord.
Volume 1, Page 3 Activity Sheet 1A: Let Us Break Bread Together The early Christians met every week to break bread or take communion, as a reminder of what Jesus had done for them. Both of the tables to the right are set to celebrate communion. Can you find 12 differences between the two pictures? Doers of the Word Read John 17:20-23. Jesus is praying for us all Christians. What does He want most for all of us? A Christian should always be anxious to read God s Word.
Volume 1, Page 4 Where the Scripture speaks, we speak; where the Scripture is silent, we are silent.? Think about what you learned: 1. The churches met on the day of the week. 2. The early churches practiced baptism by. 3. were selected to guide the congregations. 4. of bread refers to communion. Activity Sheet 1B: What Did the Church Do? _,, _,, _.. CoDE KEy Decode the following message using the code key below. : _: Jesus is the founder of The Church A - G - M S - Y - 5 - B - H - - N - T - Z - 6 - C - I - O - U - 1-7 - D - J - P - V - 2-8 - E - K - Q - W 3-9 - F - L - R - - X - 4-0 -