NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

I spent two years studying the New Testament to see what it had to say about the New Testament Church. A lot of my study was informed by the original Greek so as to avoid modern English impositions in the meaning of words. I wanted a complete picture so I looked at everything.

When I had completed my study and realised that the church today had missed the plot, that is what I started talking about, not from the perspective of this is what you have to do but more a case of this is what the word teaches.

Here are some of the subjects I covered and my conclusions. Space does not allow me to post everything.

FOUNDATIONS
The church was birthed on the day of Pentecost with three things. One, unity. They were together, together. Two, prayer. They stayed in the upper room to await the coming of the Holy Spirit and to pray. Three, the power of the Holy Spirit. They were all filled with the spirit and spoke in other tongues. I believe we need all three to be an effective church. In most churches prayer is the least supported activity and most of them are prayers for God to help us or bless us. In other words we are in it for what we can get out of it.

DAILY LIVING
The met daily in the temple (they were Jews) and from house to house for fellowship, apostles teaching, prayer and meals together. When you do this it is hard to not like someone and not to care for someone. And be aware of their needs. Generally Sunday morning meetings are a barrier to this happening.

Their learning was the dialogue method in home groups, not the monologue method as we have today. Every one could share what they wanted without fear of censure.

THEIR AUTHORITY
They had two. Jesus himself whom they preached and his word. They had no traditions to draw on and no denomination headquarters. Although the Jerusalem church were Jews and went the synagogue as well, it did not determine their way of life under the leadership of Christ. There was no New Testament so instruction was verbal or through the gifts of the Spirit. Learning was by example and the Holy Spirit’s proceeding word.

LEADERSHIP
The New Testament is conclusive that leadership was by a plurality of Elders who were selected from within the congregation they were part of. Not once do you read of “pastor” leading the church and certainly not one that is brought in from outside the assembly. The word “pastor’ in fact does not appear in the Greek, it is shepherd. The word “pastor” is Latin and was introduced later the same as the Greek for “bishop“ is ‘pappa’ and was later changed to pope.

There is no evidence that the Elders were paid and there is evidence that they were not.

MONEY
Tithing was an unknown concept for the New Testament Church. They gave as the Lord prospered them and they gave when there were needs. The three main ones were widows and orphans, those experiencing famine and the financing of apostles whilst they were travelling and could not work. Once they settled they supported themselves.

No one was paid a salary and no money was spent on putting up buildings.

EVANGELISM
Three methods were used. The Lord added daily so it was supernaturally in response to the way they lived and cared for each other. The second was by the leading of the Holy Spirit telling them where to go and to whom. So that was supernatural. The third was preaching with signs following so that was supernatural as well. Today evangelism is about 25 on the agenda, which is probably why the church is not growing.

MINISTRY
This was by anointing not appointing. Either Christ gave you a ministry or you didn’t have one. (Ephesians 4v11). Most ministry today is by appointing from head office and devoid of anointing.

These five ministries are ministries not positions. Your authority was in the context of your ministry. For example, Paul was an apostle which means “sent one”. When he was sent by the church to preach the gospel and form a new assembly, he had full authority and anointing to do so. When he wasn’t doing this he was just apart of the fellowship, as he said I come AMONG YOU, not over you.

The ministry group was specific to carry out their ministry and the Elders were a specific group to oversee the local assembly. The ministry group was not superior to the Elders as they had different roles. Not once in the whole of the New Testament does it mention “a pastor” as leader of the assembly and as I have talked to people about this they have always fallen back on denominational “tradition” to support such a concept and they usually twist scripture and circumstances to support their unbiblical concept.

THE PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS
Many churches talk about this and say they do it but in most cases it is minimal assent. In the New Testament Church, everyone was a capable minister of the new covenant, probably because they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. At the same time it says that we are ordained to bring forth fruit. The word “ordination” in scripture has nothing to do with ministry,. It is to do with character and humility. In the New Testament, there are no words used to describe clergy or the clergy/laity divide. It was an unknown concept.

In Corinthians Paul says that when you come together, everyone has, not just a select few. What they had was the gifts of the spirit, not man inspired lectures and programmes. I was in a church in England for 10 years that had no pastor, no platform, no pulpit, no preacher and no programme.

We all arrived and sat until the Holy Spirit began the meeting, using one and another to contribute in various ways. One meeting lasted six hours. Frank Viola says that the appointment of paid leaders sounded the death knell of the priesthood of all believers as in most cases the chosen few perform up front and the rest are the cheer squad. As a result, most of the congregation never grow because they are not giving according to their ministry.

CHURCH
In the New Testament there was only one church in each town. The church at Corinth; the church at Philippi; the church at Laodicea etc. Paul castigated the Corinthian church for their division (denominations). The times that I have heard that denominations are of God are totally incredulous. Jesus prayed that we would be one. Denominations divide, not unite.

Jesus said he would build his church. That being the case we need to know how. Most of the time church leadership is building their church and the gates of hell are prevailing against it as a result. Until we confess our sin of ignoring Jesus and the Holy Spirit and submit ourselves to his will and purpose, nothing will change.

I hasten to add that churches in third world countries are submitting and they are the churches that are making an impact with converts being added daily. It is only westernised, self sufficient, smug churches that are losing the plot.

COMMITMENT
The New Testament Church was totally committed to their cause. They gave freely without consideration for their own needs and they accepted that dying daily was the routine. For some that even meant martyrdom.

The New Testament talks about sacrifice and death, being shunned and even killed. It does not talk about prosperity of finances. It talks about prosperity of commitment and sacrifice. They consider themselves to be their brother’s keeper. We usually leave that to the government to take care of.

They were very happy to take up their cross daily if it meant that Jesus was exalted and the good news was passed on to others. Being a believer in Jesus meant that it was a full time ministry for everyone, not just a select few who had been to Bible College.

These are a few of my favourite themes (apologies to Mary Poppins). In all there are many, many more which will appear on my website once I have developed one.