The purpose of meeting together in the early church

Acts 2:42:

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

I've already talked about preaching in the New Testament.....it was directed toward non-believers and it was always the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection that was preached. There was no preaching IN the church to other believers.

So what did they do in their regular meetings? According to Acts 2:42 they taught/studied the doctrines that the apostles delivered to them, they fellowshipped together, prayed together and ate together. Now, I believe that the "breaking of bread" was the Lord's supper because they all partook of one piece of bread in which they broke into pieces and shared together. But also, if you look at the institution of the Lord's supper, they were eating the Passover meal, so I believe it was also a normal part of their weekly meal.

So the New Testament Church did 4 main things:

1. studied doctrine together
   
2. fellowshipped together
3. prayed together
4. partook of the Lord's supper and a meal together

So many "churches" nowadays preach at least 3 times a week, sometimes more, and people just go sit in a pew and listen (or sleep) and then go home! There is very little fellowship, very little prayer, very little studying doctrine and very little eating together, though some do observe the Lord's supper each week.

There are a couple of good things I can say about the denominational church we attend for now. We do not observe the Lord's supper weekly or study doctrine weekly, but there is a lot of fellowship and a meal together every week as well as a weekly prayer meeting. I love the people there, I just wish it was more like the New Testament Church!

Dreams

My good friend Sasha had one of those strange but funny dreams last night and gave me permission to post it here. :)

"We were at a church and the preacher was like this real meat eating guy ... he believed we "need" to eat meat and had discussed it a little before the service started - at which time you had shared your vegetarian thoughts etc. with him ... then, during his service he was announcing that he was having a workshop about the importance of eating meat and he said "I'm going to show you why it's important that YOU eat meat" - directly to Jonathan!

Your jaw dropped, Jonathan burst out crying - and Jayla followed - at which point you stood up in disbelief ... you were saying "did you hear that" ... and took the kids out."

Isn't that hilarious?! Leave a comment with a dream you have had recently, especially if I was in it. Ha!

Doctrines of Men, part 3: Historical Church Documents

I wanted to include one more type of false doctrines to this topic: Historical Church Documents.

This is mostly associated with denominations (see how they all tie in together?), but they are still all doctrines of men. What are these historical church documents? I am speaking of creeds, confessions of faith and catechisms! This would also include individual churches' bylaws.

I may surprise a lot of people here, and even my own husband originally thought I was being "extreme", but over the last few weeks we have seen the dangers of following these documents. It may be true for some that they are based on the bible, but then I have one simple question.....

If it is based on the bible, why not just use the bible???

The danger in using these documents comes when someone or a group of believers begin putting these documents above the bible. I have heard preaching from these documents from the pulpit, which shouldn't really surprise me since the church doesn't follow the New Testament model to begin with! But this pastor actually said that we cannot fully rely on the bible only, but we also need these historical documents to know what our forefathers believed! I knew he valued these things far too greatly, but I was shocked to hear him say that. The Bible and the Holy Spirit (pray for wisdom and discernment!) is all you need in order to know the will of God and His doctrines! We do not need any doctrines of men or anything to "clarify" what the bible is saying!

See, that is how all the "isms" slip into churches these days. If believers would stop referring back to "church history" (that is not from the bible) and simply read the bible for what it says, there would be much more unity. Even many of the martyrs who died for what they believed in were heretics! The murderers didn't care what the martyrs believed, they just killed them for taking a stand, true or not! Just because they died for what they believed in does not make me obligated to follow them, I am obligated to follow GOD only.

The second more obvious problem is when man's interpretation of the bible is incorrect, and many believers are "catechizing" their children with these false teachings. Maybe most of it is true, but maybe some of it is not......are you sure you want your children learning and memorizing from them rather than straight from the bible? If you feel so strongly about teaching the catechisms, why not just use the questions and verses as a guideline and not even read what the written answers are? Find the answers for yourself straight from the bible!

As for the individual church bylaws, there is so much wrong with all that. First of all, it sets that one church aside as an individual, distinct organization, and we already know that denominations are not from God and that He desires unity among His Church (singular). Secondly, where in the bible does it talk about church voting, for example? They were told to appoint elders in every town (because all the house churches were one church!) in Titus 1:5:

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—

There is much more to say about all of these topics, and maybe I will expound on them more one day, but this is some food for thought to anyone who is reading. I pray everyone will throw out their "hand-me-down doctrines" in exchange for reading and studying the word of God and see what the bible really says about certain doctrines. Some denominations are right on with some of the doctrines, but the fact that they are a denomination is not biblical, so you know we will find much more! I do not ever expect to find the "perfect" church, but I also am not willing to settle when I know of one that is truly following the New Testament example for the church of God. These little house churches do exist, they are just few and harder to find. If you do not find one near you, why not start your own! It may not be "ideal" and maybe you feel inadequate as a teacher, but do the best you can with what you have, and pray that God will send true believers to you who can all participate in the edification of the believers. It is such a joyous experience to truly experience this from Acts 2:42:

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

And I'll blog more about this verse in the near future. :)

Denominations in the Early Church

1 Cor. 1:10-13 - ¹⁰ Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. ¹¹ For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. ¹² Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” ¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

1 Cor. 3:1-4 - ¹ And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. ² I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; ³ for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? ⁴ For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

Along the same lines of teaching unity, the early church taught against division. I don't even need to say anything else on this, I'll just let the bible, God's holy and infallible word, and the Holy Spirit of God speak for Himself.

Unity in the early church

Psalm 133:1 - Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity

John 10:16 - And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

John 17:11 - Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.

John 17:21-23 - ²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Acts 2:44 - Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,

Romans 12:4-5 - ⁴ For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, ⁵ so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

1 Cor. 10:17 - For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

1 Cor. 12:5 - There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.

1 Cor. 12:12-13 - ¹² For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

1 Cor. 12:26-27 - ²⁶ And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Gal. 3:26-28 - ²⁶ For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Eph. 1:10 - that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

Eph. 2:14-21 - ¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
¹⁹ Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

Eph. 3:6 - at the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,

Eph. 4:1-6 - ¹ I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, ² with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, ³ endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Eph. 4:11-16 - ¹¹ And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

With all this talk about unity, I think God may be trying to tell us something! If we are all listening to the Holy Spirit, we WILL be in unity. He would not give us all different interpretations of His word! So what does that say about Christians and "churches" today? Should there even be churches (plural) or just one Church, all members of the body of Christ?

Doctrines of Men, part 2: "isms"

And this time I don't mean kidisms!

This may not have to do exactly with the model of the early church in the New Testament, but it is about all the false doctrines being taught now that were warned about in those days! I find it especially interesting that some of the preachers who even warn about false doctrines are themselves teaching other false doctrines! The devil is sly indeed!

So let's just name a few of these false doctrines to begin with. These are all doctrines of men, perhaps based on some scripture, but they are almost all twisted to some degree to fit what the original false teacher wanted to be taught.

1. Arianism
2. Syncretism
3. Marcionism
4. Syncretism
5. Universalism
6. Gnosticism
7. Nestorianism
8. Pelagianism
9. Marionism
10. Glossolalianism
11. Montanism
12. Eunomianism
13. Monarchianism
14. Sabellianism
15. Macedonianism
16. Apolinarianism
17. Nestorianism
18. Eutychianism
19. Arminianism
    
20. Monophysitism
21. Monothelitism
22. Noeticism
23. Docetism
24. Subordinationism
25. Ebionism
26. Patripassianism
27. Modalism
28. Antinomianism
29. Gnosticism
30. Manicheanism
31. Unitarianism
32. Calvinism

Let's take a look at the last one, for example. The main 5 points of Calvinism are TULIP:

Total Depravity (also known as Total Inability and Original Sin)
Unconditional Election (God is sovereign and can do whatever He pleases, so he chooses who will go to heaven and who will not)
Limited Atonement (The blood of Jesus does not cover the sins of the whole world, only the sins of the elect)
Irresistible Grace (no one can resist the grace of God......no free will of man)
Perseverance of the Saints (also known as Once Saved Always Saved)

John Calvin came up with verses to fit each point, and it sounds very convincing if you are not familiar with the entire bible to some degree or if you don't at least study for yourself. I just want to pick out two points of this to disprove, though I disagree with more than these two points.

Election - Romans 8:29 - For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Most people who agree with Calvinism stop after the word predestined. But if you keep reading, you will easily see with your own eyes that God did not predestine us to a place (heaven or hell), He predestined (or predetermined) for us to be like Christ! That is what predestination is! And we are called His elect if we are followers of Jesus! That's all there is to it. Not difficult to understand at all, is it?

Limited Atonement - 1 John 2:2 - And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

John is writing to other believers, and he is telling them (us) that Jesus died for the whole world! It is very clear here. He says "for our sins" and then goes on to say "not for ours only but also for the whole world." How much more clear can it be???

There are many more verses, but that is all you need to see to know that Calvinism, which seems to be making a huge comeback recently, is another false doctrine of man.

I find it interesting too that Many Southern Baptist churches and seminaries teach this and yet they do not practice infant baptism, and Calvin believed and taught infant baptism! He persecuted those who did not practice it! If he can be so wrong about one subject, why are so many blindly following his other teachings?

James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Pray for wisdom and the Holy Spirit will help you understand God's word. You do not need someone else's hand-me-down doctrine that is probably false to understand the Bible, just read it for yourself and let the Holy Spirit interpret it for you! Pray for wisdom and discernment. Be sure it is the Holy Spirit who you are listening to or you might just come up with a false doctrine of your own! But if it is the Holy Spirit, then all believers should be in unity, because God would not give us each different interpretations. Division and confusion is from satan, not God. Denominationalism and false doctrines are from satan, not God.

Doctrines of Men, part 1: Scriptures against it

Col. 2:20-23 - 20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Titus 1:10-16 - 10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. 15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

Isaiah 29:13 - Therefore the Lord said:

“ Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths
And honor Me with their lips,
But have removed their hearts far from Me,
And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,

Matt. 15:1-20 - 1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

8 ‘ These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
16 So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

We (followers of Christ) need to stop listening to other people's doctrines, the hand-me-down fables that are usually associated with denominations and cults.

2 Tim. 2:15 - Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We are each accountable for our own lives and how we live, so study for yourself and don't let someone else tell you what to believe. Just read the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Just be sure it is the Holy Spirit! Pray for wisdom and discernment!