The christians today are completely misguided because they did something which the first century christians ..

Question

...did not do. They First Century Christians did not have a creed, a prescribed order of worship, a special church language, a hymnal of their own, a set of scholarly commentaries, or anything like that.

Answer 1

Thank you for sharing your viewpoint.
I am a Christian.

Comments:
1. First Century Christians did have a creed (e.g., see 1 Corithians 15).

2. There is nothing wrong with a prescribed order of worship. Some Christian churches follow such a order, some dont. The church I attend does not have a fixed order of worship.

3. There is nothing wrong with a special church language (as long as the local language is also used so people can understand). Some Christian churches use such special language, some dont. The church I attend does not use such a special language.

4. There is nothing wrong with a church using a hymnal of their own. Some Christian churches use such a hymnal, some dont. The church I attend does not use such a specific hymnal.

5. There is nothing wrong with a church using a set of scholarly commentaries. Some Christian churches use such commentaries, some dont.

Cordially,
John

Answer 2

And having these things is a bad thing? A creed makes a statement as to what one holds to be true. Not the creed itself, rather the content of what the creed affirms. Hymnals? I don't know but singing is mentioned. Weather the music/words were written down someplace or came solely from memory..I don't know I don't think it matters much. Prescribed order of worship just puts things in ABC order. It is not a must to follow it. A service can be held in a prison cell. Gods word says that where two or three are gathered together (in worship) He is with them. I think most of the commentary has its base in the Bible.

Answer 3

That's an interestinc concept.

Some people have proposed the idea that today's church is even more sanctified and focused on God's will. See, back then, they were the bible, they were living it out everyday, making history. today, we have an accuarte representation of God's will and His actual word. The people of this time, didn't know where Paul was while they were being persecuted, but now we know that he was in jail in Rome, or on the way to Corinth, etc...

Also, now we have a more of a compilation and know it is God's will. As God's will is made evident on the earth, you can expect two things to happen: the seperation of God's people from the world, and a more assimilation of the unsaved to the ways and tricks of the devil.

I think that the church is better off, not misguided, because now we can look objectivly at what was being taught and now we have a clear understanding off the word of God as a whole, and not letter by letter, as was being presented and preached to the people at the time.

Remember when the disciples first were with Jesus, they didn't even know how to pray. They ask for him to teach them out to pray. Something this simple, and yet everyone nowadays knows and understands prayer, at least the people in church. We have grown in knowledge, understanding, and in sanctification as a whole. I don't think we are misguided because we are in the end, guided by the Holy Spirit.

Answer 4

Liturgy of worship had to start somewhere. By the way, all these things did exist in the temple and a lot was borrowed since first century worship for Christians was also done in the temples until the Jews kicked them out.

The Litugical and Ritual worship of early Christian churches didn't just fall out of the sky. Christianity has Jewish Roots.

Answer 5

No, they just had the Apostles who ended up giving us those creeds, etc.

In early church times, baptism candidates called catechumen were asked questions about the nature of God's Trinity. These questions were handed down from the earliest church times. Later, they came to be called the Apostle's Creed. The oldest form of the Creed, according to biblical scholars, comes from Bishop Marcellas of Ancyra (A.D. 337). The current form of the Creed has existed since A.D. 750. The Creed is a foundation for the historic Christian faith.

They did have hymns as well. Paul even gives us an example, in Ephesians 5:14, it says, "Wake up, O sleeper! Arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.'' which appears to be a stanza from an early hymn. Colossians 3:16, even goes further showing us an example of music in the church: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you with all richness and wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and singing to God with thankfulness in your hearts." You see, they also used the Psalter as a hymnal.

The scholarly commentaries were the very words of the Apostles themselves. We can see some of them from the Ante-Nicene fathers, including Polycarp (a disciple of John the Beloved), and Clement (a disciple of Peter).

So, we do have things in common with the early church. What seems to be missing most in the church today, is the passion for reaching out to our neighbors, and being like the church in Acts 2:42-46.

Answer 6

Seems to me your premise is more than just slightly flawed.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.

Jesus told the apostles to teach the whole world "to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you".

That's a pretty tall order.

It would seem that 12 guys might need to:

1) enlist some help

2) have someplace to actually do their teaching and worship

3) develop some form of text books or catechisms

4) develop a thorough, doctrinally correct, and fully appropriate system for large numbers of people all over the world, to worship God

5) settle inevitable disputes

6) finance all of the above

"And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world."

Seems to indicate that God knew what would be necessary and he promised to help.

God must have messed up too.

Go figure!

When are you planning to start your new OLD church?

Answer 7

First century Christians were no different than we are today.

Proof of this can be found in Pauls writings and he really did try to nip it in the bud, but alas we are self willed, prideful people with sin natures and it happened anyway.

Read Acts and you will find Paul trying to no avail to tell the new churches that they shouldnt be concerning themselves about whom they preferred to listen to (Apollos, Paul, etc.) He said to them to listen to the message, not the one that was giving it.

He told them and us directly not to say we were a follower of a certain preacher as Apollos or even Paul himself, but to remember that we are followers of God.

Obviously it did not work, because we have all kinds of different ways of worship and people still followed the speaker instead of the message.

So, No there isn't anything new under the sun, the division of worship ways started right at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. Twelve apostles, hundreds and hundreds of disciples and many many differences in opinion about the message.

Answer 8

Not all churches have the things you have listed. I have been to many home churches, and have had them in my home too.
There are many people that have church like the book of Acts talks. And they are wonderful.
Not fancy, but filled to the brim with the word. What more could anyone want.

Answer 9

HOW are we misguided again???? I read your statement, but I don't see what that has to do with being misguided. Being organized is misguided? What? I don't understand.

People 60 years ago didn't have the internet or color tv. NOW we DO. Does THAT have anything to do with being misguided?

We have vaccinations for things now that we didn't before. What does THAT have to do with being misguided?

Eh whatever.

Answer 10

I am not sure how following the will of God to worship Him and learn more about Him is misguided.