The more I learn about the earliest followers of Jesus, the more I am challenged to consider what it means to live as a Christian today. The many accounts and letters in the New Testament certainly reveal the revolutionary behavior of the early Christian communities, but possibly even more stirring are the accounts of those who witnessed the early Christians living the Way of the Kingdom of God - a lifestyle so upside-down and contrary to the norm that pagans were both irritated and amazed.
Consider the following picture painted by Aristides, a philosopher around A.D. 125:
They walk in all humility and kindness, and falsehood is not found among them, and they lone one another. They despise not the widow, and grieve not the orphan. He that hath, distributeth liberally to him that hath not. If they see a stranger, they bring him under their roof, and rejoice over him, as it were their own brother: for they call themselves brethren, not after the flesh, but after the spirit and in God; but when one of their poor passes away from the world, and any of them sees him, then he provides for his burial according to his ability; and if they hear that any of their number is imprisoned or oppressed for the name of their Messiah, all of them provide for his needs, and if it is possible that he may be delivered, they deliver him. And if there is among them a man that is poor and needy, and they have not an abundance of necessaries, they fast two or three days that they may supply the needy with their necessary food.
see goodness in the land of the living. ::: hear music in the key of the life. ::: know and be still.
Josh, I know what you mean. The level of dedication to the Way, by those who comprised early church, if nothing else, causes one to stop and think.
ReplyDeleteWhile some have advocated an Acts 2 model for "doing church," and while others have suggested that the Bible promotes a communal lifestyle (with multiple families living together under the same roof and sharing all things in common)- is this what it means and looks like to live as a Christian today?
In our church we've been wrestling with this very question, for a couple of years now. While we haven't arrived at a fully nuanced understanding of what it would mean, we have agreed on a few things.
For starters, to live as a Christian today, would mean deriving one's identity from Christ, rather than from the other voices that propose to answer the question of who we are and what our purpose in life is.
Secondly, to live as a Christian today, would mean that our primary allegiance would be to the crucified Christ, rather than to the nation in which we live, the organization of which we are a part, etc.
Third, to live as a Christian today, would mean intentionally engaging in practices which create space for God to move and speak in and to our lives, while at the same time freeing us up to listen as God moves and speaks to us.
Fourth, it would mean being part of a community of like-minded people. People who would challenge us, hold us accountable, ask us the difficult questions, and partner with us in the missio dei.
Fifth, that community would, in the words of Leslie Newbigin, be the hermeneutic of the gospel. It may mean sharing everything in common and generously giving to those who are in need. It might take on the form of job training. It could look like micro-loans. But to live as a Christian today would most assuredly not result in both orthodoxy and orthopraxy.
Josh my brother! This is great. I'm going to paste your comment and then respond in CAPS amid your thoughts. Here we go...
ReplyDeleteFor starters, to live as a Christian today, would mean deriving one's identity from Christ, rather than from the other voices that propose to answer the question of who we are and what our purpose in life is.
ABSOLUTELY. I THINK FOCUSING ON THE SOURCE OF OUR (AND HUMANITY'S) VALUE MUST COME FROM GOD. VALUE, IDENTITY, PURPOSE - ALL OF IT. THIS IS A GOOD STARTING FOUNDATION.
Secondly, to live as a Christian today, would mean that our primary allegiance would be to the crucified Christ, rather than to the nation in which we live, the organization of which we are a part, etc.
YES, YES, YES. COULD NOT AGREE MORE. AS CHRISTIANS ARE ALLEGIANCE IS TO ONE GOD, ONE MESSIAH, ONE KINGDOM. I PARTICULARLY LIKE THAT YOU MAKE SURE TO PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE CRUCIFIED CHRIST. THE WAY IS THE WAY OF THE CROSS. FOR SURE. WELL PUT.
Third, to live as a Christian today, would mean intentionally engaging in practices which create space for God to move and speak in and to our lives, while at the same time freeing us up to listen as God moves and speaks to us.
WHILE THIS IS ABSTRACT, I WOULD ASSUME THAT THIS WOULD COVER MOST PRACTICES OF SPIRITUAL FORMATION. i.e. DISCIPLINES, ETC. THIS IS SO, SO, SO IMPORTANT. THEY'RE MYSTERIES THAT WE DO NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND AND YET DEEPLY AFFECT MOST OF OUR LIFE - ESPECIALLY THE ABILITY TO FOLLOW/IMITATE JESUS.
Fourth, it would mean being part of a community of like-minded people. People who would challenge us, hold us accountable, ask us the difficult questions, and partner with us in the missio dei.
I ALSO AGREE WITH THIS. AND IT VERY MUCH DEPENDS ON THE FIRST AND SECOND POINTS. ONE TRAGIC WONT IN THE CHURCH TODAY IS HIGHER EXPECTATIONS. WE MUST HAVE THE AUDACITY TO LOVE OUR FAMILY ENOUGH TO PUSH THEM TO BECOME TRANSFORMED! NOT BY OUR OWN EFFORTS BUT THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENCOURAGEMENT IS SO IMPORTANT.
Fifth, that community would, in the words of Leslie Newbigin, be the hermeneutic of the gospel. It may mean sharing everything in common and generously giving to those who are in need. It might take on the form of job training. It could look like micro-loans. But to live as a Christian today would most assuredly not result in both orthodoxy and orthopraxy.
I THINK YOU MEANT TO SAY THAT IT WOULD RESULT IN BOTH ORTHODOXY AND ORTHOPRAXY (RIGHT?). NEEDLESS TO SAY, YES. AND I THINK THIS MEANS CONSTANTLY EVALUATING OURSELVES AND HOW WE'RE LIVING. ARE WE LIVING THE LIFE OF THE AGES? OR ARE WE LIVING DEATH?
Thanks for commenting josh! Much love and peace to you, brother.