The Real New Testament Church
  • Home
  • Contents
  • Preface
  • Plan
    • Kingdom >
      • Chapter 1 - Beginning
      • Chapter 2 - Errant Reasoning
      • Chapter 3 - Consequence
      • Chapter 4 - Adaptation
      • Chapter 5 - Original Earth
      • Chapter 6 - Renovated Earth
      • Chapter 7 - Degenerated Earth
      • Chapter 8 - Time, Space and Representation
      • Chapter 9 - Early Ages
      • Chapter 10 - Israelite Age
      • Chapter 11 - Gentile Age
      • Chapter 12 - Tribulation
      • Chapter 13 - Regenerated Earth
      • Chapter 14 - New Earth
    • Covenant >
      • Chapter 15 - Covenant
      • Chapter 16 - Major Covenants
      • Chapter 17 - Eternal Covenant
      • Chapter 18 - Renovation Covenant
      • Chapter 19 - Old Covenant for Israel
      • Chapter 20 - New Covenant for Israel
  • Church
    • Preparation >
      • Chapter 21 - Parables
      • Chapter 22 - Kingdom of Heaven Parables
    • Foundation >
      • Chapter 23 - New Testament Church
      • Chapter 24 - Church Covenant
      • Chapter 25 - Eternal or Temporal
      • Chapter 26 - Calling
      • Chapter 27 - Description
    • Legality >
      • Chapter 28 - Law
      • Chapter 29 - Transgression
      • Chapter 30 - Justification
    • Life (zoe) >
      • Chapter 31 - Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 32 - Progression of Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 33 - Birth
      • Chapter 34 - Perfect Example
      • Chapter 35 - Church Life
      • Chapter 36 - Sanctification
      • Chapter 37 - Rule of Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 38 - Life According to the Spirit
      • Chapter 39 - Return to Law
      • Chapter 40 - Faith
    • Composition >
      • Chapter 41 - Covenantal Headship
      • Chapter 42 - New Covenantal Headship
      • Chapter 43 - Practical Headship
      • Chapter 44 - Body
      • Chapter 45 - Women
    • Incarnation >
      • Chapter 46 - Function and Form
      • Chapter 47 - Purpose and Mission
      • Chapter 48 - Manifestation
    • Doctrine and Practice >
      • Chapter 49 - Apostolic Teaching
      • Chapter 50 - Apostolic Tradition
    • Apostolic Teaching >
      • Chapter 51 - Values
      • Chapter 52 - Prayer
      • Chapter 53 - Works
      • Chapter 54 - Giving
    • Apostolic Tradition >
      • Chapter 55 - Governance
      • Chapter 56 - Simplicity
      • Chapter 57 - Biblical Gatherings
      • Chapter 58 - Practical Gatherings
      • Chapter 59 - Supper: Celebration and Sign
      • Chapter 60 - Supper: Apostolic Tradition
      • Chapter 61 - Assembling Together
    • Growth >
      • Chapter 62 - Biblical Church Growth
      • Chapter 63 - Practical Church Growth
      • Chapter 64 - Exponential Growth
    • Simulation >
      • Chapter 65 - Temporal Simulation
      • Chapter 66 - Simulated Church History
      • Chapter 67 - Confirmation of Scripture
      • Chapter 68 - Sovereignty of God
    • Warfare >
      • Chapter 69 - Warfare
      • Chapter 70 - Utter Defeat
      • Chapter 71 - Freedom
      • Chapter 72 - Position
      • Chapter 73 - Descriptive Armor
      • Chapter 74 - Cooperative Armor
      • Chapter 75 - Armor Abridged
      • Chapter 76 - Armor Paraphrased
      • Chapter 77 - Armor Appropriated
      • Chapter 78 - Full Armor
      • Chapter 79 - Power of Position
  • Reformation
    • Chapter 80 - Formation, Deformation and Reformation
    • Chapter 81 - Law and Life
    • Chapter 82 - Practice of Law
    • Chapter 83 - Practice of Life
    • Chapter 84 - From Law to Life
    • Chapter 85 - Doctrine, Desire and Dependence
    • Chapter 86 - Design, Decentralization, Demonstration and Divestment
  • Conclusion
    • Chapter 87 - The Real New Testament Church
  • Endnotes
  • About
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Chapter 51 - Values
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Values are standards, principles, or qualities that are esteemed. Therefore, they are indicative of what is important, both individually and societally.
    
Personal values are typically formed early in life through the influence of parents, teachers, and other authority figures. Then, reinforced by emotional investment, they gradually become incorporated into thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors.
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​Human lives reflect their values. I once attended a church service where the pastor asked the children among the congregants, “What do your parents value?” As parents sat mortified, many children answered with complete honesty. The answers included TV, work, family, computer, etc. The exercise revealed that human beings do what they value and value what they do.

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                                              Change

Once values are ingrained, change proves difficult. It is typically sought only after the experience of a significant crisis.
    
The pain and suffering associated with various crises can motivate a serious reconsideration of personal or societal values. However, while crises can influence the desire to change values, they cannot furnish the power necessary. Changing deeply rooted standards, principles, or qualities from worldly to biblical occurs only by the power of God.
    
Both believers and unbelievers experience pain and suffering. Only the believer, however, is equipped to endure with purpose. He is set apart from the unbeliever by the indwelling presence and power of God.
    
When the believer encounters difficulty and suffering, he can rejoice. He understands that by His presence and power God, “… causes all things to work together for good to those who love [Him], to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Consequently, the believer recognizes that God is able to use his pain and suffering for good.
    
In contrast, the unbeliever is left to his own devices to assuage his pain and suffering. Rather than God and His infinite means, he has nothing more than the finite resources of the world with which to alleviate his distress.
 
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)
 
                                      Church Values
 
The values of a particular church group are clear to all who are familiar with their practice. Whether associated with the temporal, organized church or the eternal, organic church of the New Testament, values guide mission and activity. As a result, they reflect the direction and fruitfulness of the church.
     
The New Testament church bore spiritual fruit in significant quality and quantity. In stark contrast, the temporal, religious church is limited in the production of spiritual fruit. It does not bear the quality and quantity of spiritual fruit reflected in the pages of the New Testament. The discrepancy is related to the values they embrace.

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​It is clear from the New Testament that the early church valued:


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Early Church Values
  • The imminent return of Jesus Christ.  
  • Christ indwelling, empowering and using His church.  
  • The immediate, active headship of Jesus Christ.  
  • Intimate, shared life fellowship with Jesus Christ. 
  • Walking by dependent faith.  
  • The guidance of both apostolic teaching and apostolic tradition.  
  • Fervent prayer.
  • Participatory worship.  
  • The Lord's Supper celebrated together as a full meal.  
  • Multigenerational community.  
  • The priesthood of every believer.  
  • Interactive gatherings.  
  • Selflessness measured by giving and service.
  • Mutual discipleship.  
  • Lifestyle, team-oriented outreach.    
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The values of the church serve a significant role in determining its spiritual vitality and fruitfulness. The primary factors that shaped the values of the early New Testament church were the leading of the risen Savior, the teaching and tradition of the Apostles, and prayer. As evidenced by church history, whenever and wherever these same values are cherished, they contribute to the bearing of spiritual fruit in New Testament quality and quantity.   
                                       

© 2023 James Hiatt
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